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Ever since Baizhu was introduced in Genshin Impact, he’s always been seen with the talking snake Changsheng around his neck. Now that he’s a playable character, his Lagenaria Act 1 Story Quest is also live. Part of it explains the connection between the two, and HoYoVerse shared the cinematic going over their relationship and past online.

Editor’s Note: The Genshin Impact Changsheng teaser features spoilers for the Baizhu Story Quest.

The video explains Changsheng’s full history. Apparently, years ago, a doctor dealing with a plague headed to Chenyu Vale to find an “herblord.” That is Changsheng, who was apparently ill and dying. Any doctor who made a contract with the snake would be able to use extraordinary healing abilities at the cost of tying their life to hers and dying young as a result. Since that first meeting, each doctor’s passed the contract on to one of their apprentices. As a result, Baizhu formed a contract with Changsheng in Genshin Impact, which involves him accepting a shorter lifespan and illness in exchange for being able to heal people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFZcl2vTtm8&ab_channel=GenshinImpact
This is reflected in Baizhu's moveset. He acts as a healer in Genshin Impact, with snake imagery when he attacks or uses abilities.

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Baizhu banner is available until May 23, 2023.

HoYoVerse released two looks at music from Honkai: Star Rail, with one being a soundtrack and another a video with insights from the composers. Honkai: Star Rail - Of Snow and Ember is actually the second album. It only features music from the planet Jarilo-VI’s locations. Meanwhile, “Song of Distant Planet” Vol.1 features HoYo-Mix composers talking about making music for that area.

We can hear the Honkai: Star Rail - Of Snow and Ember soundtrack on Apple Music and Spotify. There are 31 songs on the album.

Here's the full tracklist:

People get a chance to hear some songs from the Crymachina soundtrack. NIS America shared an eleven minute video going over 10 songs from the soundtrack. The last time NIS America showed off Crymachina, it involved a look at the game's opening movie.

Here's the Crymachina soundtrack sampler. It kicks things off with the opening theme song, "NotToNotice();" by Hikaru Tono. All songs on the soundtrack were composed by Sakuzyo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwnPW4YR7kw&ab_channel=NISAmerica

Notably, the description for the Crymachina soundtrack noted an October 24, 2023 release date. However, NIS America only mentioned a Fall 2023 release prior to this video's debut and the end of the video reiterates that window.
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As a reminder, people can get the full soundtrack with one of the physical options when Crymachina releases. NIS America announced a Limited Edition. This PS4, PS5, and Switch option costs $99.99. That comes with the Crymachina Hanamaru soundtrack CD. However, we don't know exactly how many songs will be on the album. People also get an Eden Database art book, an acrylic display, a cloth poster, and an art print in this edition of the game.
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Ironmouse, VShojo’s most recognizable VTuber, passed a Twitch milestone in May 2023. She officially has over 1.5 million subscribers on her channel. She has over 816,400 on Twitter and over 909,000 subscribers on YouTube. Her content consists of various sorts of streams, in addition to reaction ones and the "Speak of the Devil" talk show.

Ironmouse herself shared a message thanking her fans for their support.

AHHHH LETS GOOOO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR CHANGING MY LIFE. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/3YdPWu1aSz

— ironmouseVSHOJO (@ironmouse) May 3, 2023

Bandai Spirits revealed the prizes that will be in the The Super Mario Bros Movie Ichiban Kuji. The lottery will be available in Japan from May 13, 2023. Prizes will include cups, towels, and cushions. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The prizes that you will be able to pull for from the The Super Mario Bros Movie Ichiban Kuji are:

• A Prize: Question Mark Block Cushion
• B Prize: Super Mushroom Cushion
• C Prize: Tumbler cups
• D Prize: Towels
• E Prize: Small melamine plates
• Last One Prize: Super Star Cushion
• Double Chance Campaign: Pipe Long Pillow

[gallery columns="7" link="file" ids="961795,961794,961797,961796,961798,961793,961792"]

Everyone who purchases a lottery ticket will be eligible for the Double Chance Campaign. We will simply need to match the campaign number to see if you can get it. The tumbler cups, towels, and plates all feature different designs. Characters are on the cups, items are on the towels, and the plates have more variety.

In a recent interview with 4Gamer, popular horror manga artist Junji Ito talked about his experience working with Wizards of the Coast designing illustration for Magic: The Gathering cards, and the fear of art created through AI technology. Wizards of the Coast directly contacted Junji Ito, and the artist didn’t know about MTG prior. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

Junji Ito said that after researching Magic: The Gathering, he was impressed by the fantasy worlds and beautiful illustrations used for the cards, and felt that he wanted to work with Wizards of the Coast.

Drawing the final illustration for Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines took Ito about three days of work. In addition to that, there was a previous period of trial and error creating rough sketches that the artist and Wizards of the Coast went through until a final design was decided. Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines had three different initial sketches before the final one was chosen.

A good thing about HoYoVerse gacha games is that the free or four-star characters you find can often be fantastic allies. Even if they aren’t as potentially broken as other members of the roster, they can work out rather well. When you start out Honkai: Star Rail, your first ally is the game is March 7th, and there’s so much potential to make this best buddy into a character with a great build even with common Light Cone and Relic options.

What are the best Light Cones for a March 7th build in Honkai: Star Rail?

Basically, your options will be cards that support March 7th, increase her defense, and keep her alive due to her being a The Preservation character. The three-star Defense is good! It restores her health whenever she uses her Ultimate. Given how many enemies weak to ice are around, the three-star Pioneering might be great too. If she Breaks an enemy when it is equipped, she’ll be healed.

I currently have the four-star We are Wildfire equipped on March 7th. It’s a handy support card that decreases everyone’s damage intake for a few turns, while also restoring everyone’s health a bit when a battle starts. Though as you’d expect, the four-star This is Me! one featuring her and Himeko on it is also ideal for her. When equipped, it increases her defense and increases damage dealt with her Ultimate based on her overall defense.

As for a five-star Light Cone, maybe consider Trend of the Universal Market? It increases her defense, burns enemies, and it ensures the damage over time is based on the characters’ defense.

Just like Difficulty I in Honkai: Star Rail “Signs of Fragmentum,” Difficulty II makes finding Wubbaboo a bit tricky. Part of this is because you can’t check the map. Another issue is that this time there are five hidden away, rather than just four. You also need to deal with one of the puzzles where you walk across panels once each in order to access an area where one Wubbaboo is. Not to mention the recommended level is 36. (I was at 40 and breezed through it all.)

One of the easiest Wubbaboo to find at this difficulty level is in the "control room" area. As you're walking toward the hallway, you'll see it between some plants and a sign.
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Before that, though, you might see the Honkai: Star Rail “Signs of Fragmentum,” Difficulty II Wubbaboo floating in the area between the two platforms leading to that control room.
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One that's relatively easy to find is a Wubbaboo behind one of the light panel puzzles. The best way I can describe solving it is as though you are writing the letter "Z," but you're starting at the bottom and going up instead of starting from the top and going down.
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And here's where the Wubbaboo is at the end of that "test."
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Once you finish the Asta Companion Mission “You Already Know Me” in Honkai: Star Rail three difficulties of the “Signs of Fragmentum” sidequest open up. These aren’t too difficult, but instead involve paying close attention. That’s because an objective is finding Wubbaboo. However, because this is a special challenge space, you can’t open the map. However, to make things a bit easier, here are where you can find the four Wubbaboo hiding in Honkai: Star Rail “Signs of Fragmenum” Difficulty I. Note that you should be fine to clear all the extra objectives for bonus Stellar Jades if you’re at level 34.

The first Wubbaboo you need to scan with the camera appears just pass where you enter the area. It’s blatantly floating near a researcher and not attempting to hide itself.

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The second Wubbaboo is the one that can get you. After heading into the hallway near the ring around the area, turn around. A Wubbaboo is hovering above the doorway. (I got lucky and found it on the first try, so make sure during these challenges you always check above doorways!)
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From here, the hallway has north and south branches. Head south, and right at the corner you’ll see a Wubbaboo near the plants in Honkai: Star Rail “Signs of Fragmenum” Difficulty I.
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Nintendo announced a new collaboration campaign with Japanese convenience store Lawson to promote the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The event will bring six limited edition food items, and Tears of the Kingdom-themed merchandise and goods to Japanese Lawson stores from May 9, 2023. The campaign will include six different food items.

Dry curry rice balls with powdered Goron spices. The recipe for these rice balls includes multiple spices, inspired by the Goron spices that can be found in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

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The Tsurugi Banana Au Lait is a cold beverage inspired by Clan Yiga’s favorite snack: the Mighty Bananas. These are known in Japanese as Tsurugi Bananas.

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The Hearty Truffle-scented Mushroom Focaccia includes king trumpet mushroom, white beech mushroom, garlic, and a sprinkle of truffle dust.

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Monster Meat Curry Bread. Don’t worry about the name. It is actually filled with pork meat and curry.

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Hearty Salmon and Fresh Milk Clam Chowder.

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Nintendo released new information about fusing and increasing weapon attack power with Link’s new Fuse ability in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In a screenshot of the game, shared by the official Japanese The Legend of Zelda Twitter account, Link is seen Fusing his weapon with a monster material to increase the attack power and durability of it.

In the screenshot, Link wields what looks like a rusty sword, and he has combined it with the fang or horn of a monster, resulting in a power increase of 13, and a total power of 19.

The Japanese caption accompanying the screenshot says that different type of horns, fangs, and other enemy parts dropped by monsters can be fused with weapons with the Fuse ability, to improvise weapons on the go. Additionally, sharp and hard materials in particular increase the attack power of weapons a lot.

We can see the new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot of Link fusing his weapon and increasing its attack power and durability on the tweet below.

https://twitter.com/ZeldaOfficialJP/status/1653685830723207169

Nintendo has been recently showcasing some other things that Link can do with his new abilities, like using monster materials by themselves on enemies, or newly added items like breakable portable pots for cooking.

Chainsaw Man will have its own special live-event in Japan. It is called the Chainsaw Man Festival, and it will be held at the Tokyo Garden Theater on May 20, 2023. Tickets for the event cost 6,800 JPY (or approximately $50 USD), and pre-orders are available now from the official website of the event. The morning session kicks off at 11:30am local time, while the evening session starts at 5:30pm. Curtain call starts one hour after the start of each session, at 12:30pm and 6:30pm respectively.

Some of the special performances that will be held during the Chainsaw Man Festival include a live voice-over recording session by the voice actors of the anime, special live performances by different artists, and cross-talks between the voice cast and the artists. The artists that will perform at the event include TOOBOE, ano, PEOPLE 1, and syudou, which performed some of the endings of the Chainsaw Man anime.

In other Chainsaw Man news, the English release of volume 12 of the manga and of Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories was recently announced by Viz Media.

The Chainsaw Man Festival will be held at the Tokyo Garden Theater on May 20, 2023. Tickets for the event cost 6,800 JPY (~$50 USD), and they can be pre-ordered now from the Chainsaw Man Festival official website. The anime adaptation is available overseas via Crunchyroll.

Three Hololive Indonesia (ID) talents will make guest appearances in the Hololive English (EN) 1st Concert: Connect the World. The official Twitter account posted the announcement stating that Ayunda Risu, Moona Hoshinova, and Pavolia Reine will be the ones joining the event. Additionally, a new venue ticket sale will start on May 13, 2023.

Check out the official announcement for the Hololive ID guest appearances for the Holo EN 1st Concert here below.

https://twitter.com/hololivepro_EN/status/1653746235428184064?s=20

As you can see in the image, the guest talents that will appear in the concert are Holo ID's first-generation Moona Hoshinova and Ayunda Risu, along with the second generation’s Pavolia Reine. All of them have previously collaborated with the English branch talents, although this is the first time joining all of them for a live concert.

Guest appearances are not uncommon for Hololive concerts. On many occasions, various livers from its different branches and even from other agencies have joined in these events. Usually, the guest joins to sing one or two songs and talk with the main talents for a while.

Hololive Production also announced a new sale for venue tickets due to the popularity of the event, which will be held on the concert’s official ticket site on May 13, 2023. Its initial sale took place back on April 7, 2023, but the tickets sold out in a few hours.

The Pokemon Company will remove Pokemon Trading Card Game Online (TCG Online) from online storefronts on June 5, 2023. This is due to the fact that Pokemon Trading Card Game Live (TCG Live) will launch on June 8, 2023. Players will be able to transfer their cards and accessories to TCG Live though.

According to the announcement on the official Pokemon website, there will be no more new cards in Pokemon TCG Online, but it will still have Versus Ladder support. If we have product codes for something available before March 1, 2023, then we can still redeem them. The reason why there will be no more new cards or accessories in the game is because the development team wants to focus on Pokemon TCG Live.

You will be able to move your TCG Online account and data over to TCG Live, as well as save all the progress you make in the beta. There are some limitations though. For example, you can’t transfer your friends list, in-game currency, or HeartGold & SoulSilver cards to Live. The Pokemon Company states that the reason it will sunset Pokemon TCG Online is to give players the time to move everything to TCG Live. They will still enjoy full access to TCG Online prior to the closure date.

Modus Games revealed a new entry in the Double Dragon franchise under the name of Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. It will be the first new game in the series after the release of Double Dragon IV back in 2017. Moreover, it will be coming to most current consoles with couch co-op available.

Take a look at the first teaser of Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons here below.

https://youtu.be/TVvlBr6hVXA

This game will follow the twins Billy and Jimmy Lee in 199X as they fight to take back New York City from the gangs after a nuclear war. It will have a roster of 13 playable characters, including the iconic Marian and newcomer Uncle Matin, each with their own moveset. According to the game’s Steam page, it will support local co-op and remote play, but we don't see any mention of an online multiplayer option yet.

As for the gameplay, it will be a beat 'em up like other games in the franchise, but will include “roguelite elements” according to the game’s official site. You will be able to choose the mission order, and this in turn will define the length, number of enemies, and difficulty of your playthrough.

Due to the nature of the business, you’ll often see a lot of video game voice actors showing up over and over again, and this happens with both Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The cast for HoYoVerse’s latest game isn’t huge yet. However, there’s still some overlap. Especially when it comes to the English cast.

So, here’s the list of Honkai: Star Rail characters whose voice actors you probably already heard in Genshin Impact in English.

• Sushang: Anjali Kunapaneni also plays Dori.
• Arlan: Dani Chambers also plays Nilou.
• Asta: Felicia Angelie also plays Mona.
• Hook: Felicia Angelie also plays Mona.
• Jing Yuan: Alejandro Saab also plays Cyno.
• Natasha: Elizabeth Maxwell also plays Rosaria.
• Pela: Xanthe Huynh also plays Baizhu’s snake Changsheng
• Yanqing: Amber May also plays Dehya.

There are also a few Honkai: Star Rail character voice actors you probably already heard before too. This is because they are present in Genshin Impact in Japanese or Chinese. Himeko is voiced by Rie Tanaka, who also plays Lisa. You also may have recognized Tao Dian is both Arlan and Hu Tao in Chinese. Not to mention Guiniang plays both Asta and Kokomi. And while Bronya’s English and Japanese voice actresses don’t overlap, Xie Ying plays her in Honkai: Star Rail and Keqing in Genshin Impact.

In the Honkai: Star Rail Simulated Universe, you can essentially pull together a team of your characters to go through an isolated dungeon with randomized possible enemies and events, earning Blessings to make things easier for yourself along the way. There are 22 for each available path, and a lot of great ones appear! I’ve even found that some of the one-star ones, the “weakest” possible ones, can be as useful as a two or three-star one with the right party and in the right circumstances. There are some that really do stand out as being particularly helpful though, as they can be your “best” pick regardless of your team or tactics, so here are some Honkai: Star Rail Simulated Universe paths and Blessings I’d recommend.

Try and stick to one path’s Blessings in Honkai: Star Rail Simulated Universe

Okay, so, if you get enough Blessings from one path in Honkai: Star Rail, you’ll gain access to a special ability in battles that functions like a character’s Ultimate. So say you collect an array of The Hunt blessings. Then you’ll have a gauge in battle that fills and, once full, lets you unleash a powerful AOE attack on all enemies.

So once you see yourself starting to “commit” to a path for a run, make sure you go all out to ensure you get that special Path Resonance ability.

Also, just know that initially you’ll only have Elation, Hunt, Preservation, Remembrance Blessings available. You won’t see ones from, say, Abundance or Nihility until you’re further into later Worlds.

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Sony announced it will release a free prequel comic in preparation for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 during Free Comic Book Day on May 6, 2023. This comic will be set after the events in Spider-Man: Miles Morales and will introduce a new villain to the game’s universe. In addition, Sony also announced Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will become available as a standalone purchase.

Here is a closer look at its official cover, which features both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Both of them are wearing suits they appeared in during the events of the previous Insomniac games.
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This new comic will be titled “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 #1,” and it will explore what has happened with Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Mary Jane Watson since the last game. Moreover, the comic will explore what the heroes will do to confront a magic-user villain under the name of The Hood.

It is worth remembering that Sony did something similar for the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man back in 2018 with a tie-in novel by the name of “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover.” This book followed the events leading to the first game, such as the conflict between Wilson Fisk and Norman Osborn as the city mayor and Peter and MJ’s breakup.

A Street Fighter: Duel Devil May Cry 5 event is on the way and will add Dante to the roster as a playable character. Nico will also make an appearance running a shop. However, it will only be available in-game for a limited time. People will need to play between May 11-24, 2023 to get a chance to add him to their party. This event also appears to be accompanied by a storyline during which we’ll see Dante assist characters in facing M. Bison.

For the event, it specifically mentions characters like Chun-Li and Ryu working with Dante in Street Fighter: Duel. It also mentioned M. Bison potentially seek the power of Qliphoth. Playing will get people Demon Soulstones and Demon Stars, both of which Nico will use. The Demon Soulstones can buy items from her shop, while the Demon Stars are a power-up material.

There’s also a trailer showing off gameplay and imagery from the Street Fighter: Duel Devil May Cry 5 event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIliqwwPwP8&ab_channel=CrunchyrollCollection

As a reminder, there's already been a crossover with another Capcom series. Monster Hunter came to Street Fighter: Duel in a past event. That added a Gore Magala Ken alt.

Street Fighter Duel is available on mobile devices, and Dante from Devil May Cry 5 will be available May 11-24, 2023.

Ahead of the 6.6 update, HoYoVerse offered more details going over all the attacks the Honkai Impact 3rd Dreamweaver battlesuit for Misteln “Hare” Schariac will use. It specified she’s a MECH physical damage dealer. Her goal on the battlefield is to constantly attack. In addition, it went over how her Ultimate changes her form and playstyle. There will also be the Prophetic Dreams javelin in the Expansion Supply after 6.6, and there will be Alexandra (T, M, B) stigmatas designed for her. People can also craft a Mirage Spearhead javelin she can use.

The Dreamweaver Adaptability of Life normal attack has between three and four attacks, though the combo with four requires the Seeds of Idea from her weapon skill. If you used her Ultimate and she’s in her astral form, it always involves a four-hit combo. In addition to attack, she can use Seeds of Idea to defend. Her astral form’s weapon skill involves throwing spears.

The Dreamweaver battlesuit Ultimate in Honkai Impact 3rd is Transience of Dream. That causes physical damage and transforms her to her astral form. This lasts for a limited time, though you can physically choose to end it. It involves more physical damage and the potential for AOE attacks.

We also already know about another Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuit that will appear as part of the next update. The Terminal Aide 0017 for Number 17 is also going to be included in the patch. That will only be an SP battlesuit, however.

Yuri “Dainsleif” Lowenthal is back once again with a Genshin Impact Collected Miscellany gameplay trailer, which discusses Kaveh. The new Dendro-user joined the game with the latest 3.6 banners. The four-star is a focus unit there, but also joins the general pool of possible gacha pulls. His latest video highlights how he uses his claymore in battle, which his AI toolbox companion Mehrak helps him handle.

First, the video looks at his Utility Passive. If you use him to craft in Serenitea Pot, you might get some of the materials back. After that, it looks at his actual attacks. It begins with his Normal attack’s standard and charged version. His Elemental Skill does AOE Dendro damage and makes Dendro Cores burst. Kaveh can also heal his own health when that happens if you get his first Ascension passive. His Elemental Burst also deals AOE Dendro damage and changes it so he deals Dendro damage with attacks when it is active.

Here's the full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygb4k8FIGJQ&t=29s&ab_channel=GenshinImpact

This is the second Collected Miscellany Genshin Impact gameplay trailer to appear this week. The previous one looked at the new five-star Baizhu.

Capcom offered a bit of a tease suggesting what the Street Fighter 6 Arcade mode will offer, showing off three illustrations. In past entries like Street Fighter 5, we could see special pieces of art as they went through characters storylines. These will return in the latest game. In addition to playable fighters, some other familiar faces appear in the shared screenshots.

The first image is from Guile’s Arcade mode. It shows him getting his hair cut. A number of other characters also appear in the background. It almost seems like a younger version of Luke could be behind Guile waiting.
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The second Street Fighter 6 Arcade mode teaser illustration seems like it is from Manon’s storyline. In addition to showing her, Seth and Lily appear in the background.
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Finally, the third image features newcomer Jamie. It's the only one of the three to actually have text appear with the illustration. However, there are no spoilers and it only features him establishing who he is. It does note in the UI that someone could turn off subtitles or skip the story segment.
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In Honkai: Star Rail, all characters belong to paths that determine their moveset’s behaviors, with beings known as Aeons tied to all of them. People can “encounter” them in the Simulated Universe we can find on Herta Space Station. Now the newest HoYoVerse “Fables About the Stars Part 1” trailer features a fortune teller going over the series’ lore.

The Honkai: Star Rail Aeons “Fables About the Stars” begins by showing Nanook from The Destruction path. This Aeon also appeared in a cameo during the game’s introduction. That’s followed by The Hunt’s Lan. Nous from The Erudition follows. Then, The Abundance’s Yaoshi appears. After that, art for The Nihility’s IX, The Preservation’s Qlipoth, The Harmony’s Xipe, The Elation’s Aha, The Voracity’s Oroboros, The Beauty’s Idrila, The Remembrance’s Fuli, and The Propagation’s Tayzzyronth follow. Before the end, there are brief peeks at Mythus from The Enigmata and HooH from The Equilibrium. It ends with the fortune teller saying “This is the path you should walk, they say. Akivili. depart once more, Akivili.” For reference, Akivili is tied to The Trailblaze path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JruxFQurUDQ&ab_channel=Honkai%3AStarRail

A full release of the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live, which saw a February 2022 beta launch in Canada, is coming. The Pokemon Company International announced we can expect to see it on June 8, 2023. This means everyone worldwide will be able to play on PCs and mobile devices. There will also be login rewards ahead of it leaving the beta phase, and people will be able to use the physical game’s latest expansion the moment ahead of its debut. Paldea Evolved will show up on June 9, 2023, as a reminder.

To get the free cosmetic items, people need to get the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live beta and start playing ahead of launch. Until June 6, 2023, everyone can get a special design coin, card sleeve, and deck box. When you create a deck in the game, you can set all three as your decorative options. Then, when you play a game, those sleeves and that coin and box are the ones you’ll see. All of them have “Global Beta” on them.

Here’s how those look:
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Elaine, a VTuber from KoMETA first generation of performers, will graduate on May 8, 2023. It is unknown if her content from her channel will be removed once she retires. The company cited her multiple health issues, including a “recent diagnosis of diabetes,” as reasons from her stepping back from performing.

First, here's the official statement from KoMETA.

◤ANNOUNCEMENT◢

Important Notice Regarding Elaine's Health and Graduation from KoMETA Virtual Live

The contents of this announcement is published with Elaine's consent and approval. pic.twitter.com/LyLE5uU9AJ

— KoMETA Virtual Live  (@KometaLive) May 3, 2023

Here’s the statement from the VTuber Elaine herself about her upcoming graduation.

It still feels surreal that I am leaving soon and knowing that I’ve been an inspiration to some of you.

Thinking of my eliens was always something that motivated me to keep going and it’s sad that I am unable to anymore.

Mommylaine will always love you.

— Elaine KoMETA (@Elaine_KoMETA) May 3, 2023

Microsoft announced what its not-E3 events will look like. On June 11, 2023, we'll get to see both the Xbox Games Showcase and the promised Starfield Direct. This will be a worldwide presentation that will appear at 10am PT/1pm ET/7pm CET. People will be able to tune in on Microsoft's Twitch and YouTube channels, and FanFest will return.

As usual, the Xbox Games Showcase will be focused on new Xbox and PC first and third party games. We could see This could mean a chance to see Forza Motorsport, Age of Empires IV, The Elder Scrolls VI, and Ara: History Untold again. We don't know how long it will last. This means we don't know exactly when the following Starfield Direct will begin. However, that will show more gameplay and what to expect from the September 2023 release.

NetEase announced an upcoming collaboration between its asymmetrical horror game Identity V and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. This news first appeared during the Call of the Abyss VI stream, which is the world finals for the game. Other future updates will bring a new map, mode, and characters.

There is no information on what characters will appear in the Danganronpa V3 crossover event in Identity V so far. NetEase will reveal them closer to the release window. During the event’s run, we will see the previous Danganronpa and Super Danganronpa 2 skins return. This will likely be the final chance for players to obtain these limited skins. Some outfits that NetEase released for the previous Danganronpa collaboration events include Nagito Komaeda for Mercenary and Kyoko Kirigiri for Coordinator.

https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1653672343540215808

Honkai: Star Rail is the sort of game that can offer little mini “quests” with rewards that you can incidentally stumble upon while playing the game. For example, you can get a profile picture and some items for removing wanted posters on Jarilo-VI. While going through the actual mission "Requiem Mass," you might happen upon another. In one room where you meet Adler and a Wubbadoo, there is a PC you can log into. However, you need to get the credentials off of an origami crane. The one you need can be a little tricky to pin down, so here’s where the Honkai: Star Rail origami crane with the password is in the Herta Space Station Supply Room map.

[caption id="attachment_961602" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Siliconera[/caption]

Nintendo announced that pre-orders are now open for a new line of Fire Emblem Heroes merchandise. In addition to Fire Emblem Heroes, the lineup of the new merchandise includes goods based after characters from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Each acrylic stand costs 1,980 JPY (or roughly $14 USD), and they are scheduled to release in July 2023. The second series of Fire Emblem Acrylic Stand Heroes is now available for pre-order from empty’s online store.

The lineup of the new series of Fire Emblem Heroes acrylic stands includes five characters, two of which are from Genealogy of the Holy War. These characters are Líf, Eir, Ymir, Sigurd, and Deirdre. Each acrylic stand is about 110 millimeters tall, or 4.3 inches. You can take a better look at the merchandise in the gallery below.

[gallery columns="4" ids="961589,961588,961587,961586" link="file"]

In other Fire Emblem Heroes news, Nintendo recently revealed that the next banner in the game will add Nerbuz as a playable character, alongside other returning focus units.

The second series of Fire Emblem Heroes and Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War Acrylic Stand Heroes is available for pre-order now from empty’s online store. Each acrylic stand costs 1,980 JPY (~$14 USD), and the new merchandise is scheduled to release on July 2023.

Japanese amateur orchestra Ensemble G.A.P. have released “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The First Concert” to the public on its YouTube channel. The concert lasts about 116 minutes, and it is divided in an opening act, three parts, and two encores. The opening act and three parts include a total of 16 movements. Additionally, the description of the YouTube video includes a full listing of the concert’s contents. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The opening act is the Nintendo Switch 2017 Presentation trailer music for Breath of the Wild, while its closing act is the “Tears of the Kingdom Main Theme” that appeared on the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct presentation.

You can take a look at Ensemble G.A.P.’s “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The First Concert” here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5AV5HAKjh0

Ensemble G.A.P. is a Japanese classically trained and amateur ensemble founded in August 2021 by previous members of the Little Jack Orchestra. Their main activity is the arrangement and performance of popular music on YouTube. The name G.A.P. is an acronym created of the three main type of music the ensemble plays: games, anime, and pop music.

Kadokawa revealed that a new Oshi no Ko figure of Ai Hoshino is on the way. It will be a part of Kadokawa’s KDcolle series. It will be a 1/7 scale plastic figure, painted in full color, and it stands at approximately 8.5 inches, or 215mm in height. A stand is included with the figure as well. The figure costs 21,780 JPY (or roughly $160 USD), and it is scheduled to release on November 2023 in Japan. Pre-orders for the figure will close on May 24, 2023.

The new Oshi no Ko Ai Hoshino figure depicts the titular character of the series in her idol outfit, holding a microphone in one hand while pointing at the crowd while performing. Different facial expressions for the figure will be included.

In addition, a new teaser video for the figure was released showcasing all its features and details. You can watch the teaser video for the Ai Hoshino figure, as well as a gallery of the figure in more detail here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM4IMxp4GEY

[gallery columns="5" ids="961555,961554,961553,961552,961551" link="file"]

The recent anime adaptation of Oshi no Ko is streaming on HIDIVE, and Yen Press handles the English localization of the manga. An English website for the anime adaptation opened recently.

The new Oshi no Ko Ai Hoshino figure is now available for pre-order in Japan. Pre-orders close on May 24, 2023 in Japan. The figure costs 21,780 JPY (~$160 USD), and it will release on November 2023. We don't know if it will be sold worldwide yet.

Cover announced a digital message board is now available in preparation for the Hololive English 1st Concert: Connect the World. People can purchase their own digital messages to be included in the boards, which will appear at the event. In addition, each purchase will include a bonus voice from one of the VTubers performing. It costs $21 for a text message and $41 for one with an image.

The digital messages can be either a text message with a 170-characters limit or an image. In the case of images, they must be 520x520 px and be in a JPG, PNG, or PDF format. The submitted digital messages will appear on stage from when the doors open until the start of the concert and also on the event's special website.

Cover posted an official application form that lets you submit the message or upload the picture by checking your order number. In case of not using the form or submitting something against the guidelines, there will be a default message prepared by the company instead.

As for the bonuses, fans can choose from all the Hololive English VTubers to get their own special voiced line. However, there is only one liver’s voice per purchase. If someone wants to get two or more, you have to buy each package separately.

Nintendo released a new update patch for Splatoon 3. It’s not a huge update and mostly focused on a few fixes, along with a change to Splatfests. The patch is ready to be installed now.

The main purpose of this new Splatoon 3 update has been to add data related to upcoming Splatfests. However, there’s an additional change, as Nintendo are changing the brightness and color choices for ink during Splatfests. There will also be changes to ink coloring for the Color Lock accessibility feature which will be added in the next patch.

Elsewhere, the new Splatoon 3 update focuses on a few bug fixes. A crash during a Special Wave of Salmon Run has been fixed. A bug that caused music and animation to desync during Splatfest Plaza performances has also been fixed. In addition, players will no longer lose changes to their locker if they’re editing during a schedule transition.

The new update comes just before the latest Splatfest event. In celebration of the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it will be themed around the Triforce. Players can choose to be part of teams for power, wisdom or courage. The Splatfest takes place on 5-7 May, 2023.

Splatoon 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo shared a new short clip of Link using monster materials in the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In the new footage shared on the official The Legend of Zelda Japanese Twitter account, Link throws White Chuchu Jelly by itself on a new type of enemy, without using his new Fuse ability. White Chuchu Jelly instantly freezes enemies, leaving them open to attacks.

In the short clip, Link is shown scrolling through a list of materials that include some precious gems, different varieties of Chuchu jellies, and Keese eyes and wings. These were also shown in the latest 10-minute-long gameplay video released by Nintendo. The video also shows that Link can sort the materials in the list by different metrics, but only Fuse attack power has been shown so far. At the end of the clip, Link throws White Chuchu Jelly on a new type of enemy that looks similar to Bokoblins and Moblins, instantly freezing it.

You can take a look at new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom footage of Link utilizing monster materials during combat here:

https://twitter.com/ZeldaOfficialJP/status/1653323443323146242

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will come to the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023. Nintendo recently revealed the English voice actor for Zelda in the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom.

In HoYoVerse games, we’ve tended to see player protagonists and main characters who tend to be generally kind and polite people. Kiana Kaslana from Honkai Impact 3rd is an optimistic, kind, and dedicated. Likewise, both Aether and Lumine from Genshin Impact are always very pleasant and tend to be willing to go out of their way for people, teasing of Paimon aside, with most of the silent protagonists’ lines being largely “good.” Rosa, the main character in Tears of Themis, is also very smart, justice-driven, and willing to help. Meanwhile, the Honkai: Star Rail Trailblazer Stelle and Caelus avatar options can often be a sarcastic, pessimistic, lazy, self-serving, dumpster-diving gremlin. Simply put, it’s refreshing to get the option to be more of a “well, I guess I’m here and will do it” person.

Part of it comes from their general appearances. Both the Caelus and Stelle Trailblazer options in Honkai: Star Rail are delightfully disheveled. Part of it could come from their origins. After all, Kafka woke them up by shoving a Stellaron into their body. Buckles are askew and unfastened. Their hair is messed up. Their eyes look sleepy. Their shirts are untucked. They look like they rolled out of bed and we should be thankful they are there and willing to help out. The outfit and design look great, to be clear, due to an “organized chaos” approach.

Square Enix once again opened up pre–orders for three pieces of jewelry that resemble ones Aerith and Tifa wore in FFVII. There is a rose gold ribbon necklace and a flower one for Aerith, and a clip-on earring for Tifa. You can get the necklaces via the North America store for $147.99 and the earring for $99.99. The necklaces will come out in November 2023. They're also available in the Japan store for 16,280 JPY and the earring is 10,450 JPY. They all have a release date of September 16, 2023.

The elite women of Liyue are going international, as Pizza Hut in Japan also started a collaboration with Genshin Impact. It is using the same key visuals of Yelan and Ningguang in modern-looking closing as the campaign in China. Boxes and bags with Yelan and Ningguang on them will be available from May 1, 2023 to June 18, 2023.

Aside from being able to get boxes with Yelan and Ningguang on them when you order the My Box set from Pizza Hut, you can also get a multipurpose file of either woman for 200 JPY (~$2) extra. These are available while supplies last. However, you cannot choose which one you get. The file is around 100 millimeters in width and 220 millimeters in height.

More importantly, you will be able to get four event items in Genshin Impact if you order the My Box set from Pizza Hut. You can get a crafting recipe for a table and a couch, as well as recipes for Mint Fruit Tea and Super Deluxe Pizza. Though regions outside of China never had a KFC campaign, all servers eventually received the KFC recipes for Golden Chicken Burger and Golden Fried Chicken. So it’s possible that these two recipes will appear in a future event for other countries, though we haven't seen a HoYoVerse announcement about them yet.

Square Enix announced a new array of Final Fantasy X merchandise featuring major characters from the series. People can buy single acrylic stands of nine heroes and villains from this entry. There's also a set of eight pins and a collection of eight visual art cards. Finally, a motel-style keychain will appear as well. All of them are going to ship out in October 2023.

The Final Fantasy X character acrylic stands are $17.99 each. Each one features the character and a quote from them in both English and Japanese on the base. So for example, the Yuna one’s quote says, “I will defeat Sin. I must defeat Sin.”

The other items tend to be sets of items. The Visual Card Set features key art of eight characters. For $21.99, you get images of Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Auron, Kimahri, Rikku, and Yuna and Tidus together. The $31.99 pin set includes the seven main characters and antagonist Seymour. Meanwhile, the motel keychain involves general Zanarkand imagery for $11.99.

Microsoft announced the first round of May 2023 Xbox Game Pass additions and departures, and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is among them. This is the Anniversary Edition of the game. This means you can also hear voice lines and see additional art, in addition to playing through the adventure as usual. It will be gone on May 15, 2023. This means it appeared on the service for just over a year.

First, here are all the new games that will be a part of Xbox Game Pass in May 2023. Both Redfall and Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 are both day-one releases appearing on the subscription service at launch.

• May 2, 2023: Redfall (cloud, Xbox Series X, PC)
• May 4, 2023: Ravenlok (cloud, console, PC)
• May 8, 2023: Weird West: Definitive Edition (Xbox Series X)
• May 9, 2023: Shadowrun Trilogy (PC)
• May 11, 2023: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 (cloud, console, PC)

Here are all of the Xbox Game Pass games leaving on May 15, 2023.

A trailer for the Gran Turismo movie appeared. In addition, Sony have published an interview with director Neill Blomkamp on the PlayStation Blog. It is expected to appear in theaters in August 2023.

The Gran Turismo movie is based on the real-life story of British racing driver Jann Mardenborough. It follows his career from playing Gran Turismo to becoming a driver for Nissan. It focuses heavily on the GT Academy competition, which Mardenborough won in 2011.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVPzGBvPrzw

The interview with Director Neill Blomkamp revealed further details about the film. He acknowledged that the movie is a departure from his previous projects such as District 9. Blomkamp also discussed his personal love of cars and how he had a lot of freedom to explore the Gran Turismo IP. He also offered insight into the visual choices he made for the movie to maintain the feel of the games.

The Gran Turismo film will star David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings). Harbour plays a racing trainer, while Bloom plays a character based on Darren Cox, the Nissan UK executive who helped found the GT Academy competition. Mardenborough is played by Archie Madekwe. Hermen Hulst, head of Sony Worldwide Studios, and Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the Gran Turismo games, act as executive producers.