Game Informer

The over-confident, obnoxious Dan Hibiki has returned to the ever-expanding world of Street Fighter V. In this new preview trailer, you can see his entire moveset which includes signature abilities like his Ryu-inspired fireball. Street Fighter fans consider Hibiki to be a weak, spoof-character, but the new gameplay footage looks to prove all of Hibiki's doubters wrong.

Dan Hibiki arrives this winter and is set to be Street Fighter V's first fifth season character. Rose, Akira, Oyo, and an unannounced fifth fighter will follow suit. 

[Source: Destructoid]

During a Nintendo Direct earlier this year, an expansion pass for Pokémon Sword and Shield was announced, revealing new environments to explore as well as a list of new pocket monsters to catch. The first DLC pack, Isle of Armor, was released over the summer. Now, Pokémon Sword and Shield fans are anticipating the Crown Tundra update which will, hopefully, be shown during tomorrow's expansion pass stream. 

The stream starts at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET. Both the Isle of Armor and Tundra Crown DLC are included in the Pokémon Sword & Shield expansion pass, which costs $30. 

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is almost here and with even more expansions on the horizons and tons of new features on the way, there is a lot to look forward to as a Guardian in the skies. One thing players can't look forward to, however, is a new game engine for Destiny 2. Bungie confirms that th is will "never" happen because it's just not needed. 

From character customization details to rotating content, there are a lot of changes ahead for the Bungie shooter. That being said, a common question these devs get is: Will there be a new engine? While Bungie has upgraded the current engine from Destiny 1 to Destiny 2, there hasn't been a need for an entirely new one to be implemented. 

The question again came up during a recent AMA on Reddit, to which Bungie engineering manager Chris Kosanovich responded:

“Regarding the engine, Aldridge may speak to this more but every engine I’ve ever used has strengths and weaknesses. I certainly would not classify the Destiny engine as archaic and I certainly wouldn’t want to try to build Destiny in any other engine. Of course there are processes that are slow and we’re making improvements to address our tech debt. Not totally sure what you mean about a ‘new engine in future titles’ but we updated the engine from D1 to D2 and continue to update the engine during D2 development. We’ll never make a whole new engine and move destiny to it, but any future games that Bungie makes wouldn’t necessarily need to use the Destiny tech if it doesn’t make sense for that game.”

Ichiban Kasuga is crashing the party a little earlier than expected, though not for PlayStation 5 players. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has been confirmed to be launching on November 10 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4. For those wanting to play on PS5, there will be a free digital upgrade, but that won't arrive until March 2, 2021. 

Sega has confirmed that those that purchase the game on PlayStation 4 will be able to get a free PS5 digital upgrade for the game, though this won't be available until the March launch date. The PlayStation 5 version also won't cost the highly talked about $70, instead retailing for the more usual price point set at $59.99.

Kiryu is taking a step back from the spotlight with the upcoming Yakuza title, instead we'll be taking to the streets of Japan as Ichiban Kasuga. After spending 18 years in prison for being the fall guy for his boss, Kasuga comes back to the real world with a vengeance within Yokohama. 

Yakuza has been a beloved Sega franchise for many years and it's nice to see a new narrative take shape for the future of this particular story. While the PlayStation 5 version of the game is a little delayed, it is good to see that PlayStation 4 players will be able to enjoy the ride at launch alongside Xbox Series X/S, One, and PC players. 

Netflix confirmed earlier this year that a Resident Evil series was in the works, though little was revealed at that time. Then, we discovered that another live-action adaptation is in the works, and now we've got our first look at another new entry into this longstanding franchise, this time with a new animated series called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. 

Infinite Darkness showcases the red-clad Claire Redfield once more entering yet another creepy location. It is there that she stumbles upon a person who has committed suicide. From there, Leon himself returns to take out more zombies, as he so often does, for a new narrative in the Resident Evil universe: 

We don't know yet what Netflix's plans are for the new Resident Evil series, whether they will follow the games closely or instead adapt another form of media. The trailer's official description shares little other than a small tease that this new show will be a "horror series with a sci-fi twist." 

So now we've got a new live-action take, as we've had before, and new animated series on the horizon. Both adaptations are without a release date but are slated for a 2021 launch. 

Earlier this week, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog announced that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was renaming its annual "Outbreak Day" (the date where the deadly fungal infection hit critical mass in the Last of Us universe) to "The Last of Us Day." While the date has grim meaning in the world of Joel and Ellie, in our world, September 26 has been used by Naughty Dog and its community to celebrate the franchise.

As part of this year's celebration, Kojima Productions' renowned artist Yoji Shinkawa, best known for his work on the Metal Gear franchise and Death Stranding, released a stunning piece. You can see his art above, and if you like it enough to want to make it your wallpaper you can download the full-resolution version, formatted for either your phone or desktop, here. In addition to Shinkawa's piece, Mondo has announced new The Last of Us Part II posters featuring Ellie and Abby, as well as a special vinyl soundtrack release.

While we eagerly await news for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel, Nintendo announced earlier this month that it's delivering a prequel story in the form of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Set 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity tells the story of the conflict that put Hyrule in the desperate state you experienced in the 2017 hit. 

Today, Nintendo released a new trailer showcasing some of the familiar faces you'll be taking into battle in Age of Calamity. Check out the action-packed trailer starring Link, Zelda, and the Champions below.

On top of that, we finally got to see young Impa. You may recall her being much, much older in Breath of the Wild, but in Age of Calamity, she's in her fighting prime, bringing her unique abilities as a royal advisor and a member of the Sheikah to the battle against Calamity Ganon's evil forces.

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Science fiction is a perennial favorite in the gaming world for good reason. With futuristic tech, alien life, and the boundless options of outer space as just some of the hallmarks, it’s easy for designers to find a unique corner to play in and create something memorable.

This week, we’re looking at several recent tabletop releases that show off the breadth of experiences available, from a familiar setting involving a certain DeLorean car to a game where you literally build a city that looks like it’s from the future.

Here’s hoping you find something new, and don’t hesitate to leave some of your favorite sci-fi board games in the comments below.

A new Yakuza live-action movie is on the way from Sega, 1212 Entertainment, and Wild Sheep. While we've already had one film adaptation with 2007's Like a Dragon, the news was exciting for many fans of this iconic franchise. With no official information about what the upcoming movie will be focused on, we couldn't help but to already start up our own wish list of who we would like to see play some of our favorite characters. 

Assuming that the upcoming live-action adaptation will follow the core franchise and not act as a spin-off, we first need our Kiryu! So, without further ado, here are our dream picks for who should be cast in the upcoming Yakuza movie from Sega. 

Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuki Kitamura originally played Kiryu-san in the Like a Dragon film, and looked the part if you squinted one eye and closed the other. But there was something about his performance that didn't quite fit. 

Instead, how about we try some Simu Liu on for size? Liu is a Chinese actor most known for his work in Blood and Water, the Taken TV series, and most recently Kim's Convenience. While his acting chops are varied, he also has that quiet strength that Kiryu has with the underlying pure chaos that comes out from time to time. 

Path of Exile has become one of my favorite games over the years. It’s one of those rare experiences that offers anything I want at any given point. Do I want to freak out over numbers and stats? PoE’s massive skill tree and item customization has more depth than I could ever fully comprehend. Am I in the mood to turn off my brain, listen to podcasts, and kill thousands of weirdo monsters? Yep, that’s definitely in there. Or maybe I’m looking for an engaging story with memorable charac– well, okay. Maybe not ANYTHING. Still, the action/RPG is a satisfying, rewarding experience that’s provided me hundreds of hours of entertainment. If you’ve been curious about the game, the recent start of the new Heist league makes it a perfect time to check it out. Don’t worry – if you don’t know what that means, I’ll walk you through the basics.

What Is Path Of Exile?

First, let’s go through the big-picture stuff. Path of Exile is an action/RPG from Grinding Gear Games. It’s deeper than something like Diablo III, but it features the same kind of “running around all over the place, casting magic whatevers or bonking monsters on the head with melee weapon” stuff that makes the genre so enjoyable. Better still, it’s free to play, in a generous way. The bulk of the available microtransactions are purely cosmetic. You can definitely drop some bucks on quality-of-life improvements, such as additional storage tabs or inventory slots that automatically sort loot, but you can get by without spending anything. 

Yesterday, we did a deep dive on Kena: Bridge of Spirits' adorable Rot companions. During your adventure, you will collect around 100 of these cuties, who will do everything from lending a hand in combat to helping Kena get past environmental obstacles. The Rot will follow Kena as she explores, so as your army gets bigger, it's a thrill to see these critters following behind. One way you can add some extra flavor is by purchasing hats for each Rot with gems you find in the world. This is purely a cosmetic feature, but gives you a fun way to differentiate them from each other, as you can outfit each individual Rot with its own hat.

You can purchase hats by stopping at little cart that sells them in your hub village, find them out in the world, or unlock special ones via challenges. “We give [gems] liberally, because we don’t really care too much about people buying hats, but if you wanted to buy a hat for every guy it would be pretty hard to do,” says chief creative officer Mike Grier. Note: These hats will not cost you real money. We confirmed with Ember Lab that you will get them through in-game currency and not through microtransactions. 

To see some of these hats and how cute the Rot look in them, Ember Lab was kind enough to capture some footage of them wearing these stylish caps and doing cute poses. See them in action and decide which ones will be must-buys for your furry friends.

The Hat Cart

We hope you're excited for Replay today because we have a special episode for you. Joining us from deep within the Marvel universe, actor Scott Porter is joining the show to talk about his roles as Cyclops, Harry Osborn, and more! We're also going back to 2009 to play the disaster that is Codemaster's Damnation.

So join Andrew Reiner, Scott Porter, Ben Reeves, and me as we don the mantle of steampunk freedom fighters and attempt to save this alternative version of Earth.

We went live earlier but you can catch the full archive of the stream above! If you can't get enough of our live shows, remember to subscribe on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook to get notified when we go live each week!

The creators of everyone's favorite speedy blue critter Sonic the Hedgehog are back with Balan Wonderworld. When can we dive into the action? Balan Wonderworld arrives March 26, 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Steam. Since the announcement at the Xbox Games Showcase, players have been looking forward to every scrap of action-platforming that Balan's magical world contains. Some information that wasn't front and center during the game's first appearance is the fact that there are twelve different tales to explore in Wonderworld.

Each tale has its own mechanics, features, and other foibles that differentiate them from the others. We're guessing that the spider web screenshot above showcases some of that special gameplay that will be unique to its tale. Balan Wonderworld supports local co-op, so you can team up with a friend to combine costume abilities. Clever use of costume skills from two players can unlock new secret areas that you wouldn't be able to access otherwise!

You can check out the original announcement trailer below!

The Last of Us was an iconic addition to the PlayStation lineup and with its sequel out this year and a TV series on the way, Ellie and Joel are back in the spotlight. While the sequel was met with mixed reception, The Last of Us journey is far from over because a new tabletop adaptation has been announced. 

The Last of Us tabletop adventure comes from a partnership between CMON and Sony Interactive Entertainment. If CMON sounds familiar, you may remember this company from its work with Sony in the past for both the God of War and Bloodborne adaptations. 

This is the first time The Last of Us has been adapted into a board game officially. With this game, the suspense and sense of danger will be felt in a different way not on a screen. Unfortunately, we don't have a look at the set quite yet or what sort of miniatures it will offer, but if it's anything like its Bloodborne experience, it will be incredibly detailed and will honor the Naughty Dog series beautifully. 

Before last week's PlayStation 5 Showcase digital event, many speculated on what sneak peeks Sony had in store for its legion of supporters. While we never saw the likes of Silent Hill or Bloodborne 2, the gaming giant wasted no time by kicking off the presentation with a welcome surprise to fans of all things RPG. Final Fantasy XVI is real and features the iconic monster design fans have come to know and love alongside a fresh new cast of characters. But with its unveiling comes a plethora of questions and concerns from the people who love the series most. 

For such a special occasion, we assembled some of the greatest RPG minds at Game Informer to pour over the details of what we know and don't about the sequel to one of the most iconic video game series of all time. Join Joe Juba, Dan Tack, Kimberley Wallace, and new-hire Jay Guisao as they discuss what they enjoyed about the reveal of Final Fantasy XVI, what they thought was lacking, and how long they think fans of the series will have to wait before getting their hands on the game.

As is the case with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Sony has stated at the end of the reveal trailer that the next entry in the classic series will be appearing first on the PlayStation 5 and PC for an undisclosed amount of time. 

Since the dawn of Destiny, Guardians everywhere have been asking for the ability to change their characters post-creation. That's still a no-go, sorry for the false hope, but Bungie is making core changes to the character customization for new Guardians. 

"We know that how your Guardians look is important to you," opened engineering designer David Aldridge in a recent Bungie blog post. He continued, "And we've long wanted to add more player customization to Destiny." Unfortunately, those changes have yet to happen and the current creation system is heavily restricted. Luckily, it looks like that is going to be changing in the future, though still no word on post-creation recreation, but existing characters will be seeing small tweaks. 

Aldridge explained, "Our original system for player faces had some combinatoric content authoring problems – for example, every decal had to be authored completely custom for each player face permutation. This prevented us from extending this area of the game with more content and features. We’ve upgraded to a significantly more capable system (with e.g. runtime decal projection), which we hope to leverage for more player customization options in the future." 

Capcom has revealed that they are "looking into" bringing Resident Evil Village to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms, though that is not the current priority at this time. 

The latest tease from the company came by way of the Tokyo Game Show showcase, which is going on now. When Resident Evil Village was first announced, it was targeted as a next-gen experience for the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5, forcing console players to upgrade their setups before taking part. 

Now it looks like the next gen restriction might not remain in place, because the dev team is "looking into" bringing it to Xbox One and PS4, though the livestream segment did clarify that Capcom is not ready to make any promises regarding a current gen delivery at this time. 

"We're looking into it," added producer Tsuyoshi Kanda during the livestream. "But we can't make any promises. However, we will do our best in creating a top-tier survival horror experience on current generation consoles." 

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is almost here and Season of Arrivals is coming to a close. As Bungie preps the online game for a host of new content, there are tweaks needing to be made for certain activities within the current game. With major tech tweaks in the works, one of the aspects being temporarily affected is the very popular Prophecy Dungeon. 

In a recent Bungie blog post, Destiny engineering director David Aldridge opened up a little bit about some of the tech upgrades that will be causing a temporary disturbance in what players can and cannot partake in. The team is shifting its mission scripting model to run on the Physics Host instead of the current Mission Host, which you can learn more about the difference here. The overall goal behind this change for the devs to be able to create more "novel mission mechanics" with full access to the game state versus the limited options provided by the Mission Host. 

This new change is rolling out with Beyond Light, but the change isn't as easy as pushing a button. Bungie, in a move of transparency, mentioned that it is possible that this roll out will include bugs at first while the behavioral changes adjust to the new host. According to Aldridge:

Left 4 Dead 2 just received its first major update in over eight years and this community-created, developer-approved experience has a whole lot more to offer than one might think. New achievements, new areas—there is a lot to dive right into. See? 2020 isn't all bad if you close one eye and squint the other. 

Valve shared the good word over on its official Twitter account with the reveal that Left 4 Dead 2 is free for this weekend only, and then a whopping 80% to own. Check out the launch trailer below: 

Left 4 Dead 2 fans can enjoy  four new Scavenge Arenas, 26 new survival maps, Counter-Strike: Source weapons, brand new animations, previously cut dialogue, massive PvP enhancements, new Mutations with Tank Run and Rocketdude, UI improvements, and pretty lengthy list of bug fixes. The latest update also adds 30 new achievements as well for those that like to see rewards for their progress. 

The Fuel Crisis adds four new Scavenge Arenas and tasks players with surviving against an unforgiving horde while hunting for fuel. Gas prices ain't cheap, after all. 

Let's get spooky, because Nintendo has just revealed that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Halloween event is officially on the way. Candy, costumes, and big 'ol pumpkin heads are dropping soon when the Fall update arrives on September 30. 

 With a brand new trailer, Nintendo showed off a bit of what islanders can expect to see when the latest update arrives, including pumpkin farming, festive Halloween directions, a spooky-inspired celebration, even more dreams goodness, and so much more. 

Costumes are also on the way, which is to be expected given previous Halloween events for this franchise. Players will be able to celebrate by gorging on candy and scouring pumpking patches while crafted limited-time items to make that island even more unique. 

A NookLink app update is also on the way, so really there is no excuse to not have your island be a massive spook-fest 24/7, whether it's October or not. Nintendo mentioned in the reveal that players will be able to use the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app for in-game reactions, so get ready to up that costume game with a good 'ol fashioned "grrr" face. 

When The Medium was first revealed, it looked like a frankly awesome mix of Alan Wake and Constantine and the level of psychological intanglement immediately had horror fans excited. Now we have a new look at what sort of horrors await with the new "It Came From the Rage" story trailer introducing the origins of The Maw.

Bloober Team's upcoming tale promises to be terrifying, dark, and aims to mess with the player's mind in more ways than one. One of the many terrors players will face is a nightmarish entitity called The Maw. The Maw is the primary antagonist for the game and is voiced by industry favorite Troy Baker. 

Not only does the above video dive into The Maw's origin story, but it also offers a new look at Sadness, "a mysterious masked girl who resides at the abandoned Niwa Hotel."

With next-generation hardware on the horizon and no in-person gaming conventions, recent months have seen more new game announcements than usual. That’s exciting! It’s always fun to get a glimpse at the gaming landscape of the future. However, in the process of moving from one big reveal to the next, I’ve had the opportunity to think about what I expect from these high-profile game announcements. What makes them cool? What makes them fall flat? I arrived at these five general guidelines to start off on the right foot, maximizing the goodwill and excitement among gamers.

After the news hit that Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, the big question was "what happens to Bethesda's biggest games?" While acquisitions usually mean exclusives, there is a big reason why The Elder Scrolls 6 might be an exception. 

Alex, GI's "largest video editor," and I recently recorded a small podcast, which can be seen at the top of the article, where we talked about the recent acquisition and what that potentially means going forward. While we clearly stated that there are definitely going to be some exclusives to come out of this, the biggest question that hit our inboxes was about The Elder Scrolls 6. 

Perspective background

First, some background. The statements made about the acquisition weren't just wishful thinking. I have a master's degree in business with a focus on marketing and I've been in this industry for 17 years. I'm not going to say anything, especially not to a large audience like Game Informer, unless I can back it up and have experiences that lend validity. To do otherwise is basically asking to be crucified, and trust me, gaming journalists get enough of that already. That being said, I'm also not saying my word is law. Microsoft would be well within their rights to make everything acquired an exclusive. 

In Kena: Bridge of Spirits, you have some adorable companions, The Rot, who help spirit guide Kena by doing everything from lending a hand in combat once they build up their courage (aww!) to assisting her past various environmental obstacles. Your goal is to find these little critters throughout your travels and unite them, slowly bonding with your adorable army who offer strength in numbers and follow you everywhere you go. While the Rot have their own mysterious background that we won’t dare spoil, we did unearth more about their creation and role. Here’s what you need to know about your biggest asset that comes with a huge dose of cute! 

Destiny 2's Festival of the Lost is undeniably my favorite event this online game has to offer. No matter how burnt out I am on shooters, or on Destiny in particular, I will always boot up my Warlock once more for that spoopy goodness. That being said, a new Destiny 2 leak regarding the event takes the earlier info dump even further with a full reveal of the new armor, sparrows, and more. Honestly? It looks like a massive upgrade to last year's look.

Last year's rewards were fine, which is seen with one of the masks in the image at the top of the article. Bungie has definitely had more innovative looks in the past, but the glowy skeleton was dope enough to make me want it. That being said, the new armor sets and the shaders have me way more hyped. 

The latest leak is technically a leak, but it's a little murky because the source is from a website that Bungie itself approves. The site is called Braytech and is commonly used like how many opt into using Destiny Inventory Manager (DIM). One Redditor noticed that toggling off the "Hide invisible collection items" actually shows off all of the new gear on the way, so it's a leak ... but not a malicious one. It's just kind of there. 

For example, the new Canis Luna Mask for Hunters looks pretty awesome: 

Whether you are a fan of the Xbox systems or not, it's hard to deny that the Xbox social team has been killing it lately on Twitter. From turning an awfully massive leak into a hilarious meme, to making sure they are being transparent about the next generation ahead, the Xbox social game is on a roll. That streak continues as Microsoft opens up a TikTok account for Xbox and the first video? It's a pretty witty self dunk. 

The video starts off with a voice saying that they are "trying to figure out what our first post TikTok should be" and then reflects on the Xbox Series S or ... 

@xbox

PART 1. What should our first post be? Let us know what you think ##xbox ##gaming ##gamer ##fyp ##foryou

Earlier this year, 3 DLC packs were announced for Cadence of Hyrule during a Nintendo Partner Mini Direct. Starting today, players can dive into the third pack, Symphony of the Mask, and play as the nefarious Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. 

As Skull Kid, players need to navigate a new map with its own songs and dungeons. And just like in the classic game, masks play an important role: Skull Kid's powers change depending on the mask he wears. 

The Symphony of the Mask DLC is available, right now, for $10 USD. However, you can also opt to purchase Cadence of Hyrule's $15 Season Pass, which includes DLC packs 1 and 2 as well as Symphony of the Mask.  

If you're wondering what games are coming up in 2020, we've put them all in one convenient location. This list will be continually updated to act as a living, breathing schedule as new dates are announced, titles are delayed, and big reveals happen. This should help you plan out your next several months in gaming and beyond.

As the gaming calendar is constantly changing, we highly recommend you bookmark this page. You'll likely find yourself coming back to this to find out the most recent release schedule for the most anticipated games across PC, consoles, handhelds, and mobile devices. If you notice that we've missed something, feel free to let us know! Please note that games will not get assigned to a month until they have confirmed release dates.

Today, Amazon revealed Luna, a new Cloud Gaming Service. While mouse and keyboards as well as Bluetooth controllers are compatible with the service, players can opt to purchase the Luna Controller which connects directly to the cloud for instant play on Fire TV, PC and Mac, and iPhone and iPad (with Android compatibility coming soon). The Luna Controller is priced at $50. 

US customers that request an invitation for early access through Amazon's website and subscribe to the Luna+ game channel will get immediate access to over 100 AAA games including Resident Evil 7 and Control. Additionally, a recent agreement between Amazon and Ubisoft means that players can head over to the Ubisoft gaming channel to play 4K-enhanced IPs like Assassins Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, and Immortals Fenyx Rising on their respective launch dates. Twitch has also been integrated into the service so that players can watch their favorite streaming personalities or start playing their own downloaded games instantly. 

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In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show we talk about a handful of the games we've been playing recently, including: Hades, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, The Sims 4, and Mafia: Definitive Edition. Next we talk with Robyn and Rand Miller about how they had to hack their own computers while developing the '90s megahit Myst. We also share our thoughts on Microsoft's recent purchase of Bethesda Game Studios, which kicks off another fantastic round of community emails. So please join Jeff Cork, Dan Tack, Matt Miller, Alex Stadnik, and myself for another wild and ever-entertaining episode!

EA Sports UFC 4 has announced the contents of its huge 3.0 patch, which adds two new fighters, menu options, gameplay changes, and a new control scheme.

The most noteworthy additions arriving in this patch come in the form of two fan-favorite fighters: Calvin Kattar and Pedro Munhoz. The update comes less than 24 hours after I published my wishlist of 10 fighters I wanted to see added to the EA Sports UFC 4 roster. The list, which you can read here, included both Kattar and Munhoz, so you know I'm glad to see these two deserving fighters adding to the roster. 

On top of the roster additions, various existing fighters have been added to new divisions, including Jon Jones' highly anticipated move to heavyweight. Other updates include the ability to select a venue when fighting with a friend online, a new "Learn" category to help newcomers master the controls, and various fixes including ground-and-pound balance updates, stamina tweaking, and slipping being given a significant buff. This update also addresses clinch spam by tweaking the stamina drain when entering or exiting the clinch, as well as updates to the submission game. 

The free-to-play bubble-gum brawler from GungHo, Ninjala, has begun its collaboration with the Sonic the Hedgehog brand through several in-game items. The items included in the collaboration feature outfits, Ippon decorations, stickers, and a special Gum Utsusemi transformation.

Starting today and running through October 21, players can buy these items from the game shop. The items can be earned through regular play or purchased using real money. Those looking for new outfits can pick up new duds modeled after Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. If you're hoping to score a new Ippon decoration, this collaboration adds new ones featuring Sonic and Dr. Eggman. This event also offers Sonic and Dr. Eggman stickers, as well as a special Dr. Eggman Gum Utsusemi transformation. 

You can see the items on offer in the gallery below.

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Doing battle in space is almost here, as Star Wars: Squadrons arrives on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 2. Since the title was revealed, players have wondered what to expect from the various gameplay systems. Today, an official blog post has outlined exactly what's on deck for progression features, ranks, and rewards.

First, we've got challenges. Daily challenges (as well as your match to match gameplay) reward Glory, which is a currency used to unlock cosmetics. These are similar to daily quests you may be familiar with in other games. Operation challenges are bigger goals that take place over 8 weeks, and reward unique cosmetics keyed into that particular Operation event. Operations appear to be similar to seasonal content, with new events happening every 2 months. Operation rewards are gone after that event passes, so you're incentivized to play during each content block to get spiffy cosmetics.

Yesterday, the team over at Xbox not so subtly teased that Doom Eternal is on the way for Xbox Game Pass. Not even 24 hours later, it was confirmed. Get ready to raze Hell, because Doom Eternal arrives on Xbox Game Pass on October 1. 

Doom Eternal has had nothing but positive reviews since its launch, including many believing that it could be a heavy contender for Game of the Year. The satisfying combat, the fast-paced first-person perspective, the plethora of weaponry and armor; Doom Eternal is an explosive experience. 

For those that have the Xbox Game Pass, this gem from id Software will be available to play at no additional charge outside of the membership. This is one of the many games from id Software and Bethesda to join the Xbox Game Pass library following the reveal that Microsoft has acquired the parent company ZeniMax. 

The October 1 arrival of Doom Eternal to the Xbox Game Store comes at the perfect time! The hellish adventure has new DLC on the way with The Ancient Gods Part 1 launching in the Xbox Store on October 20. 

Doom Eternal will also be arriving on the Xbox Game Pass for PC at a later date this year, though when that will exactly happen has yet to be announced. 

Fall Guys has made jelly beans capture our hearts in a way that we never thought possible, but after recent concept art was revealed, we're thinking they are less capturing our hearts and more devouring our souls. Also, nipples. For some reason. 

Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys, recently tweeted out the horrifying new images with a fullscale version and a close up of those nightmare-inducing eyes. With the reminder that these beans are over 6ft tall, this is downright terrifying: 

Well, you asked for it...

This is official lore now

Remember:

• Human shown for scale
• Fall Guys are 183cm (6ft)
• This Fall Guy is happy, look into his eyes
• We can't take it back

Official Fall Guys Artwork by Senior Concept Artist:https://t.co/OgiS6WXzno pic.twitter.com/eCLJu1DBpP

— Fall Guys 👑 (@FallGuysGame) September 23, 2020

The art went viral, which then had another concept artist giving a more wholesome image to look at. No bones, just love: 

If you love Nier: Automata, then Nier Replicant should be shooting up your list of most-anticipated games right now. Technically called "Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139," Square Enix announced this updated version of the original game earlier this year, but revealed the April 23, 2021 release date today as part of the Tokyo Game Show 2020's digital festivities. 

The history of how this game fits into the Nier series is a little complicated. When the original game released in Japan in 2010, it had two versions: Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant. The bulk of the games' content was the same, but the protagonists and some story beats were different. 

For the North American release, only Nier Gestalt released here, simply under the title Nier. So this new upgraded version of Nier Replicant is technically the first time the game is releasing in North America – and with updated visuals, it looks even better than it did before. You can see some of the new screenshots below.

Yakuza is a popular Japanese RPG that has a long history beloved by fans and now the hit franchise is getting the movie treatment! The upcoming live-action Yakuza movie adaptation from Sega will be handled in conjunction with Wild Sheep Content and 1212 Entertainment. 

Variety reports that Joshua Long, Erik Barmack, and Roberto Grande are set to produce the upcoming adaptation and that a writing team is still in the process of locking down. 

The Yakuza franchise made its debut back in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and since then, countless titles have released, each met with a massively positive reception. Years after launch, the Sega series has become a global phenomenon, with a spinoff coming soon to both PlayStation and Xbox with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. 

“Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in a unique environment that audiences have rarely seen before,” 1212 told Variety. “The saga of Kazuma Kiryu has a built-in cinematic appeal – a mix of kinetic action with bursts of comedy, multiple converging storylines, and a gripping journey towards redemption.”

A new Transformers: War for Cybertron series just launched on Netflix, and you will soon have the chance to control the Autobots and Decepticons in a game that is a little different than you would expect. Yes, these forces are still at odds and blowing the living hell out of each other, but the action doesn't unfold in real-time, and is instead a turn-based strategy experience.

Transformers: Battlegrounds is slated to release on October 23 for Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It features the voice cast of the Transformers: Cyberverse cartoon series that has been running for three seasons, and gives you control of most of the notable characters on both sides, including Grimlock, who shows off his firebreath in the trailer above. Developer Outright Games says the players can look forward to "tactical combat and co-op arcade action."

A deluxe edition is being offered that comes with a variety of skins including Nemesis Prime and Goldfire Bumblebee. This version also includes an exclusive arcade mode called CUBE. The goal of this mode is to battle for control of the energon cube. You can see some of the other skins offered in the deluxe edition below:

The holiday season is around the corner, which means more games for your kids to play. Help keep them safe with the Xbox Family Settings app. The app is now available on iOS and Android devices and is an easy way to manage younger gamers' experience. 

Microsoft's core messaging, especially in the last few years, has been about accessibility and gaming being an experience for all. Long before COVID-19 kept us in our homes, gaming has always been a solace for many and kids shouldn't miss out just because not every game is child-friendly. 

For parents, older siblings, or whatever the circumstance, the Family Settings app allows for a child's gaming experience to be more regulated and a safer place for a balanced relationship with video games and the gaming community itself. 

Accepting (or denying) friend requests, managing a child's friendlist, limiting screen time, and more are all apart of this tool. The first step is to create your child's account and from there, the following adjustments can be made: