Seahorse and Japanese Spider Crab Win Life Below Reader Vote
The vote is a rare case of a Western developer directly polling a Japanese audience to decide in-game content, signaling deeper localization outreach.
4Gamer.net
Games
Sea Cucumber RTS NAMAKORIUM Leaves Early Access With Boss Battles and Costume DLC
NAMAKORIUM exits early access with the content structure of a finished game-boss fights, stage variety, and cosmetic monetization-at a discount that makes the asking price roughly the cost of a single DLC pack.
Denfaminicogamer
Street Fighter 6 Adds Avatar Random Match and Avatar Arcade on May 28
The new modes shift Street Fighter 6's avatar content from a purely competitive or story-driven loop toward a more accessible, grind-friendly system with randomized matchmaking and unlockable cosmetics tied to CPU battles.
4Gamer.net, Game Spark
Adventurer Elliot's Millennial Tale Prologue Demo Launches With Save Transfer
The demo's save transfer and cross-title bonus campaign are designed to drive pre-launch engagement and reward loyalty across Square Enix's RPG catalog, a strategy that mirrors recent industry moves to convert demo players into day-one buyers.
4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress)
Nintendo Announces Camera-Based Smartphone Game Pictonico!
Pictonico! revives the camera-based minigame concept Nintendo last explored on the DSi, adapting it for modern smartphones with a WarioWare-style sensibility.
4Gamer.net, Inside
Weekly Pro Gamer File Profiles Pokemon UNITE Player Karlow
The profile highlights the growing professional infrastructure around Pokémon UNITE, with structured team rosters and player development pathways.
4Gamer.net
Final Fantasy XI Marks 24th Anniversary With Animated Short
The short is the latest sign that Square Enix continues to invest in Final Fantasy XI's identity two decades after its launch, even as its successor Final Fantasy XIV dominates the MMORPG conversation.
Anime News Network
Survival Horror 'CHEW YOUR FOOD' Puts a Legless Protagonist Inside a Monster's Stomach
The game's core mechanic-timed bandage rewrapping under threat of attack-turns a simple survival task into the central tension of a short horror loop.
Game Spark
Sony Raises PlayStation Plus Prices for New Subscribers in Select Regions
This is the second PlayStation Plus price increase in three years and follows recent PS5 hardware price hikes, signaling a sustained upward pricing trend across Sony's gaming ecosystem.
Anime News Network
Party Animals Asks Community to Decide Fate of AI Video Contest After Backlash
The studio is handing the decision to the player base, a rare move that tests how much community input can resolve a backlash over AI content.
GameBusiness.jp
S&box Penalizes AI Thumbnails, Updates Review System
The policy directly confronts the homogenizing effect of generative AI on user-created content platforms, a problem the developer says makes everything look the same.
GameBusiness.jp
Square Enix Catalog Sales Rise for Third Straight Year as HD Remakes Drive Profit Growth
Square Enix's catalog sales have grown three years running, confirming that its multiplatform strategy and promotional measures are converting older titles into a reliable revenue stream that offsets the natural decline of new-release spikes.
GameBusiness.jp
Asus Raises ROG Xbox Ally Base Model Price By 40,000 Yen
The price hike follows a similar increase on the higher-end model earlier this year, suggesting sustained cost pressure across the entire ROG Xbox Ally lineup.
GameBusiness.jp
Friendly Steps: Up to 4-Player Co-Op Action Game Announced
The game's core mechanic-separate foot controls and rope-tied cooperation-introduces a novel coordination challenge in the co-op genre.
Denfaminicogamer
DLsite Parent viviON Announces Cloud Service for PC Games on Smartphones
By eliminating porting costs and using a purchase model instead of subscription, viviON GAMES could lower the barrier for indie and doujin PC game creators to reach mobile audiences, a segment DLsite's parent already dominates in distribution.
Inside, GameBusiness.jp
Heaven Burns Red Announces Persona 5 Royal Crossover in Japan
The crossover brings two major narrative-driven franchises together and marks a notable first for Heaven Burns Red's roster.
Anime News Network
Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial Expands Through Shadowbringers Ahead of 2027 Expansion
The free trial now covers the critically acclaimed Shadowbringers expansion, giving new players a massive amount of content for free and a clear runway to reach endgame before the next paid expansion arrives.
GAME Watch (Impress)
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Animated Shorts Start This Week
After years of fan demand for a proper NIKKE anime, Shift Up is testing animated storytelling with a low-commitment short format focused on slice-of-life content rather than combat.
Siliconera (Anime)
Free Horror Game 'End Credit' Hides Anomalies in the Credits
The game repurposes a mundane, often-skipped part of media consumption into a source of tension, offering a novel horror concept that is immediately accessible to anyone with a browser.
Denfaminicogamer
Com2uS Targets 2027 for Gachiakuta and Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Games
The 2027 window aligns both games with the ongoing momentum of their source IP, as Gachiakuta's anime is already in its second season and Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint remains one of the most globally recognized Korean webtoon franchises.
Anime News Network
Shu-Daisai 2026 Shooting Game Event to Stream on May 30
The event is one of the few large-scale live streams dedicated solely to shooting games, a genre that has seen a resurgence in interest through arcade revivals and indie releases.
4Gamer.net
Project Sekai Adds You Can Only See Me as Playable Song With 3DMV
The addition continues the game's pattern of integrating Vocaloid producer works into its core rhythm gameplay with full 3D video treatment.
4Gamer.net
Drecom Creators Studio Announces First Four Support Titles
The four-title slate gives concrete shape to a studio that was announced only days ago with a broad mission statement, showing Drecom is already backing projects rather than recruiting.
4Gamer.net
Co-Op Stealth Game Thick As Thieves Launches May 21
The launch date and gadget-focused gameplay confirm Thick As Thieves as a budget-priced co-op stealth title, a niche that has seen few new releases in recent years.
Denfaminicogamer