December 2022

Join hosts Wesley LeBlanc and Kyle Hilliard as the two discuss all things One Piece Odyssey, an upcoming One Piece JRPG based on the hit anime and manga series. 

Wesley recently went hands-on with the game for a couple of hours, exploring One Piece Odyssey's first two chapters, and he had a blast. In today's New Gameplay Today, the two discuss the game's narrative, its combat and what it's doing different in the JRPG genre, and why One Piece makes for such a fun world to play around in. Enjoy!

As you can see, One Piece Odyssey is shaping up to be a great time, especially for pirates. While we only got to experience the game's opening hours, we're excited about the full release in January. In the meantime, read Wesley's full thoughts on this preview here. 

One Piece Odyssey hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on January 12. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: January 24, 2023

I’ve been excited about Forspoken since its reveal as Project Athia in 2020. The fish-out-of-water game set in a medieval fantasy realm is developed by Luminous Productions – an internal Square Enix team that helped develop Final Fantasy XV, a game I quite enjoyed despite its problems. It also features the talents of Uncharted series creator Amy Hennig and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story writer Gary Whitta on the narrative side, which makes me interested in playing through protagonist Frey Holland’s journey. 

On paper, it’s precisely the type of RPG I like to spend my time playing. After going hands-on for a few hours and talking with some of the team about decisions behind Forspoken’s design, I’m even more excited for January, even if I still have some reservations about this studio’s first new IP. 

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew reacts to the big reveals from The Game Awards, including such hits as Death Stranding 2, Hades II, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and of course, Crime Boss: Rockay City. We hope you enjoy this episode featuring our favorite Diablo IV correspondent, John Carson.

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host Alex Van Aken every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

The Pokémon Company has announced several changes coming to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, starting with the first expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series hitting in March. In addition to the ex gameplay mechanic that was announced for the series in August at the Pokémon World Championships, players can expect several changes to the cards and the packs in which they are housed.

First up, those yellow borders U.S. players and collectors are so used to will become a thing of the past. Starting with Scarlet and Violet, the borders will be gray to match the Japanese cards. The move is said to provide a more seamless experience for the Pokémon Trading Card Game while putting a greater emphasis on the actual artwork of the cards. Additionally, Trainer cards will now have subcategories displayed at the top left corner of the card for more visibility in players' hands; examples given for this include Supporter, Item, and Stadium. Basic Energy cards will feature another Energy symbol at the bottom right for easier tracking during gameplay, and expansion symbols will be replaced by expansion codes and language codes across all cards.

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by a rotating cast of Game Informer guests to break down the news of the week. First, Marcus Stewart joins him to cover news surrounding Call of Duty, Mario Kart 8, and Atari. In the main segment, Charles Harte joins the episode to talk about his time with Dragon Quest Treasures. Finally, Wesley LeBlanc joins the show to break down everything coming out of The Game Awards.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Charles Harte (@chuckduck365), Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes)

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

The Game Awards have come and gone, and on top of giving quality games, creators, and performers their flowers, we got a boatload of new games to look forward to. So we ask: what was your favorite game announcement of the show?

A generation of fans may love From Software for its litany of Souls games, but the studio was once primarily known for its other beloved series, Armored Core. Tonight at The Game Awards, the studio revealed a new entry in its mech shooter franchise: Armored Core IV: Fires of Rubicon. 

A cinematic trailer set the table, which begins on a rather gloomy (and lava-filled) note before the mechs emerge to kick up the tempo a few notches. Fires of Rubicon is the first entry in the series since 2013’s Armored Core: Verdict Day, so fans have waited a long time for tonight’s news. Check out the trailer below. 

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is launching in 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

While the new trailer for the upcoming expansion of Cyberpunk 2077 starts out with some voice lines from Keanu Reeves, the surprise appearance comes from a newly revealed character. Solomon Reed appears as a new figure played by Idris Elba.

Few concrete details are apparent from the trailer, but the spirit and visual styling of Cyberpunk 2077 remains in clear evidence. We know that Phantom Liberty is built as a spy-thriller set in a new district of Night City and that V somehow works together with the government of the New United States of America, and presumably alongside the newly revealed Solomon Reed.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is set for release in 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

 

At long last, Final Fantasy 16 has a release date. Announced tonight during The Game Awards, Square Enix revealed the game will be released on June 22, 2023.

Following in the tradition of other FF16 trailers, our new glimpse looks great – and definitely expensive. From combat, bosses, story, and world, everything pops off screen – a few short minutes of bombast and spectacle. 

Check it out for yourself below:

Final Fantasy 16 will be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive for six months. 

Publisher CI Games and developer Hexworks have released a new trailer for its upcoming sequel, The Lords of the Fallen, and it's another dark and terrifying look at the Soulslike series. 

Lords of the Fallen was released back in 2014, and GI Games revealed its long-awaited sequel, The Lords of the Fallen, during Gamescom's Opening Night Live back in August. A new trailer showcasing another look at the world of this sequel was released during The Game Awards 2022 tonight, and while it only featured a few glimpses of gameplay, it seems The Lords of the Fallen is shaping up to be a worthy successor. 

Watch The Lords of the Fallen gameplay teaser below: 

The Lords of the Fallen is set 1,000 years after the original Lords of the Fallen, and it's been designed with cooperative play in mind, according to Hexworks. Two players can play together in uninterrupted online play and experience an "expansive RPG experience filled with NPC quests, compelling characters, and rich narrative," according to a press release from earlier this year. 

The Lords of the Fallen will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A release date has not yet been revealed, but it's due out sometime in 2023. 

Are you excited for The Lords of the Fallen? Let us know in the comments below!

Activision has announced Crash Team Rumble, a 4v4 team-based online multiplayer game starring Crash Bandicoot and his furry/scaly friends. The game sees Toys for Bob, the studio behind Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, step back into the developer role for the Crash Bandicoot series, but with a decidedly different approach in tow.

Crash Team Rumble puts players in the shoes of Crash, Dingodile, and the Bandicoot's stable of friends and enemies. Each character has their own powers, personality, and playstyle as they duke it out in 4v4 competitions across a wide array of arenas. The teams compete in a variety of activities to bank the most Wumpa fruit in their drop-off zone while simultaneously defending it.

"We're so excited to unveil our fresh new take on multiplayer in the Crash universe with Crash Team Rumble," Paul Yan, co-studio head at Toys for Bob said in a press release. "Crash Team Rumble has something for everyone – easy pick-up and play for those who just want to jump in, while also providing skilled gamers the opportunity to leverage and master their hero's unique abilities."

You can see the reveal trailer below.

Dontnod Entertainment has revealed their next game: Banishers: Ghosts of a New Eden. While Dontnod is known best for its work on the Life is Strange series, Banishers is an action/RPG, and it might share more in common with the studio's 2018 game Vampyr. For a better look at the game, check out the teaser below.

In the reveal trailer, a man sits across the table from a woman, holding her hand. Another person in the room calls the man a banisher, one who hunts ghosts. Then, the woman at the table dissolves away into a blue light, indicating that she was a ghost the whole time. Afterward, we get a glimpse at what gameplay might look like, with the man and his ghostly companion leaping into battle with an undead creature called a bonewalker.

Outside that brief trailer, we got a release window. Near the end of 2023, Banishers: Ghosts of a New Eden will come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Crime Boss: Rockay City was announced during The Game Awards 2022 and though its trailer was light on gameplay, it featured plenty of surprising celebrities. Michael Madsen is playing the titular Crime Boss, Travis Baker, along with Kim Basinger as Casey, Damion Poitier as Nasara, Danny Trejo as The Dragon, Danny Glover as Gloves, Michael Rooker as Touchdown, Vanilla Ice as Hielo, and Chuck Norris.

The game takes place in Florida in the 90s and is a first-person shooter. Little else is known about the game, but it releases on March 28, 2023 for PC (via Epic), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

 

Tonight during The Game Awards, we got a new extended look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the upcoming animated movie about, well, the Super Mario Bros.

Check it out below:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be released on April 7, 2023. It's being animated by Illumination Entertainment, the production company behind the Minions and Despicable Me series. It stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Jack Black as Bowser, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, among others.

This evening’s presentation of The Game Awards brought us a new cinematic look at Diablo IV. The long-in-development action/RPG is finally nearing release, and we got a confirmed release date this evening. You’ll be able to confront demons to your heart’s content beginning on June 6, 2023.

While the trailer didn’t offer a wealth of new details about the game, it did show off a pretty epic battle between the forces of Heaven and Hell. The forces seem to be led by Tyrael on one side and Lilith on the other side, and two massive armies clash over the course of the battle.

Check out the full trailer for a glimpse of Blizzard’s top-notch cinematic storytelling.

 

Bandai Namco Studios, Bandai Namco Online, and Amazon Games are teaming up to release Blue Protocol, an upcoming MMO action RPG with anime visuals to more territories and platforms, including North America.

Blue Protocol was not announced during the 2022 Game Awards, but up until now, it hasn't been clear if the game would be making its way outside of Japan. During the show, a new trailer for the game was shared, alongside a confirmation that the game would be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in new regions the second half of 2023. Amazon Games also shared that Blue Protocol would be receiving a closed beta early next year.

Blue Protocol will be free-to-play, but will be playable in full for free. Monetization will come from character customizations and other cosmetics. Amazon Games also shared that the game can be played alone, or cooperatively with friends.

Baldur's Gate 3 launches in August 2023, developer Larian Studios announced during tonight's The Game Awards. The announcement arrived alongside a new trailer and details surrounding the game's Collector's Edition.

The Collector's Edition includes a 25-centimeter Mindflayer vs. Drow battle diorama made from high-quality PVC/ABS plastic, an approximately 160-page hardcover art book, character sheets, a cloth map, a tadpole keyring, 32 die-cut stickers, three Magic: The Gathering booster packs featuring characters from Baldur's Gate 3, an oversized metal Baldur's Gate 3 D20 die, and a Collector's Edition certificate. The Collector's Edition will cost $270 and will be limited to 25,000 units worldwide.

On top of that news, we also received a trailer showing beloved characters Minsc and Jaheira's return, as well as the gameplay debut of the City of Baldur's Gate. You can see the trailer below.

Prior to the August 2023 1.0 launch, Larian will release Patch 9, which will include various improvements to the Early Access version, including a new playable class. Details of that will be revealed during a special streamed panel on December 14.

Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for Tekken 8 and it features our first look at gameplay. 

The trailer showcases various Tekken 8 fighters, including series mainstay Jin Kazama. His mother, Jun Kazama, makes an appearance in the trailer as well to tell Jin that together, they'll "cleanse the world of its evil and corruption." 

Check out the Tekken 8 gameplay trailer for yourself below: 

As you can see, Tekken 8 is looking great. The trailer above is mostly focused on teasing details about the game's story, which will seemingly feature Jin and the struggles of his family dynamic (thanks, Heihachi). There are also quick clips of Tekken 8 gameplay, although it's void of the UI that showcases each fighter's HP and other elements. 

Tekken 8 was revealed earlier this year during a PlayStation State of Play held in September. That reveal trailer focused on Kazuya and his son, Jin, and you can watch it here. 

Tekken 8 will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. It does not yet have a release date. 

Are you excited for Tekken 8? Let us know in the comments below!

Joe Madureira, creator of Darksiders and Battle Chasers appeared on stage at The Game Awards 2022 to share details about Airship Synidcate's next game, Wayfinder, which Madureira described as a character-based online action RPG.

The trailer for the game revealed a Diablo-esque cooperative action game featuring character designs in line with Madureira's previous work.

Become a Wayfinder and #ControlTheChaos in endless adventure!

Light the way with friends to shape and control your exploration together in an action-packed, immersive world with story-driven characters! Sign up for the Closed Beta today. https://t.co/hClTLHdVhM @playwayfinder pic.twitter.com/hY0DWqkV2D

— Airship Syndicate (@AirshipSyn) December 9, 2022

Wayfinder is being published by Digital Extremes, the Warframe creator, which will also help support the online components and monetization. A beta for the game will begin next week and you can sign up to participate at playwayfinder.com. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4, and additional consoles will be supported, as well, though Airship was not ready to offer specific confimration.

Death Stranding 2 – the sequel to one of the best games of the previous console generation – was announced tonight during The Game Awards. As you might expect from director Hideo Kojima, it was baffling. 

The trailer begins with Fragile, played by Lea Seydoux (No Time to Die, Crimes of the Future), running from some kind of threat while carrying a BB (a baby in an artificial womb; it's a whole thing) in tow. We then get a brief look at Sam Porter Bridges – the protagonist of the first game, played by Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) – who Fragile tells, "It's time for you to hit the road and start a new journey." Then everything truly goes off the rails. 

Giant mecha vehicles (not too unlike the titular Metal Gears from Kojima's previous series at Konami, Metal Gear Solid). Primary antagonist Higgs dressed like President Amelie Strand and playing an electric guitar. A BB pod full of tentacles. The ominous question, "Should we have connected," casting doubts on the entire objective of the first game – connecting the United States – all quickly flashes onscreen. If it sounds like a lot, it is. Check it out for yourself below:

We're calling it Death Stranding 2, but from the looks of it, the game is actually named DS2. Also, aside from the previously mentioned movie stars, it features Elle Fanning (The Neon Demon) and Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2). 

Celeste and TowerFall creator Maddy Thorson and their team at Extremely OK Games teased its next project, Earthblade, last year. Tonight at The Game Awards, we got our first look at what the fantasy platformer looks like. 

From the trailer below, the game seems to adhere closly to the Metroidvania platforming action of Celeste, but there's likely more than meets the eye. Unfortunatley, we won't get to play Earthblade until 2024 and there are no announced platforms as of yet. 

 

A new clip from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League reveals that Kevin Conroy, who passed away earlier this year, will return to play Batman. Conroy made his first appearance as Batman in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series and has continued to play the character in countless shows, movies, and games. He portrayed Batman in the Arkham games, the series Rocksteady is best known for.

Unlike the Arkham games, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a co-op shooter. Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, King Shark, and Deadshot are on a mission to stop the Justice League after supervillain Brainiac corrupts them and forces them to wreak havoc on humanity. While it sounds like a bleak premise, this trailer also gives a good look at the dark humor the Suicide Squad is known for.

Rocksteady also announced that the game would be coming out on May 26, 2023, just a few months from now. This news comes following years of delays and will set it eight years after the studio’s last game, Batman: Arkham Knight.

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor has remained quiet for much of its development cycle, but a leak earlier this week suggested that we don’t have long to wait for the big sequel. That info was confirmed in this evening’s trailer at The Game Awards, so we now know with confidence that the game is targeting a launch on March 17.

The trailer was accompanied by a visit from Cal Kestis himself, Cameron Monaghan. The actor is returning to play the beleaguered Jedi in the sequel, and he was around to follow up after the trailer to discuss his enthusiasm for the game. 

For fans eagerly anticipating new details, the trailer offers a lot over which to muse. We see that Cal looks like a more grizzled and powerful Jedi than when we last saw him training to become a knight. That truth is denoted perhaps most powerfully by the presence of a stubbly beard – a sure sign of force mastery in the Star Wars universe, if ever there was one.

As depicted in the trailer, Jedi Survivor picks up some five years after the adventure described in Fallen Order. Returning companions include droid BD-1 and Cere Junda, but we also meet a new mercenary named Bode Akuna. In one sequence, we see Bode attacking in tandem with Cal, suggesting some sort of team-up dynamic may be present.

Revealed during The Game Awards 2022, Naughty Dog is bringing its recent remake of The Last of Us to PC. Alongside a new trailer for the game, it was revealed the game will be available on March 3.

For more on the Last of Us, Part I, head here.

Kratos voice actor Christopher Judge has revealed that he initially quit when he learned that someone other than God of War (2018) director Cory Barlog was directing God of War Ragnarök. Longtime Santa Monica Studios lead Eric Williams directed the sequel, which released last month. 

Fortunately for all of us, though, Barlog was able to convince Judge that quitting was not the right call. Judge touched on this during his lengthy speech at The Game Awards 2022 after accepting the award for best performance in a video game.

Here's what he said: 

"I think it's kind of common knowledge that we were honored to go to Tribeca after 2018, and when Cory took me outside and said he wouldn't be directing the next one, I literally did quit. I quit. And he said, 'Nah, I vouch for Eric.' And I said, 'Eric Williams better be a beast.' Eric Williams is a motherf---ing beast."

It's unclear if Judge legitimately quit or if he was just using these words to express his initial disappointment that Barlog was not returning to direct Ragnarök. Nonetheless, Barlog vouched for Williams, and now we have Ragnarök, one of our highest-rated games of 2022 here at Game Informer. 

Helping to ramp up an evening of world premieres at The Game Awards this evening, Supergiant Games revealed its newest game. Hot on the heels of the wild success of Hades, Supergiant is doing something it’s never done before: crafting a sequel.

After its previous work on titles like Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre, the studio’s new game takes us back to the roguelike playstyle of the original game, but with a new female lead fighting their way through hordes of enemies.

Instead of Zagreus’ attempted escape from Hades, Hades 2 sees players attempting to descend to fight against the titan named Kronos. The character is dubbed the “Princess of the Underworld” but given the previous game’s nod to Greek mythology, there’s a good bet that this new character has some interesting ties to the big players in that well-known pantheon.

Beyond the intriguing trailer, there’s no word on release date or console platform plans, but we do know to expect new details on Early Access in 2023, and that the game is coming to both Steam and Epic Game Store on PC.

 

Ghost Story Games, the team led by BioShock creator Ken Levine, finally unveiled its first project. It's called Judas, and if you're a BioShock fan, you'll be happy with what you're about to see. 

To say this title follows in BioShock's footsteps would be an understatement. From its industrial sci-fi look to its first-person dual-wielding, superpowered action, Judas sports the familiar trappings of Levine's work at Irrational Games. Ghost Story describes it as a single-player, narrative-driven shooter and provided this tantalizing synopsis:

"You are the mysterious and troubled Judas. Your only hope for survival is to make or break alliances with your worst enemies. Will you work together to fix what you broke – or will you leave it to burn?"

Shrek is one of the most iconic and beloved Dreamworks film franchises, spanning four different film titles, several spin-off films, and holiday specials. Everyone remembers Shrek with fondness in their hearts, and most fans agree that the movies still hold up today and are just as enjoyable to watch as when they were first released.

Part of what makes the Shrek movies so special is the highly adored cast of characters, from moody Ogres, annoying talking animals, princes and princesses, and even sword-wielding felines. There’s just such a hilarious, wacky collection of different personalities and dynamics between the cast of Shrek that you can’t help but fall in love with them all.

Have you ever wondered which Shrek character you’d be most similar to? Take the personality quiz below to find out now.

The Jump Festa annual anime expo took place from Dec. 17 through Dec.18, and brought tons of new announcements with it. As is typically the case, the event provided a host of talks with Shonen Jump’s authors, reveals for anime related to their series, and a slew of other updates related to the publication’s properties.

Of what was covered, we’ve compiled a quick breakdown of the biggest announcements that every Shonen Jump fan would want to know about.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s Finale Draws Near

Jujutsu Kaisen mangaka Gege Akutami has hinted that the series might be coming to a close in the near future. Akutami gave a direct quote saying, “If you accompany me for up to one more year (probably), I will be very happy.” The 18th volume of the manga’s English translation will be out on Dec. 20.

Naruto’s Next Spin-off Protagonist Will Be Chosen by Fans Worldwide

A character popularity contest was kicked off to figure out who will be the protagonist of the next Naruto/Boruto spin-off manga. If you’re an English reader, you can vote via the Narutop 99 English language home page.

One fan has revealed that Final Fantasy VII Remake would make for one heck of a summer blockbuster via a fan-made trailer.

Said fan, who goes by CozyFinch, released their labor of love through the Final Fantasy VII Remake subreddit on Dec. 18. They posted it alongside the message “What if Remake was a blockbuster movie instead of a game? It’s finished, Merry Christmas :).”

The trailer itself takes key moments from throughout the game and edits them to look more like scenes from a major Hollywood release. Tension builds as scenes transition from character introductions to action set pieces, and reveals of the story through sudden reveals and lingering questions are abound. Accompanying all of this are songs and covers composed by Alex Moukala, who produced all the music for the trailer.

It comes off like a perfect distillation of everything the game offers, and provides plenty of dangling plot threads that viewers will be dying to see tied up by checking out the full game. Not only that, but it sells the pristine visuals of the game’s cutscenes in a way that makes it look like a modern cinematic prequel to Advent Children.

But don’t take our word for it. The full post and the mock trailer can be viewed down below.

It’s been five years since Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony was released and brought an interesting ending twist to the series in what felt like a finale. However, a group of fans weren’t necessarily satisfied with that and have created their own continuation through the indie game host site Itch.io.

The Danganronpa games follow a pretty entertaining but well-established formula. Each game is a visual novel that gathers students with traits that make them the Ultimate in some ability or skill. However, they are quickly informed that they will be involved in a killing game, and the goal is to get away with murder to escape it. Each murder involves a trial with everything on the line because everyone else will be killed if the true murderer gets away with it.

This new fan game, Danganronpa Project: Eden’s Garden, definitely looks to continue this pattern and takes place at the titular Eden’s Garden Academy. The cast is led by player character Damon Maitsu, the Ultimate Debater, who is trapped with his 15 classmates in a brand new killing game. At the time of writing, only the first chapter of this project has been released.

For obvious reasons, Danganronpa Project: Eden’s Garden is entirely free to download and play. As far as visuals go, if someone came into this blind, they would absolutely think this is official. The team behind this project has completely nailed the Danganronpa art style.

Some multiplayer games are easier than others to jump into. The most accessible multiplayer games usually have easy-to-understand controls and mechanics, along with helpful communities, to make the onboarding process as smooth as possible for new players. However, some games are simply impenetrable for newbies, and these games in particular are near-impossible for new players to enjoy without the help of guides or a strong team of friends guiding them. So without further ado, here are 10 Multiplayer Games That Are Impossible to Jump Into as a New Player.

The Naruto manga series received a big announcement regarding its future, and fans will determine said future with their votes.

During the Naruto stage event held at Jump Festa 2023 on Dec. 17, it was revealed that a character popularity poll called Narutop 99 would be kicking off that day and running until Jan. 31, 2023. The top-voted character in the poll will be the focus of a new spin-off manga for the series, which would begin publication at a later date.

Fans can vote once per day until the conclusion of the event in January, and the poll will be open to fans around the world for the entirety of this time frame. Those interested in casting a vote from the west can do so through the Narutop 99 English language home page.

The event also received a promotional video to hype up the popularity poll and showcase some of the many characters found throughout the series. Styled like a motion comic, the video sees Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura during some of their most iconic moments alongside other series mainstays like Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

It’s nothing fans of the manga haven’t seen before, but it’s still a nice homage and reminder of some of the series’ many characters. Fans can check the promotional video out for themselves down below.

When Spy x Family premiered earlier this April, it was met with open arms from anime fans and quickly increased in popularity. The hilarious (and wholesome) story of a secret spy being tasked with putting together a fake family from scratch warmed hearts everywhere. We’re still a week away from the finale of Spy x Family Cour 2, but there has been a big announcement regarding the series.

In 2023, Twilight and his family will return in two unique Spy x Family events. Currently, the order these might release is entirely unknown. However, we will be getting a second season of the anime and an original film.

The Spy x Family movie will be entirely new, not based on anything from the manga. Series mangaka Tatsuya Endo will supervise the production and will be handling all of the original character design.

Considering the first season of Spy x Family was split into a second cour, that will likely happen again. This should mean that there will be evenly spaced out Spy x Family media to consume throughout the year. If the film receives a theatrical release, it will no doubt be one of 2023’s biggest anime films.

Spy x Family also proved to be a force of nature with manga sales this year, no doubt thanks in part to the blockbuster anime. It came in third behind Jujutsu Kaisen and Tokyo Revengers, with 10,600,571 copies sold.

Expectations were high for Avatar: The Way of Water, with most hoping it would deliver a story that hit the right emotional notes after the first one. The film accomplishes this by making the plot about Jake and Neytiri’s family, along with their new connection to the Metkayina tribe during a conflict that requires the Sully family to leave their home.

The movie has great dialogue that depicts how the characters’ minds function and what they were feeling during particular moments. These quotes have a far deeper meaning than it might seem upon hearing them the first time though, so it’s best to take a look at what the words mean and how they fit into the heroes’ characterizations. do be warned though: There are *Major Spoilers Ahead* for the entire film.

China has been censoring the blood in Chainsaw Man, but their efforts to hide the series’ gore are creating a whole new slew of issues.

Since the series’ initial release, certain scenes have been censored before episodes could be aired in China. More often than not, this censorship comes through the removing of color from blood splatters, bloodstains and other large amounts of red liquid that would otherwise expose the citizens of the country to gore. They are then replaced with a white or clear liquid that is still shown but is deemed to be allowable because it doesn’t hint at violent acts being committed or scenes of gore.

While this makes sense on paper, the end result makes scenes look far worse. This is because splatters of blood end up looking like an entirely different bodily fluid we can’t specify for fear of angering the algorithmic gods. Twitter user Samureye made a post to Twitter about the most recent example of this censorship though, which can be found down below.

Chinese censorship in anime is CRAZY pic.twitter.com/9JzXZuVOYq

The Jujutsu Kaisen Manga may be headed toward its climax and conclusion if a recent statement by its author is anything to go by.

During the Jujutsu Kaisen stage event held during Jump Festa 2023 on Dec. 17, series author Gege Akutami spoke on the state of the series and where it was headed. One phrase in particular drew attention though: “If you accompany me for up to one more year (probably), I will be very happy.”

It wasn’t confirmed whether or not this referred to the manga approaching its ending or if it simply meant a major event would occur within this time frame, but there have been hints dropped in the past that it’s the former. In a previous interview done back in 2020, Akutami stated that the manga was probably going to end in about two years and that it was roughly two thirds of the way toward being completed.

This would fall within the timeframe given in Akutami’s newest statement, meaning it’s within the realm of possibility that the manga is entering its final stages.

Backing this up further is the fact that the manga has entered a major climax. After successfully nabbing enough points to alter the rules of the culling game, Yuji Itadori and his allies are nearly ready to mount a counter-attack against the series’ primary villain Kenjaku. Kenjaku, meanwhile, is starting to engage in battle directly with some of the strongest Sorcerers in the series, and proving a solid match for them.

In the meantime, you can keep up with the Jujutsu Kaisen manga via Shonen Jump’s digital app. You can also view the Jujutsu Kaisen anime, which has just received an official release window in summer of 2023.

*** Spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water ahead ***

James Cameron made fans wait 13 years for a sequel to Avatar, but the film has done well upon arrival. Although it’s not a perfect story, Avatar: The Way of Water improves on the original in several aspects. Much like the first part, the story is relatively straightforward about the battle between Jake Sully’s family and Miles Quaritch’s group, with the presentation being the main difference this time around.

Things such as the way the plot is explained, how the bad guy behaves, and the nuances within the characters and overall story have all seen an upgrade from the 2009 flick. With over three hours of runtime, it’s worth taking a recap of everything that’s within Avatar: The Way of Water and how it succeeds in bettering the original entry.

One of the best measurements for the quality of a game is how long after the game’s release are players still finding neat little tricks. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has proven wonderful for this very reason due to the robust physics driving the exploration.

There’s a level of experimentation to the game that keeps contributing to players finding new mechanics even five years later. Speaking of which, Reddit user Brice-10 has made a discovery related to the Wasteland Tower in the Gerudo Desert. As it turns out, those large slab pillars can be knocked over with a simple trick.

I have been play since launch and I never knew you could do this. from Breath_of_the_Wild

A video provided by Brice-10 shows them making their way to the pillars using ice blocks as normal but then trying to raise one final block underneath the first pillar. This causes a domino effect that knocks over every pillar in sequence, providing a pathway up into the tower. That’s it; entirely simple but also not something most players will consider trying.