Coliseum

Welcome to September 2026, which will forever be known as pre-pre-GTA VI month. Alternatively, it might be known as the month when every single video game came out. We’re already feeling the weight of the September gaming waterfall, but the water is invigorating, if a bit intense. We have lots of game recommendations below (and we didn’t even cover everything this week, frankly), but before we get to that, here are some of our biggest stories of the week.

• Everything Announced At The September 2026 PlayStation State Of Play 
• Xbox Announces Monthly Hour Limits To Cloud Gaming Are Coming In November 
• The Blood of Dawnwalker Review – Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds
• Everything Konami Showed At Its 2026 Press Start Showcase 
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review – Excellent Action With Some Aging Elements
• Everything Shown At The September 2026 State Of Play Japan

It’s a packed week of The Game Informer Show. Marcus, Charles, and Eric discuss last week’s Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look, and talk about where their personal hype levels for GTA VI stand. Then, we break down the double-header Sony State of Play showcase, and talk about our favorite announcements from AAA and smaller studios alike.

After the break, we get into a trio of big game reviews that dropped over the last week: The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Orbitals. The fall season is in full swing, and the crew talks about which of these three games are already standing out. 

The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine! Submit a question or topic you’d like to hear us discuss: Podcast@GameInformer.com.

Watch or Listen to the Podcast:

Listen to “Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look Reactions + 3 Big Game Reviews” on Spreaker.

Follow our hosts online:

• Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)
• Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)
• Eric Van Allen (@Seamoosi)

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction06:08 – Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look Reactions38:38 – Sony State of Play Highlights01:08:49 – Ad Break01:08:52 – The Blood of Dawnwalker Review01:32:07 – Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review01:50:35 – The Dan Ryckert Tangent01:54:15 – Orbitals Review

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is finally out, and if you were considering picking it up – you should! It’s great, and you can read why in my review for Game Informer here. Now, if you’ve read any reviews for the game, or even previews leading up to its launch, you’ve likely heard about its difficulty, particularly its boss fights. While standard mob enemies have you feeling powerful, bosses absolutely put you in your place. There’s one boss I died more than a dozen times trying to defeat. But, if that scares you, don’t let it. Onimusha: Way of the Sword features the perfect easy mode for a game like this. 

Capcom calls it Story (Storyline Focus) mode, a difficulty that lets you focus on the story and is recommended for action game beginners. That’s true in that, yes, it is a much easier difficulty mode compared to the Action (Combat Focus) mode that aims to test you at all times. Enemies do less damage, you do more damage to enemies, parry windows are wider, and other similar features are what tune the Story mode difficulty down, but the most interesting part of it is the Action Prompts feature. 

This is on by default in Story mode, and I am blown away by how transformative it is. Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s combat is intricate and complex. You must parry at the right time, complete Issen Breaks within even tighter timing windows, dodge at the right moment to avoid damage, deflect incoming attacks, and more. Capcom has created one of my favorite sword-based melee action games ever, and it’s all these moves that protagonist Miyamoto Musashi has in his kit that make it so fun. 

However, I know what all these terms mean and how these timings work. If you don’t, well, there’s basically no hope of getting through Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Its later bosses demand near-perfection to win, and that means nailing every parry, deflection, and dodge. The game features tutorials but ultimately, it’s still on you to learn these timings and that can be difficult when you’re getting your face kicked in every time you miss one. The Story mode’s action prompts fix this entirely by showing you exactly the button to press and when to press it on-screen – it’s incredible! 

It’s such a simple feature, and though I’m blanking on it right now, surely other games have done this, right? Regardless, it’s exactly the kind of feature newcomers to this type of game need. It goes above and beyond the beginning tutorials and shows you, in real time, exactly what to press and when. This gives you all the satisfaction players who intimately know and love these types of games feel when they play Onimusha: Way of the Sword in its Action mode, for example. You can turn off the prompts too within the Story mode once you have a grasp on the timing, but you can also keep the prompts on from beginning to credits and beyond. And have no shame doing so – Onimusha: Way of the Sword is great, and you should do what you have to in order to reach the end (because its final hours rule). 

And hey, maybe after enough time learning the dance of swords that is Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s combat, you might try the Action mode and find success! 

If you’re a newcomer, try Story mode because it will teach you everything you need to know about timing, parries, deflects, dodges, and more without feeling like you’re stuck in an extra-long tutorial. If you’re a character-action veteran, try Story mode because it’s cool, and I bet you’ll hone your timing in doing so. 

For more, read Game Informer’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword review, and then head to Game Informer’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub for all kinds of exclusive behind-the-scenes features, interviews, videos, and more. 

Apparently not to be outdone by PlayStation airing back-to-back State of Play presentations this week, Nintendo has announced two Direct broadcasts scheduled for next week. This includes a traditional Nintendo Direct and a special Direct celebrating The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary.

The news was first announced on the Nintendo Today app. On Tuesday, September 8, The Legend of Zelda: 40th Anniversary Direct airs at 7:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. ET. It will last approximately 30 minutes. Nintendo has not detailed what announcements to expect, but it’s fair to assume updates on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and the live-action film The Legend of Zelda are on the table. 

The next day, Wednesday, September 9, a standard Nintendo Direct airs at 7:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. ET. This presentation will run for roughly 45 minutes. It’s anyone’s guess as to what to expect. Announced upcoming Nintendo first-party/Switch-exclusive projects, other than the aforementioned Ocarina of Time, include Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, which launches on September 17, as well as Xenoblade Genesis and Pokémon Winds and Waves, both of which arrive next year. Nintendo has a penchant for announcing major projects with little to no prior hints or leaks, so it’s fair to expect just about anything could be showcased next week. 

 

What announcements do you hope/expect to see at these Nintendo Directs? Let us know in the comments!

Last month, we traveled to Austin, Texas to play Exodus, a promising sci-fi RPG made by former Mass Effect developers. We cover a lot of ground in our exclusive 14-page cover story, including several missions of hands-on gameplay, but the piece ends with impressions of a mission set on Khonsu. It’s an orbital platform above Lidon, the game’s home world, and it’s home to a society of giant talking frogs. In other words, it was a highlight of the demo.

Today, I (Charles Harte) am joined by senior associate editor Marcus Stewart as I finally get to show off the sequence I saw firsthand on the cover story trip. It includes stealthy (and not-so-stealthy) combat encounters, a major narrative decision, and a boss fight against a massive armor-clad War Bear. You can check it out for yourself below.

For more Exodus, you can head to our coverage hub, which we’ll be updating all month with new articles and videos. If you’re a fan of talking animals, there are already pieces about Salt, the mech-piloting octopus companion, and the Kay, the aforementioned frogs. And as always, for more exclusive game coverage, you can subscribe to our physical magazine, which is now available all around the world.

Xbox has announced a major change to its cloud gaming service, which is included in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Starting in November, Game Pass plans will now have limits on the number of hours players can spend cloud gaming based on their subscription tier. 

Xbox Cloud Gaming launched in 2020 and allows users to stream select games over the internet to supported mobile devices, letting them enjoy console-quality experiences on the go. There has never been a limit to using the feature, but this will soon change according to an Xbox Wire Post. In November, the number of cloud gaming hours allotted each month will be as follows: 

• Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
• Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
• Game Pass Essential: 5 hours

“Today, eligible Game Pass subscribers can stream without these monthly hour limits,” reads Xbox’s post. “We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud. We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers.”

Xbox adds that once players use up the hours of cloud gaming play time included in their monthly subscription, they can purchase additional hours. This pricing has not been detailed yet, and will vary by market. Additionally, players can now use cloud gaming without subscribing to Game Pass by purchasing cloud playtime hours à la carte to stream games on supported devices. Xbox promises to provide information on pricing for playtime hours, the eligible games, how to check remaining hours, and more in November. 

As for why Xbox is making this change, it states, “We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer. Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance. We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost.”

This move is the latest big change in a year full of them for Xbox. Following the appointment of current CEO Asha Sharma in February, the company has undergone a massive restructuring, resulting in 3,000 layoffs across the entire Xbox division and the splitting off of five internal development studios. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions dropped in price in response to a previous hike, but Xbox consoles had another price increase in the past month. Most recently, Xbox announced a program letting players use their physical game discs to claim entitlement to their digital counterparts. These big shifts come as Xbox prepares its next-generation console, Project Helix. 

Colorado-based developer IllFonic has been making asymmetrical multiplayer games based on iconic movie IPs for most of its existence. Arguably its biggest hit remains its first stab at the genre, with 2017’s Friday the 13th: The Game (a great game now infamous for its shutdown), but since then, the team has released Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and most recently, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game. 

Finally, though, IllFonic is making the biggest horror-movie-turned-asymmetrical-multiplayer layup game of all time with Halloween: The Game. If you preorder the more expensive fancy-smancy version, you can hop into the game early on September 4; otherwise, the game goes wide on September 8. I need more time to work through and digest IllFonic’s multiplayer offering in Halloween, but I have completed the single-player campaign (the studio’s first in one of these games) and wanted to bring you some initial thoughts. 

A Few Notches Above Glorified Tutorial

If you aren’t a multiplayer person and were curious about picking up Halloween for its single-player offering… I wouldn’t. It lasts just a couple of hours – though you can extend it by replaying chapters to knock out optional objectives and unlock cosmetic rewards – and is just a few notches above a glorified tutorial for playing as Michael Myers. Each chapter introduces new mechanics in his kit that you will then hone and master in the multiplayer side of Halloween. There is a heaping dose of love from IllFonic, however, to the movies, primarily the 1978 Halloween from director/synth player/gamer John Carpenter that started it all, that elevates it just so.

As you might expect, a single-player campaign where you play as Michael Myers based on the first Halloween film is, well, a video game version of that movie. If you’ve never played an IllFonice game before, this campaign will give you the rundown on how its games feel, including the at-this-point-must-be-a-feature-and-not-a-bug baked-in instability. I encountered nothing game-ruining, but like its predecessors, Halloween has a distinguishable jank to it that you will either come to love because it adds to the unpredictable nature of these multiplayer experiences or you will hate because… it’s still jank. It runs fine, performance-wise, but I did encounter some noticeable bugs, like falling through floors or being unable to hide bodies in designated hiding areas; I would not categorize this as the acceptable jank I expect in an IllFonic game, and I hope the team is working on patching issues like that up. 

Nonetheless, escaping Smith’s Grove, killing a mechanic and donning Michael’s trademark navy blue jumpsuit, and killing the clerk at a department store so you can steal and put on the William Shatner mask to complete the set is good fun. A filmic look overlaid on the game’s true-to-movie visual style sells the aesthetics. Though if you aren’t a fan of film grain, you won’t like what you see. 

Performances in the campaign are fine, with Dr. Loomis being the only real standout/named character in the otherwise boilerplate cast who are there to be victims. Running around Haddonfield’s suburbs as Michael is good, terrifying fun. In quiet moments, his pained breaths add a sinister air to every step, while screams from nearby houses or hushed breathing in closets sell the idea that you embody evil and everyone is afraid of you. So, too, does the wide array of kills at your disposal. 

You can stalk victims from afar, completing minigames to raise what is essentially their fear level, and then strike using your knife, your hands, other weapons you find out and about like pitchforks and fire pokers, or even the environment for special contextual kills (like piercing bodies onto telephone poles or throwing someone off a second-floor porch). It remains a good time throughout the short campaign, which ends with Michael escaping Haddonfield to presumably go kill a bunch of random players in online matchmaking lobbies, but it does little more than teach you the ropes within the context of some of Michael’s most notorious kills. 

I’m satisfied as this campaign is about what I expected, but I would have liked something bigger to dig my knife into for IllFonic’s first go at a single-player experience like this. Admittedly, however, that’s not what you’re here for (or at least, not what you should be here for). IllFonic’s games of this ilk live and die by the multiplayer, and though I can see how playing as Michael will be interesting, I still have no idea what it’s like to play alongside real players or as a resident running from him. With the campaign behind me, I’ll be starting my multiplayer Halloween journey properly.

Look forward to my review for Game Informer at a later date.

In the meantime, read Game Informer‘s reviews for Friday the 13th: The Game, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game. After that, read our interview with IllFonic about what to expect in Halloween.  

If today’s State of Play from PlayStation wasn’t enough gaming news, Konami was hot in its heels with its own showcase. The Press Start stream showed off looks at a handful of Konami games, with new trailers and details. Here’s a rundown of everything we saw.

Everything Shown At The Konami Press Start Stream

Silent Hill: Townfall

Release Date: September 24

Motoi Okamoto, Silent Hill series producer, teed up a new trailer showing off the game’s creators and cast. Writer/director Jon McKellan tells the story of how he cast Jovan Adepo as Simon after seeing his performance in Three Body Problem, how Terry O’Quinn (Lost) was his dream casting for the game (he did an impression of O’Quinn in an early teaser) and how the studio was excited to reunite with Kezia Burrows, who worked with developer Screen Burn Interactive on 2019’s Observation.

For more on the game, check out our thoughts from a Summer Game Fest demo.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

Release Date: October 15

This new footage of Belmont’s Curse provides a look at some new abilities and weapons Rose can equip, but it also showed off a trio of formidable new bosses. It looks just as good as it did when I played it in France back in June.

Wai Wai World Craft

Release Date: TBA

This game has you create levels for a 3D platformer using a 3D block grid system. You can create levels, share them online, and compete for high scores. The trailer mostly shows off gameplay on mobile devices and PCs. It also includes crossovers with Castlevania and Contra, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more crossovers with other Konami franchises.

eFootball Kick Off!

Release Date: Out Now

A new trailer for the Switch 2 game that teases a Leagues mode, which comes out this Autumn, was shown. 

Project Zircon

Release Date: TBA

This roguelike deckbuilder was announced in September 2023 as Konami’s first “Web3 project.” Today’s trailer showed off some new gameplay, but if its current iteration includes any blockchain-based elements, today’s footage did not mention it, and it’s excluded from the game’s steam page. It combines strategic and narrative elements, and the story has multiple endings depending on your actions during the campaign.

Rev. Noir

Release Date: 2027

This is one of Konami’s headliners, and it looks like a big swing into the action-RPG genre. Rev. Noir follows Asch and his companions as they attempt to end Lightfall, a catastrophe that turns people into blight husks, killing them. In this world, people also live according to their Astral Ordinances, and while many people accept them without question while the world is peaceful, Lightfall’s return changes things. Asch Finé, and the rest of their companions embark on a journey next year on PS5, Xbox, and PC.

Rhapsody in Scarlet

Release Date: TBA

Revealed during today’s State of Play, the Press Play showcase gives another look at Rhapsody in Scarlet. Co-Producer Takanori Murayama reveals the protagonist, Ellie Myer, is played by Cherami Leigh in English, while her Japanese VO will be provided by Akari Kito. Meanwhile, Ilya, a supporting character, will be voiced by Hannah Grace, with a Japanese performance from Saori Onishi. Murayama also shares a little more about the game’s combat, hinting at customizable combat-based gameplay. The trailer shows footage of Rhapsody in Scarlet’s New York City, and includes a jazz performance from Soil & “Pimp” sessions and singer Emi Meyer.

Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC

Publisher:
Square Enix

Developer:
Square Enix

Release:
October 22, 2026

Rating:
Everyone 10+

Nostalgia for the olden days of Final Fantasy is on no shortage. Trading card games, merchandise, and even spin-off games have dipped into the well, including the 2016 mobile title, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, which is serving as the base for Final Fantasy Resonance.

With Resonance, Square Enix and Lancarse are following in the footsteps of Octopath Traveler 0: taking a former mobile game and giving it a premium game treatment. And while it’s certainly a little strange at times, the results have so far turned out well.

The big draws for Final Fantasy Resonance are immediately apparent. For starters, it’s a new HD-2D game, an aesthetic that’s become a trademark of the retro side of Square Enix’s portfolio. There are some new advancements, including some 3D mapping using pixels that makes for incredibly gorgeous story moments. And the Visions you can call upon unleash their biggest attacks in elaborate 3D CGI cutscenes, in ways that strangely reminded me of Square’s movies like The Spirits Within and Advent Children, though not in a bad way.

Those Visions are another draw. During my demo at Gamescom 2026, I had an established party of characters specific to the story of Resonance, but each of them could equip a spiritual Vision of famous Final Fantasy characters from throughout the series, augmenting their move sets. Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis was invaluable in accessing more Blizzard attacks for my boss fight, for example, while the Warrior of Light from the original Final Fantasy served as a perfect companion for my party’s vanguard, healing and casting protective magic.

Combine that with a classic turn-based system, with a stagger bar setup that encourages you to press an enemy’s weakness for extra turns, and you’ve got a pretty well-rounded RPG setup. It would have been easy to stop there: make an RPG, fill it with Final Fantasy references, slap a coat of HD-2D paint over the top, and you’ve got a decent entry for the fall release season.

 

Oddly though, it wasn’t the nostalgia that hooked me the most. I’m an avowed Final Fantasy enjoyer; I’ve collected the aforementioned trading cards, played numerous mainline and spin-off games, and spent likely hundreds of hours in Final Fantasy XIV. What I enjoyed the most in Resonance, though, was the promise of what will be fresh.

Some additions are small but meaningful, like the conversations your party can have while wandering around a dungeon. I really like options like this – the Tales Of series’ skits are a great example – and they naturally flesh out the lore and world of Resonance, as well as the relationships between my four party members. I didn’t get a big intro to their backstories leading into the dungeon I played, but even just hearing them discuss the ethics of summoning a primal entity to play a bedtime lullaby for the party was a fun way to get to know this crew of adventurers.

The battles, too, add a lot of interesting strategy to your conventional turn-based combat. Clever management of the stagger bar against tough enemies, especially the wind-wielding boss of the dungeon I faced, was the difference between a victory fanfare and a full party wipeout. Chipping away at the bar meant constantly balancing who was attacking, defending, healing, and using items to keep the magic flowing.

Final Fantasy Resonance falls into an interesting spot, as Square Enix’s trend of revitalizing former mobile games into standalone console releases continues. There are some upgrades and quality-of-life changes built up over the narrative framework and building blocks of Brave Exvius, with plenty of series iconography draped over the top; a towering sundae of RPG. The cherry on top, though, is a solid new RPG built on both new and old. I might have shown up because of the Final Fantasy moniker, but now I’m just interested in a good ol’ fashioned RPG to dig into this October.

Sony hosted a double-header showcase today, split between its main State of Play showcase and a specific State of Play Japan right after. The first showcase hosted quite a bit of new info, from release dates for big games to reveals of upcoming titles. State of Play Japan, right after, veered into a series of trailers for Japan-developed titles for PlayStation consoles with host Yuki Kaji.

Here’s everything we saw in the big September 2026 showcase for Sony State of Play Japan.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3

Release Date: 2027

Leading off today’s showcase is a trailer for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, showing the many, many characters and fighting styles we can expect to see in the new entry of Bandai Namco’s Xenoverse series. It looks packed full of Dragon Ball action, as well as the many cameos you’d hope for. Really, though, I’m just looking forward to making my awesome Saiyan avatar and having him do nothing but Ginyu Force moves.

Fate/Extra Record

Release Date: January 28, 2027

Though it was recently shifted to a new publisher in Aniplex, Fate/Extra Record seems to be pushing ahead towards a January 2027 release date. This remake of the original 2010 dungeon-crawling RPG Fate/Extra certainly looks intriguing for all the Nasuverse fans. Now, they won’t be waiting long until the full game arrives.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance

Release Date: 2027

Today’s trailer showed off the new vertical zones in Ascendance, which the hunter and their Seikret can float around in. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto sat down with the host to share some new info, including the name of our new Elder Dragon, Gundoraja. 

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World

Release Date: December 3, 2026

The latest Dragon Quest Monsters game is headed to PlayStation 5 (as well as Switch 1 and 2, Xbox, and PC), and we got a new glimpse of the exciting journey ahead. It will be, of course, filled with various Dragon Quest Monsters from throughout the series. In today’s trailer, we got to see some colosseum fights as well as some story teases. And I also really dig the brides from Dragon Quest V taking the lead in this game. You can look forward to that in December.

The Eminence In Shadow: Phantom Echoes

Release Date: 2027

This is some news for a very specific subset of anime and manga fans, but an Eminence In Shadow game is on the way. Few details were given, other than it starring Alpha of Shadow Garden and seemingly showing a darker version of the main protagonist from The Eminence In Shadow. (Which, by the way, is a surprisingly fun and comedic take on isekai stories, if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path.) It’s also a roguelite of some kind. This likely appeals to a very specific subset of fans, but if you’re in that group, it might be worth keeping an eye on Phantom Echoes.

Rematch x Blue Lock

Release Date: September 24, 2026

Remember Rematch? The surprisingly excellent soccer title from Sifu developer SloClap? Well, the anime hit Blue Lock is crossing over into Rematch, with some special cosmetics this September. Honestly, I like it as an excuse to get back into Rematch. I’ve been itching to revisit this game, and maybe the power of anime will help me score a few more goals than I normally would have.

Where The Seeds Fall

Release Date: November 5, 2026

A new game under CyGames’ new publishing label, Where The Seeds Fall is a game about risk-taking vertical jumps and platforming, as your hero tries to descend down the World Tree. The main story takes about three hours to play, but there are also extra levels and time trials. It’s a pretty neat new effort from CyGames Edge, and I’m happy to see something new and novel get a spotlight here amid some big names.

Gundam Rogue Orbit

Release Date: March 5, 2027

Bandai Namco’s new action-driven Gundam game Rogue Orbit got a March release date during the Sony State of Play, and a sit-down interview section during today’s State of Play Japan put the spotlight on a few more cool notes. Namely, you can pilot a version of the Gundam RX-78-2 in Rogue Orbit. That’s really all I wanted. Well, maybe add the Gundam Sandrock and that windmill one from G Gundam, too.

WPCA: World Phasebound Control Authority

Release Date: 2028

This brand-new game had surprisingly little fanfare during the show, but its trailer description adds at least a little more context. WPCA seems to be an action-horror game, immediately reminiscent of Scarlet Nexus. (When are we getting another one of those, by the way?) As a containment agent of the Seoul Branch of the World Phasebound Control Authority (WPCA), your job is to apparently slice, dice, and destroy supernatural phenomena for the benefit of humanity. We’ve got some time to learn more, though, as it’s currently targeting a 2028 launch.

Stupid Never Dies

Release Date: October 21, 2026

Man, I really love the vibe of Stupid Never Dies. It feels like a long-lost Xbox 360 game in the best way. Today’s trailer for the pop-punk dungeon-diver showed off a bunch of boss characters, ranging from the werewolf Wolfgang and vampire Dragul to a scary specter named Takiyasha-Hime. If you’re curious about this one ahead of its October release, a demo is out today with the first two hours of the game, and save data will carry over to the final. Pop punk never dies!

SlashZero

Release Date: Spring 2027

This gorgeous 3D anime side-scrolling action game has apparently had a closed beta rolling around for a while now, but today’s cinematic trailer revealed a new demo out today, featuring a new map and a total of three playable characters now available. I’m admittedly in the dark on this one, but I like how colorful and action-filled the game looks. And it’s a demo! No better way to try and pitch me than offering a taster slice of the game up for free.

Echoes Of Aincrad DLC: Genesis Maidens

Release Date: Winter 2026

Bandai Namco took the virtual stage next to announce two new DLC additions to existing games in its catalog. The first: Sword Art Online game Echoes of Aincrad is getting a new DLC this winter, centering on the Genesis Maidens. Mito from Sword Art Online Progressive will join the fray; there’s a new Curved Sword weapon type, and some new systems to dig into. My experience with SAO goes as far as exactly a single season of the anime, but I did get a kick out of Echoes of Aincrad’s permadeath mode. More games should have that.

Digimon Story Time Stranger DLC: A Hero’s Eternal Legacy

Release Date: 2027

Second on the Bandai Namco DLC lineup, Digimon Story Time Stranger is getting its big new story DLC in 2027. Dubbed A Hero’s Eternal Legacy, the new story will center on a new protagonist, with new maps in Iliad and 50 new Digimon. That’s a whole lot of new. Digimon fans have often raved about this series as a viable competitor in the monster-trainer genre, and though I only got enough time to dip my toes into Time Stranger, maybe this is a good enough push to get further in.

CONQ: Crown Of No Quarter

Release Date: 2027

Saying it up front: I love this name. “CONQ.” Onomatopoetic is your word of the day, and CONQ is it. Anyways, CONQ is not a grim reboot of the Conker series but is instead an action game that seems to lift some good notes from various Assassin’s Creed entries, including Black Flag and Valhalla. We’ve got Viking warriors, ship battles, cannons, and even some impressive-looking castle sieges. Add in some magical powers, like summoning the undead, and I’m pretty interested in CONQ. You’ll have to wait a bit to CONQ, though, as it won’t launch until sometime next year.

Rhapsody In Scarlet

Release Date: TBD

Revealed during the preceding State of Play, we got a longer look at Rhapsody In Scarlet, the strangely magical New York action game that looks to pit mages and wizards against each other in a roaring ’20s setting. It looks absolutely bonkers, but honestly? I’m enjoying how strange it all is. Producer Takanori Murayama offered some more details in a sit-down interview, expanding on the story of polar-opposite characters Ellie and Ilya caught up in the drama of this magical Big Apple. Even more new information is set for the upcoming Konami presentation today, so keep an eye out for that.

Rev. Noir

Release Date: 2027

The new RPG from Konami is certainly laden with proper nouns and mysterious dialogue, with phrases like “Travelers of the Cessation.” That does, however, mean it’s probably of high interest to people who love deep party-driven RPGs, like myself. We got a glimpse at the journey ahead, and the potentially grim twists and turns waiting for Asch and crew. This one stays on my radar as an under-the-radar RPG to watch for next year.

Daba: Land Of Water Scar

Release Date: Spring 2027

Another new game reveal, and part of Sony’s China Hero Project, Daba: Land of Water Scar is a third-person action game where you play as a clayman brought to life, seeking to seize the water and reforge the divine soul. In practice, it looks like a challenging action game, likely with some parries, impressive boss fights, and various weapons to master. The aesthetic really draws me in here; I love the ornamental attire on the various characters we see in the trailer, and some of the attacks — from both foes and the player character — are wonderfully balletic. Consider me intrigued for the spring 2027 arrival of Daba.

Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition

Release Date: TK

The Complete Edition of Ghost of Yotei is on the way, with several modes and new gameplay options packed in. During the stream, Fairouz Ai sat down with the host of State of Play Japan to discuss her own approach to playing Atsu in Japanese, including taking cues from Erika Ishii’s performance and the drama of specific moments in Yotei’s story. We also got a narrative trailer for the Echoes of Sekigahara expansion, arriving as part of the Complete Edition. That, alongside the Most Wanted mode shown off during the State of Play, arrives on October 1, 2026.