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Nova Solaris

Manga Anime

Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage Key Visual — Anime Expo Reveal on 3 July

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The Steel Ball Run race is still running strong. Warner Bros. Japan unveiled a brand-new key visual for Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure 2nd Stage on 26 June, and confirmed that further details about the upcoming series will be announced at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on 3 July — just one week away. The 2nd Stage arrives on Netflix in Fall 2026 with weekly episodes, and Singapore fans streaming on Netflix are in line for the ride.

Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2nd Stage key visual featuring Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan

Steel Ball Run Anime 2nd Stage: A New Key Visual and What It Signals

The new key visual, released by Warner Bros. Japan, is the clearest sign yet that production on the 2nd Stage is moving at pace. The adaptation is produced by David Production — the same studio behind every previous JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime season — and continues the story of former jockey Johnny Joestar and mysterious outlaw Gyro Zeppeli competing in the Steel Ball Run, a punishing cross-continental horse race across 1890s America for a US$50 million prize.

The 2nd Stage is set to premiere on Netflix with a weekly release schedule. That delivery format is a direct response to fan frustration over the 1st Stage debut — a standalone 47-minute special that dropped on 19 March 2026 and left the community waiting months for clarification on what came next. In April, Netflix and Warner Bros. Japan confirmed Fall 2026 weekly episodes, and the new key visual now arriving signals that the countdown is on.

STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure 2nd STAGE | Official Teaser | Netflix — via Netflix Philippines on YouTube

Into the Devil’s Palm: What the 2nd Stage Covers

The 2nd Stage takes Johnny and Gyro into the harshest stretch of the race yet — a 750-mile desert crossing centred on a supernatural location the locals fear as the Devil’s Palm. As the competitors press deeper into this cursed ground, unsettling incidents begin mounting among the other racers, and a shadowy culprit lurks within the contest itself. The 2nd Stage teaser shown at AnimeJapan 2026 in March framed the arc as both a survival test and a murder mystery, raising the stakes of the race well beyond prize money.

Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2nd Stage announcement visual
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan

Anime Expo 2026: What Singapore Fans Should Expect on 3 July

Warner Bros. Japan confirmed that new information will drop at Anime Expo 2026 on 3 July in Los Angeles. The convention’s main event days run 4–7 July, but major studios routinely hold press-only reveals on 3 July ahead of the public opening. For Steel Ball Run, that announcement could mean a firmer Fall 2026 premiere date, a full trailer, or additional character details for the Devil’s Palm arc. There’s no confirmed Singapore or SEA-specific announcement scheduled, though Netflix’s global delivery model means Singapore subscribers on Netflix will receive episodes simultaneously with the rest of the world once the weekly schedule begins.

Stay tuned — we’ll cover whatever drops on 3 July. In the meantime, check out our other anime news for everything else Singapore fans are watching this season.

Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on Netflix
Image courtesy of Netflix / Warner Bros. Japan

Manga Anime

Sekiro: No Defeat Anime Film Hits Japan on 4 September — Crunchyroll Worldwide Streaming Confirmed

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Seven years after Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice swept the Game of the Year awards and consumed an untold number of hours for players worldwide, FromSoftware’s samurai action classic is getting its anime adaptation. Sekiro: No Defeat has confirmed a Japan theatrical opening date of 4 September 2026, with advance tickets going on sale today — and Crunchyroll worldwide streaming rights already secured for audiences outside Japan.

Sekiro: No Defeat anime film official key art
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

Studio, Director, and a Fully Hand-Drawn Approach

Animation is handled by Qzil.la, with KADOKAWA and ARCH overseeing production. Director Kenichi Kutsuna makes his feature film directorial debut on the project, with Takuya Sato on screenplay and Takahiro Kishida as character designer. The production commits to full 2D hand-drawn animation throughout — no CGI substitutes.

The film already appeared on the international festival circuit before its wide theatrical rollout, with screenings at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Fantasia International Film Festival. The official PV released today alongside the advance ticket announcement gives the clearest look yet at how the title’s parry-heavy combat and Sengoku Japan atmosphere translate into animation.

「SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT」PV｜2026年劇場版全国公開 — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

Japan Theatrical Run — And When Singapore Fans Can Watch

The Japan theatrical run is a limited three-week engagement from 4 September 2026. For Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia, the good news is that Crunchyroll has confirmed worldwide streaming rights — though a specific streaming date has not been announced yet. A release following the theatrical window, likely in late 2026 or early 2027, is the most reasonable expectation based on how Crunchyroll has handled similar Japanese theatrical exclusives.

Sekiro: No Defeat anime scene promotional image
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

There is no Singapore theatrical release confirmed at this time. Advance tickets for the Japan run are priced at ¥1,600 (approximately SGD 14.50) and are available now via participating Japanese cinema chains. The advance tickets include a collectible bonus item.

FromSoftware’s Most Award-Laden Game Gets an Anime

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice launched in 2019 and won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, among other industry honours. Its uncompromising parry-centric combat and Sengoku Japan setting built one of FromSoftware’s most devoted fanbases — one that only expanded as Elden Ring brought millions of new players to the studio’s world.

Sekiro: No Defeat anime film scene
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

For Singapore fans who spent hours at the feet of Genichiro or the Demon of Hatred, seeing those encounters adapted into animation is the central draw. The PV leans heavily into action choreography, which should reassure anyone who worried this might become a slow character drama at the expense of its source material’s defining quality.

Sekiro: No Defeat anime promotional visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

Follow developments at sekiro-anime.jp (Japanese) for the latest updates, and keep an eye on Crunchyroll for streaming details. For more anime news on GameTrader, check our dedicated section.

Game News, Singapore Gaming Scene

You Are Already Dead: Kenshiro Hits Fatal Fury This June

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The post-apocalyptic heir to Hokuto Shinken is heading to South Town. SNK has confirmed Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star as the sixth and final DLC character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves‘ Season Pass 2, launching sometime this month — and EVO 2026, which kicked off today in Las Vegas, is your first chance to play him.

Kenshiro character showcase for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Image courtesy of SNK
FATAL FURY: CotW × FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: HOKUTO NO KEN｜KENSHIRO｜Character Trailer — via SNK OFFICIAL on YouTube

The Kenshiro Fatal Fury Crossover: Why This Pairing Makes Sense

For anyone who grew up watching anime in Singapore in the late 80s and 90s — or encountered the countless memes that followed — Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳) needs no introduction. He is the protagonist of Tetsuo Hara and Buronson’s seminal post-apocalyptic manga, which ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988 and was adapted into a landmark 1984 anime series. His lethal martial art Hokuto Shinken — targeting pressure points to destroy opponents from the inside — gave the world one of the most quoted anime lines of all time.

SNK’s decision to cross him over into Fatal Fury is not random: both franchises are rooted in the same era of Japanese action culture, and the timing is deliberate. As SNK states in the official announcement, his arrival “coincides with the all-new Fist of the North Star: HOKUTO NO KEN anime, currently airing in Japan and around the world” — the 2026 remake series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 11 and is now running globally.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves gameplay
Image courtesy of SNK

How Kenshiro Plays in City of the Wolves

SNK describes Kenshiro’s kit as focused on “fast and formidable strikes, channelling point activations and status changes, and impressive combo options.” The character trailer shows a close-range, high-pressure playstyle — rapid blitz combos with body-implosion finishers that are faithful to the source material. He is voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi in Japanese and Clayton Alexander in English.

Kenshiro is the sixth and final character in Season Pass 2, joining Kim Jae Hoon, Nightmare Geese, Blue Mary, Wolfgang Krauser, and Mr. Karate. Season Pass 2 is available standalone for US$19.99. The Legend Edition — which bundles the base game with both Season Passes 1 and 2 — is currently discounted on Steam until July 9. Check the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Steam page for current SGD pricing. The game is also on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X|S.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves fighter showdown
Image courtesy of SNK

Demo Live at EVO 2026 This Weekend

EVO 2026 is running June 26–28 in Las Vegas, and Kenshiro is available on the showfloor as a playable hands-on preview. SNK has confirmed his full launch for “June 2026” without locking a specific date — with EVO underway and the demo already live, a shadow drop during the event window is looking very likely.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is in the main EVO 2026 bracket alongside Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, and eleven other titles. For Singapore FGC players watching from home, the pools and Showcase streams are free on EVO’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. Evening sessions in Las Vegas (PDT) land in the early morning hours SGT — PDT + 15 hours — so plan accordingly. Find more fighting game and gaming news on GameTrader.SG.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves action combat
Image courtesy of SNK

Manga Anime

Sakamoto Days Season 2 Is Coming to Netflix in January 2027

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Netflix just dropped the first teaser for Sakamoto Days Season 2, and the world’s most lovable retired hitman is trading his corner shop for a full-blown assassin academy. The second season arrives in January 2027 on Netflix worldwide — Singapore fans, mark your calendars.

Sakamoto Days | Season 2 Teaser Trailer — via Netflix Anime on YouTube

Undercover at JCC — The Season 2 Story

Season 2 picks up with Taro Sakamoto and Shin going deep undercover at the Japan Clear Creation (JCC) — the country’s elite assassin training institution. Their mission: gather intel on the mysterious figure known only as X, or “Slur,” a name that sent a chill through the final episodes of Season 1.

The execution is brilliantly absurd. Sakamoto disguises himself as his wife Aoi and poses as a student teacher, while Shin enrolls as a regular student. If Season 1 was already a masterclass in mixing domestic comedy with brutal action, Season 2 is pushing the premise to its logical extreme — and it sounds like it works perfectly.

Shin from Sakamoto Days Season 2 with blue lightning energy
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Netflix

While Sakamoto and Shin navigate the academy, ORDER agents Nagumo, Shishiba, and Osaragi head to Kyoto on a separate mission — only to be ambushed by an unexpected assailant. Season 2 also reportedly digs into the shared history of young Sakamoto, Nagumo, Rion, and Slur, giving the anime the origin-story backstory the manga’s fanbase has been hungry for.

New Director, Same DNA

The behind-the-scenes lineup sees one key change: Season 1 director Masaki Watanabe steps into a Supervising Director role, handing the reins to Daisuke Nakajima — who directed the standout episode 22 of the first season. The rest of the core team is back: Taku Kishimoto on series composition, Yo Moriyama on character design, Yuki Hayashi composing the score, and TMS Entertainment handling animation production.

Nakajima set expectations high in a statement published on Netflix’s official newsroom: “I will spare nothing in depicting the stylish action and individual aesthetics of Suzuki-sensei’s uniquely vivid cast of assassins.” Based on the teaser alone, TMS looks to be pushing the visual quality up another notch — the Shin close-up alone has more crispness and energy than a lot of what Season 1 delivered in its quieter stretches.

Taro Sakamoto in the official Season 2 teaser for Sakamoto Days
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Netflix

For more anime news and previews, head to our Manga & Anime section.

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch It

This one is easy: Netflix, available in Singapore from day one. Sakamoto Days Season 1 spent ten consecutive weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10 for non-English series when it launched in 2025, making it one of the platform’s biggest anime hits. Season 2 carries no region lock and no local distribution deal to wait for — if you have a Netflix subscription, you’re sorted the moment it drops in January 2027.

The teaser was revealed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival alongside the full official key visual — a clean, bold poster of Sakamoto and Shin standing back-to-back under the words “NEXT STAGE,” with January 2027 stamped at the bottom. It’s confident, and for good reason.

Game News

Pokémon TCG Pocket: Everyday Wonders Launches 30 June — Mega Diancie ex, Cosy Cards, July Events

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The next wave of Pokémon TCG Pocket packs is less than a week away, and it is exactly as cute as it sounds. Everyday Wonders (expansion code B3b) launches on 30 June 2026 at 9am SGT, bringing a fresh roster of cosy, slice-of-life card art alongside three brand-new ex Pokémon — including the format’s first-ever Mega. Singapore players can dive in the moment servers go live, and there are no regional restrictions to worry about.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Everyday Wonders official trailer thumbnail — Pikachu, Piplup and Snorlax
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Watch the Everyday Wonders Official Trailer

Pokémon TCG Pocket: Everyday Wonders | Official Trailer — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

What’s in the Everyday Wonders Card Set

Everyday Wonders is the twelfth themed expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket and leans fully into the cuter, calmer side of Pokémon — cards show pocket monsters dozing off, posing sweetly, or simply having a blast alongside their Trainers. The confirmed card pool includes:

Four-diamond ex cards

  • Mega Diancie ex — the first Mega Pokémon to appear in TCG Pocket, making it an instant collector target
  • Dedenne ex — a Tools-synergy attacker that grows stronger the more Tool cards you have in play
  • Hisuian Zoroark ex — a dark-type fan favourite returning from the Hisui region

Other revealed cards: Pikachu, Piplup, Snorlax, Sylveon, Greedent, Hisuian Lilligant, Hisuian Goodra, Rockruff, Fidough, Yamper, Slowpoke, and Quagsire — spanning the main series and Hisui variants. New Trainer cards include Puppy Loving Girl and the Item card Small Balloon.

Pikachu card art from Pokémon TCG Pocket Everyday Wonders expansion
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

New Mechanics to Try Out

Everyday Wonders brings a few interesting new interactions to the Pocket metagame. Sylveon can restore 30 HP to one of your Benched Pokémon each turn while it holds a Tool card — a steady healing engine that pairs naturally with bulky, Tool-heavy builds. Dedenne ex scales its attack alongside the number of Tools in play, making the two cards obvious partners.

The new Item card Small Balloon reduces any Basic Pokémon’s retreat cost by one energy, giving faster decks some welcome flexibility. Several Pokémon in the expansion also share a move called Puppy Pile, tying Rockruff, Fidough, Yamper and the Puppy Loving Girl Trainer into a thematically cohesive puppy cluster — arguably the most aggressively adorable corner of the entire set.

Sylveon card art from Pokémon TCG Pocket Everyday Wonders expansion
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

July Events to Mark in Your Calendar

The expansion rolls out alongside a month-long schedule of in-game events running through July 2026:

  • Everyday Wonders Emblem Event (early to mid-July): Battle-based missions rewarding shinedust and exclusive emblems for your profile.
  • Community Week (mid-July): Trading and sharing missions that hand out Pack Hourglasses and cosmetic accessories.
  • Hisuian Zorua Drop Event (mid-to-late July): Win special battles to unlock a Hisuian Zorua promo card — a must-grab for Hisui region collectors.
  • Wonder Pick Event (mid-to-late July): A wonder pick pool featuring Growlithe and Emolga cards.

On 1 July, new collection files and display boards depicting all five of the expansion’s flagship Pokémon — Pikachu, Piplup, Sylveon, Greedent and Snorlax — will be added so you can deck out your card collection display in style.

Snorlax card art from Pokémon TCG Pocket Everyday Wonders expansion
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

When Singapore Players Can Open Packs

Everyday Wonders goes live at 9am SGT on 30 June 2026 (that is 6pm PDT on 29 June for those tracking the global rollout). Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is free-to-play on iOS and Android worldwide, and the new expansion is available globally with no region locking — so there is nothing standing between Singapore players and that Mega Diancie ex except Pack Hourglasses and a little luck.

Keep an eye on the Game News section here at GameTrader.SG as the July event schedule firms up and more card reveals land ahead of launch.

Manga Anime, News

Singapore’s Kasagi Labo Announces Ninja Scroll Film, Casshan 2045 and Ars Gratia at Annecy

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A Singapore-based studio just made three major anime announcements at one of the world’s most prestigious animation festivals — and two of them involve classic Japanese franchises that fans have waited decades to see revived.

Kasagi Labo, the anime venture studio headquartered on Keong Saik Road in Singapore, unveiled three separate projects during its panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 24 June 2026: a new Ninja Scroll film, a reimagining of the 1973 classic Casshan titled Casshan 2045, and an original sci-fi feature called Ars Gratia.

Ninja Scroll | 4k Restoration Trailer | Coming to Theaters Oct 2026 — via HIDIVE on YouTube

Ninja Scroll: A Singapore Studio, a Legendary Franchise

The new Ninja Scroll project is being produced as a film, and Kasagi Labo has brought on Masao Maruyama — co-founder of Madhouse and MAPPA, and producer of the original 1993 Ninja Scroll film — as a special creative advisor, as reported by Anime News Network. Having Maruyama on board is a significant mark of legitimacy: he helped shape one of anime’s most iconic action films in the first place.

Plot, cast, and release window are not yet announced. The announcement arrives in the same season that the Ninja Scroll 4K restoration — supervised by original director Yoshiaki Kawajiri — is getting a limited US and Canada theatrical run in October 2026, following its world premiere at the Berlinale film festival in February. A 4K Blu-ray Steelbook is also planned for early 2027. No Singapore theatrical dates have been confirmed for the restoration; local fans will likely need to import the physical release.

Ninja Scroll 4K restoration theatrical poster
Image courtesy of HIDIVE / Sentai Filmworks

Casshan 2045: Yoshitaka Amano Reimagines a 1973 Classic

Casshan 2045 takes on Tatsunoko Production’s foundational TV anime Shinzō Ningen Casshan (1973), the story of a scientist’s son who transforms himself into a robot warrior to combat humanity-threatening machines — sacrificing his own humanity in the process. The project is still at the tentative-title stage, but Kasagi Labo has already confirmed that Yoshitaka Amano, the legendary artist whose work defines the visual identity of the Final Fantasy series, is providing original character design concepts, per Anime News Network.

Original Shinzo Ningen Casshan 1973 TV anime artwork
Image courtesy of Tatsunoko Production

Amano’s involvement alone makes this a headline. His ethereal, detail-dense style is immediately recognisable worldwide — bringing him in to reimagine Casshan signals that Kasagi Labo is after genuine artistic reinvention rather than a nostalgia cash-in. No further details on cast, studio partners, or release window have been disclosed.

Ars Gratia: An Original Sci-Fi Feature

The third announcement is an entirely original work. Ars Gratia (tentative title) is a sci-fi feature developed alongside Good Smile Company and LIDEN FILMS, with Ilya Kuvshinov — the prolific Russian-Japanese artist known for his character design work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 — serving as both director and character designer, per Anime News Network. Kuvshinov’s instantly recognisable digital painting aesthetic gives this one a very distinct look before a single frame of animation has been shown.

A Singapore Studio at the Centre of Anime Revival

GATE 2 anime key visual by Kasagi Labo
Image courtesy of Alphapolice / GATE 2 Production Committee

Kasagi Labo — led by CEO Kendrick Wong with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan — has been building steadily toward moments like this. The studio secured a USD $33 million anime production fund targeting legacy IP revivals and original works. It is already in production on GATE 2 (sequel to the beloved Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri) and an original shōnen sci-fi adventure. As Wong told Anime Corner, the studio “aims to bridge Japan’s legendary creators to global audiences hungry for authentic anime storytelling.”

For Singapore anime fans, this carries a double significance. A studio based in our own city is producing anime that will reach global audiences — which remains a rare enough fact to be remarkable. And the franchises being revived, Ninja Scroll and Casshan, are exactly the kind of classic anime that older Singapore fans encountered growing up, giving these reveals a personal resonance that a completely new IP would not have.

No release windows have been announced for any of the three projects. We will update as details emerge. For more anime news and announcements, head to our manga and anime coverage.

Manga Anime, News

Pokémon Horizons Rising Hope Part 3 Hits Netflix — But Not in Singapore

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The third and concluding part of Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope drops on Netflix tomorrow, 26 June, delivering 12 new episodes that bring Liko and Roy’s most intense season to a head. Training camps, Elite Four showdowns, and the ongoing threat of Laquium all converge. One catch for local fans, though: this Netflix release is region-locked to markets outside Asia, so Singapore is not part of the 26 June drop — more on what that means below.

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Rising Hope cast — Liko, Roy, Ult and their Pokémon
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

What Pokémon Horizons Rising Hope Part 3 Is About

Parts 1 and 2 of Rising Hope left the Rising Volt Tacklers in a tight spot. The Explorers are still at large and actively framing the crew, while Laquium — the dangerous extraterrestrial mineral driving the season’s central mystery — keeps spreading. Part 3 responds with a hard training arc: Liko, Roy, and their Pokémon head to Blueberry Academy, a facility designed for high-level battling and double battle mechanics, where Elite Four members are always ready for a match.

The mystery of Terapagos — the Pokémon whose link to Laquium has been central all season — is also set to deepen. The Brave Olivine receives a mysterious message that kicks off a new sense of urgency, suggesting Part 3 is not simply a long warm-up before a final boss.

Liko, Roy and Dot at Blueberry Academy in Pokémon Horizons Rising Hope Part 3
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Roy, Ult, and a Year’s Worth of Training

Roy arrives at Blueberry Academy noticeably stronger. His new partner is a yellow Lucario with Mega Evolution potential — a Pokémon he trained with during the one-year gap between Season 2 and Rising Hope, and the most tangible sign yet of how much he has grown as a trainer.

Rival trainer Ult, introduced midway through Season 3, continues to develop across Part 3. Quick and competitive, he battles with a Sableye and a second Pokémon still being kept deliberately off-screen before the release. Whether Ult stays as an opponent or eventually becomes something closer to a fellow Volt Tackler is one of the more compelling open questions heading into these final episodes.

Dot rounds out the Blueberry Academy trio with her Gimmighoul and Sinistcha — the kind of unpredictable type matchups that tend to catch even well-prepared opponents off guard.

Roy and rival Ult face off in Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Rising Hope Part 3
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Watch the Official Clip

An Astonishing Battle! — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

Can You Watch It in Singapore?

Pikachu in a tense battle moment in Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Rising Hope Part 3
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Short answer: not on Netflix — at least not yet. Despite the worldwide rollout, Pokémon Horizons is not in Netflix’s catalogue in Singapore, or anywhere else in Asia. Netflix holds the streaming rights only outside the region, and Rising Hope Part 3 lands on 26 June in roughly 21 markets — including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, much of Europe, Latin America and South Africa. Singapore is not on that list, so local subscribers will not see the new episodes appear on 26 June.

This applies to the whole series, not just Part 3: the original Pokémon Horizons: The Series and Parts 1 and 2 of Rising Hope are also absent from Netflix Singapore. The official Pokémon YouTube channel has been adding selected episodes over time, though availability varies by region and full seasons are not guaranteed there.

For now there is no confirmed Netflix Singapore — or other local — streaming home for Pokémon Horizons. We will update this post the moment an official Asia or Singapore release is announced, so keep an eye on GameTrader.SG.

For more anime streaming news and updates, keep an eye on GameTrader.SG.

Game Tech news, News

Steam Machine Launches 30 June — Reserve Yours Before 1 AM SGT Tonight

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Valve’s Steam Machine is real, it launches on 30 June, and Singapore gamers have until 1:00 AM SGT tomorrow (June 26) to enter the reservation lottery — sign-ups close tonight at 10:00 AM PT.

Steam Hardware Announcement — via Valve on YouTube

What Is the Steam Machine?

The Steam Machine is Valve’s compact gaming PC — a roughly 6-inch cube that runs SteamOS 3 and plays your entire Steam library from the couch or a desk. Unlike the Steam Deck, it is not a handheld; it is a dedicated home console-and-PC hybrid that connects to your monitor or television and draws on your existing Steam account, library, and friends list. Think of it as a living-room gaming PC with Valve’s software polish baked in from the factory.

Steam Machine official product render — the compact black cube with Steam Machine branding
Image courtesy of Valve

Two Models, Two Price Points

Valve is launching with two configurations at announcement, both priced in USD:

  • Steam Machine (512GB) — USD $1,049: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 six-core / twelve-thread processor, semi-custom AMD RDNA3 GPU with 28 compute units, 16 GB DDR5 system memory, 8 GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM, 512 GB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot. Integrated Steam Controller wireless adapter. No controller included.
  • Steam Machine (2TB) with Steam Controller Bundle — USD $1,428: Same internals, upgraded to a 2 TB NVMe SSD, bundled Steam Controller, and two interchangeable faceplates — a red fabric panel and a solid walnut finish. Valve is clearly positioning the hardware as something worth personalising.
Steam Machine on a gaming desk next to a monitor, with a game controller on the mouse mat
Image courtesy of Valve

What the Specs Actually Mean for Gamers

The “semi-custom AMD Zen 4” is a six-core, twelve-thread desktop-class CPU — meaningfully more powerful than the Zen 2 inside the Steam Deck. Paired with 28 RDNA3 compute units and a split memory configuration of 16 GB DDR5 plus 8 GB GDDR6, this lands solidly in mid-range gaming PC territory: enough to run most of the Steam catalogue at 1080p high or 1440p medium settings. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and gigabit ethernet. The ~6-inch cube form factor means it tucks neatly behind a monitor or under a TV. SteamOS 3 ships pre-installed; Windows can be installed separately by users if needed.

Two people gaming on a television with the Steam Machine connected below the TV in the background
Image courtesy of Valve

How to Reserve Yours — and the Deadline You Cannot Miss

Valve is not doing a standard first-come-first-served pre-order. Instead, reservation sign-ups are open now and close June 25 at 10:00 AM PT — that is June 26 at 1:00 AM SGT, tonight. Valve will then select buyers at random so that the process is, as Valve puts it, “more fair for everyone”. Successful applicants are emailed the week of June 29, in time for the June 30 launch.

Eligibility requirements:

  • Steam account in good standing
  • At least one purchase made on Steam before April 27, 2026
  • One sign-up per household; no bot accounts

To enter, head to the Steam Machine hardware page and complete the reservation form before tonight’s cutoff.

Steam Machine sitting on a media console with a soft blue LED strip glowing beneath it
Image courtesy of Valve

What Singapore Gamers Need to Know About Local Availability

The reservation form is accessible globally through Steam, and Valve has not announced geographic restrictions on who can sign up. Singapore gamers with qualifying accounts should be able to enter the lottery. That said, Valve has not confirmed whether the Steam Machine will ship to Singapore, and SGD pricing and a local launch date have not been announced. At USD $1,049 and USD $1,428, it is not a budget device — though for PC gaming fans who want a living-room-ready Steam experience without building a full rig, it is worth registering your interest now and waiting for Valve to confirm regional details.

We will update this post when Valve confirms Singapore availability. For now, the clock is running: the lottery closes at 1:00 AM SGT on June 26. Visit the official Steam Machine page before it shuts.

For more gaming news and PC hardware updates, stay tuned to GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Youjo Senki II Premieres 8 July — Saga of Tanya the Evil Returns After Nine Years

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Nine years is a long time to wait. Youjo Senki II — the second television series adaptation of Carlo Zen’s alternate-history military fantasy light novel — has an official premiere date: 8 July 2026. Studio NUT confirmed the date via the official Youjo Senki anime website (Japanese) and Kadokawa’s anime channel, and the first main PV is already live. After the 2017 Season 1 and the 2019 theatrical film, the TV story is finally continuing.

Youjo Senki II — official Season 2 key visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Studio NUT
TVアニメ『幼女戦記Ⅱ』 — Official Main PV #1 — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

Nine Years in the Making — Why This Is Such a Big Deal

Youjo Senki (The Saga of Tanya the Evil) premiered in January 2017, ran for twelve episodes, and quickly built an audience well beyond the usual isekai crowd. Its pitch — a ruthless Japanese salaryman reincarnated as a small girl with extraordinary magical ability in a WWI-analogue fantasy world, then conscripted into an imperial air corps — was strange enough to be memorable and executed with enough tactical and moral seriousness to keep people watching. The 2019 film extended the story but left the main arc unresolved on television. Season 2 picks up that thread.

For Singapore anime fans, the franchise has stayed in the conversation: both the series and the film are on Crunchyroll in the region. Season 2 is the continuation those viewers have been waiting for since 2017.

New Setting, Higher Stakes

Season 2 moves the war east. It is Autumn 1926 in the show’s Unified Calendar — Tanya von Degurechaff has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and now commands the newly formed Kampfgruppe Salamander, a mobile strike unit built for harsh-weather operations against the Federation on the eastern front. The shift in theatre matters: the eastern campaign in Season 2’s source material is darker, more attritional, and involves opponents with a different strategic logic than the western-front enemies of Season 1. The PV suggests the production is leaning into that tonal shift.

Youjo Senki II — Season 2 announcement event visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Studio NUT

New Characters Join the Fight

Two significant additions to the cast have been confirmed. Mikhel, a Federal aerial mage on the opposing side, is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita — one of the most recognisable voices in Japanese animation (Joseph Joestar, Persona 5’s Ryuji, Genshin Impact’s Zhongli). Lilia, a political commissar attached to Mikhel’s unit, is played by Yoko Hikasa, known for Mio Akiyama in K-On! and Rias Gremory in High School DxD. Neither character is a simple antagonist; both carry the moral complexity the show has always used to keep its ideological debate alive.

Youjo Senki II — new character Mikhel, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA
Youjo Senki II — new character Lilia, voiced by Yoko Hikasa
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

Behind the Camera

Studio NUT returns for Season 2, preserving visual continuity with the original run. The director’s chair changes, however: Yutaka Uemura, who led Season 1, is replaced by Yamamoto Takayuki. Series composition is by Inohara Kenta, with character designs by Hosokoshi Yuji. The PV’s animation quality holds up well against the benchmark the 2017 series set, and the orchestral score carries the same propulsive military energy the franchise is known for.

When and How to Watch From Singapore

Youjo Senki II premieres on 8 July 2026, airing at 9:30 PM JST on AT-X, TOKYO MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, BS11, and TV Aichi in Japan. Streaming details for Singapore and Southeast Asia have not been officially announced as of this writing — the regional licensing for anime in this tier typically lands in the weeks before broadcast. Given that Season 1 and the film are on Crunchyroll in the region, that platform is the most likely home for Season 2; Muse Asia is the other strong candidate. Keep an eye on both for a confirmation before 8 July.

The first main PV is already up on the official KADOKAWAanime YouTube channel (embedded above) — worth watching even if you do not read Japanese. For more anime news and seasonal coverage, check our Manga Anime section.