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Nova Solaris

News

D23 2026: Incredibles 3, Frozen 3 and Zootopia 3 Confirmed

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Disney’s D23 Ultimate Fan Event landed in Anaheim from 14 to 16 August 2026, and the Entertainment Showcase — a three-hour marathon of announcements — gave fans more to celebrate than any recent D23 in memory. Four major sequels to some of the best-loved animated films of the last two decades were confirmed with dates, story details and first-look concept art: Incredibles 3, Frozen 3, Zootopia 3 and Coco 2. If you are a Singapore fan of any of these franchises, here is the full picture — and check our latest news for the gaming highlights we covered separately.

Incredibles 3 — 16 June 2028, Violet and Dash Step Up

Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter took the D23 stage to confirm Incredibles 3 for cinemas on 16 June 2028, 10 years after Incredibles 2 and 24 years after the original. Peter Sohn (Elemental, The Good Dinosaur) directs from a script by Brad Bird, who helmed both earlier films and remains a producer.

The story centres on the Parr kids. Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are growing up in a world where superheroes are now legal — but a corporate Superhero League (SHL) has formed around branding and merchandising, and Violet and Dash want to prove themselves as real supers, sneaking out at night to protect the city without their parents knowing. Bob Parr, meanwhile, grapples with his own relevance in a world that no longer needs him to fight for acceptance.

A new villain was teased with a first-look silhouette at D23 — glowing white eyes, a V-shaped mask — described as possessing “more power than the entire family put together.” Edna Mode is confirmed to return. The full original cast is back: Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter as Bob and Helen, Sarah Vowell as Violet, Huck Milner as Dash, and Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone.

Singapore cinemas received both earlier Incredibles films on their global opening windows. Expect Incredibles 3 to screen locally around June 2028. No SGD ticketing is set yet, but based on how Incredibles 2 performed here in 2018, demand will be strong.

Frozen 3 — 24 November 2027, Anna’s Wedding and a New Ice Villain

Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel perform at D23 2026 as Frozen III concept art appears on screen
Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios directors Jennifer Lee and Trent Correy brought Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa) and Josh Gad (Olaf) to the D23 stage for a live performance — including a reworked version of the original “Frozen Heart” and a brand-new Olaf love song called “Ooooh, Samantha.”

Frozen 3 opens on 24 November 2027, a holiday-season slot that mirrors the original Frozen‘s November 2013 release. The story picks up at Anna and Kristoff’s wedding, but things quickly turn mysterious when the couple discover Elsa studying a stone that opens a portal to a new snowy dimension. A first-look glimpse of the new villain was shown — a woman with short dark hair and a sweeping cape whose ice powers appear to rival Elsa’s, face kept hidden. The full cast returns: Bell, Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Gad.

Frozen 2 grossed over $1.4 billion globally and was a huge draw at Singapore cinemas in 2019. Expect Frozen 3 to arrive locally in November 2027 on its global window — and with that, the inevitable run of Arendelle-themed merchandise to appear at local retailers well before opening day.

Zootopia 3 — Early Development, With Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake

Walt Disney Animation Studios CCO Jared Bush brought Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan on stage to confirm that Zootopia 3 is officially in development. Goodwin returns as Judy Hopps, while Quan — the Oscar winner from Everything Everywhere All at Once — voices a brand-new character named Gary De’Snake. The D23 audience saw a custom-made sequence, but no release date, trailer or plot synopsis has been shared yet.

As the earliest-stage of the four sequels confirmed at D23, it is likely a few years away at minimum. Singapore fans of the 2016 original — which was a popular family film here — can file this one under “watch this space.”

Coco 2, Ghost Market and What Else Pixar Revealed

Coco 2 logo revealed on stage at D23 2026 with marigold petals
Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

Pixar matched WDAS’s energy with its own sequel reveal. Coco 2 is set for November 2029, with original directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina back at the helm. A now-teenage Miguel returns to the Land of the Dead, this time to face Ernesto de la Cruz — back for revenge, with Benjamin Bratt reprising the villain role. The original Coco struck a deep chord with Southeast Asian audiences who share its themes of family, memory and belonging; the sequel has big expectations to meet.

Pixar also unveiled a brand-new original: Ghost Market, arriving Spring 2028. A Chicago teenager stumbles into a hidden supernatural bazaar where the living and the dead do business — concept art pointed to vivid, layered world-building with echoes of Coco’s approach to the afterlife.

Clay and Disney Animation’s New Originals Round Out the Slate

Disney Clay concept art shown at D23 2026 featuring a girl and small clay creature in a colourful fantasy world
Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios also revealed Clay (22 November 2028), starring Kieran Culkin as Flip — a lousy, unwilling mentor thrust into an adventure with Mushy, a young ball of clay. Concept art shown at D23 is vivid and colourful with a distinctive handcrafted feel, unlike anything WDAS has put on screen recently.

It was a remarkable D23 for animation fans. For the gaming side of D23 2026, GameTrader has covered the Disney Lorcana digital reveal, Kingdom Hearts IV’s Coco World and Marvel’s Wolverine at D23 in separate posts. Combined, it was one of the strongest D23 showcases in recent memory — and Singapore fans will be keeping their cinema calendars very busy through 2027 and beyond.

News

Disney Lorcana Goes Digital — D23 2026 Reveals Hyperia City, Serialised Cards, and a Villain Season

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Ravensburger used Disney’s D23 2026 fan event in Anaheim — running August 14 to 16 — to drop the biggest Lorcana news slate since the game launched. New sets, a never-before-seen serialised card rarity, a villain-themed competitive season, and confirmation that a digital version is genuinely in development: there is a lot to unpack for Singapore’s growing TCG community.

Hyperia City — Lorcana’s Coco-Inspired 14th Set Comes in October

Set 14, Hyperia City, is named in honour of Walt Disney’s Hyperion Studio — the production home where Snow White and Fantasia were made, from 1926 to 1940 — and its cityscape is built around three distinct districts: City Center, Old Towne Hyperia, and the Multidisciplinary Academy for Genius, Imagination & Creativity.

Miguel Rivera card from Disney Lorcana Hyperia City set
Image courtesy of Ravensburger

The Coco franchise makes its Lorcana debut here: Miguel Rivera and Héctor Rivera both appear as glimmer cards, with Héctor also included in the exclusive D23 collection available at Downtown Disney. Also revealed are Mickey Mouse as Best in Town (a charming hotdog-vendor variant, with an Enchanted foil version), Minnie Mouse as Urban Visionary, and Donald Duck as Taxi Driver.

A new gameplay mechanic, Ink Drops, was teased for the set. Hyperia City prereleases at local game stores begin on 16 October 2026, with full general release on 23 October 2026 — just in time for the school holidays.

Hector Rivera card from Disney Lorcana Hyperia City set
Image courtesy of Ravensburger

Into the Inkdark — The Game’s First Serialised Cards Arrive in 2027

Set 15, Into the Inkdark, is the headline announcement for the year ahead. Villain-themed and centred on Hades, with Captain Hook and the world of Onward also making their Lorcana debut, it introduces two major structural changes to the product line.

Disney Lorcana Hyperia City new card reveal
Image courtesy of Ravensburger

First, Collector Boosters arrive alongside the set — 12-card packs where every single card carries some level of foiling, with rarity determining how intense that treatment is. These packs are the exclusive home of the second big change: a brand-new rarity tier called Illustrious.

Illustrious cards are serialised. Only 23 copies of each design will ever be printed, numbered 1 through 23 — a deliberate nod to the year Walt Disney founded his studio, 1923. The artist’s name appears prominently on every Illustrious card. The first revealed is Maleficent – Biding Her Time, illustrated by Kendall Hale. Pull rates will be low by design; these are once-in-a-collection finds, not casual chase cards.

Into the Inkdark is currently scheduled for Q1 2027. Exact dates are to be confirmed.

A Digital Lorcana Game Is Finally in Development

The most-requested addition to the Lorcana ecosystem since launch is coming. Ravensburger confirmed at D23 that a digital version of Disney Lorcana is in development for mobile and desktop platforms, with no release window announced yet. For Singapore players who have been following the gap left by the shutdown of the fan-made Pixelborn client, this is the official answer. Sign-up links for updates have gone live on disneylorcana.com.

Everything Else From the D23 Lorcana Panel

Beyond the major reveals, Ravensburger announced several supporting products and initiatives. Cosmic Quest (Set 16) is a space-themed chapter targeting Q2 2027. A Beauty and the Beast Curator’s Collection — featuring stained-glass-inspired artwork to mark the film’s 35th anniversary — arrives October 2027. The Disney Lorcana Visual Guide, a companion book covering every set released so far, releases 1 February 2027.

The competitive calendar is rolling into a Season of Villainy to match the villain-heavy set releases, and Lorcana is expanding onto Disney Cruise Line ships and returning to EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts in 2027, with exclusive Figment promo cards at the latter.

Ravensburger also confirmed that 2.8 billion Lorcana cards have been sold globally since the game launched in 2023 — a number that underscores just how firmly the game has planted itself in the worldwide TCG landscape, Singapore included. Local game shops and hobby stores can expect the October pre-release kits for Hyperia City to be popular — check with your regular retailer for event sign-up details.

For the full rundown on every card and product revealed, see the Disney Parks Blog recap and the official Hyperia City product page. More stories at GameTrader News.

News

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration — Sugimori’s Pikachu Is Card #01/30

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The Pokémon TCG’s upcoming 30th Celebration expansion has been building excitement since its June announcement, but the reveal of card #01/30 in the Pikachu subset just made things personal for collectors who grew up with the original game. Ken Sugimori — whose art defined what Pokémon looked like for an entire generation — is back as a card illustrator, and the Pikachu he drew for this set is exactly as nostalgic as you’d hope.

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration | Available September 16 — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

Sugimori’s Pikachu Card — Card #01/30

Ken Sugimori Pikachu card 01/30 from Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The card is numbered 017/103 in the full set and 01/30 in the Pikachu promo subset. Sugimori’s Pikachu has 70 HP, one attack (Electric Shock, 20 damage with a coin flip for paralysis), and a design that sits comfortably between the rounded “chubbychu” of the original Base Set and today’s slimmer look — a deliberate echo of the classic Jungle expansion Pikachu, also illustrated by Sugimori. The sparkle foil treatment and large 30th Anniversary watermark on the card back complete the celebratory feel.

Sugimori’s credit on the card matters because, since the Scarlet & Violet era, he has been listed as a supervisor on the TCG rather than a card artist. His return to drawing the card himself — for the set’s first Pikachu — is the kind of detail that long-time collectors notice. The set’s artwork across its 30 Pikachu cards has been covered at PokéBeach.

Atsuko Nishida Draws Card #25/30

Sugimori is not the only legend in the 30-card Pikachu subset. Atsuko Nishida — the Game Freak designer who created Pikachu’s original character design — illustrates card #25/30. Having both the artist who painted Pikachu’s Base Set portrait and the designer who gave Pikachu its look in the same expansion is as close as the TCG gets to a tribute to the character’s origins.

The September 16 Global Launch — What It Means for Singapore Collectors

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Pikachu ex Day and Night cards
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

As we noted in our coverage of the Japan lottery, the 30th Celebration expansion breaks a 30-year tradition: it launches simultaneously worldwide on 16 September 2026. For Singapore collectors who have always waited weeks or imported from Japan, getting the same cards on the same day as every other market is genuinely historic.

Every booster pack in the expansion contains at least one foil Pikachu rare from the 30-card subset — and every card in the 30th Celebration set is foil, with no standard non-foil commons or uncommons in the base print run. The Futuristic rare slots feature Mew ex and Mewtwo ex in eye-catching holographic finishes, shown in the official trailer above. Singapore fans can also connect to the TCG community through events like local TCG gatherings and conventions.

Game News

Wild Blue Skies Is Out Now — From the Original Star Fox Team

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If you grew up barrel-rolling through Corneria on the SNES or the N64, here is some news worth sitting up for. Wild Blue Skies, a modern on-rails shooter from Chuhai Labs — the studio founded by Giles Goddard, one of the original programmers on the SNES Star Fox — landed on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam on 13 August 2026 for US$14.99. It is already playable right now for Singapore fans on all three platforms.

Wild Blue Skies aerial gameplay over a colourful harbour city
Image courtesy of Chuhai Labs / Balor Games

What Is Wild Blue Skies?

Wild Blue Skies drops you into the cockpit of Bowie Stray and the Blue Bombers on a mission to stop the villainous Grimclaw’s forces from tearing apart their world. The action unfolds on rails — you are always moving forward, weaving through a rich stream of enemies, obstacles, and branching routes — in exactly the way that made Star Fox 64 feel electric.

The game offers four playable pilots, each with distinct playstyles, and branching mission paths that keep runs feeling fresh. A scoring and mastery system gives speedrunners and high-scorers plenty to chase. The visual style leans fully into anime-inspired aesthetics: vivid colour, chunky ships, expressive character portraits, and biomes ranging from glittering coastal cities and sun-baked desert dunes to icy caverns and lava-filled volcanoes. It looks great on a big screen.

Wild Blue Skies canyon flight sequence at sunset
Image courtesy of Chuhai Labs / Balor Games

Watch the Gameplay

Wild Blue Skies: Official Re-Reveal Gameplay — via IGN on YouTube

The Star Fox DNA — and the Switch 2 Timing

Giles Goddard worked at Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters in the 1990s, where he helped develop the 3D engine that powered the original Star Fox on SNES. He later founded Vitei Inc. in Japan, a studio behind a number of Nintendo-platform experiments. Chuhai Labs and the co-developer VITEI BACKROOM Inc. carry that lineage forward.

The timing is hard to miss. Nintendo’s official Star Fox remake for Switch 2 launched on 25 June 2026, ending a decade-long drought for the franchise. Wild Blue Skies arrives just weeks later — a parallel on-rails adventure from the people who helped invent the genre. For fans on PS5 or PC who are still waiting for a Switch 2, this is the closest thing to a new Star Fox they can play right now.

Wild Blue Skies ice level with crystalline blue scenery
Image courtesy of Chuhai Labs / Balor Games

Critical Reception

Reviews have been mixed-to-positive: Wild Blue Skies sits at 61 on Metacritic (PS5) and 68 on PC. Critics who love the genre — tight arcade controls, branching paths, satisfying score-chasing — have responded warmly. Those expecting a longer experience or deeper narrative have found it thin. At US$14.99, the price point largely answers that criticism.

Wild Blue Skies desert level with enemy formation over dunes
Image courtesy of Chuhai Labs / Balor Games

How to Play and What Singapore Fans Should Know

Wild Blue Skies is out now on Steam (PC / Steam Deck), PlayStation 5 (via the SG PlayStation Store), and Xbox Series X|S at US$14.99. A Nintendo Switch version is confirmed for Autumn 2026, no exact date yet — published by Balor Games.

There is no region lock. Singapore players can purchase and play on all three current platforms without restrictions. If you grew up with Star Fox and have been itching for that on-rails fix, Wild Blue Skies is the most direct route to that feeling you can take right now. Check our game news section for the Switch release date when it lands.

Wild Blue Skies lava cave level with glowing enemies
Image courtesy of Chuhai Labs / Balor Games

Event

Higedan Pop-Up Is Live at 313@Somerset — Stardust Out Now

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The Official Hige Dandism pop-up at 313@Somerset opened today and runs through 23 August 2026 — nine days to swing by Orchard Road and grab exclusive merch from one of Japan’s biggest rock acts. As we covered when the concert was announced, Higedan’s 21 August show at The Star Theatre sold out in record time. The pop-up is the alternative experience for fans who missed out on tickets — and this week the band also dropped a brand-new single, “Stardust,” timed to the Asia tour.

Official Hige Dandism performing in the Stardust official music video
Image courtesy of Official Hige Dandism

What’s at the Higedan Pop-Up at 313@Somerset

The pop-up is part of the OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM 2026 ASIA POP-UP, which spans Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Bangkok. The Singapore leg runs 15–23 August at 313@Somerset Shopping Mall on Orchard Road. Entry is free and open to walk-ins.

Alongside the usual Asia Tour merch line — including a Hawaiian shirt (SGD 80), a band towel (SGD 30), a rubberband wristlet (SGD 12), a passport case (SGD 25) and a city-exclusive keyholder (SGD 13) — there are three Singapore City Exclusive items you won’t find at any other tour stop:

  • Singapore Edition T-Shirt — SGD 65
  • Singapore Edition Poster — SGD 14
  • Singapore Edition LED Magnet — SGD 19

From 1 August to 30 September, the store also features an exclusive OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM × PHOTOISM collaboration photo frame — a city-specific keepsake available only at each Asia tour location. The pop-up additionally stocks OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM LIVE at STADIUM 2025 on DVD, Blu-ray and CD (released 15 July 2026), so there’s something to take home whether or not you’re a merch collector.

Stock is limited. Singapore City Exclusives won’t be restocked, so earlier in the run is better.

Official Hige Dandism Asia Tour 2026 merchandise catalog with SGD prices including T-shirts, Hawaiian shirt, towel and accessories
Image courtesy of Official Hige Dandism

New Single “Stardust” — Watch the Official Video

Timed to the Asia tour, Higedan released their latest single “Stardust” (スターダスト) with a cinematic official music video. If you came to the band through their anime tie-ins — “Cry Baby” for Tokyo Revengers, “Mixed Nuts” for SPY x FAMILY, or “Make Me Wonder” for The Darwin Incident — Stardust is their next chapter and worth adding to your playlist before the 21 August show.

Official髭男dism — スターダスト [Official Video] via Official髭男dism on YouTube

Pop-Up Logistics: 313@Somerset, 15–23 August

“We are incredibly excited to bring our music to Singapore for the first time,” the band said in their press statement ahead of the Singapore leg. “Singapore holds a special place in our hearts, and we can’t wait to connect with our fans there.”

The 313@Somerset pop-up is open now and runs through 23 August 2026. No tickets needed — just head to the mall on Orchard Road. The Star Theatre concert on 21 August is fully sold out and there is no resale or waitlist confirmed. Check the official Singapore event page for any updates on store hours. Browse our other Singapore events this August for more things happening around the city.

Game News

Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited Arrives 27 August — First Mainline Entry in 11 Years

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The franchise many thought Compile Heart had quietly retired is making its loudest comeback in over a decade. Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited (超新時空ゲイム ネプテューヌ∞) launches in Japan on 27 August 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 — and it is the first numbered mainline entry in the series since Megadimension Neptunia VII in 2015, an 11-year gap filled largely by remakes and spin-offs.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited key art showing Purple Heart, Red Heart, Blue Heart and Anna/Lot against a cosmic backdrop
Image courtesy of Compile Heart / Idea Factory
Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited — Announcement Trailer — via Compile Heart on YouTube

The Series You May Have Forgotten About

For the uninitiated: the Hyperdimension Neptunia series is a JRPG franchise set in Gamindustri, a world of warring console goddess-nations that serve as affectionate parodies of real gaming companies — Purple Heart / Neptune (Sega), Black Heart / Noire (PlayStation), White Heart / Blanc (Nintendo), and Green Heart / Vert (Xbox). The series ran from 2010 to 2015 before entering an extended hiatus of remakes, mobile titles, and spin-offs. For longtime fans in Singapore who grew up with the Re;Birth trilogy on PS Vita, Unlimited is the sequel they have been waiting for.

Three New Goddesses, Three New Consoles

Three new CPU goddess characters from Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited representing modern gaming consoles
Image courtesy of Compile Heart / Idea Factory

Unlimited brings the roster up to 11 playable characters. The four original CPUs return — Neptune (Rie Tanaka), Noire (Asami Imai), Blanc (Kana Asumi), Vert (Rina Sato) — along with all four CPU Candidates. Three brand-new goddesses personify the current hardware generation:

  • Rouge (Red Heart) — Nintendo Switch 2, voiced by Hana Shimano
  • Ciel (Blue Heart) — PlayStation 5, voiced by Momoka Terasawa
  • Anna & Lot (Eclipse Heart) — Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X respectively, voiced by Yukino Nishizono

Character artwork is by franchise veteran illustrator Tsunako. The theme song “Muteki no Kizuna -Re:boot & Update-” is performed by Rie Tanaka, Neptune’s voice actress.

Gamindustri Takes to the Sky

Purple Heart (Neptune) flies through a bright green outdoor field in Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited gameplay
Image courtesy of Compile Heart / Idea Factory

The defining new mechanic in Unlimited is full 3D aerial exploration. In CPU form, all goddesses fly freely through Gamindustri’s environments, engaging airborne enemies and using height-advantage dive attacks. Dengeki Online’s pre-release hands-on — the first system-level deep dive published ahead of launch (Japanese) — describes how combos auto-chain by proximity, simplifying inputs without stripping tactical depth.

Two standout systems round out combat:

  • Tactical Link: chains skills across characters to stack damage multipliers up to 2×
  • Apocalypse Clash Battle: deploys all 11 goddesses simultaneously against colossal boss enemies in the game’s most demanding encounters
Neptune and other CPUs fly above a neon-lit Gamindustri city at night in Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited
Image courtesy of Compile Heart / Idea Factory

The Dengeki pre-release review awarded the game a 9.4/10, calling the aerial combat loop the strongest the series has delivered to date.

Can Singapore Fans Play It?

As of writing, Hyperdimension Neptunia Unlimited is confirmed for Japan only — no Asian or English release has been announced by Idea Factory International (IFI), the studio’s usual English publisher. That said, IFI has localized every mainline Neptunia entry to date, so an English version is widely expected — just not confirmed yet.

PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 are both region-free, meaning Japanese physical copies work on Singapore hardware without any modification. The standard edition is priced at ¥8,580 (roughly S$75–80 at current rates); a Galaxy Limited Edition (¥19,800) bundles an art book, soundtrack CD, and Season Pass. The PS4 version is digital only. Import retailers such as CDJapan and Play-Asia stock Japanese game releases and ship to Singapore.

The game launches in Japan on 27 August 2026. Check Compile Heart’s official product page for the latest updates. For more JRPG and game news, see our Game News section.

Manga Anime

WIT Studio Teases New Attack on Titan Project — Announcement Coming 20 August

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WIT Studio, the animation house that gave Attack on Titan its iconic look across Seasons 1–3, has just teased something new — and the AoT fandom is losing its collective mind over it. On 13 August 2026, the studio posted an official visual to their social channels carrying a single line of Japanese text and a date: 20 August 2026.

The Official Teaser: “Its Name Is Attack on Titan”

The teaser image released on WIT Studio’s official X account arranges close-up eye shots of the core Survey Corps cast — Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Levi Ackerman, Erwin Smith, and Hange Zoë — in horizontal strips against a deep red-to-violet gradient. Stamped across the image in bold white kanji: 名は 進撃の巨人 (“Its Name Is Attack on Titan”). Beneath it, the date 2026.8.20. The copyright line reads: ©諫山創・講談社／「進撃の巨人」The Final Season 製作委員会 — directly from the official Attack on Titan The Final Season Production Committee, not a third-party licensee.

The accompanying post was cryptic: WIT Studio suggested that these characters, “during ‘that period’,” would be gathering for a special dinner. No format, no platform, no title — just an unmistakably official tease and a six-day countdown. The studio’s choice to invoke the WIT Studio era cast (rather than the Marley arc or Rumbling-era characters MAPPA animated) is deliberate and pointed.

WIT Studio Attack on Titan August Monthly Postcard featuring Jean Kirstein by Kyoji Asano
Image courtesy of WIT Studio / Attack on Titan The Final Season Production Committee

WIT Studio’s Return to the AoT Universe — The Context

The August 20 tease doesn’t come out of nowhere. Since April 2026, WIT Studio has been running the Kyoji Asano Monthly Original Drawing Project — limited-edition postcard illustrations by AoT’s original chief animation director, available as purchase bonuses at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA and Kyoto IP stores. August’s postcard features Jean Kirstein; previous months covered Eren and Armin. Alongside this, WIT Studio launched a UKIYO-E series — merchandise rendered in the style of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, featuring Erwin, Levi, and other Survey Corps members on hanging scrolls, metal badge pins, and acrylic keychains.

WIT Studio Attack on Titan UKIYO-E series hanging scroll tapestries featuring Erwin and Levi
Image courtesy of WIT Studio / Attack on Titan The Final Season Production Committee

And on 13 August — the same day as the teaser — WIT Studio quietly marked its 15th anniversary, publishing an interview with founder Wada Joji reflecting on the studio’s journey. The timing looks intentional: a studio milestone and an AoT bombshell on the same day.

What Could It Be? Mark 20 August on Your Calendar

Nothing is confirmed until the 20th, but the teaser’s elements give fans plenty to work with. The exclusive focus on the WIT Studio era cast, the “special dinner during that period” framing, and the official Production Committee copyright all point to a new animated work rather than another merchandise drop. Speculation is running hot across Reddit, X, and Discord: a WIT Studio OVA covering a previously unshown scene? A remastered compilation film showcasing the Season 1–3 arc? Something else entirely?

Whatever it is, it lands at a particularly charged moment for Singapore AoT fans. The Attack on Titan: Symphony from Paradis concert is confirmed for Singapore this November, and the Attack on Titan 3 action game from Omega Force and Koei Tecmo locks in its December 10 release date. A new WIT Studio announcement would complete a year that has already handed local fans more AoT content than any year since the anime concluded. The announcement drops 20 August — follow @WIT_STUDIO on X to catch it live.

More anime news on GameTrader

Game News

Sonic Frontiers Hits 5 Million — SA2 Shoes Now Free for All Players

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SEGA confirmed this week that Sonic Frontiers has officially surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide — and to thank fans, the studio is making a previously exclusive cosmetic completely free. The Sonic Adventure 2 SOAP shoes are now available to every player on every platform at no cost, no newsletter sign-up required.

Sonic Frontiers open-world island vista with Sonic standing on ancient ruins overlooking the sea
Image courtesy of SEGA

What Are the SA2 SOAP Shoes?

The SOAP shoes are a costume piece for Sonic in Frontiers — the chunky grind-sneakers Sonic wore throughout Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), back when grinding on rails was his defining trick. They are a purely cosmetic item: Sonic still plays identically, but fans who grew up with SA2 will recognise the look immediately. When Sonic Frontiers launched in November 2022, the shoes were gated behind a newsletter subscription with a sign-up deadline of January 31, 2023 — anyone who missed that window simply could not get them through official means.

SEGA’s official X account announced the milestone celebration: “We’ve Found Our Flame — and it’s you! Thank you for helping Sonic Frontiers surpass 5 MILLION copies sold!” The shoes are now universally available across PC (Steam), PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms including the Switch 2. Check your platform’s DLC listings or the in-game extras menu for the free unlock — no code or additional purchase required.

How the Switch 2 Pushed Sonic Over the Line

Sonic grinding along a rail in Sonic Frontiers open-world, collecting gold rings
Image courtesy of SEGA

Sonic Frontiers reached 4.57 million units as of November 2025 — then stalled for several months. The release of Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2026, packed with all DLC and The Final Horizon expansion, clearly provided the final push. The Definitive Edition is available on the Nintendo eShop and at major game retailers locally; if you have not yet played the game, this is the most complete version available.

Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – Launch Trailer — via Sonic the Hedgehog on YouTube

Five Million: What It Means for Sonic

Sonic battling a large mechanical boss enemy in the grassy open world of Sonic Frontiers
Image courtesy of SEGA

Sonic Frontiers was a divisive pitch when it launched in late 2022 — the first open-world Sonic game, landing at a time when the franchise had not had a consensus hit in over a decade. Five million copies is a meaningful number for SEGA: it confirms that the direction taken with Frontiers found a genuine audience, and makes the upcoming follow-up easier to greenlight with confidence. Singapore players who were on the fence about the Definitive Edition now have an extra incentive to grab it and claim the SA2 shoes before SEGA decides to put an expiry on the offer.

For more game news and updates, stay tuned to GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Tenkaichi Anime Confirmed for April 2027 — Cast Revealed

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If you’ve ever wanted to see Miyamoto Musashi, Honda Tadakatsu, and a whole roster of Japan’s greatest historical fighters settle things once and for all in an anime — this one’s for you. Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun (テンカイチ 日本最強武芸者決定戦) is officially getting a TV anime, premiering in April 2027, and the first teaser PV and cast are out now.

Tenkaichi anime — cast key visual showing all fighters facing off
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

What Is Tenkaichi?

The manga, written by Yōsuke Nakamaru and illustrated by Kyōtarō Azuma, launched in Kodansha’s Monthly Young Magazine in January 2021 and has been running ever since — 14 volumes in as of August 2026. The premise is deliciously simple: the year is 1600, Oda Nobunaga has unified Japan and is getting old, and rather than naming an heir, he announces a tournament. Whoever brings him the strongest warrior in the land wins control of the country.

The result is a single-elimination martial arts bracket — anything goes, death is on the table — pitting Japan’s legendary fighters against each other in match-ups that history never gave us. First up: undefeated prodigy Miyamoto Musashi (sponsored by the Chōsokabe clan) versus peerless spear-wielder Honda Tadakatsu (sponsored by Tokugawa Ieyasu). If you love Vinland Saga or Rurouni Kenshin, Tenkaichi occupies a similar space: real historical figures, deeply fictional fights, spectacular violence. The manga is available in English on Kodansha’s K Manga platform if you want to start reading before April 2027 rolls around.

The Warriors Assemble — Cast and Staff

The teaser PV dropped on August 13, 2026 alongside the key visual and the first cast reveals, as reported by Anime News Network. Studio Fugaku is producing the animation with Masashi Abe directing, Kazuharu Sato handling series composition, and Hayato Matsuo composing the music. Character designs are by Ryōji Nakamori.

The three cast members announced so far:

  • Miyamoto Musashi — voiced by Gen Sato
  • Honda Tadakatsu — voiced by Kenichiro Matsuda
  • Oda Nobunaga — voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi
Tenkaichi anime — Miyamoto Musashi official character design
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

Watch the Teaser PV

Official Teaser PV — via TVアニメ『テンカイチ』公式 on YouTube
Tenkaichi anime teaser PV — Miyamoto Musashi with 2027.04 broadcast announcement
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

The teaser is largely mood and atmosphere — Nobunaga declaring the tournament, brief glimpses of the combatants, and enough of Musashi’s wooden-sword style to get your blood pumping. It establishes that this is going to be a brutal, high-stakes affair.

Read the Manga Before April 2027

14 volumes is a manageable catch-up — and volume 14 ships on August 20, so there’s never been a better moment to dive in. Tenkaichi is published in English digitally on K Manga, Kodansha’s official digital platform, which Singapore readers can access. If you enjoy historical action manga in the vein of Vagabond or the bonkers spectacle of Record of Ragnarok, Tenkaichi sits somewhere in between: historically grounded character identities with full creative licence on the fights. Check out more manga and anime news on GameTrader.

When and Where to Watch

The anime premieres in April 2027 in Japan. Streaming rights for Singapore and the broader Southeast Asia region have not been announced yet — watch the official Tenkaichi anime website for updates. Given Kodansha’s existing relationships with Crunchyroll for other titles, an international simulcast is possible, but nothing is confirmed. We’ll update when streaming details land.