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Rta
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- Announced
- full schedule for the event · 2026-08-05
- Announced
- strengthened reporting procedures for harassment · 2026-08-05
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2h ago
RTA in Japan's organizers released the full schedule for the large-scale speedrunning event "RTA-chan's Summer Vacation" on August 1, 2026. The event runs from August 9 to 15 and is organized by volunteers who rent RTA in Japan's streaming channel. Skilled players from venues across Japan and online will perform non-stop RTA runs of various game titles throughout the week. The lineup spans well-known titles such as "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot," "Dragon Quest VII Reimagined," "Tales of Berseria Remaster," "Super Mario World," and "Resident Evil 3," alongside more unusual picks like "Major Wii: Perfect Closer," "GeoGuessr," "Chatan Yara Kushanku," and "Ketsu Battler." The schedule is available on the event's official page and schedule list. The event is separate from RTA in Japan's main seasonal events, which have previously faced scrutiny over Nintendo title availability and harassment policies. The organizers have also announced strengthened reporting procedures for harassment following violations discovered during "RTA in Japan Summer 2025."
13h ago
Indie developer RetroSpecter has revealed on Reddit that his free Steam fighting game Crashphalt, released in 2018, is being used by players as a launcher for an unofficial Undertale multiplayer mod. The game, a 2D versus action title supporting up to four players locally, saw its concurrent player count jump from single digits to over 100 in 2022 after a user published a method to enable online co-op for the Undertale Together mod via Steam Remote Play Together. Crashphalt's Steam reviews have since grown to about 550, with 95% positive, earning an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Many of these reviews mention Undertale, which initially confused RetroSpecter. He investigated and found that his game was chosen because it supports Remote Play Together and is free, though he noted many other games meet those criteria. Rather than being upset, RetroSpecter said he is pleased the game has found new life, especially since Undertale inspired him when he started developing. He also jokingly invited Undertale creator Toby Fox to collaborate on a future project. RetroSpecter is currently working on a roguelite puzzle game called Draftula.
17h ago
At CEDEC 2026 on July 22, 2026, Shuhei Yoshida of yosp delivered a keynote titled "Wonderful Games, Creators, and Their Creativity That I Have Encountered," looking back on roughly 30 years of working with game developers. Yoshida joined Sony Computer Entertainment in 1993 as employee number 32, later led first-party development in the United States, and left Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2025 to found yosp. During the speech, he covered 26 titles, with the latter half introducing 16 co-creation examples from "Gravity Daze" in 2012 to "Beast of Reincarnation" this year. He named "Journey" as the title he is most proud of, citing Jenova Chen's focus on player feelings and a fan message about overcoming grief. Yoshida also discussed "Bloodborne," calling the lack of a remaster, PC version, or sequel a "mystery," and recounted how "Demon's Souls" initially had overseas releases shelved before word of mouth changed that decision. He closed by expressing his intention to continue supporting indie creators worldwide.
23h ago
Digital Vortex Entertainment announced on August 3 that it will release Tiny Eden, a farming simulation developed by Bajka Games, on September 7, with a Japanese release on September 8 due to the time difference. The game is set in a small apartment in a futuristic city, where players start with a single planter and expand their garden to the rooftop. Crops include tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, strawberries, corn, chili peppers, and cilantro, each requiring specific soil and moisture management. Harvested produce can be sold directly or cooked into dishes like salads, pickles, baked goods, and jam in the kitchen. Players fulfill orders from apartment residents and reinvest earnings into seeds, planters, tools, and upgrades, including automation. The apartment can be customized with dozens of interior items, and players can care for a cat. The game supports Japanese display and a demo is available now on Steam.
1d ago
Sony Group reported its consolidated results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 on July 31, revealing that cumulative PS5 shipments reached 95.3 million units as of June 30, 2026. This figure adds the 1.6 million units shipped from April to June 2026 to the 93.7 million units shipped as of March 31, 2026. The quarterly shipment total represents a decrease of 900,000 units from the 2.5 million units shipped in the same period last year. Sony also disclosed that PS4 and PS5 software sold 66.1 million copies in the quarter, with the digital download ratio at 82%, roughly equivalent to 54.2 million copies. The download ratio was 83% in the same period last year, 85% in the previous quarter, and 78% for the full fiscal year 2025, maintaining a level around 80%. Regarding memory market conditions, Sony stated that it has secured the memory required for its planned sales volume for fiscal year 2026, with no change to its plan to keep hardware profit or loss in line with the previous fiscal year. The announcement follows concerns over rising memory and storage prices, which had led Sony to plan sales based on memory procurement at reasonable prices.
5d ago
The first large-scale exhibition dedicated to the RPG "Undertale" will be held in Tokyo and Osaka in 2027. The event, called "Undertale Museum," is supervised by creator Toby Fox and will feature immersive, experiential exhibits that let visitors explore the game's world. The Tokyo venue is Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, running from February 19 to March 10, 2027. The Osaka venue is ATC Gallery in Nanko, running from April 22 to May 9, 2027. The announcement was made on July 30, 2026, by the Undertale Museum Executive Committee, with a teaser website and official X account opening the same day. Fox's involvement ensures the exhibition reflects the game's distinctive visual style and themes. The exhibition is described as a space where each step forward fills visitors with determination, a direct reference to the game's mechanics.
Jul 28
Blizzard Entertainment has started selling the BlizzCon Digital Bundle and BlizzCon Ultimate Collection on the Battle.net shop, priced from 3,350 yen. The bundles commemorate BlizzCon 2026, which runs September 12-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and include in-game items for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, and Hearthstone.
Jul 27
The Tengu Tōsen short anime project, a joint production by Bandai Namco Entertainment and Plott, began streaming its first full main story episode on its official YouTube channel last Friday. The series follows Akari Hinomiya, a boy imbued with a demon spirit, as he fights tengu alongside the Tōbatsushi.
Jul 26
The rhythm action game Muse Dash will release a collaboration song pack featuring music from Undertale and Deltarune on July 31, 2026. The pack, titled "Ketsui to Chikara no Uta" (Song of Determination and Power), includes eight tracks total: four from Undertale and four from Deltarune. The Undertale selections are "Death By Glamour," "Last Goodbye," "Battle Against A True Hero," and "MEGALOVANIA." The Deltarune selections are "Attack of the Killer Queen," "It's TV Time!," "BIG SHOT," and "GUARDIAN." The collaboration was first announced on July 22, and the full track list was revealed on July 24 via the official Muse Dash social media account. Muse Dash is available on Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and PC via Steam. The game combines side-scrolling action with rhythm gameplay, using a two-button control scheme.
Jul 26
The official Undertale 10th Anniversary Concert account revealed the tracklist and jacket cover for the concert's live CD on July 23. The CD contains audio from the two concert dates held on November 3, 2025, and May 29, 2026, and will include all four programs, A through D. The tracklist features songs such as "Once Upon a Time," "Home," "Fallen Down," "Nyeh Heh Heh!," "Death by Glamour," and "Good Night." The announcement also confirmed that encore tracks from each program, which were well-received during the live performances, will be included on the CD. Orders are being accepted exclusively at the venue and the official concert website, with delivery scheduled for late August. Each CD is priced at 5,800 yen (tax included). The product is a made-to-order item available only through the official website.
Jul 22
G-MODE announced on July 22, 2026, that it will release "G-MODE Archives+ Lost Chronicle" for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on July 23, 2026. The game is a faithful port of the original fantasy RPG that Bandai Namco Entertainment distributed as a feature phone app. It is the fourth Bandai Namco Entertainment title to be revived under the G-MODE Archives+ label, following "Xenosaga Pied Piper," "Namco Chronicle," and "Pac-Man." The story follows a protagonist exploring a world destroyed by a black flash and shrouded in dark fog, seeking the mystery of a cataclysm that occurred a thousand years ago. Players purify miasma-covered lands, accept requests from city guilds, explore fields, and advance missions to survey the land, discover new resources and technologies, and rebuild the devastated world. Characters can be customized with six attributes-Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Dark, and Light-and multiple jobs including Fencer, Scout, Mage, and Cleric. The price is 800 yen, and the game supports Japanese language only.
Jul 20
Hawk Studio Entertainment announced the dark fantasy action RPG 'Godless Dawn' on July 18. The game is being developed solo by Turkish developer Celal Sahin using Unreal Engine 5. It features a Souls-like combat system with multiple weapon types and magic. The setting blends medieval European castles with Eastern temples. A PC release via Steam is planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Jul 20
The Legend of Mortal Japanese Localization Team released version 2.3 of its fan-made Japanese mod for the Taiwanese RPG Legend of Mortal on July 19, 2026. The update adds furigana readings to difficult kanji throughout the game, including wuxia terms and character names that are hard to read from their Chinese characters alone. Players can toggle furigana display with the F7 key, choosing between full display, first-occurrence only, or off. The mod team stated that not all text currently has furigana and plans to expand coverage in future patches. Some alignment issues may occur and will be adjusted. The game, developed by Obb Studio, was originally released on Steam in June 2024 without official Japanese support. The Japanese mod first appeared in December 2025 and gained traction after a major v2.0 update on July 3, 2026, which improved translations and fonts. That update helped push concurrent Steam players past 4,000. A larger official update adding new story routes is scheduled for September 15, 2026. The mod team, which includes no native Japanese speakers according to an earlier interview, continues to refine the translation at a rapid pace.
Jul 17
Sony released a character guide video for Ghost Rider in the fighting game MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, launching August 7 on PS5. The video explains the Vengeance Gauge mechanic, which has three zones and affects move power. The second open beta test starts July 24, with Ghost Rider playable.
Jul 17
Bandai Namco Entertainment held a media preview for its upcoming soccer action game "Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters" on July 17, 2026. The game, based on the "World Youth" arc of the manga, is set to release on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with a Steam version following on August 28. The preview revealed a deliberate design choice: the game has no referees and no fouls, allowing players to execute tackles and special moves without interruption. Controls have been simplified to a single button for dribble and tackle moves, with a new "full power" variant on the Y button. A chain system rewards consecutive moves by speeding up special move gauges, and chain levels transfer to the opponent if the ball is lost. Goalkeepers have an HP bar, and shooters must pick a shot trajectory while the keeper chooses a direction in a mind game. The game also includes a Miracle Team Move system that can trigger automatic goals under specific conditions. An edit protagonist returns, with a single custom character who can learn moves from teammates. Original characters, such as the kung-fu goalkeeper Yue, were designed under the supervision of original author Yoichi Takahashi. The developers emphasized that the game aims to capture the dramatic, unpredictable feel of the manga rather than simulate real soccer.
Jul 17
Assemble Entertainment and Half Soup Labs released a PC demo for Glintseeker Island on Steam on July 17. The cave mining action adventure, inspired by Stardew Valley and the Underground from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, lets players explore procedurally changing caves, mine minerals, and solve inventory puzzles. The demo includes two biomes across 15 floors plus a rare Soup Fossil. The game is scheduled for a 2027 release. Japanese players made up a third of the earlier playtest and drove over 5,000 wishlist additions.
Jul 16
Playstack has apologized for the PS5 physical edition of Mortal Shell II being unavailable for pre-order due to demand exceeding forecasts. The company warned that restocking before the August 20 release is unlikely. The shortage comes amid ongoing debate about physical media, with a petition for continued physical game production surpassing 150,000 signatures and Sony planning to end disc production for new PlayStation games after January 2028.
Jul 16
Independent developer MONO ENTERTAINMENT announced on July 16 that AI Dot E Battle, a drawing battle game where players create dot-pixel monsters and AI judges the outcome, will release on August 21 for PC via Steam. A demo is available. The game includes Normal Battle, Retroactive Battle, Team Battle, and a Monsterpedia. The developer previously released The Fable Manga Build Roguelike.
Jul 15
Sony Music's VEE project talents Anew Uparu and Maoh Tulsi have provided a collaboration song and made cameo appearances as character models for Ibarayugi's murder mystery work Kinpu no Harmonia, released July 15. The song Soul Unbound has two versions, each showing the talents' individuality. The cross-genre collaboration blends VEE talents into the narrative from both musical and story aspects.
Jul 15
Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent for a cooling technology designed to improve heat dissipation in electronic devices placed in vertical or horizontal orientations. The patent, published in the US in June 2026, focuses on heat pipe design to maintain cooling efficiency regardless of orientation. Some overseas media speculate the technology could be related to the PS6. Sony also filed a dust-proof patent months ago.
Jul 15
Game Spark profiles the Taiwanese RPG Kakkyoden, a single-player wuxia game from Obb Studio. The game features an ugly protagonist, Zhao Huo, training at the Tang Sect. Its success-style progression, similar to PowerPro and Uma Musume, and a fan translation patch have made it a hit in Japan. The review highlights the game's humor and how it lowers the barrier for wuxia newcomers.
Jul 15
Bandai Namco Entertainment announced on July 15, 2026, that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of "Once Upon a Katamari" will launch on October 8, 2026. The Switch 2 port adds mouse controls and improves frame rate and resolution. A free update for the original Switch version, adding the same mouse controls and performance enhancements when played on Switch 2, will also arrive on October 8. On the same day, the paid downloadable content "Rolling Live Highlights" will be released across all platforms: Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. The DLC compiles content from the 2025 "Katamari Rolling LIVE" event, including 10 challenges, 6 companions, 12 songs, and 18 accessories. Two new editions are available: the download-only "Royal Sound Edition," which bundles the game with all previous DLC packs plus "Rolling Live Highlights," and the "Rolling Live Highlights Edition," sold both digitally and physically. The existing "King of Sound Edition" will be discontinued on October 7, 2026.
Jul 15
Fangamer is reissuing four classic UNDERTALE T-shirt designs as 10th anniversary editions. The shirts, originally released in 2016 and 2017, feature Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys and Catty, and the Amalgamates. Pre-orders are open for two weeks only, with shipping expected in the fourth quarter or later. The re-release coincides with the recent launch of DELTARUNE Chapter 5 and a Steam sale.
Jul 15
Sony Interactive Entertainment has delayed the release of its official PlayStation 5 and PC arcade controller, the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick. Originally planned to launch alongside the fighting game MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls on August 7, the controller is postponed for final adjustments to ensure the best experience. A new release date has not been announced. The price remains 34,980 yen.
Jul 14
'Forbidden Solitaire', a solitaire puzzle horror game released on PC on May 1, was developed by Grey Alien Games and Night Signal Entertainment. In a recent interview, the developers cited the 1997 film 'Wes Craven's Wishmaster' as a main inspiration. The game frames its horror scenario around a cursed 1995 CD-ROM, with 90s-style graphics and live-action footage.
Jul 14
U&I Entertainment Japan announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 package version of Lies of P: Complete Edition will now release on October 2, reverting to the originally scheduled date after a previous announcement had moved it to October 1. The Complete Edition includes the base game, the Overture DLC, and costume packs. Pre-orders are open.
Jul 14
PANDORA Inc. and L&L Victor Entertainment have published official fan work guidelines for their fan-participatory IP project IDOL:UnderCode. The guidelines broadly permit illustrations, manga, novels, videos, music, cosplay, and AI-generated content, and allow monetization through standard platform functions like YouTube ad revenue. The project launched TikTok LIVE on July 2.
Jul 14
The UK's Entertainment Retail Association (ERA) has criticized Sony Interactive Entertainment's plan to end disc production for new PlayStation games starting January 2028. ERA CEO Kim Bayley said the decision means "corporate convenience has trumped consumer choice," arguing that physical discs offer ownership, sharing, and resale value that digital downloads do not. The association, whose members include Amazon and HMV, cited its own data showing the UK disc market exceeded £300 million in 2025 and that about 25% of people under 25 still play games on disc. According to NielsenIQ/GfK data, 45% of physical copies sold in the UK in 2025 were for PS5 and PS4, accounting for 47% of physical market revenue. However, the number of stores handling packaged games has dropped by over 2,000 since 2021, with 99.1% of buyers purchasing online. Protests using the hashtag #NoDiscNoBuy and a Change.org petition have gathered over 300,000 signatures. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, told IGN that even 500,000 protesters would have limited impact on SIE and are unlikely to change the policy.
Jul 13
Obsidian Entertainment director Brandon Adler responded on LinkedIn to criticism that the studio has lost its identity after recent Xbox layoffs. He acknowledged the layoffs were difficult but argued that many of the same people who worked on past titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity still hold key roles. He said the studio has changed over 20 years but its core creative spirit remains unchanged.
Jul 13
The Steam version of The Idolmaster: Starlit Season is on sale for 3,608 yen, 60% off the regular 9,020 yen price, as part of Amazon Prime Day 2026. The game brings together idols from the 765 Pro, Cinderella Girls, Million Live!, and Shiny Colors brands, plus new idol Kokoro Okugami, in a training simulation spanning roughly 10 months. The discount is promoted as a recommended entry point for newcomers to the series on PC.
Jul 12
Bandai Spirits is releasing a new line of Undertale figures called Amicotto, designed to resemble hand-knitted amigurumi. The series includes seven characters: Flowey, Human, Toriel, Undyne, Alphys, Napstablook, and Mettaton. The figures roll out sequentially from July to October 2026. The Japan Amigurumi Association supervised the design to replicate yarn textures and hand-knitting distortions.
Jul 11
NPC Entertainment and MyACG Studio released version 0.6.10 for Cinderia on July 7. The update adjusts Isudara's parry window and adds invincibility after parry, addressing player complaints about difficulty. It also adds 10 new maps for Chapter 2 and makes legendary items easier to collect. The early access roguelite has sold over 100,000 units and holds an 87% positive rating on Steam.
Jul 10
Obb Studio announced a major update for 'Legend of Mortal' on September 15, adding scenario routes for Yu Xiaomei and Yu Zhu, as well as a new high-difficulty 'Brave' mode. The novel-focused RPG, set in 13th-century China with an ugly protagonist, has seen a surge in Japanese popularity via a fan-made mod since December 2025. This is its first major content addition in about a year.
Jul 10
astragon Entertainment and Simteract have announced that Bus Simulator 27 will launch on September 9, 2026, with Japanese language support. The open-world simulator is set in the fictional Iberian city Felicia Bay, featuring up to 250 bus stops, licensed vehicles from 13 manufacturers, and first-time long-distance bus routes. It includes Unreal Engine 5 graphics, dynamic weather, management elements, and 4-player online co-op. Pre-orders are available on Steam for 3,850 yen.
Jul 10
Armiger Entertainment launched a Kickstarter campaign for Tenchi Galaxy, a spiritual successor to the Tenchi Universe anime. The campaign seeks $400,000 by September 8 to fund a 30-minute pilot episode directed by Hiroshi Negishi. As of press time, over 1,200 backers have pledged $220,455. The pilot will be used to pitch a new series in the franchise.
Jul 10
MSY announced a limited-time collaboration shop in the Mount Yōtei foothills region of Hokkaido, the setting of Ghost of Yōtei. The shop will be open July 18-19 at Niseko Takahashi Farm. It will sell items made from Hokkaido solid wood, including wood pin badges and magnets, a collection with images from the game, and lifestyle products using key visuals.
Jul 9
Kakao Entertainment launched Tomb Raider King: Endline, a sequel to the hit franchise, on Kakao Page. The webtoon debuted July 5, followed by the web novel July 6. The sequel continues the story of Joo-heon Seo after the original series. The anime adaptation also began airing in Japan on July 8, directed by Seung Wook Woo at STUDIO EEK, with Crunchyroll streaming.
Jul 9
The Undertale Wind Symphony in Kyoto has added a third performance on September 22 after the original two shows sold out immediately. The extra concert will be held at Kyoto Concert Hall, with the same program as the September 23 evening show. The Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra, conducted by Yu Nishimura, performs. A ticket lottery opens July 11.
Jul 9
The Steam Summer Sale on Steam includes discounts on multiple Obsidian Entertainment titles. Fallout: New Vegas is 50% off at 550 yen, and its Ultimate edition is 60% off at 879 yen. Other discounted games include The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed, Pentiment, and Grounded. The sale runs until July 10 at 2 a.m. Japan time.
Jul 9
Obsidian Entertainment has laid off 52 employees, about 25% of its workforce, as part of a broader Xbox restructuring. Multiple unannounced projects, including the sequel to the fantasy RPG Avowed, have been canceled. The studio is now redirecting resources toward a new game in the Fallout series, with Josh Sawyer, the director of Fallout: New Vegas, expected to lead development. Bethesda Game Studios is slated to co-develop the project, though the plan is not yet finalized. The layoffs and cancellations follow Microsoft's July 6 announcement of 4,800 company-wide cuts, with 1,600 in the Xbox division. Bloomberg reported that Avowed 2 was progressing smoothly and an announcement was expected within a year. The new strategy prioritizes major franchises, and the Fallout IP is considered a key asset. Other projects, such as downloadable content for The Outer Worlds 2 and Grounded 2, will continue. Obsidian has a deep history with the Fallout series, including the return of writer John Gonzalez in January 2025 and the involvement of co-creator Tim Cain in an unannounced title.
Jul 8
Publisher Playstack and developer Cold Symmetry have announced that Mortal Shell II, the sequel to the 2020 souls-like dark action RPG, will launch on August 20, 2026. The game is coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are now open for the standard edition and the Devout Edition, which includes 72-hour early access and a set of eight shell skins. A limited-time PC demo is available on Steam, allowing players to carry over some progress to the full game. The demo covers the prologue and the early open-world area, offering about three hours of content. The game features a compact open world with over 60 dungeons, a combat system that removes stamina in favor of step dodges and perfect guards, and the ability to don the remains of fallen warriors to gain their abilities and stats. The open beta, which ran in June, earned a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, with 92% of approximately 4,600 user reviews positive and a peak of about 8,000 concurrent players. Mortal Shell II is the studio's first major sequel after the original game sold 500,000 copies worldwide.
Jul 8
UNDERTALE is 75% off at 245 yen and DELTARUNE is 20% off at 3,184 yen in the Steam Summer Sale 2026, which runs until July 10. The DELTARUNE discount is notable because creator Toby Fox has said he does not intend to discount the game frequently. The sale follows the June 25 addition of Chapter 5, with Chapter 6 targeting a 2027 release.
Jul 8
Bandai Namco Entertainment released a new trailer for Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad on Tuesday, previewing the game's Death Game Mode. The mode is a permadeath option that deletes the player's save file upon character death, with no respawns. It is normally available only after completing the game once, but early access is included with the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. The game launches in Japan on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 9, and on PC via Steam on July 10. The Western release is July 10 across all platforms. Players create their own customizable avatar and explore Aincrad alongside characters like Kirito and Asuna. Aimer performs the theme song "Live to Survive." The game has four editions: Standard, Deluxe, Ultimate, and Aincrad (Bandai Namco Store exclusive). The Ultimate Edition adds a digital soundtrack, digital artbook, an in-game armor pack, and the bonus anime "Unanswered//butterfly," which follows other characters during the original Sword Art Online story. The Deluxe Edition includes expansion DLC and a starter item pack.
Jul 7
Rebel Wolves, the studio founded by former CD Projekt RED developers, and Bandai Namco Entertainment held a media preview for their debut title "The Blood of Dawnwalker" on July 7, 2026. The open-world dark fantasy action RPG launches on September 3 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Narrative director Jakub Szamałek gave an interview alongside hands-on play sessions of the first four hours. The game stars Coen, a young man who becomes a Dawnwalker-human by day and vampire by night-after his village is attacked by the vampire lord Brencis. Coen has 30 days and 30 nights to rescue his family before Brencis's coronation. Time advances only when the player makes significant choices, not during exploration or combat. The "narrative sandbox" design allows players to approach the main goal freely, including the possibility of storming the castle on day one. Combat uses a directional system where blocking and attacking in the right direction conserves stamina. The vampire form offers powerful abilities like teleportation and bloodsucking, but bloodlust can trigger uncontrollable urges to bite and kill NPCs, even those with whom Coen has built close relationships. The game is the first entry in a planned multi-title saga spanning centuries.
Jul 7
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on July 1 that it will end production of physical discs for new PlayStation games by January 2028, moving to digital-only releases. A blog post by developer Popcar argues the real issue is not physical vs. digital but the loss of ownership, including the ability to trade or preserve games. The post has sparked discussion on Hacker News, with commenters debating the nature of digital purchases as licenses.
Jul 7
The fan translation group for the wuxia RPG Legend of Mortal announced on July 6 that they are adding furigana to the Japanese mod. The game, developed by Obb Studio and released in 2024, has seen a recent surge in Japanese popularity thanks to the fan translation. The furigana addition aims to make the text, which features many difficult kanji and unfamiliar wuxia terms, more readable.
Jul 6
Bandai Namco Entertainment unveiled a new trailer for the smartphone game Bleach Mirrors High at Anime Expo 2026 on July 4. The trailer introduces two original player characters, Shirin Migishima and Shirane Sanari, both designed by Bleach creator Tite Kubo. Players will choose one of the two and experience a story set after the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. The trailer also shows the characters in action and includes their voices, though the voice cast has not yet been announced. Alongside the trailer, Bandai Namco opened recruitment for a closed beta test. Applications run until July 13, with approximately 20,000 participants selected. The closed beta test is scheduled from July 22 to 29 according to one source, or July 23 to 30 according to another; data will not carry over to the full release. The game is an action title for iOS and Android, described as a Gotei 13 Experience Action game. Kubo is credited with production cooperation, character concept, and character design. Cast information for the two protagonists is expected at a later date.
Jul 6
GungHo Online Entertainment announced that the smartphone RPG Disney Pixel RPG will end service on September 30, 2026, roughly two years after its October 2024 launch. The reason was not disclosed. Paid item sales ended July 1, and gacha draws will end August 19. Unused paid currency will be refunded.
Jul 4
The television anime adaptation of Kazuma Kamachi's Toaru Anbu no Item (A Certain Item of the Dark Side) spinoff novel will premiere on October 9. The staff revealed a new trailer, the theme song artists, and the premiere date on Friday. The opening theme "Ghost Sequence" is performed by East Of Eden, marking the band's first anime tie-in. The ending theme "Meltdowner" (Genshi Kuzushi) is performed by Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets, who previously contributed the first ending theme for A Certain Scientific Railgun T. The trailer also introduces Chobi Keno, a fifth member of the secret organization ITEM. The four main members were previously announced: Shizuri Mugino (voiced by Ami Koshimizu), Rikou Takitsubou (Aya Suzaki), Frenda Seivelun (Maaya Uchida), and Saiai Kinuhata (Chinatsu Akasaki). Tatsuyuki Nagai, who directed A Certain Scientific Railgun, is directing the anime at J.C. Staff. Shigeki Kimoto, chief animation director for the A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun series, is designing the characters. Maiko Iuchi composes the music. The novel series follows the women of Academy City's dark side, focusing on the underground organization ITEM.
Jul 3
Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, United Artists, and Amazon MGM Studios have acquired the film rights to The Mandela Catalogue, a YouTube analog horror series. Original creator Alex Kister will direct and co-write the script with Tyler Clifton. The series, launched in 2021, follows alien beings called Alternates that impersonate humans in a fictional Wisconsin county.