Ahead of the launch of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, SEGA and Steady Hands announced an exclusive capsule collection of graphic tees celebrating iconic characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The collection is available now in the U.S. and Canada at the Steady Hands official website, and there are five unique tee designs featuring Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, Eggman, and Super Sonic.
“This collection is a celebration of Sonic’s legacy and the characters that have defined generations of gaming,” said Wesley Morales, CEO at Steady Hands. “As Sonic fans ourselves, we’re thrilled to collaborate with SEGA to bring these designs to life.”
The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Open Network Test ran from August 29 to September 1. Players around the world had the opportunity to race as Sonic and friends for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and Joker from Persona 5 became playable for one day only on August 31. A free Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds demo is planned for release in mid-September with single-player content.
In addition, SEGA announced the Project ONSUKU collaboration for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, featuring five new songs celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog and Hatsune Miku. The Project ONSUKU songs will be released weekly leading into the game’s launch, and all five songs will also be featured in the game.
Lastly, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches September 25 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The digital Nintendo Switch 2 version launches in holiday 2025, while the physical copy will release in early 2026. Nintendo Switch users may upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $10.
Meridiem Games, in partnership with Astrolabe Games and Frozen Lake Games, announced a physical edition of Old School Rally will be released on December 4 in Europe. The Old School Rally physical edition will be available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and it will include a set of car cards.
Old School Rally will exit early access and officially launch in holiday 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. In addition, the full release of Old School Rally will feature over 30 unique cars, special stages across 10 different countries, over 22 racing tracks, nearly 50 unlockable items, and and a soundtrack with over 30 original tracks. It will feature all of the updates released up to the point of version 1.0 release.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the game, via Astrolabe Games:
Intro
Old School Rally features fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay, with emphasis on driving skill and high-speed maneuvers.
Retro Style Visuals
Carefully crafted retro style visuals, reminiscent of the late ’90s rally games full of nostalgia and charm, making it a must-play for everyone.
Race the World
With a variety of rally tracks from around the globe, race across different surfaces including dirt, tarmac and snow and challenge your driving skills.
Rally Cars
Choose from a diverse lineup of rally cars inspired by the legends of the past, each with unique characteristics and features.
Leaderboards and Achievements
Challenge other drivers from around the world and climb to the top of the leaderboards. Ready for more? Try to get all the achievements over the course of the game.
PC Gamer announced the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct will air on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. PDT, 12:00 p.m. EDT, 5:00 p.m. BST and 1:00 a.m. JST during Tokyo Game Show 2025, which runs from September 25 to 28 at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. Hosted by Elle Osili Wood and PC Gamer’s Midas, the latest PC Gaming Show event will air on YouTube, Twitch, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Steam.
The PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct will feature major upcoming games on PC with publishers such as SEGA, Devolver Digital and Nightdive Studios already confirmed to appear. Viewers can expect exclusive trailers, news from the Tokyo Game Show 2025 show floor, new developer interviews, and world exclusive announcements.
Elle Osili Wood said, “I’m super excited to announce that I’m hosting the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct on Sunday, September 28! Join me and the PC Gamer team as we spotlight some of the best games coming to PC in 2025 and beyond – expect world premieres, developer interviews, and some very exciting new trailers. See you there…”
“The Tokyo Game Show is one of gaming’s biggest and most iconic annual events,” PC Gaming Show editorial director Jake Tucker said. “Fans of the PC Gaming Show will know that this is the first time we have ever been on the ground in Tokyo and we can’t wait to bring viewers a sense of what Tokyo Game Show 2025 is really like and a glimpse into PC development in Japan.”
Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sucker Punch Productions released a 10-minute video for Ghost of Yōtei titled “Journey Through the Edge of Japan.” The latest Ghost of Yōtei video highlights the landscapes and scenery of Ezo to an extended version of “The North” by composer Toma Otowa.
As previously announced, Ghost of Yōtei sees the return of Legends mode from Ghost of Tsushima. The new Legends mode will feature two-player story missions, four-player survival matches, and four character classes. According to Sucker Punch, players may choose one of four character classes and “try to defeat demonic, giant versions of members of the Yōtei Six, plus a variety of new enemies that fight alongside them.” Legends will be available as free DLC for Ghost of Yōtei owners in 2026.
What’s more, the July 2025 Ghost of Yōtei State of Play revealed that three new special modes will be available. One of these modes is Kurosawa mode, based on director Akira Kurosawa (SevenSamurai, Yojimbo) which returns from Ghost of Tsushima. This adds a black and white filter, an audio filter, film grain, and increased wind.
There are two new modes as well, the first of which being Miike mode, based on director Takashi Miike (13 Assassins). This adds a closer camera and more blood and mud. Lastly, there’s Watanabe mode, based on Shinichirō Watanabe, the director of anime such as Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, and Lazarus. Much like Samurai Champloo, the mode adds a lo-fi soundtrack which plays during exploration and combat.
Ghost of Yōtei launches on October 2 for PlayStation 5, and pre-orders are available in PlayStation Store, starting at $69.99.
Here’s the Kodansha Game Creators’ Lab games lineup for Tokyo Game Show 2025:
1999 TOKOYO Building
4 DEAD
and Roger
BOKURA
BOKURA: planet
CaTHaRSiS: The last of atelier
Children’s Garden
Compensated Girl
CultureHouse
The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike
Fairy Tail: Dungeons
Kinokomare
LATE FEE GIRLS
Magical Animals
MOCHI-O
Nanashi no Maid
Paletopia
Pararecords
SK8 X
somewhere, elsewhere
Sweet Hamster Days
Trailreil
TRIP MOVIE ■□■□ / mosaic Shounen Arisu Satsujin Jiken
Ultra Jet Girl
Wabisabi: Sushi Derby
BOKURA is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in November 2025, and BOKURA: planet is available now for PC via Steam. Lastly, here’s an overview of the game, via the official Steam page:
A mysterious creature resembling a dog stares at you. Could it hold the key to the story…?
The basic system is the same as the previous game… but it plays completely different
BOKURA: planet requires two players using two machines to communicate to play this 2-player puzzle adventure game.
The two players must convey what they each are seeing to their partner and work together to solve the puzzles in each stage, but a new “push” action has been added to BOKURA: planet! Players can send each other flying as they play the game…
…which means that players can push each other off cliffs if one is in the other’s way. Cooperation alone might not be enough this time! Players must not only work together, but anxiously navigate the possibility of confrontation.
New action “push” added! If you use it carelessly, you might get in trouble…?
Story
The earth was destroyed, and the few survivors began anew from the Stone Age,
and a new civilization was built.
Eventually, they were able to journey into space,
and so they planned to investigate faraway planets.
However, the distance between the earth and those planets was great, and it would take several hundred years to complete the journey.
Therefore, those condemned to death row were chosen to carry out the investigation.
On the journey, the research ship breaks down and two crew members must make an emergency escape.
They make an emergency landing on an unknown red planet, and they both have their own reason why they must return to Earth.
A new website was opened for the upcoming anime adaptation of Tōwa’s The World’s Strongest Rearguard – Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker (Sekai Saikyō no Kōei: Meikyūkoku no Shinjin Tansakusha) light novel series.
Tōwa launched the The World’s Strongest Rearguard novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in April 2017. Kadokawa published the novel’s first volume, featuring illustrations by Kazabana, in November 2017. The ninth volume will ship on Wednesday.
In March 2018, Rikizo launched the manga adaptation on Kadokawa’s Comic Walker web manga site. Kadokawa published the first compiled book volume in September 2018, and the ninth volume shipped on February 21. Yen Press also publishes the manga adaptation in English.
Yen Press licenses the manga and novel in English and describes it as follows:
Corporate slave Arihito Atobe’s death in a freak bus accident marks the beginning of his new life as a kind of adventurer called a Seeker. Reborn into a fantasy world, he settles into a previously unknown job class called “rearguard,” capable of providing his (all-female) party with critical attack, defense, and recovery support. And it comes with an added bonus: Simply being at the back of the party line increases his companions’ fondness for him! Freed from the shackles of corporate life, Arihito is eager to start fresh as a newly minted Seeker!
The official website for the anime adaptation of Fujino Ōmori and Toshi Aoi’s Wistoria: Wand and Sword (Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria) manga announced that the second season will air in April 2026. In addition, a special video and teaser visual was released along with information on the staff.
Check out the new trailer below:
Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 1 premiered in July 2024 and consisted of 12 episodes in total. Fans can watch the anime in both English and Japanese on Crunchyroll.
The cast of the anime includes:
Kohei Amasaki as Will Serfort
Akira Sekine as Elfaria Albis Serfort
Satomi Amano as Colette Loire
Masaaki Mizunaka as Sion Ulster
What’s more, Tatsuya Yoshihara, who directed the anime’s first season, will now serve as the general director. Hideaki Nakano joins as the new director, while Actas and Bandai Namco Pictures will once again be producing the anime. Sayaka Ono returns as character designer and chief animation director, and Yuki Hayashi also returns to compose the music.
Lastly, Kodansha USA Publishing releases the manga in English and describes the series as follows:
The new, magical dungeon-adventure fantasy series from the author of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Seeking to fulfill a promise to a childhood friend, Will Serfort enters Regarden Magical Academy with the goal of making it to the top of the magical world. There’s just one problem: he can’t use magic! Will his sword skills be the key to unlocking his true potential?
The staff of the upcoming Ninja vs. Gokudo anime announced that the series will premiere on October 7 on NTV in Japan and Amazon Prime Video worldwide. Two new trailers have revealed the opening and ending theme songs “Sweet Disaster” by MIYAVI and “Until You Die Out” by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, respectively.
The Ninja vs. Gokudo cast includes Chiaki Kobayashi as Shinoha Tanaka, Katsuyuki Konishi as Kiwami Kimura, and Sumire Uesaka as Gamute.
Toshinori Watanabe directs the anime at Studio DEEN. Keiichirō Ōchi oversees the series’ scripts and Tokuyuki Matsutake designs the characters.
Shinsuke Kondō initially released the manga in Kodansha’s Comic Days website in 2020. The ninth volume releases in English on September 16. Lastly, Kodansha describes the manga’s first volume as follows:
Since ancient times, the ninja and the yakuza have been at war, spilling blood around the world as empires rise and fall. So when, in the modern age, Shinoha, a ninja, meets Kiwami, a gangster following the path of the yakuza—the gokudo—and discovers they have common interests, the obvious assumption is that nothing good can come of it. But can it be that one burgeoning bromance will shake up a 300-year grudge?
Who will win the struggle for real ultimate power?
Bandai Namco has released the Tales of Xillia Remastered “Jude Edition” and “Milla Edition” opening movies, which feature the theme song “Progress” by Ayumi Hayasaki.
You can watch each version of the Tales of Xillia Remastered opening movie below:
Jude Edition
Milla Edition
Launching on October 31, Tales of Xillia Remastered features notable quality of life enhancements, including auto-save and early access to the Grade Shop. The game also features the Dual Raid Linear Motion Battle System, a real-time combat system that allows players to team up with allies to unleash devastating combo attacks and unlock special support skills to overwhelm foes. The remaster includes downloadable content from the original release, such as character costumes, bonus items, and other extras.
What’s more, pre-orders for the Tales of Xillia Remastered Digital Deluxe Edition are available for $59.99 featuring a digital artbook, 81-track digital soundtrack, Battle BGM Pack, and Super Growth Support Herb Set. All pre-orders include the Super Adventuring Assistance Set with Apple Gel x10, Orange Gel x10, Life Bottle x10, and Panacea Bottle x10.
In December 2024, producer Yusuke Tomizawa noted that Bandai Namco is planning more announcements for the franchise “fairly consistently.” This is due in part to Bandai Namco’s new “dedicated development line for remastered projects.” More announcements are expected in 2025 and 2026.
The first two episodes of the anime adaptation of Saka Mikami’s The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity manga series are now streaming on Netflix with English dubs and subs. Dubs are also available in multiple languages.
What’s more, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity series producer Uryu from Aniplex conducted an interview with Netflix to share insights into the production. You can read it in full below:
On the characters and why the story was adapted now:
“The characters are very straightforward, pure, and hardworking. Karouko especially has a strength you can see from the very first episode, and Rintaro slowly learns to voice his feelings as the story progresses. That change extends to his classmates and friends as well. In today’s world, voicing your own feelings requires a lot of courage, and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to move forward with this adaptation.”
On meeting fans’ expectations:
“The original work is very complete and carefully thought through, so we wanted to stay as true to it as possible. I’ve been an anime producer for over ten years, and this was one of the smoothest scriptwriting processes I’ve experienced. Everyone understood where the key emotional points were, and the staff worked hard to capture the details in the characters’ expressions, movement, and color. I have previously worked with the director on “THE IDOLM@STER SideM” and character designer on “SK8 the Infinity” and feel we were fortunate to bring together this staff, whom I trust and are talented creators. Their attention to detail made this adaptation possible.”
On collaborating with creator Saka Mikami:
“Mikami was deeply involved in the process, from reviewing every scenario and setting to visiting the studio many times during recording sessions,” Uryu said. “Our team asked countless questions, and Mikami always responded with detailed insights. That collaboration shaped the adaptation and ensured the smallest nuances were carried through. Mikami’s personality is felt throughout the production, even in moments where the anime might otherwise have taken a more open-ended approach.”
On animating Kaoruko’s most distinctive traits:
“Kaoruko has so many memorable scenes, but her hair was one of the biggest challenges in bringing her to life,” Uryu noted. “When I first read the manga, I knew it would be difficult but also exciting. When the director shared the promotional video, I was amazed at the amount of movement in her hair, it showed how much CloverWorks invested in the animation. Even in the first episode, the way she brightens up and blushes leaves a strong impression, and the movement of her hair makes those moments even more unforgettable.”
On the story’s universal appeal:
Beyond anime fans, Uryu sees the story’s appeal as universal, noting its resonance with classic tales of love and courage, and emphasizing that Rintaro and Kaoruko’s story offers an entry point for both longtime anime fans and new viewers alike.
“It’s almost like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet,” Uryu said. “Of course, it’s not as tragic, but that sense of two people separated by their worlds is central to the story. From the very beginning, we wanted to capture that feeling in the adaptation.”
On delivering the anime to fans:
“CloverWorks did an incredible job producing this series, and I believe it’s one of our best works to date. I watched both the sub and the dub, and they captured the characters perfectly. We know fans had to wait a little longer, but that time allowed us to make the series everything it needed to be. We’re proud to finally deliver it to audiences.”
Lastly, here’s a synopsis of The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, via Netflix:
─ Beyond the curtain lies a world that has nothing to do with me — forever. ─
At the bottom-ranked all-boys school Chidori, known as a gathering place for troublemakers, the students are looked down upon by the prestigious all-girls school Kikyo Academy next door. The curtains between the two schools’ classrooms are always drawn, and not once have the students ever seen each other.
Rintaro Tsumugi, a Chidori student with a scary appearance that often drives people away, has gradually grown used to keeping his distance from others.
One day, while helping out at his family’s cake shop, he encounters Kaoruko Waguri, a kind girl who treats him without prejudice.
“I’ve never once thought you were scary, Rintaro-kun.”
Though puzzled at first, Rintaro soon finds comfort in the time he spends with Kaoruko. But there’s one catch—she happens to be a student at Kikyo Academy.
A story of two hearts, so near yet so far, weaving a radiant tale of youthful romance.
