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Game News

Black Ops 7 & Warzone Season 5 Drops 23 July — Japan Map, Four New Weapons and the Zombies Finale

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone are getting their biggest update of the year on 23 July, when Season 5 goes live at 9AM Pacific across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Four new maps, four new weapons, the conclusion to the Black Ops 7 Zombies storyline, and a Japan-set festival arena are all hitting at once — here is everything Singapore CoD players need to know before the season drops.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Warzone Season 5 launch trailer
Image courtesy of Activision
Season 05 Launch Trailer — via Call of Duty on YouTube

Jubilee: A Japanese Festival Town Where Combat Erupts

The standout new addition is Jubilee, a medium 6v6 map set in a rural Japanese town where a street festival has turned chaotic. The layout spans the front courtyard of a palace museum, pop-up stalls serving local cuisine, a pachinko room, garden paths, and a main street — giving you close-quarters brawls inside the festival stalls and longer sightlines down the road. It is one of the most atmospheric maps Black Ops 7 has added all year, and a rare CoD arena that leans hard into a Japanese setting. According to the official Season 5 announcement on callofduty.com, two fan-favourite maps also return remastered at launch: Frequency (from Hunan mountains-set Black Ops 4) and Dig (the compact archaeological site from Black Ops 2). Mid-season adds Turbo Tilt — set inside a giant Nuketown pinball machine — and the parkour-focused Freerun: Descent obstacle course.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Season 5 operator key art
Image courtesy of Activision

Four New Weapons — Two at Launch, Two Mid-Season

Season 5 ships with two Battle Pass weapons on day one: the FG42 assault rifle (37 unlock levels, 30-round magazine) and the dual-wield-capable Gremlin SMG (47 levels, 26 rounds per mag). Mid-season adds the Mammoth LMG, earnable through the Machine of War event with a generous 50-round mag, and the Mace melee weapon for players who like getting up close. All four are earnable without spending beyond the 1,100 COD Points Battle Pass. The premium BlackCell bundle adds the Sturmwolf 45 SMG Mastercraft and Riddlefang melee blueprint for those who want the cosmetic upgrade on top.

The Zombies Story Gets Its Ending

Black Ops 7 Zombies has been building to a conclusion all year, and Season 5 delivers it in two waves. At launch, Eidskallen Lighthouse arrives as a new Survival map — a confined coastal area around a lighthouse and beacon island within the Totenreich locale. Mid-season brings Rex Infernus, the final round-based Zombies map, with the Warden boss encounter closing out the Black Ops 7 Zombies narrative for good. Directed Mode (Kowakujō) gets a Starting Room option and a 15-round cap for guided play, Widow’s Wine returns as a Perk, and three-tier Rogue Run playlists (Casual, Normal, Hardcore) offer a roguelike Zombies mode for those who want something different.

Warzone: Drone Labs and Resurgence Ranked Play

Verdansk picks up a brand-new Drone Labs point of interest, a research facility east of the TV Station with admin offices, R&D buildings, ziplines, and a drone obstacle course. Resurgence Ranked Play launches with Season 5, joining the new HKDs killstreak and Supply Drones in both Resurgence and Battle Royale. Limited-time modes Lockdown Casual and Heavy Metal Heroes add variety at launch.

When Season 5 Goes Live in Singapore

Season 5 drops on 23 July at 9AM Pacific Time, which lands at midnight SGT into Friday 24 July. If you want to play the Jubilee map the moment it unlocks, set your alarm for 00:00 SGT on Friday. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Battle.net and Steam; Warzone remains free to play. Browse more game updates and news here.

Game News

Professor Layton: New World of Steam Coming Late 2026 — Joe Hisaishi, YOASOBI’s ikura and the Series’ Biggest Puzzle Yet

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It has been over 13 years since Professor Layton last stepped out on a new mainline puzzle adventure — and after a decade-plus of waiting, Level-5 has confirmed the professor is coming back in a big way. Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is heading to Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in a worldwide simultaneous release slated for late 2026. No more region delays, no more waiting for a localisation announcement months after Japan — everyone gets it at once.

Steam Bison steampunk cityscape in Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
Image courtesy of Level-5

Steam Bison — A Steampunk America Unlike Any Layton Setting Before

The game takes place one year after Professor Layton and the Unwound Future and whisks Layton and his young apprentice Luke Triton to Steam Bison, an American town powered entirely by revolutionary steam technology. Think cobblestone streets tangled with brass pipes, airships drifting over Victorian-era market halls, and a city so steam-saturated it has outpaced even London. It is the most ambitious world Level-5 has built for the franchise, and the early footage looks genuinely gorgeous — the hand-drawn art style remains intact but scaled up beautifully for modern hardware.

Professor Layton character art in New World of Steam
Image courtesy of Level-5
Luke Triton character art in Professor Layton New World of Steam
Image courtesy of Level-5

Luke’s redesign deserves a mention: older, taller, sporting a blue jacket and red bow tie, he looks every bit a junior detective ready for a proper mystery. The two are reuniting after the bittersweet farewell of Unwound Future, and longtime fans will feel that reunion in their bones.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – Trailer (LEVEL5 VISION 2026 Ver.) — via LEVEL5ch【公式】 on YouTube

The Most Puzzles in Series History — Designed by QuizKnock

Puzzles are the heartbeat of every Layton game, and Level-5 has gone all-in here. The studio partnered with QuizKnock — Japan’s popular educational entertainment group known for producing brain-teasing content across YouTube and broadcast media — to co-develop the puzzle set. Level-5 president Akihiro Hino has said this entry packs more puzzles than any previous Layton title, which is a significant boast for a series that already ran into the hundreds per game on the DS. If you are the type of person who clears every puzzle in a town before moving the story forward, this one is going to keep you busy for a long time.

Joe Hisaishi Composes — With YOASOBI’s ikura on Lyrics and Vocals

This is the headline that made fans lose their minds: the theme song for New World of Steam is a collaboration between Joe Hisaishi — the legendary composer behind the soundtracks of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and virtually the entire Studio Ghibli catalogue — and Lilas Ikuta, better known as ikura, the vocalist of YOASOBI.

Joe Hisaishi, composer of the Professor Layton New World of Steam theme song
Image courtesy of Level-5
Lilas Ikuta (ikura of YOASOBI), vocalist on the Professor Layton New World of Steam theme song
Image courtesy of Level-5

Hisaishi brings sweeping orchestral gravitas; ikura brings the emotional, clear-voiced delivery that made YOASOBI a global phenomenon. For Singapore fans who have been streaming Idol, Blessings, and Yuusha on repeat, hearing ikura’s voice open a new Professor Layton adventure is going to feel surreal in the best way. The full theme has not been released publicly yet — the track is still in production ahead of the game’s late-2026 launch — but the teaser clip in the LEVEL5 VISION 2026 trailer already has the right texture of wistful, steam-powered adventure.

A Demo Is Being Considered — And Classic Layton Ports May Follow

In a recent interview covered by GoNintendo, Hino revealed that a playable demo is under consideration but not confirmed — the worry being that puzzle games are tricky to demo without giving away solutions players should discover themselves. Whether a demo materialises before launch is to be confirmed.

More intriguingly, Hino mentioned that once New World of Steam ships, Level-5 will begin evaluating whether to bring earlier Layton entries to Switch. That would be a significant development: the original trilogy (Curious Village, Diabolical Box, Unwound Future) and the Azran Legacy trilogy have never had a proper modern console release, and many Switch 2 owners will be too young to remember the DS originals. Ports are not confirmed, but the door is clearly open.

On the story side, Hino noted in an interview shared via Nintendo Everything that the game’s ending is designed to “make people think a little” in light of “our current age of AI” — a deliberately thought-provoking close to what could be a very personal chapter of the franchise’s history.

What Singapore Fans Need to Know

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam launches simultaneously worldwide in late 2026, so Singapore players will not be waiting behind Japan or North America. It arrives on every major platform SG gamers use — Nintendo Switch 2, original Switch, PS5 via PSN, and PC on Steam. No specific SGD pricing has been announced yet; keep an eye on the Nintendo eShop Singapore and PlayStation Store for local listings as the release window approaches. The game releases in multiple languages including English and Traditional/Simplified Chinese.

For puzzle-game fans and Layton veterans alike, this is one of the most anticipated late-2026 releases. The Game News section will have more as Level-5 shares further details in the months ahead.

Game News, Manga Anime

Hypnosis Mic ARB 2nd Period Is Out on Switch — All Six Divisions, New Stories, and One Banger Anthem

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The rap empire just expanded. Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle 2nd Period hit Nintendo Switch in Japan on 16 July 2026, and it is the biggest the franchise’s portable rhythm game has ever been — all six divisions, a new season of story content, and a fresh group anthem that is already on repeat. No English version has been announced, but the Switch is region-free, which means Singapore fans have options.

All Six Divisions Finally Under One Roof

The first Switch instalment (1st period, released December 2024) covered the original three divisions: Buster Bros!!! from Ikebukuro, Mad Trigger Crew from Yokohama, and Fling Posse from Shibuya. 2nd period brings the rest in: Matenrou from Shinjuku, and — for the first time on Switch — Osaka’s BAD ASS TEMPLE and Nagoya’s Dotsuitare Hompo.

BAD ASS TEMPLE division characters from Hypnosis Mic Alternative Rap Battle 2nd Period
Image courtesy of Idea Factory / Hypnosis Mic

If you have been waiting for Sasara Nurude, Kuko Harai, and Rosho Tsutsujimori to get their Switch moment, this is it. With all six divisions present across both games, the complete HypMic character roster is now playable and fully voiced on Nintendo Switch.

KILLER SCRATCH!! Rhythm Mode and Three Exclusive Stories

The gameplay structure mirrors 1st period: the KILLER SCRATCH!! rhythm mode has you tapping along to the HypMic track catalogue, layered over a visual novel story. 2nd period pushes the story content harder than its predecessor — it includes the Main Story Season 2, a selection of popular event narratives reproduced with full voice acting, and three brand-new story scenarios written exclusively for this Switch release that are not available anywhere in the smartphone app.

For fans of the Division Rap Battle anime who have never touched the mobile game, the Switch entry is a clean, fully voiced way in. Developer Altoplus and publisher Idea Factory have kept the presentation tight, and the visual novel segments carry the same character depth that made the anime work.

Opening Theme: “Diggin'” by Division All Stars

Diggin' single artwork for Hypnosis Mic Alternative Rap Battle 2nd Period on Nintendo Switch
Image courtesy of Idea Factory / Hypnosis Mic

The new opening theme “Diggin'”, performed by Division All Stars and composed by Machi Def and DJ dip, released alongside the game on 16 July — the group’s first all-cast track in approximately a year. It is playable as a KILLER SCRATCH!! rhythm stage and is available across all major streaming platforms. The music video debuted on the official Hypnosis Mic YouTube channel the same evening.

Division All Stars “Diggin'” Music Video — via Channelヒプノシスマイク on YouTube

Pricing, Editions, and How to Import

Buster Bros!!! Ikebukuro division characters in Hypnosis Mic Alternative Rap Battle 2nd Period
Image courtesy of Idea Factory / Hypnosis Mic

Three editions are available through Japanese retailers and the Japanese Nintendo eShop:

  • Standard (physical or digital): ¥8,580 (approximately S$78)
  • Deluxe Edition: ¥10,780 (approximately S$98) — includes a special booklet and exclusive artwork cards
  • Twin Pack (1st period + 2nd period bundled): ¥14,960 (approximately S$136) — the best value entry point for newcomers picking up the Switch series for the first time

No English localisation has been announced. Nintendo Switch cartridges are region-free, so Singapore fans can import the Japanese physical version through retailers like AmiAmi or CDJapan, or purchase digitally through a Japanese Nintendo Account. Hypnosis Mic has consistently drawn crowds at Anime Festival Asia Singapore, so the local fanbase already knows the import routine. A companion promotion runs in the smartphone app through 5 August, offering in-game bonus stickers and items tied to the launch.

Further ahead, the new Division All Stars album Trick or Repeat — twenty tracks across two discs in the limited edition — arrives on 2 September 2026 for fans who need more after clearing the game. Check our Manga & Anime section for ongoing coverage of the HypMic franchise and other anime-adjacent game releases.

Rose Belmont, protagonist of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
Game News, Game Preview

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Preview Roundup — Critics Call It a “Potential GOTY Contender”

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The hands-on preview embargo for Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse lifted this past weekend (July 17–18), and early impressions from the press have been overwhelmingly positive. Kotaku put it bluntly: “the game f***ing rules.” GameRant called it a “potential GOTY contender.” Eurogamer said “superb.” For a franchise celebrating its 40th anniversary, it’s the kind of reception Konami fans have been waiting years to see.

Paris and Notre Dame cathedral at dusk in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Forty Years of Legacy, Reimagined in 1499 Paris

The preview builds drop players into a dark, beautifully rendered 15th-century Paris, set 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. You play as Rose Belmont, daughter of the legendary Trevor Belmont, on a mission that threads directly into the franchise’s gothic mythology.

Crucially, Evil Empire and Motion Twin — the studio behind Dead Cells — have confirmed that Belmont’s Curse contains no roguelite mechanics. This is a pure Metroidvania: a hand-crafted world, permanent progression, and deliberate exploration. Rose’s moveset centres on seven distinct weapon types and the Arcana Whip, which doubles as a grappling hook for both traversal and combat. IGN praised the whip mechanics specifically, noting how fluidly it extends Rose’s reach in tight platforming sequences and mid-boss encounters. A tarot-based spell system and a Relic passive-ability layer round out the build options.

Rose fighting on the docks with Notre Dame in the background
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Boss Design That Demands Attention

Two bosses from the preview build — The Fallen and a reimagined Joan of Arc — drew widespread praise. Both were described as multi-phase encounters with striking visual design, using Paris’s rooftops and Notre Dame cathedral as dramatic backdrops.

Konami Producer Tsutomu Taniguchi and Evil Empire Creative Director Emmanuel Nouaille told the PlayStation Blog (July 17) that the team wanted every boss to feel “worthy of the Belmont legacy” while introducing entirely new narrative threads. PC Gamer called the overall package “a very solid Metroidvania with tremendous potential.”

Boss fight with golden flames and Paris skyline in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Singapore Pricing and Pre-Order Details

Singapore players can pre-order now on the PlayStation Store ahead of the October 15, 2026 global release:

  • Standard Edition: SGD 35.50
  • Midnight Edition (adds Soundtrack + Digital Artbook): SGD 42.60
  • Pre-order bonus (all editions): Alucard Style Costume

The game launches simultaneously on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Gameplay screenshot from Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

We covered the initial Nintendo Switch confirmation and October release window earlier this month. The preview coverage this week makes it clear that Belmont’s Curse is shaping up to be one of the biggest titles of the 2026 holiday season — and one of the most anticipated Castlevania entries in years.

Images: ©Konami Digital Entertainment. Preview quotes sourced from PlayStation Blog, Kotaku, GameRant, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and IGN.

Game News

BLEACH Mirrors High: Combat and Three New Kubo Characters

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Bandai Namco has dropped the first full gameplay look at BLEACH Mirrors High, the upcoming free-to-play mobile action RPG set after the Thousand-Year Blood War arc — and it comes loaded with three brand-new Soul Reapers drawn by creator Tite Kubo himself. As we covered when the game was first unveiled at Anime Expo, Mirrors High is Kubo’s most hands-on game involvement yet; the new overview trailer confirms exactly how deep that goes.

BLEACH Mirrors High – Overview Trailer — via [Global] Bandai Namco Entertainment – Mobile Games on YouTube

Three New Soul Reapers by Tite Kubo

The headline reveal: three new original squad members, all designed personally by Tite Kubo and voiced by established Japanese cast members.

Tite Kubo character design sketches for Naru Jurinna, Giro Hando, and Maiko Tokishima from BLEACH Mirrors High
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
  • Naru Jurinna (CV: Fuka Izumi) — a spirited Soul Reaper with a brash, open style and a colourful Zanpakuto, shown wielding her blade with a confident grin.
  • Giro Hando (CV: Shogo Batori) — a tall, cool-headed figure whose stoic expression and green-bladed sword suggest a character with serious depth.
  • Maiko Tokishima (CV: Yu Sasahara) — a smaller, quick-witted Soul Reaper in a bucket hat and braid, carrying both a Zanpakuto and what appears to be a notebook — a tactician in the making.

Kubo described his character design work as something he genuinely got carried away with: he produced more designs than the team originally requested, and sat in on voice auditions and recording sessions. These three squad members join the two original protagonists — Shirin Migishima and Shirane Sanari — that were announced at Anime Expo, rounding out a cast that feels every bit like a proper Bleach ensemble.

BLEACH Mirrors High new original characters key visual featuring Giro Hando, Naru Jurinna, Maiko Tokishima, and Shirin Migishima
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

Card Combat and the Soul Drive System

The overview trailer gives the clearest look yet at how BLEACH Mirrors High actually plays. Battles are built around a card-based system where you form a team of three and combine cards to build powerful combos. Signature moves trigger when the right combination clicks, and the standout finisher is the Soul Drive — a team-up technique that lets all three fighters unleash a joint attack, visually reminiscent of the choreographed battles in the manga.

The format looks designed for one-handed mobile play while still giving players meaningful decisions with each card they draw. Fan favourites like Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Kisuke Urahara, Renji Abarai, and Toushirou Hitsugaya are all confirmed for the roster alongside the original Mirrors High cast.

Design Your Own Soul Reaper

Both the avatar and Zanpakuto customisation systems are shown in detail for the first time. Your player character is a fully customisable Soul Reaper: adjust hair, face, body type, and skin across a full colour palette, then dress them in options ranging from a classic Shihakushō to casual streetwear (yes, including a “REAPER” hoodie).

BLEACH Mirrors High player avatar customisation screen showing clothing options
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

Zanpakuto customisation goes just as deep: choose the blade shape, guard, hilt, decorations, and particle effects independently to build a sword that is genuinely yours. Given how central Zanpakuto identity is to Bleach’s lore, the depth here will matter to fans.

BLEACH Mirrors High Zanpakuto customisation screen showing blade and effect options
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

Closed Beta Test: 22–29 July

The closed beta test runs from 22 July (11 PM PDT) to 29 July (10:59 PM PDT) on iOS and Android. Sign-ups for the CBT closed on 13 July, so if you registered, watch your inbox for access details as the window opens this week.

A full global release date has not been confirmed yet — Bandai Namco has stated the game is coming to iOS and Android “this summer”. The game is being developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment and published globally; based on the multilingual UI shown in the trailer (including Traditional Chinese and Korean text visible in gameplay footage), a broad Asian launch including Singapore is expected when it goes live. Check the official BLEACH Mirrors High site for updates.

For more mobile game news, stay tuned to GameTrader.

Game News, Manga Anime

Kuro Games Reveals Wuthering Waves: Elysium Animated Series

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Two sold-out nights at Shanghai’s SPD Bank Oriental Sports Centre closed this weekend with a reveal Singapore’s Wuthering Waves community has been hoping for: the game is getting a full animated series.

Wuthering Waves: Elysium Animated Series Reveal! — via Wuthering Waves on YouTube

Wuthering Waves: Elysium — The Series Kuro Onroad Will Make

Kuro Games announced the animated adaptation under the title Wuthering Waves: Elysium, with production handled by Kuro Onroad — a brand-new in-house animation studio launched specifically for this and future projects. Keeping production inside the company is a deliberate call: Kuro Games says the setup gives them full creative control over art direction, visual effects, and production timelines for their multimedia adaptations.

Wuthering Waves Solaris — a breathtaking vista of floating cliffs and cherry blossom forests
Image courtesy of Kuro Games

The announcement trailer debuted on 17 July as part of the “To the New World” world concert tour’s Shanghai opening dates. It’s a short teaser — story details, a release window, and streaming platform are all still to come. But the key visual itself does a lot of heavy lifting: five characters from the game’s roster are shown in dramatic individual portrait frames, with a striking white-haired, fox-eared figure taking centre stage.

No production credits beyond Kuro Onroad, no confirmed voice cast, no episode count. Kuro Games is playing this one as a slow reveal, with updates to be shared through the Kuro Onroad account on X.

Why an In-House Studio Matters

The decision to build Kuro Onroad rather than license production to a third-party studio is worth paying attention to. When game studios bring animation in-house — or build dedicated multimedia arms — the results tend to track the source material’s visual identity more faithfully than licensed productions often do.

A tranquil town district in Wuthering Waves with autumn trees and traditional architecture
Image courtesy of Kuro Games

Wuthering Waves has one of the more distinctive art directions in the action RPG space: its environments blend post-apocalyptic sci-fi infrastructure with Chinese landscape painting aesthetics in a way that is genuinely difficult to translate into animation without the team who built it. Kuro Onroad having full control over that translation process is the right call for a franchise that lives and dies by its visual world-building.

Singapore Rovers: Your Concert Stop Is Esplanade, 26 September

The Shanghai dates where Elysium was revealed are the opening leg of a wider “To the New World” world tour. Singapore Rovers, your stop has been confirmed for some time — and now you know what the crowd in Shanghai got to see first.

Wuthering Waves — a grand ceremonial arch gate surrounded by red autumn foliage and floating platforms
Image courtesy of Kuro Games

The Wuthering Waves Concert Tour “To the New World” is scheduled for Esplanade Theatre on Saturday, 26 September 2026 at 8pm SGT. Tickets went on sale via SISTIC on 2 July, and the Singapore show has reportedly sold out alongside other Asia stops on the tour. If you’re still looking for tickets, check SISTIC for any released hold allocations, and keep an eye on community resale boards if you want a face-value option.

What to Expect Next from Kuro Onroad

Wuthering Waves — a celestial nighttime vista seen through an ornate archway over a glowing blue lake
Image courtesy of Kuro Games

Kuro Games is directing the community to @Kuro_Onroad on X for Elysium updates as production moves forward. Given that the tour extends through late 2026 and into 2027, the next major reveal is likely to coincide with another concert stop or a significant in-game version drop rather than arriving out of the blue.

For now the announcement is clear enough on intent: Kuro Games is treating Wuthering Waves as a long-term multimedia franchise, not just a live-service game. For the Singapore and SEA community that has made WuWa one of the region’s most-played RPGs since its 2024 launch, Elysium is one more reason to stay invested.

Follow our Manga & Anime coverage and Game News section for updates as Kuro Onroad shares more.

Mario Tennis Fever version 1.1.0 update key art showing new Galaxy Court and characters
Game News, News

Mario Tennis Fever Version 1.1.0 Update Out Now — Galaxy Court, Black Hole Racket, and GameShare

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Nintendo and Camelot have dropped a substantial free update for Mario Tennis Fever on Switch 2, bringing the game to version 1.1.0. The headliner is a Super Mario Galaxy-themed court, a new Fever Racket that bends gravity, and — big one for Switch 2 owners here in Singapore — full GameShare support via GameChat.

The update is live now and downloads automatically if you have auto-updates on. If not, head to the game’s page on the eShop or press + on the home menu to check for updates.

Galaxy Court and the Galaxy Court Match

Mario Tennis Fever – Galaxy Court, a new Super Mario Galaxy-themed court
The new Galaxy Court takes the match to a distant planet. Image: Nintendo

The new Galaxy Court is modelled on the Super Mario Galaxy universe — think deep-space skies and planet surfaces underfoot. Ball speed on this court is relatively forgiving, but balls bounce much higher than you’re used to, so expect your lobs and drop shots to behave differently. The court geometry also changes depending on mode: Free Play and Ranked Match use one layout, while Special Match flips to a different shape entirely.

Speaking of Special Match, there’s now a dedicated Galaxy Court Match ruleset. You’re playing on a spherical court (yes, literally wrapped around a planet), and as the match progresses, one of three types of Prankster Comets swoops in to upend the strategy. If you’ve played Super Mario Galaxy, you know Prankster Comets mean business — expect the format to keep you guessing until the final point.

Black Hole Racket

Mario Tennis Fever – Black Hole Racket Fever Shot in action
The Black Hole Racket’s Fever Shot creates a gravity well that pulls in nearby players. Image: Nintendo

The new Black Hole Racket is this update’s standout Fever Racket. When your Fever Shot lands, it spawns a black hole at the bounce point. Leave it alone for a moment and it grows — and starts pulling any player who strays too close. It is exactly as chaotic as it sounds, and it pairs perfectly with the Galaxy Court’s high-bounce physics.

GameShare — Good News If Your Mates Haven’t Bought In Yet

This is the addition that’ll matter most locally. Version 1.1.0 adds full GameShare support, meaning Switch 2 owners can share the game over GameChat so friends who don’t own Mario Tennis Fever can jump in and play. Swing controls, button controls, and Mix It Up mode all work for GameShare participants — so your friend group doesn’t need four copies to get a proper session going.

For Singapore players, this is a tidy win given the game retails at S$79.90. One copy in the group, and you’re sorted for GameChat nights.

New Characters, Outfits, and Quality-of-Life Tweaks

Mario Tennis Fever – Five new Luma colour variants added as playable characters
Five new Luma colour variants join the roster as playable characters. Image: Nintendo

Five new Luma colour variants are now playable characters, fleshing out the Galaxy theme across the full roster. On the cosmetics side, Mario’s Classic Outfit — a nod to his vintage red-and-blue look — is earnable as a reward for collecting five medals.

Quality-of-life-wise, Star Shot detection has been tuned to trigger more reliably, which should smooth out frustrating misses near the star zones. You can also now select Random on the racket selection screen, so every match you continue throws a different racket at you — good for players who want more variety without manually switching each time.

Official Trailer

Official update trailer via Nintendo of America

Mario Tennis Fever version 1.1.0 is available now as a free update on Nintendo Switch 2.

Images: © Nintendo. Press image via Gematsu; eShop screenshots via Nintendo.

Game News

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Hits 3 Million Copies — As Ubisoft Barcelona Lays Off 51 Who Made It

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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has now sold more than 3 million copies in its first week on sale — a strong follow-up to the 2 million day-one figure reported here on 11 July. That commercial success, however, has been accompanied by a painful postscript: Ubisoft has laid off 51 employees at Ubisoft Barcelona, including members of the team who built the game’s underwater levels, sparking a studio-wide strike that ran from 14 to 16 July 2026.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced — Horizon Launch Trailer — via the official Assassin’s Creed YouTube channel.

3 Million Copies in the First Week

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced standard edition key art
Image courtesy of Ubisoft

Ubisoft confirmed the 3 million copies milestone for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s first week of sales, building on the record-setting 2 million copies the game shifted on its first day. The remaster — co-developed with lead support from Ubisoft Singapore — launched across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on 3 July 2026.

51 Ubisoft Barcelona Developers Laid Off

Naval combat in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Image courtesy of Ubisoft

Within days of the sales announcement, Ubisoft informed 51 employees at its Barcelona studio that their roles were being eliminated. Ubisoft’s stated rationale was a strategic refocus: the Barcelona studio is to be redirected toward Rainbow Six projects exclusively, leaving no ongoing role for the staff who worked on Black Flag Resynced.

Among those affected were members of the team directly responsible for the game’s underwater sequences. Tech/gameplay animator Manel Cota described the situation plainly in a public statement: “that same team is being fired right now” after they “did all the underwater levels.”

Strike Spreads to the Entire Studio

Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Image courtesy of Ubisoft

The redundancy announcement triggered an immediate labour response. Workers at Ubisoft Barcelona began a strike on 14 July 2026; by 15 July, action had expanded to include all staff at the studio — not just those directly affected by the layoffs. The strike ran for three days, concluding on 16 July.

As of 18 July 2026, a statutory consultation period is ongoing. No final resolution has been announced. Workers have described the proposed severance packages as “far below” the minimum they expected.

Singapore’s Stake in Black Flag Resynced

Stealth gameplay in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
Image courtesy of Ubisoft

For Singapore players, the context carries extra weight: Ubisoft Singapore served as the lead co-development studio on Black Flag Resynced, making it the most prominent Singapore-made title in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The game’s commercial success is a win for the local games industry — though the events in Barcelona are a reminder of the broader tensions in a games sector that has seen significant layoffs globally over the past two years.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced ocean vista with ship
Image courtesy of Ubisoft

The consultation period at Ubisoft Barcelona is expected to conclude in the coming weeks. GameTrader will follow up if a resolution is reached.

Game News

HoYoverse Confirms ZZZ × Honkai: Star Rail Crossover — Pom-Pom Is Already in New Eridu

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If you’ve been exploring New Eridu lately and spotted a familiar orange Bangboo lurking near the video store — no, you’re not hallucinating. Pom-Pom, the beloved Astral Express conductor from Honkai: Star Rail, is already in Zenless Zone Zero, and HoYoverse has officially confirmed what this means: a full ZZZ × Honkai: Star Rail crossover is coming in Winter 2026.

Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.1 “The Long Goodbye” Special Program — via Zenless Zone Zero on YouTube. The crossover announcement was made during this broadcast.

ZZZ × Honkai Star Rail Crossover Confirmed

During the Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.1 “The Long Goodbye” Special Program on 17 July 2026, HoYoverse officially announced that a crossover between ZZZ and Honkai: Star Rail is in the works. The reveal was framed with typical HoYo humour: the official ZZZ X account posted that, after a “technical evaluation,” developers were “temporarily unable to fix the bug where Pom-Pomboo suddenly appeared on Sixth Street” — and so, to celebrate the little visitor, the collaboration was confirmed instead.

Pom-Pomboo, the mysterious Bangboo that is actually Pom-Pom from Honkai: Star Rail, spotted in Zenless Zone Zero
Image courtesy of HoYoverse

The crossover is officially scheduled for Winter 2026, which most fans expect to fall somewhere between December 2026 and early 2027. No specific in-game patch date has been announced yet. Detailed content reveals will come through official HoYoverse channels as the collaboration draws closer.

Where to Find Pom-Pomboo in New Eridu Right Now

Sixth Street in New Eridu, Zenless Zone Zero
Image courtesy of HoYoverse

The in-game teaser is already live. If you log into ZZZ now, you can track down Pom-Pom — disguised as a mysterious Bangboo called “Pom-Pomboo” — at three locations on Sixth Street in New Eridu:

  • Random Play Video Store — near the videotape display, browsing for a book titled Pom-Pom’s Bizarre Adventure
  • Club 404
  • Gadget Store

The character has unique voicelines at each spot — well worth checking out if you’re an HSR fan who’s made the leap to ZZZ (or vice versa).

Which Characters Might Cross Over? (Leaks — Not Confirmed)

Zenless Zone Zero characters in action
Image courtesy of HoYoverse

HoYoverse has not officially revealed which characters will appear in the crossover. Leaks circulating in the community suggest the following, though none of this is confirmed — treat it as speculation until HoYoverse says otherwise:

  • Robin (HSR) may join ZZZ’s Agent roster
  • Astra Yao and Ellen Jo (from ZZZ) may become playable in Honkai: Star Rail, reportedly tied to HSR patch 4.7

Whether the cross-over characters will be fully playable Agents/characters or limited cameos also hasn’t been confirmed. Full details to be confirmed by HoYoverse ahead of the Winter window.

What This Means for Singapore’s HoYo Community

Zenless Zone Zero Sixth Street environment
Image courtesy of HoYoverse

Both Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai: Star Rail have enormous player bases in Singapore, and a crossover between the two is likely to be the kind of event that brings lapsed players back to both games simultaneously. ZZZ itself only launched on Steam in June with Version 3.0, so there’s a whole new PC audience ready for its first major HoYo cross-game event.

Timing-wise, if the Winter 2026 window lines up with the holiday season, it could overlap nicely with the end-of-year school break — a peak gaming period for Singapore players. Local fans heading to HoYo FEST 2026 at Suntec (31 July – 2 August) might even get a first look at crossover merchandise or teaser artwork at the booth.

In the meantime, ZZZ Version 3.1 “The Long Goodbye” itself launches on 29 July 2026, bringing new S-Rank Agents Remielle Dan and Sigrid de L’Azur alongside second-anniversary rewards. Plenty to do while waiting for Winter.