Category Archives: Game News

Game News

Jujutsu Kaisen × Monster Strike Collab 3 Is Live — Gojo and Itadori Finally Ascend

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Jujutsu Kaisen’s biggest Monster Strike moment yet is live. Gojo Satoru, Yuji Itadori, and Kento Nanami have received their first-ever True Divine Evolution forms — the game’s highest upgrade tier — while five brand-new characters make their gacha debut. Monster Strike’s third Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration started today at noon JST, and it’s the most substantial of the three events so far.

Gojo, Itadori and Nanami True Divine Evolution showcase — via モンスト（モンスターストライク）公式 on YouTube

Wave 1 Fan Favourites Finally Get Their True Divine Evolution

The headline act is what long-time MonSt JJK players have been waiting for. Three characters from the original collaboration are receiving True Divine Evolution (真獣神化), Monster Strike’s top-tier upgrade: Gojo Satoru (Dark attribute, ★6), Yuji Itadori (Fire, ★6), and Kento Nanami (Light, ★6) all ascend to their definitive in-game forms with completely new ability sets. If you’ve held onto these units through two previous collaborations, that patience just paid off in a big way.

Gojo Satoru True Divine Evolution form in Monster Strike JJK Collab 3
Image courtesy of MIXI

Five New Characters Join in Wave 3

Wave 3 adds more new characters than either previous collab. Leading the limited gacha are three ★6 units: Yuta Okkotsu (Water) — the lead protagonist of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 prequel and among the most-requested Monster Strike additions — Choso (Wood), and Maki Zenin (Dark). Panda and Takaba Haruaki also join as additional gacha units. For Singapore fans who caught the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film, seeing Yuta finally enter the Monster Strike roster is a long-overdue arrival.

Yuta Okkotsu making his Monster Strike debut in JJK Collab 3
Image courtesy of MIXI

Wave 2 Characters Get Their Upgrades Too

The collab doesn’t leave Wave 2 players behind. Nobara Kugisaki, Megumi Fushiguro, and Mei Mei all unlock Beast God Evolution Kai (獣神化・改) — one step below True Divine Evolution — boosting their stats ahead of the new Wave 3 challenge quests. If you skipped the previous event, Wave 2 characters are also available to pull again during this period.

Yuji Itadori receiving his first True Divine Evolution in Monster Strike
Image courtesy of MIXI

Event Schedule, Missions, and Playing from Singapore

The Collab 3 gacha and collaboration quests — five stages ranging from ★5 to ★6 — run until 11:59 JST on 2 August 2026. A daily Shibuya Incident Mission continues until 5 August, awarding 20 points per day redeemable for characters, stamps, and voice sets. Login stamps through the event distribute True Beast Soul materials (needed for the new True Divine Evolutions) daily, so logging in consistently pays off.

Monster Strike is a Japan-primary title — Singapore players who run the game on a Japanese App Store account can access this event in full. MIXI opened a Web Shop pre-sale at midnight JST, twelve hours before the in-app gacha launched, offering 30 total pulls across three 10-pull sets for ¥7,800 (around S$72). The Web Shop also lets you pull on all three collab gacha batches — Wave 1, Wave 2, and Wave 3 — at the same time.

Monster Strike Jujutsu Kaisen Collaboration 3 event banner
Image courtesy of MIXI

With JJK Season 4 Part 2 on the horizon, the franchise is about as hot as it gets right now. Check more mobile and game news on the GameTrader blog.

Game News

Octopath Traveler I & II Come to Switch 2 on 8th Anniversary

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Square Enix surprised the Octopath Traveler fan base today by dropping native Nintendo Switch 2 versions of both Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II during the series’ eighth anniversary broadcast — and in Japan, both are already live on the eShop right now.

Octopath Traveler key art featuring the eight protagonists
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Eight Years of HD-2D, Celebrated with a Double Drop

The original Octopath Traveler launched on Nintendo Switch on 13 July 2018 — today, eight years to the day, Square Enix marked the anniversary with a live orchestral concert, in-person events across Japan, and the surprise news that both JRPGs are now available natively on Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement came mid-stream during the official 8th Anniversary Livestream on the Square Enix YouTube channel (Japanese), making it one of the more crowd-pleasing drops the series has had.

Octopath Traveler II, which launched in February 2023 to strong critical reception, joins the original in the Switch 2 upgrade. Both titles are available digitally in Japan starting today.

Octopath Traveler II overworld — party of characters travelling by boat through a sunlit river
Image courtesy of Square Enix

What the Switch 2 Versions Actually Improve

Square Enix confirmed that the Switch 2 versions run at improved resolution and framerate — the HD-2D aesthetic, that striking fusion of 2D pixel sprites and 3D depth-of-field environments, was always stunning; running it crisper and smoother on Switch 2 should make it look even more painterly on a modern TV. Game content is otherwise identical to the original releases, including all International version content. No exclusive additions or story content have been announced.

Octopath Traveler I HD-2D town environment with pixel characters walking through a village square
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Catch: No Upgrade Path and No Save Transfer

Here is the part that will sting for anyone who has already clocked dozens of hours on Switch: Square Enix has confirmed there is no upgrade path from the Switch 1 versions to the Switch 2 versions, and no save data transfer between them. If you want the Switch 2 versions, you are buying again from scratch. Both games are also still playable via backwards compatibility on Switch 2 — so if you own them already, you can keep playing your saves without paying twice, just without the resolution and framerate bump of the native ports.

Octopath Traveler Series 8th Anniversary Official Livestream — via Square Enix on YouTube (Japanese)

Singapore and SEA: Your Date Is 1 October 2026

Japan’s eShop gets both games today. Singapore and other western markets will need to wait until 1 October 2026 for the digital release on the Nintendo eShop. Physical editions — in game-key card format — also release on 1 October, priced at US$59.99 per game or US$74.99 for a bundle of both. SGD pricing has not been confirmed; check the Singapore Nintendo eShop and local games retailers closer to October for local prices.

The Octopath series has built a dedicated fanbase among Singapore JRPG players, and the HD-2D visual style Square Enix pioneered with these games has since spread to other titles including Triangle Strategy, Live A Live, and Octopath Traveler 0. If you missed either game on Switch, October 1 is a solid entry point — just go in knowing your Switch progress does not carry over. For more Switch 2 JRPGs to look forward to, check our Game News coverage.

Octopath Traveler II — a bustling nighttime town square filled with HD-2D pixel characters
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Game News

Persona 3 Turns 20 — Anniversary Remix Video Drops and P3R Hits 3 Million

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Today, 13 July 2026, marks exactly two decades since Persona 3 first launched in Japan on the PlayStation 2. To mark the occasion, Atlus has released a brand-new anniversary illustration by series character designer Shigenori Soejima and dropped a 21-minute remix video on its official YouTube channel — capping a week that also saw Persona 3 Reload confirmed to have crossed 3 million copies sold worldwide.

Twenty Years in the Dark Hour

When Persona 3 launched on 13 July 2006, it redefined what a JRPG could be. The blend of a school calendar sim with Tartarus — an ever-shifting tower that only appears during the Dark Hour, the hidden hour between one day and the next — felt genuinely unlike anything before it. SEES (the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad) became some of the most beloved party members in the genre, and the game’s central theme of accepting mortality gave it an emotional weight that still lands hard today.

Persona 3 went on to spawn two expanded editions (FES and Portable), a trilogy of anime films, and a much-anticipated full remake. For many Singapore fans who grew up with the PS2, P3 is where the Persona obsession started.

Persona 3 Reload Reaches 3 Million Players

Aigis in a battle in Persona 3 Reload
Image courtesy of Atlus / SEGA

Persona 3 Reload — the ground-up remake released in February 2024 — has now shipped and sold over 3 million copies worldwide across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. To celebrate, Atlus released a new piece of commemorative artwork by Shigenori Soejima, showing the protagonist Makoto Yuki in the series’ signature blue palette, accompanied by the handwritten message: “Happy 20th Anniversary to P3 / P3R hits 3M copies! Thank you for your support!”

The remake arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 as part of the platform’s growing library, making it the most accessible the game has ever been. Singapore players can pick it up digitally on the Switch 2 eShop, PS5 Store, or Steam right now.

Watch the 21-Minute Anniversary Remix

Persona 3 20th Anniversary Remix — via atlustube on YouTube

The centrepiece of today’s celebration is a 21-minute anniversary remix video released on the official Atlus YouTube channel (atlustube). The music was arranged by DJ VaVa and spans tracks from the original Persona 3, FES, Portable, and Reload — weaving two decades of the game’s soundtrack into a single continuous set. Pixel artist Motocross Saito contributed four animated pixel art scenes that play alongside the music, rendering iconic moments from the game in a lovingly retro style.

If you have any history with P3 — or even just fond memories of “Mass Destruction” — this is well worth your time tonight.

Social Links, School Days and Why P3 Still Holds Up

Junpei Iori and the protagonist in class at Gekkoukan High in Persona 3 Reload
Image courtesy of Atlus / SEGA

Part of Persona 3’s lasting appeal is how it balances two entirely different games in one. During the day you sit in class at Gekkoukan High, answer questions, study with friends, and deepen the Social Links that power up your Persona fusions. At night you venture into Tartarus, battling Shadows floor by floor while racing a hard calendar deadline. Neither half would work without the other — and that structure has shaped every Persona game since.

Persona 3 Reload sharpens both halves considerably: visuals rebuilt from scratch, social calendar events more fleshed out, and the combat snappier than it ever was on PS2. The Linked Episodes system also adds story vignettes for party members like Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru that the original never gave full room to breathe.

Where to Play Persona 3 Reload in Singapore

Iwatodai Station in Persona 3 Reload
Image courtesy of Atlus / SEGA

Persona 3 Reload is available now across all major platforms in Singapore:

  • Nintendo Switch 2 — digital on the eShop
  • PlayStation 5 / PS4 — digital and physical at major game retailers
  • Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One — digital; also included in Xbox Game Pass
  • PC — via Steam

The anniversary remix video is live now on the official Atlus YouTube channel. The Soejima illustration was shared as part of the ongoing Persona 30th Anniversary celebrations — and with Persona 6 confirmed and a NIKKE × Persona crossover running this summer, twenty years in the Dark Hour has never felt more alive. Browse more gaming news on GameTrader.

Game News

DragonSword: Awakening Launches 23 July on Steam — No Gacha, Just Action

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If Dragon Nest defined your teenage years, the team behind it has been quietly building its spiritual successor — and it launches in ten days. DragonSword: Awakening, an anime-style open-world action RPG built with Unreal Engine 5, hits Steam on 23 July 2026 as a buy-to-play title priced at USD 29.99 (SGD price to be confirmed in the Steam store). No gacha, no stamina bars, no monthly battle pass. You pay once and own it.

Official Preview Trailer — via DragonSword : Awakening on YouTube

Dragon Nest DNA, Rebuilt for 2026

Developer Hound13 was founded in 2014 by veterans of Dragon Nest, the beloved fast-paced action MMORPG from Eyedentity Games that had an enormous following across Southeast Asia — Singapore very much included. CEO Park Jeong-sik directed Dragon Nest before leaving to start Hound13 with the goal of carrying that fast, combo-driven action into a new era.

The result is the Continent of Orbis: a radiant, warmly lit fantasy world that draws clear visual inspiration from classic anime and Japanese RPGs, running on Unreal Engine 5 for crisp lighting and detailed environments. Whether you are crossing rope bridges over sweeping gorges or tearing into cathedral-sized boss arenas, the production quality punches well above the game’s price point.

DragonSword Awakening — open-world exploration across the Continent of Orbis
Image courtesy of Hound13

Tag-Team Combat and 19 Heroes

The combat system is built around switching on the fly between up to three active heroes drawn from a roster of 19 characters, each with a distinct weapon archetype and status-ailment toolkit. Stacking ailments — bleed, freeze, poison — on an enemy builds up the conditions for a devastating Signal Skill chain that deals massive burst damage. It reads like a more deliberate, team-synergy version of the frenetic single-character action Dragon Nest fans know.

Beyond the main story, the game supports online co-op, letting you bring friends in for tougher encounters — a welcome layer for Southeast Asian players who have always found Dragon Nest more fun with a party.

DragonSword Awakening — boss fight in a cathedral interior
Image courtesy of Hound13
DragonSword Awakening — tag-team combat against an outdoor dragon enemy
Image courtesy of Hound13

The Publisher Fallout That Changed Everything

DragonSword: Awakening’s journey to Steam has been anything but straightforward. The game originally launched in South Korea in January 2026 under publisher Webzen as a free-to-play live-service title. One month in, Hound13 announced it was terminating the publishing contract — citing, among other issues, unpaid fees. Webzen disputed the termination, and when Hound13 announced the buy-to-play reboot in April 2026, Webzen filed an injunction to block the release.

The injunction does not appear to have succeeded: the game’s Steam page is live, the July 23 date is locked in, and Hound13 has not signalled any delay as of writing. As reported by Simulation Daily, the reboot drops the gacha entirely — cosmetics and Familiars (collectible companions) can still be purchased, but core gameplay rewards are earned through play.

DragonSword Awakening — character attacking a tree-golem enemy in a forest
Image courtesy of Hound13

What Singapore Players Need to Know

At USD 29.99 this is firmly in the range of a premium indie release — cheaper than most AAA titles and priced to compete with games like Genshin Impact‘s rough equivalent spend for a month of serious play. The SGD Steam price will be visible once the game goes live on 23 July; keep an eye on the Steam store page for the confirmed local price.

A free demo is available on Steam now if you want to try the combat before committing. Minimum specs are modest — an i5-9400F with a GTX 1660 will run it — so mid-range gaming PCs from the past few years should handle it fine. SSD storage (25 GB) is required, however.

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

Game News

Pokémon SV: A Dragon-Type Magikarp Is the Next 7-Star Raid Boss — Starts 17 July

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The internet’s favourite punching bag has levelled up. The Pokémon Company has announced that a Dragon-type Magikarp bearing the Mightiest Mark will be the next 7-star Tera Raid boss in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet — and yes, that is the most gloriously absurd sentence in recent Pokémon history. The event launches this Thursday and runs well into August, so Singapore trainers have plenty of time to catch (and gloat about) history’s most ironic raid trophy.

The Mighty Magikarp — Dates, Tera Type and the Mightiest Mark

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Water-Type Summer Event July 2026 announcement
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The 7-star Dragon Tera Magikarp raid runs from Thursday, 17 July at 8:00 AM SGT through 6 August at 11:59 PM UTC (7 August, 7:59 AM SGT). The event was confirmed by the official @Pokemon_cojp Twitter account on 10 July.

As with all 7-star Tera Raids, this Magikarp carries the Mightiest Mark — a ribbon exclusive to event raid catches that cannot be obtained any other way. You can only catch it once per save file, so if you want one, make it count. The Dragon Tera type strips away its Water typing during the raid, opening up a different set of weaknesses than you would expect from a fish.

Magikarp the Dragon-type Tera Raid boss in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Water-Type Mass Outbreaks Across Every Region

The main event is not the only reason to log in this summer. Alongside the Magikarp raid, Water-type Pokémon mass outbreaks are running across all four playable areas during the same window:

  • Casseroya Lake (Paldea): Dondozo, Tatsugiri, and Veluza, each carrying a special personality mark
  • Paldea overworld: Psyduck and Slowpoke outbreaks
  • Kitakami: Feebas and White-Striped Basculin
  • Blueberry Academy Terarium: Lapras
Tatsugiri and Dondozo Pokémon Scarlet Violet mass outbreak Casseroya Lake
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Mark-hunting fans should prepare a sandwich with Title Power: Water before heading out — the buff raises the chances of encountering marked Water-type Pokémon during outbreaks. Feebas is particularly worth the effort, as it remains one of the harder Pokémon to find in the wild normally.

How to Beat a 7-Star Dragon-Type Magikarp

Magikarp’s natural learnset is famously limited, but The Pokémon Company does curate custom movesets for 7-star events — the full moveset will be confirmed once the raid goes live on 17 July. What we can work with going in:

  • A Dragon Tera type is weak to Dragon, Ice, and Fairy moves. Sylveon, Togekiss, Gardevoir, and Iron Valiant are all solid choices from that angle.
  • Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to Normal-type attacks, which covers Magikarp’s base attack pool. A Ghost/Dragon like Dragapult or a Fairy-type with decent bulk can cover both angles.
  • 7-star bosses enter a shield phase mid-raid, so bring a Pokémon that can stay healthy through the break and keep up damage pressure afterwards.

Once the raid is live, the Smogon community typically has optimised builds posted within hours. For more Pokémon game news, check back here — we will update if The Pokémon Company drops any additional event details before Thursday.

Game News, News

Pokémon Summer Mac: McDonald’s Japan’s Biggest-Ever Pokémon Collab Turns Every Branch Into a PokéStop

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If you’re planning a Japan trip this summer, your Pokémon GO map is about to look very different. McDonald’s Japan has launched Pokémon Summer Mac (ポケモン夏マック), what it calls its biggest-ever collaboration with a single partner — a sprawling, four-wave campaign celebrating McDonald’s Japan’s 55th anniversary alongside Pokémon’s 30th. The results range from limited-edition McNuggets to a lottery-only kitchen gadget that’s already going viral, and every single McDonald’s Japan branch becomes a Pokémon GO PokéStop for six weeks this summer.

McDonald’s × Pokémon ‘Summer Chance Bag 2026’ New TV Commercial — via Oricon on YouTube

What Is Pokémon Summer Mac?

Pokémon Summer Mac official campaign art featuring original and Gen 9 starters
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan × The Pokémon Company

Running across four themed waves from mid-July through August, Pokémon Summer Mac is structured so there’s always something new to look forward to at McDonald’s Japan:

  • Tokuniraldo (July 15 – August 11): Limited-edition 15-piece Chicken McNuggets in a special Pokémon box featuring Pikachu and the original Kanto starters, priced at 490 yen — a 250-yen saving on the regular price. Two exclusive dipping sauces also debut alongside it: Cheese Curry Sauce and Umashio Garlic Sauce at 50 yen each.
  • Summer Chance Bag: The campaign’s anchor item — a lottery-only grab bag priced at 3,900 yen, with applications open July 10–20 and redemption from July 27 to August 2.
  • Collaboration Burger: Details drop on July 16 — still a silhouette at time of writing.
  • Pokémon Happy Meal: Full reveal on July 31.

The Summer Chance Bag: Japan’s Most Viral Pokémon Merch This Season

Jumping Pikachu Potato Timer — McDonald's Japan Summer Chance Bag 2026 exclusive
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan × The Pokémon Company

The star of the entire campaign is the Jumping Pikachu Potato Timer — a kitchen countdown timer shaped exactly like a McDonald’s fries box, with a Pikachu figure that pops up from the “fries” when time runs out. It’s the kind of thing that sells out within hours at any Japanese Pokémon Center, except this one is only obtainable through the McDonald’s Summer Chance Bag lottery.

Each bag (3,900 yen via the McDonald’s Japan app) contains the timer, a randomly selected colour-changing cup in a Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle design, a matching zip pouch, and 3,910 yen worth of McDonald’s food vouchers — meaning the vouchers alone more than cover the cost. One in every ten bags also includes a Golden McDonald’s Card carrying an extra 500-yen voucher. Lottery applications run until July 20, so if you have a Japan trip planned (or a friend willing to enter on your behalf), now’s the time to act.

Pokémon GO x McDonald’s Japan: Every Branch Becomes a PokéStop

For Pokémon GO players, the campaign has a separate hook: from July 20 to September 1, all McDonald’s Japan locations will temporarily appear as PokéStops in the game — the franchise’s first Pokémon GO partnership in around six years, timed to Pokémon GO’s own 10th anniversary. With over 2,900 McDonald’s branches across Japan, that’s a significant expansion of the in-game map for anyone playing while travelling.

Trainers visiting Japan between late July and early September will find PokéStops clustered along major shopping streets, in train stations and inside malls — many of which already have a McDonald’s — making the overlap between “grab a quick meal” and “spin a stop” more convenient than ever.

Japan Goes Even Further: Coca-Cola Machines Are Already Pokéstops

McDonald’s isn’t alone. Coca-Cola Japan announced on July 10 that approximately 30,000 Coca-Cola vending machines across Japan are now being progressively added as PokéStops — with select machines eventually upgrading to Gyms for battles. Both Coke ON (Coca-Cola Japan’s vending app, with 75 million downloads) and Pokémon GO share their 10th anniversaries in 2026, and a stamp campaign through the Coke ON app is also planned for September: purchase any Coca-Cola product at a participating machine and collect exclusive Pokémon GO stamps. The announcement was made via Coca-Cola Japan’s official newsroom (Japanese).

Between McDonald’s branches and Coca-Cola vending machines, large parts of urban Japan are effectively becoming a continuous Pokémon GO course this summer. For Singapore trainers doing a summer or year-end Japan trip, the window to catch both the McDonald’s PokéStop campaign (July 20 – September 1) and the Coca-Cola rollout in the same visit makes July–August 2026 one of the best times to be a Pokémon GO player in Japan. The campaign is Japan-only, but the merch — if you can win the lottery — ships a world away from anything available locally.

Full details on the collaboration burger and the Pokémon Happy Meal are still coming (July 16 and July 31 respectively). We’ll be watching. For more Japan culture and Pokémon news, check out our news archive.

Game News

White Cat Project INFINITY Announced for Nintendo Switch 2 — After Eight Years, Colopl’s Hit Finally Goes Console

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One of Japan’s most enduring mobile RPGs is finally making the leap to dedicated hardware. On 11 July 2026, Colopl revealed White Cat Project INFINITY — a brand-new action RPG for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, slated for release in 2027. The announcement dropped during the 12th-anniversary livestream for the original White Cat Project NEW WORLD’S mobile title (Famitsu, Japanese), and it is the first time a console version of the franchise has ever been officially confirmed.

White Cat Project INFINITY gameplay screenshot showing party battle with critical hit numbers
Image courtesy of Colopl

What Is White Cat Project?

White Cat Project (白猫プロジェクト) launched on iOS and Android in Japan in 2014 and became one of the country’s defining mobile action RPGs. The game built a massive following through its roster of expressive chibi-style characters, accessible action gameplay, and a relentless stream of collab events and story expansions. The current mobile title, NEW WORLD’S, celebrates its 12th year of continuous operation this month — an extraordinary run by any standard.

The franchise never officially launched in English, making it largely Japan-only to date. White Cat Project INFINITY has not yet confirmed any English localisation, but as a Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch title it could realistically see a wider regional release — regional availability to be confirmed closer to launch.

White Cat Project INFINITY — Announcement Trailer (Japanese) via COLOPL CHANNEL on YouTube

Character Link: The New Battle System

White Cat Project INFINITY character performing a slash attack with gameplay battle in background
Image courtesy of Colopl

INFINITY is not a port — it is a fully original console game built around a new mechanic called Character Link. Party composition matters here: pairing certain characters together unlocks unique buff effects and changes how actions evolve mid-battle. The concept Colopl describes is “exhilarating action × rapidly expanding character links,” suggesting the combat rewards experimentation with different team builds rather than just upgrading a single unit.

The game also introduces a live selection system where, during combat, players choose whether to recruit new party members or reinforce existing ones — adding a light strategy layer to the real-time action. Local multiplayer for up to four players is supported, making it a strong couch co-op option for Switch 2 owners.

50+ Playable Characters from the Franchise

White Cat Project INFINITY roster showing over 50 playable characters in chibi style
Image courtesy of Colopl

The launch roster will exceed 50 playable characters drawn from the NEW WORLD’S mobile game alongside original characters created specifically for INFINITY. For long-time fans of the mobile title, the prospect of playing favourite characters with console-quality controls and a dedicated action camera is the headline appeal.

Why This Took Eight Years — The Nintendo Patent Story

The backstory here is worth knowing. Back in 2018, Colopl announced a Switch version of White Cat Project — then quietly cancelled it. What emerged later was that Nintendo had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Colopl in 2018, alleging that the mobile game’s touchscreen controls violated Nintendo patents related to joystick input. The lawsuit ran for three years and was settled in 2021.

That settlement almost certainly cleared the path for White Cat Project INFINITY — making this announcement a genuinely long-awaited moment for the franchise’s fans. The fact that Colopl revealed it during an anniversary stream tells you how significant they consider this milestone to be.

What Singapore Switch 2 Owners Should Know

No English localisation or precise 2027 release window has been announced. Singapore gamers with Nintendo Switch 2 or Switch who enjoy Japanese import titles should keep an eye on this — the action RPG genre and up to four-player local co-op translate well across language barriers. Whether Colopl will pursue a wider Asian release remains to be seen, but the Switch 2’s global positioning makes it more plausible than the purely mobile era ever did.

We will update this story as Colopl shares more details on pricing, regional availability, and a firm launch window. The announcement trailer above (in Japanese) gives a solid first look at the Character Link combos in motion.

Game News

Hi-Fi RUSH Gets Its Asia Physical Debut This Thursday — PS5 Deluxe Edition Lands 16 July

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Hi-Fi RUSH was one of those rare games that arrived fully formed and instantly felt special — a rhythm-action title so tightly designed that the entire world, from enemies to light fixtures, pulses to the beat. It launched as a surprise Xbox and PC exclusive in January 2023, and while it eventually came to PS5 as a digital download in September of that year, a physical edition has never existed in Asia — until now. SuperDeluxe Games is releasing the Hi-Fi RUSH Deluxe Edition for PlayStation 5 across Asia on 16 July 2026, giving Singapore PS5 players their first chance to own it in a box.

Hi-Fi RUSH - Chai overlooks the vibrant Vandelay city skyline
Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks / Krafton

Beat the World to Your Own Guitar

For anyone who hasn’t played it: Hi-Fi RUSH puts you in the red sneakers of Chai, a wannabe rockstar who accidentally fuses a music player to his chest during an experimental procedure at the mega-corporation Vandelay Technologies. The result? Every punch, dodge, and guitar smash connects to the rhythm of the soundtrack — and the entire world follows. Enemies bounce on the beat, industrial machinery clanks in time, and city platforms pulse with every bar. The combat is intuitive enough to pick up in minutes but rewards players who truly lock into the groove with satisfying combo multipliers and score bonuses.

The game’s art style draws from classic anime and American comics, giving it a look that feels immediately at home for fans of the genres GameTrader readers know and love. It earned strong praise globally — Metacritic scores of around 87 on both Xbox and PS5 — and built a devoted fanbase that pushed hard for a wider physical release.

Hi-Fi RUSH | Official Trailer — via Hi-Fi RUSH on YouTube

The Asia Deluxe Edition: What’s in the Box

The physical Deluxe Edition, published in Asia by SuperDeluxe Games, is the most complete package Hi-Fi RUSH has ever received. Here’s what’s inside:

  • PS5 game disc with the complete Hi-Fi RUSH experience
  • Premium artbook featuring exclusive concept art and developer commentary
  • 3-disc original soundtrack
  • Trading cards
  • Reversible cover sleeve and three-sided slipcase box

The disc also bundles every free content update — including the well-received Arcade Challenge mode — plus three DLC costume packs: Bossplay, Traditional Garb, and Teamplay. Crucially for Singapore players, the Asia edition carries full multi-language support, with in-game text and audio options covering English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, and more, so there’s no barrier to jumping in.

Hi-Fi RUSH - Chai explores a volcanic industrial zone
Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks / Krafton

From Tokyo Studio to Krafton — The Story Behind the Game

Hi-Fi RUSH was created by Tango Gameworks, a studio founded in Tokyo in 2010 by Shinji Mikami, the legendary creator of Resident Evil. The game’s sun-soaked, music-driven world was a striking departure from the studio’s earlier horror work on The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo, and it landed as their most celebrated release by far.

In a move that shocked the industry, Microsoft shut Tango Gameworks down in June 2024 amid broader restructuring cuts. The studio sat dark for just a few months before South Korean publisher Krafton — best known globally for PUBG — stepped in and acquired both the studio and the Hi-Fi RUSH IP in August 2024. Around 50 of the original staff returned, and Hi-Fi RUSH’s future is again in motion under Krafton’s stewardship. The Asia physical release is the first major release under the new ownership.

Hi-Fi RUSH - Chai faces the Vandelay executive lineup on screen
Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks / Krafton

Where to Get It in Singapore

The Hi-Fi RUSH Deluxe Edition Asia (PS5) ships 16 July 2026. It’s available from online game importers that carry Japanese-region releases and ship to Singapore — check stock at your preferred gaming importer, as quantities on collector’s editions like this tend to be limited. All PS5 games are region-free, so the Japan-region disc plays without issue on any Singapore PS5 console.

Whether you’re a rhythm-game fan who never got the chance to try Hi-Fi RUSH, or a collector looking for a premium physical package, Thursday is the day to pull the trigger. For more upcoming game releases, see our Game News section.

Game News

Culdcept Begins Launches 16 July — The 10-Year Wait Is Over

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Ten years is a long wait. Culdcept Begins, the first brand-new entry in the cult card-and-board hybrid series since 2016’s Culdcept Revolt, launches this Thursday 16 July on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch (digital), and eventually PC — and Famitsu’s 33/40 preview scores published today suggest the decade-long break has done the series nothing but good. If you’re planning to grab the eShop version, the 10% early bird discount disappears at launch, so there’s no reason to delay.

Monopoly Meets Magic: The Gathering, Completely Reborn

Culdcept Begins board gameplay showing isometric map and card hand
Image courtesy of NEOS Corporation

If you’ve never played a Culdcept game, the elevator pitch is this: imagine Monopoly’s territory loop, but every time two players land on the same square their creature cards fight it out in real-time battle — and instead of buying houses, you’re deploying monsters, casting spells, and stacking terrain bonuses from a custom 40-card deck. The player who accumulates the target amount of “magic points” through tolls and battles wins.

Culdcept Begins keeps that DNA fully intact while introducing a brand-new cast, a new story, and over 400 creature, item, and spell cards sporting redesigned art that leans into a warm, illustrated-book style. Board layouts are also fresh, including new terrain types that interact with specific element affinities on the cards.

Famitsu’s Verdict: 33/40

Culdcept Begins card collection screen showing hundreds of creature cards to collect
Image courtesy of NEOS Corporation

Famitsu’s four reviewers handed Culdcept Begins a combined score of 9/8/8/8 (33 out of 40) in preview scores published this week, ahead of the 16 July launch. Reviewers praised the “well-established system combining Monopoly and card battles” and flagged a noticeably polished UI alongside shorter average play sessions compared to older entries in the series. The depth-versus-accessibility balance was a recurring highlight: one reviewer called it a game that “offers deep strategic depth while remaining accessible,” aided by a story mode that walks new players through the rules at a comfortable pace. A growth-points system that rewards progress even when you retire from a match mid-game also earned specific praise as a quality-of-life upgrade long-time fans will appreciate.

Switch 2 Extras: GameShare and Mouse Mode

Culdcept Begins card battle screen — Minotaur versus Kobold
Image courtesy of NEOS Corporation

The Switch 2 Edition adds two features that fit Culdcept perfectly. GameShare lets up to four players join a local session wirelessly — including Switch 1 owners — even if only one person at the table owns the game, which makes it ideal as a family or friends night pick-up. Mouse Mode support is the other one: if you’ve ever wanted to flick through a 400-card hand using a mouse cursor, you can now.

A dedicated physical Switch 2 edition is available at launch in a Standard box and a Limited SteelBook version that includes a soundtrack CD and a set of ten creature-card replicas for collectors.

Culdcept BEGINS – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – Announcement Trailer — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

Where to Get It — and Why to Move Quickly

Culdcept Begins ice spell battle effect in creature combat
Image courtesy of NEOS Corporation

Culdcept Begins is available to pre-order now on the Nintendo Singapore eShop (Switch 2 Edition) and Switch edition. The standard digital prices are US$54.99 (Switch 2) and US$44.99 (Switch) — check the Singapore eShop for your local SGD price. Until the game launches on 16 July a 10% early bird discount is active, bringing those prices down to US$49.49 and US$40.49 respectively. The physical Switch 2 Standard edition is priced at US$54.99; the SteelBook is US$89.99. A PC version via Steam is planned for Q4 2026.

For more game releases and gaming news, check back on the blog as 16 July approaches.