Siliconera

The first DLC pack for Koei Tecmo's Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be Battle of Zhongyuan. The DLC is set to release on June 29, 2023. It will add new stages, difficulties, enemies and a weapon type. The reveal included a key visual, however a price point has not yet been announced.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a historical-fantasy action title by Koei Tecmo, set in the legendary Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. After releasing back in March this year, Koei Tecmo reported strong sales for the title in their April financial report.

[embed]https://twitter.com/WoLongOfficial/status/1662022751341912064?s=20[/embed]

The historical battle of Zhongyuan was fought between warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, who both appear in the main campaign of Wo Long. The key visual shows Cao Cao, as well as two upcoming characters. The designs for the new characters could suggest that the characters are Dian Wei and Xu Chu, two famed bodyguards of Cao Cao.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is immediately available on PC via Xbox Game Pass and Steam, PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S. The Battle of Zhongyuan DLC is set to release on June 29th 2023. A price point has not been announced but you can follow the official twitter for more updates.

There will be an Oshi no Ko crossover event in Caravan Stories that brings four characters from the series into the game. Starting on May 30, 2023, the event will begin. The four people appearing from the show are Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, Kana Arima, and Pieyon. There will also be character outfits based on their attire and an event story. There's an official event website with wallpapers too.

Of the three, only Pieyon can be earned for free. People who go through the Oshi no Ko event storyline in Caravan Stories will get the one-star character in the game. Aqua, Ruby, and Kana are all five-star units. There’s a six-star outfit for all three as well.

Here are some screenshots from the in-game Oshi no Ko event.
[gallery size="full" ids="965232,965233,965234" link="file"]

There are also brief teasers for all four playable characters. First, here's Aqua's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMgFSxqzuo&ab_channel=%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%90%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB

Next up is Ruby's showcase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD5fwsH0RMs&ab_channel=%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%90%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB

Here's how Kana looks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL2VbgppCXY&ab_channel=%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%90%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB

The Evangelion Battlefields service will end on July 27, 2023, a little over three years after the mobile game debuted. For reference, it launched on April 2, 2020. The official website gives a brief explanation for why the game will end, with revenue seemingly to be the main reason. [Thanks, KaroshiMyriad!]

The Evangelion Battlefields site states that the development team worked hard since 2020 to provide a good gaming experience. However, after considering the current state of the game, the intellectual property, and profits, it made the decision to end service. It thanked the players for its long years of support, as well as promises to continue working on the game in the remaining two months to make sure that it’s still a fun experience.

Items that require real-life currency will no longer be available from May 26, 2023. There also won’t be a Battle Pass Elite for Season 20, which will run from May 26 to July 27, 2023. The game will leave the app stores at 12:00 PM JST of July 27, 2023, and then it’ll end two hours later at 2:00 PM. Refunds will then be available from August 1 to September 30, 2023.

Intelligent Systems will release a figure of Nohr Noble Corrin as she appears in Fire Emblem Fates. She is available for pre-order via Good Smile Company until September 28, 2023. Those in Japan will have to pay 28,600 JPY and can expect her in June 2024. Meanwhile, she costs $204.99 for those in North America and she’ll come out some time in Q3 2024.

The Nohr Noble Corrin figure is a 1/7 scale one and she stands at around 255 millimeters in height. She holds her sword in her right hand and her Dragonstone in her left. It appears that she is in the middle of transforming into her dragon, as you can see the power swirling around her feet and making her cloak billow behind her.

Here are some more pictures of the Fire Emblem Fates Nohr Noble Corrin figure, as well as a trailer:

[gallery columns="6" ids="965198,965197,965196,965195,965194,965193" link="file"]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHMuj-2aZNw

One., a remake of the classic visual novel One: Kagayaku Kisetsu E, will come out on Steam on December 22, 2023. It'll be available in English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Nexton released the original game in 1998. Though there is a Steam page available where you can wishlist the game, it’s unclear how much it will cost.

The remade version of One: Kagayaku Kisetsu E will come out for the 30th anniversary of Nexton, which is the company that developed the game. Since there is no warning on Steam, it likely will not have any erotic content, much like the PlayStation port. The original One: Kagayaku Kisetsu E for Windows PC was an adult visual novel.

One: Kagayaku Kisetsu E puts the player in the role of Kohei Orihara, who is a Japanese high school student. After the death of his father, Kohei becomes depressed and shuts himself in the Eternal World, which is a space inside of his mind. It becomes more and more difficult for him to leave, and there is a danger of being forgotten if you’re stuck in the Eternal World. Through his relationships with the six heroines in the story, he starts to ground himself more in reality.

Though the global stream for Honkai: Star Rail version 1.1 will air on May 27, 2023 after technical difficulties caused a delay, the Chinese version of it aired on schedule. Ahead of the English announcement, we know what is awaiting Trailblazers in the game’s first major update. Aside from the playable debuts of Silver Wolf and Luocha, we’ll also get new mechanics and quests.

Here is a quick run-down of what players can expect to see in Honkai: Star Rail version 1.1:

Max Factory will re-release a figure of Dark Magician Girl from Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters via Good Smile Company. Pre-orders are open until July 6, 2023. Customers in Japan will have to pay 20,000 JPY for it, and it will ship out in October 2023. Those in North America can expect to pay $143.99 for the figure and get it in Q4 2023.

The Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters Dark Magician Girl figure is a 1/7 scale one, and it stands at around 210 millimeters in height. This is a re-release from May 2016, so those who initially missed the window can try again now. The Dark Magician Girl figure poses her on top of a magical circle, with a clear pole to help her maintain her balance. She’s holding her staff in one hand, while her other is at her armor-like witch hat.

[gallery ids="965162,965161,965160" link="file"]

Right as the Honkai: Star Rail Special Program 1.1 was supposed to air at 4:30am PT/7:30am ET on May 26, 2023, it didn't. The official YouTube link for it, which previously showed a preliminary page, suddenly read, "Video unavailable: This video has been removed by the uploader." This was followed by an announcement saying to check social media later. HoYoVerse then updated to say it is delayed on Twitter. Update at 9:45am ET on May 26, 2023: HoYoVerse announced the Special Program will now air at 4:30am PT/7:30am ET on May 27, 2023. It also noted that there will be 100 Stellar Jade distributed tomorrow as an apology for the delay.

Here is HoYoVerse's full initial statement.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.1 "Galactic Roaming" Special Program Delay Announcement

Due to technical issues, the special program is now delayed. Kindly wait for the full announcement later. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused.

— Honkai: Star Rail (@honkaistarrail) May 26, 2023

And here's the follow-up one with a new date and time.

Version 1.1 Galactic Roaming Special Program Delay Announcement

As usual from a WonHobbyG event, Good Smile Company announced a number of anime figures. On May 26, 2023 at WonHobbyG Spring, it showed off an array of Nendoroids from various anime series that are all in various stages of development. While some only showed up as concept art, like the My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 one, others are much farther along in the process. For example, the new Spy x Family Anya Forger figure is a painted prototype, which means the Nendoroid's orders could open soon.

Akito Yamada from My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 will become a Nendoroid. However, it’s so early in development that only concept art appeared.

#WonHobbyG 2023 Spring Figure Update!

ORANGE ROUGE
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
Nendoroid Akito Yamada

WonHobbyG Info: https://t.co/NqVnmnWevk

*Photo gallery opens May 27 at 9:30JST#yamada999 #nendoroid #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/U9h35BOHl8

We now know the Alone in the Dark release date. It will debut on October 25, 2023. However, people can play before then. Grace in the Dark, a prologue demo for the upcoming Alone in the Dark reboot is now available to play.

The demo follows young child Grace Saunders, as she explores Derceto Manor. This playable prologue won’t include any combat, focusing entirely on exploration as the player controls a child character. The demo is now available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The demo is the same one that was available to the public at the Gamescom 2022 event and Tokyo Game Show 2022. During this playable prologue, the player controls Grace Saunders as she is tasked by Jeremy Hartwood to deliver a letter to his niece Emily. The demo was made available shortly after the May 2023 spotlight event for the game, which also revealed the release date of the game as October 25, 2023.

The upcoming Alone in the Dark is a re-imagining of the original 1992 PC game that fostered the survival horror genre. The game is being developed by Pieces Interactive and published by THQ Nordic.

Good Smile Company's WonHobbyG 2023 Spring announcements included three Hatsune Miku figures and one Nendoroid. They are all in various stages of development. For example, the Hatsune Miku Symphony: 2022 Ver one is furthest along, as it is a painted prototype. The other three all are unpainted figures, including the one of a more stylized Hatsune Miku appearing alongside the Sanrio character Cinnamoroll.

First, here's the Hatsune Miku Symphony: 2022 Ver one. It is a scale figure, though the announcement didn't note what scale she is. This means it's uncertain what size she'll be.

#WonHobbyG 2023 Spring Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Character Vocal Series 01: Hatsune Miku
Scale Figure Hatsune Miku Symphony: 2022 Ver.

WonHobbyG Info: https://t.co/h0vg2mAbMG

*Photo gallery opens May 27 at 9:30JST#HatsuneMiku #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/WMGy6Q6ZS5

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) May 26, 2023

Four Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku Nendoroids and Pop Up Parade figures appeared at WonHobbyG 2023 Spring. Good Smile Company is bringing two characters into the real world with its merchandise. Gabimaru and Yamada Asaemon Sagiri will be added to both lines. The Nendoroids appear to be further along in development, as those appear as painted prototypes. The two Pop Up Parade figures were unpainted prototypes.

First, here's a closer look at Gabimaru and Sagiri as Nendoroids. While none of his accessories are shown, she's wielding her sword.

◤ 彩色原型 初公開 ◢#ねんどろいど
・画眉丸
・山田浅ェ門 佐切
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

新作ねんどろいど一挙解禁動画、
【 #ねんどろいどFUNS 】公開中！
https://t.co/aqcmUuHrfR#地獄楽#goodsmile #ワンホビG pic.twitter.com/rc9KDVyPxJ

— カホタン＠グッスマのすみっこ (@gsc_kahotan) May 26, 2023

The Pokemon Trading Card Game’s Paldea Evolved set, out in June 2023, is an interesting one to analyze. After all, the first set of a new era tends to be preoccupied with the obligations of representing starters and reprinting staples needed for basic deck construction. The second set, though? There’s a bit more freedom. A bit more intent. And a slightly clearer peek into the design team’s priorities.

The cover stars of the set are Scarlet and Violet’s dark post-game legendaries: Wo-Chien, Chi-Yu, Chien-Pao and Ting-Lu. Each can be found by collecting a bunch of stakes across the land. Was that a pain? For sure. Was it easier than the roaming legendaries of the past? Also yes.

We’re honestly surprised to see them featured so soon, as the game’s main campaign species feel like they have enough left to sustain a few more sets. But here we are! Legendaries inevitably have strong abilities, and there are definitely some usable moves in the mix with these four. And if you’re wondering what the Paldea Evolved set is all about, the mechanics on each are fairly representative.

Good Smile Company announced Minions Nendoroids at WonHobbyG 2023 Spring. These will be its first figures of characters tied to the Despicable Me franchise. Figures based on Bob, Kevin, and Stuart are planned. All three appeared in unpainted prototype form at the event.

Here's a closer look at all three. In order from left to right are Stuart, Kevin, and Bob. While Stuart and Kevin’s figures don’t feature any specific poses, Bob is accompanied by a teddy bear. So we at least know one accessory that will come with one of the Minions Nendoroids.

#WonHobbyG 2023 Spring Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Minions
Nendoroid Bob
Nendoroid Kevin
Nendoroid Stuart

WonHobbyG Info: https://t.co/dCmDbr7VyP

*Photo gallery opens May 27 at 9:30JST#Minions #nendoroid #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/PUfk7a0jjj

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) May 26, 2023

During its Honkai: Star Rail special program overseas, HoYoVerse revealed characters for the two upcoming banners that will be in version 1.1. It had already teased them on social media, such as Bilibili. But the special program confirmed the four-stars that will be on rate-up, as well as the order of when to expect them.

The Phase 1 character banners for Honkai: Star Rail version 1.1 will feature Silver Wolf as the five-star, and Phase 2 will star Luocha. As a reminder, Silver Wolf is a Quantum Nihility character, and Luocha is an Imaginary Abundance unit. Both of them have already appeared in the story, with Silver Wolf being playable and Luocha and NPC. (Though you could experience his capabilities as a healer in the Xianzhou Luofu.)

As for the four-stars, Silver Wolf’s banner will feature Serval, Dan Heng, and Asta. Luocha’s banner will have Pela, Qingque, and Yukong. Of the four-stars appearing, Yukong will be a new playable character. She will be an Imaginary Harmony character. More information on their kits and what they can do will come out closer to their official release date.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on mobile devices and Windows PC. PS4 and PS5 versions are in development as well.

Among the many WonHobbyG 2023 Spring announcements from Good Smile Company were Bocchi the Rock Nendoroids and figures. We already saw the Hitori Gotoh Nendoroid appear. She’ll be joined by her bandmates, Seika Ijichi, and Kikuri. There will also be scale figures of all four of the main characters.

First, here are the photos for all three unpainted prototypes of Nijika Ijichi, Ikuyo Kita, and Ryo Yamada.

#WonHobbyG 2023 Spring Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Bocchi the Rock!
Nendoroid Nijika Ijichi

WonHobbyG Info: https://t.co/LI9nUpFwC0

*Photo gallery opens May 27 at 9:30JST#BocchiTheRock #nendoroid #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/b6nSWBqFTH

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) May 26, 2023

One of the new Good Smile Company WonHobbyG 2023 Spring announcements is a Danganronpa figure reveal. Specifically, a Nendoroid of Chiaki Nanami from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is in development. As she's still in the process of being designed, only an unpainted prototype version of the character showed up at the event. While this is her first appearance in the line, she did show up as a Nendoroid Pin before.

Here's a better look at how progress on the Chiaki Danganronpa 2 Nendoroid is going. The prototype shown isn't holding any accessories, so there's no hint as to what she may come with when released.

◤商品化決定
　　＆原型初公開◢
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣#ねんどろいど
七海千秋
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

During its WonHobbyG 2023 Spring announcements, Good Smile Company revealed its Hollow Knight Nendoroids of The Knight and Hornet. There are no release dates for either figure. However, they did appear as painted prototypes.

Here’s the official reveal. It didn’t show any additional face plates for The Knight or Hornet. However, each character is wielding a weapon in this initial announcement. It also seems like their capes will be designed to be dynamic and show movement. The Knight’s is frayed a bit, while Hornet’s is more put together. Both of them are billowing in the example photos.

||◤　商品化決定　◢||
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
ねんどろいど
■放浪者
■ホーネット
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿#HollowKnight #ホロウナイト#goodsmile #ねんどろいど

新作ねんどろいど一挙解禁動画、
【 #ねんどろいどFUNS 】公開中！
https://t.co/aqcmUuHrfR pic.twitter.com/JVECMalZ5Y

Two new event quests are coming to Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak and this time one of them will make you face a pair of Magnamalos to get a special layered armor. In addition, players can test their might fighting against a Flaming Espinas and get special titles. Both quests are available on the Switch and PC via Steam.

Check out the new event quests announcement from the Monster Hunter Twitter account below:
https://twitter.com/monsterhunter/status/1661526649962369024?s=20

The first new event quest in Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak is "Animose Crossing," adding in an "Animal Crossing pun. In this Dual Threat one, you will need to fight against two Scorned Magnamalo in the Forlorn Arena. Defeating them will reward you with the Heavenly Silk crafting item. You can then head to the Smithy to craft the new “Bloodmalice” layered armor set that uses it.

This armor set features a design reminiscent of the Magnamalo, as there are certain details such as claw-shaped boots and gauntlets. It should be noted that this is not the same Sinister Seal layered armor that's unlocked using the Magnamalo amiibo, as it has a completely different design.

Another new project that was referenced during the Marvelous Game Showcase 2023 is Project Life is RPG. While only initial art appeared, it is going to be a new game designed to make “RPG lovers very happy.” Ittetsu Suzuki is the game’s director and talked a bit about the goal of showing the adventure and life that RPGs portray, and how the game will capture that while concept art showed. An initial logo also appeared.

Here’s a peek at two of the pieces of concept art that appeared.
[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="965120,965121" link="file"]

You can see the segment dedicated to this upcoming game at the 12 minute mark in the showcase below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NGndJUuMY&ab_channel=XSEEDgames

This is one of two early-in-development titles that showed up during the showcase. The other is Project Magia. During its segment, characters designed by manga artist Hiro Mashima appeared.

Project Life is RPG is in development for unspecified platforms.

The post Project Life Is RPG Announced by Marvelous appeared first on Siliconera.

The final game to appear during the Marvelous Game Showcase 2023 was a sequel to Daemon x Machina. First Studio is developing Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion, with Kenichiro Tsukuda as its producer. There’s no release date for it yet, and we don’t know which platforms it will appear on when it launches.

You can see the teaser at the 28 minute mark below. It shows stylized images of one of the Arsenals that will appear in the new game. At the very end, the title and its new logo appears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NGndJUuMY&ab_channel=XSEEDgames

The original Daemon x Machina first appeared on the Nintendo Switch, with Nintendo publishing it worldwide. After a year, a PC port appeared. After launch, it also ended up getting The Witcher crossover DLC.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion is in development. The original Daemon x Machina can be found on the Nintendo Switch and PC.

The post Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion in Development appeared first on Siliconera.

Among the new Marvelous Game Showcase 2023 game announcements were two new Rune Factory installments. Rune Factory: Project Dragon and 6 are in development. While Project Dragon is a spin-off that will take place in the teased eastern country, the sixth entry will appear in Adonea in the West.

While there was only a logo for Rune Factory 6, actual gameplay footage for Rune Factory: Project Dragon showed up. There will once again be an Earthmate player with connections to a dragon. The character showed up riding on the dragon to get to different areas. We also got to see them fight in a few battles and use a drum to cause trees to grow. Also, while this is set in an eastern country, a Wooly appeared to suggest familiar monsters could appear. Kenichiro Tsukuda is Project Dragon’s General Producer, Hisahi Fujii is Producer, and Shiro Maekawa is Director.

You can watch the full showcase below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NGndJUuMY&ab_channel=XSEEDgames

During the Marvelous Game Showcase 2023, Marvelous and XSEED announced a new Story of Seasons game. While there's no name for it yet, Manager Hikaru Nakano called it, “A Story of Seasons you can play with everyone. The presentation also involved peeks at its concept art. Overall, this entry will be one to play with others.

You can see a glimpse of the new game at the 15:45 mark of the video below. It begins by looking at some animals and crops. A chicken with some chicks appears first. Then, there's a look at some tomatoes growing. That's followed by a peek at a sheep, a pair of dogs, and a cow. We also get to see what different seasons and weather conditions look like. All of that is followed by concept art and descriptions of how the goal will be to incorporate multiplayer elements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NGndJUuMY&ab_channel=XSEEDgames

Before the new one appears though, there’s still another Story of Seasons game on the way. It’s already available in Japan. However, on June 27, 2023, it will also come to the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC worldwide. People who pre-order or get it at launch also get a Mukumuku costume. At launch, there'll be a Premium Edition with plush goat.

After briefly discussing Fashion Dreamer, the Marvelous Game Showcase 2023 moved on to an entirely new game called Project Magia. Project Manager Takehiro Ishida appeared to discuss it and revealed Hiro Mashima, who created Fairy Tail and Edens Zero, worked on its character designs. Ishida also referred to it as a “a new frontier.”

Project Magia is in development for unspecified platforms.

The post Project Magia Features Hiro Mashima Art appeared first on Siliconera.

Right on time, Capcom shared another "how to play as" Street Fighter 6 character video, with Marisa as the newest star. The clip follows the usual pattern. This means the first parts focus on her general abilities and how to use her, then it zeroes in on a specific attack. In this case, it shows how someone could use "Scutum" in a match.

While the beginning of the trailer describes Marisa as a “powerhouse” in Street Fighter 6, the bulk of the video focuses on her Scutum attack. It shows how it can be used both as an aggressive move to attack an opponent, or as a reactionary one to punish someone as they try to attack her. At the end of the trailer, she performs a bridal carry on Ryu, showing it isn’t an action reserved for Zangief.

That was a beautiful fight!

Armed with powerful, long-reaching strikes and moves that work well on both offense and defense, Marisa is a hard-hitting powerhouse ready to pummel opponents into submission. pic.twitter.com/blCXmwRcrS

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) May 25, 2023

The Granblue Fantasy Relink Twitter account shared the official profiles and character art for Zeta and Vaseraga. Both of them are members of the Society faction in Granblue Fantasy. Their voice actors from the game and Versus will reprise their roles for Relink.

In Granblue Fantasy, the Society is an organization that hunts primal beasts. There have been several events and story arcs dedicated to its various members. Members of the Society have special weapons they form contracts with. Zeta’s is the Spear of Arvess and Vaseraga’s is the Great Scythe Grynoth.

Here are the portraits of Zeta and Vaseraga as they'll appear in Granblue Fantasy Relink:

[gallery columns="2" ids="965066,965067" link="file"]

Kana Hanazawa voices Zeta in Japanese and her English voice actress is Mela Lee. Hanazawa’s previous roles include Chiaki in Super Danganronpa 2 and one of Lee’s most prominent roles is Rin in the Fate series. Vaseraga’s Japanese voice actor is Fumihiko Tachiki and his English one is Sungwon Cho. Tachiki famously portrayed Gendo in Neon Genesis Evangelion and one of Cho’s recent roles is Holst in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.

Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for a new Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which is a figma of Yuta Okkotsu. The figure will come with various accessories to replicate different poses seen in the movie. This figma is planned to release in Japan on February 2024, where it will cost ¥11,000. The release window for North America will be Q2 2024, and it will have a $78.99 price tag.

This Yuta figure comes with three different face plates: a standard face, a serious combat face, and a shouting face. As for the accessories, he will bring his unsheathed katana, a sword bag, the Inumaki family megaphone, and a series of hands for various poses. In addition, people who pre-order using the Good Smile Online Shop will also receive a Rika Illustration Sheet. This allows someone to place her behind Yuta for poses, just like in the movie.

Check out the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Yuta Okkotsu figma figure poses and accessories here below.

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="965010,965009,965013,965008,965007,965014,965012,965011"]

Chikara Saito announced that he is the director for Square Enix’s Foamstars, which is still in development. This game is a recent announcement and first appeared during the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase. It is a 4v4 game in which it seems you shoot bubbles to claim territory, much like Nintendo’s Splatoon.

Chikara Saito, or Rickey, worked on Dragon Quest X Online and the Tokyo Majin Gakuen series in the past. For Tokyo Majin Gakuen games, he was mostly involved in the planning stage. But for Dragon Quest X, he worked as both the planner and the director. He also directed Cross Treasures, which was an RPG that Square Enix release for the Nintendo DS in 2009.

So far, there is not a lot of information on Foamstars, since Square Enix just unveiled it. Gameplay-wise, it looks very similar to Splatoon. However, the designs of the characters and the aesthetic of the environment look closer to Japanese street fashion. Since none of the games Saito worked on in the past resemble Foamstars, it is difficult to tell what direction he will take it.

Foamstars is in development for the PS4 and PS5. More information on the game, as well as the release window, will come out in the future.

YOASOBI premiered an English version of its hit “Idol,” which serves as the opening of the anime Oshi no Ko. You can watch it via YouTube. As of the time of writing, the English version of “Idol” already passed over 605,000 views.

Ayase still performs the vocals, and the animations for the music video are the same. Doga Kobo, who animated the Oshi no Ko anime, also worked on the music video for the opening. Konnie Aoki is the one who translated the lyrics and, with BFNK, directed the vocals.

We can watch the music video for the English version of “Idol” via the YOASOBI YouTube account here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkjSfZ30GM4

The Japanese version of “Idol” was very popular, as it achieved over 23 million views within a week. Currently, it’s been a month since YOASOBI uploaded the music video onto YouTube, and it has over 119 million views now.

Oshi no Ko is a popular anime and manga series about the idol industry, though with a murder mystery twist. It follows the story of Aquamarine Hoshino, who is the son of idol Ai Hoshino. He is also actually the reincarnation of gynecologist Gorou Amamiya. He and his twin Ruby (also a reincarnation) both enter show business for different reasons

Nijisanji EN's Fulgur Ovid returned to twitter following a short hiatus. Nijisanji and AnyColor previously announced that he would be taking a break for health reasons starting May 2, 2023. He has not yet announced a date for his return to streaming, but stated that it will be at least a week due to catch-up work.

You can see his short announcement tweet, and the explanatory follow up, below.

[embed]https://twitter.com/Fulgur_Ovid/status/1661389686512787457?s=20[/embed]

Fulgur Ovid streams as part of Nijisanji EN's Noctyx group, alongside Alban Knox, Sonny Brisko, and Uki Violeta. (Yugo Asuma graduated.) He debuted on February 27, 2022 and released two original songs, Legatus 505 and Enshrouding. His last stream before hiatus saw him playing Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

Nijisanji recently held a streaming event to coincide with the launch of Honkai Star Rail, which included 36 members of the agency's EN and JP branches. The EN branch also opened auditions back in late March. Japanese branch member Asahina Akane also announced her graduation in order to focus on her studies.

The Eternal Calm is an important event in Final Fantasy X. However, in order to understand what The Eternal Calm is, it’s important to understand Spira, the world that the game is set in.

The world of Final Fantasy X is marked by tragedy. This is because of Sin, a gigantic whale-like creature capable of leveling cities and wiping out entire armies. Society in Spira must constantly rebuild itself in the wake of Sin’s attacks. Meanwhile the people live in desperate hope that if they follow the religious teachings of Yevon, they will be spared from Sin’s wrath.

Sin can be defeated. Summoners from around Spira go on pilgrimages to gain Aeons, powerful creatures who can be called into battle. At the end of their journey, they get to summon the Final Aeon, a being powerful enough to take down Sin. This victory over Sin leads to the Calm.

The Calm is a respite from the devastation caused by Sin. With Sin gone, the people of Spira can live peacefully knowing their home isn’t about to be obliterated at any moment. However, the Calm is temporary, as Sin always returns after a few years. It’s an endless cycle that Spira is trapped in.

An official chatbot for Kemono Friends is now live in Japan. Its name is AI Arai-san, which can loosely translate to “Miss AI Raccoon,” and it is based off of the Raccoon character from Kemono Friends. It uses ChatGPT technology as its base.

AI Arai-san also has its own Twitter account, which also uses AI for its tweets. As of the time of writing, it only made a tweet commenting on how it’s trending in Japan. The other tweets are ones to announce its existence. According to Trippy, the company that developed it, AI Arai-san talks like Raccoon does, rather than the typical language learning model. So it’s similar to how character.ai works.

In order to chat with AI Arai-san, you will need a LINE account. After adding it as a friend, you can start chatting with it immediately. However, it is important to note that AI Arai-san is not a free chatbot. Since it just launched, it’s free for three days (until May 28, 2023). After that, only the first 25 messages will be free. If you want to chat with AI Arai-san even more, then you have to pay a premium of 550 JPY per month. Then you can send it a hundred messages per day.

Uniqlo opened orders for its History of Dragon Ball line of shirts. Both unisex adult and kids styles are available. As usual, the adult sizes range from XXS to XXXL for $24.90 each. The kids ones are in sizes 3-4Y to 13Y for $14.90 each. There’s also a special site that breaks down the selection by the arcs each design is pulled from.

The unisex adult shirts, which are cut in a men’s style, cover seven arcs from the series. Son Goku Boy, Tenkaichi Budokai, Saiyan, Frieza, Androids, Cell, and Buu arcs are all represented. Here’s what you can get. Two of them feature front and back designs, like the Son Goku Boy Arc and Saiyan Arc ones.
[gallery size="full" columns="2" ids="965015,965016,965020,965022,965017,965018,965021,965019,965023" link="file"]

Meanwhile, the kids shirts only cover four arcs. People can see designs based on the Saiyan, Frieza, Cell, and Buu Arcs. Only the Frieza Arc one features a front-and-back design. Its Saiyan and Cell ones are identical to the adult designs.
[gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="965027,965028,965029,965030,965031" link="file"]

Maybe it's just me, but for some reason the Cocolia, Mother of Deception weekly boss fight feels easier in Honkai: Star Rail than the Doomsday Beast. It can still be a challenge, mind you. Especially as you unlock higher difficulties as you boost your Trailblaze Level. But it doesn't feel as devastating as it could on many difficulty levels when you visit the Honkai: Star Rail Echo of War: End of the Eternal Freeze fight.

How do you find Honkai: Star Rail Echo of War: End of the Eternal Freeze Cocolia weekly boss fight?

As with the Doomsday Beast, you first need to unlock the ability to take on Echoes of War fights. This happens after you finish the Jarilo-VI arc, basically. Getting through the "In the Dangerous Swamp" Trailblazer Mission and beating Cocolia for the first time will do it.

Once you do that, you'll be able to find her at the very "end" of the Everwinter Hill Jarilo-VI map. I highlighted it in the screenshot below.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="964997" link="file"]

What kinds of characters should be brought in to face Cocolia in Honkai: Star Rail?

Cocolia is weak against Fire, Thunder, and Quantum attacks. Right ahead of this boss during the story, you get access to the Preservation path Fire-type Trailblazer, and they work perfectly for the fight.

Here are some characters you could consider:

Xseed and Marvelous announced that the Marvelous Games Showcase stream being aired on May 25, 2023 will appear in English as well. The Japanese branch of the company announced the showcase first on the evening of May 23, 2023. On May 24, 2023, a stream with English subtitles was announced. People will be able to catch it on YouTube at 3pm PT/6pm ET.

Here's the official video, ahead of its May 25, 2023 debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4NGndJUuMY&ab_channel=XSEEDgames

Xseed and Marvelous didn't mention which games could be discussed during the showcase. We know Touhou: New World is in development for Japan, so there could be an update on that. Loop8: Summer of Gods will launch at the beginning of June 2023 worldwide, so maybe there will be a teaser. Marvelous is also known for series like Bokujou Monogatari/Story of Seasons, so a new entry in the farming series could be announced. It also was behind some Fate/ and Senran Kagura series too.

Some players reported that HoYoVerse is forcing them to change the name of their Wanderer (Scaramouche) character in Genshin Impact. Players affected by this policy will receive a letter in the in-game mail system, along with a free An Appellative Stroke item. Only players whose Wanderer shares a name with an upcoming Genshin Impact character will need to change it. [Thanks, お惣菜屋 on Twitter!]

The player who seems to have first encountered the issue is a Japanese player named お惣菜屋 who named their Wanderer “Chiori.” Unfortunately, when Kirara debuted in Version 3.8, her voice lines and story mention a character named Chiori, who is a fashion designer in Inazuma. The problem is that no one ever brought up Chiori prior to Version 3.8. So it was impossible for the player to have known about them when they named their Wanderer.

After you get to a certain point in Honkai: Star Rail, you'll unlock the Echo of War weekly boss fights against opponents like Destruction's Beginning's Doomsday Beast. These are the foes you'd face during the Trailblazer Missions. However, as you unlock your Trailblaze Level, you'll be able to take on tougher versions of these challenges. While Doomsday Beast can be a little frustrating, due to how many parts it has, it is still a pretty manageable one at most difficulties.

How do you find Echo of War: Destruction's Beginning Doomsday Beast weekly boss in Honkai: Star Rail?

First, you need to finish the "In the Dangerous Swamp" Trailblazer Mission on Jarilo-VI. You won't see any Echo of War weekly boss fights in Honkai: Star Rail until you do.

Once that is accomplished, though, you'll find Echo of War: Destruction's Beginning on Herta Space Station on the eastern side of the Supply Zone map. You can see it highlighted in the picture below. After visiting it once, you can teleport to it via the Survival Index.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="964984" link="file"]

What kinds of characters should be brought in to face the Doomsday Beast in Honkai: Star Rail?

It is weak against four types of elements. Bringing in people with Fire, Ice, Physical, and Wind attacks will benefit you. The Trailblazer avatar could be a good fit, since you have both Fire and Physical options for them.

Here are some characters you could consider:

The Pokemon Company International revealed the next Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion is Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames. On August 11, 2023, we'll see it appear. The big deal with this set is that we'll finally see type-shifted Tera Pokemon ex cards for the first time. This means that the Tera Pokemon ex cards won't be their typical types. As one Booster Pack art shows, the normally fire-type Charizard is wearing a dark-type Tera "crown."

The official announcement listed some of the cards that we’ll see in this one. It didn’t mention exactly how many type-shifted Tera ex cards will appear. Six Tera Pokemon ex total will show up, and we already know the Charizard one is a dark-type and Tyranitar is a lightning-type. There will also be three gold etched cards, six Tera Pokemon ex, six special illustration Pokemon and Supporter ones, 12 illustration Pokemon ones, 12 full-art etches Pokemon ex and Supporters, and 15 Pokemon ex.

The Pokemon Center online storefront already opened pre-orders for the various boxes:

The board game adaptation of Metal Gear Solid is now available to preorder. Containing 24 miniatures, Metal Gear Solid The Board Game - Integral Edition allows players to relive the events of the game through either 6 independent missions or a 14 mission campaign. Pre-orders include a miniature of Metal Gear Rex and a 109 page graphic novel. The game is expected to ship in May 2024. It will cost $100 plus shipping and VAT.

Snake, Meryl and Otacon are playable, with Gray Fox able to be used as a player character or a boss. 12 soldiers patrol the board, led by 6 boss characters including Liquid Snake and Psycho Mantis. Also included are a disguised Meryl mini and two cardboard box disguises. The game was designed by Emerson Matsuuchi and illustrated by Marco Chechetto, with miniature sculpts from BigChild Creative and Kenneth Loh illustrating the graphic novel.

You can watch the trailer for the game below:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCUrUtIEqy0[/embed]

We've seen a lot of Metal Gear news this week. A remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and new set of ports for the older games in the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection both were announced at Sony's Playstation Showcase on May 24, 2023.

There's a new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet patch, and this one is designed to fix private tournaments. Apparently, the official ones weren't working as they should. Updating to 1.3.1 fixes the issue.

The official Nintendo support page doesn't offer more detailed patch notes yet. At the moment, the only "patch notes" for the 1.3.1 update for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet addressing private tournaments are in the official tweet.

Update version 1.3.1 has been released for #PokemonScarletViolet.

This update resolves an issue that caused unintended behavior in private official tournaments that certain users were invited to participate in. pic.twitter.com/nbpHFXMF7K

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) May 25, 2023