Category Archives: News

Kyurem Raid Hour Tonight in Pokémon GO — Shiny Available, Rare Candy XL Bonus

Kyurem is the current 5-Star Raid boss in Pokémon GO, and if you have been waiting for the right moment to challenge it, that moment is tonight. Wednesday Raid Hour runs from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM SGT, packing Legendary Raids into gyms across the island — meaning more encounters, more chances at the Shiny form, and less time wandering between gyms looking for active eggs.

Hard to be sneaky when you shine so bright! 🤩 — via Pokémon GO on YouTube

Raid Hour Details: Wednesday, 29 July, 6–7 PM Local Time

Pokémon GO’s weekly Raid Hour takes place every Wednesday at the same time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM your local time. For Singapore trainers, that means 6:00–7:00 PM SGT tonight. During that hour, gyms in range flood with 5-Star eggs, dramatically cutting down the time between battles compared to a regular raid session. You can reasonably chain four to six fights in that window if you are near a cluster of gyms — think around Suntec City, Bugis, or any neighbourhood park with three or four gyms in walking distance.

Kyurem is an Ice and Dragon type Legendary. Its vulnerabilities include Steel, Fighting, Rock, Fire, Dragon, and Fairy moves. Reliable counters include Machamp, Lucario, and Conkeldurr for Fighting-type pressure; Metagross and Dialga for Steel; and Rhyperior or Rampardos for Rock. Avoid Dragon-type attackers unless you are confident Kyurem will not land a Dragon Claw or Dragon Breath before you can faint it.

Free Rare Candy XL All Day on In-Person Raids

Starting at midnight local time and running through 11:59 PM tonight (Wednesday, 29 July), every completed in-person Raid Battle earns you one Rare Candy XL. That bonus stacks across all raid tiers, so even grinding lower-star raids between the Kyurem attempts counts. Rare Candy XL is one of the scarcest resources in the game for powering up Pokémon to Level 50, so tonight’s session doubles as a stardust-efficient candy run — use your free daily Raid Pass on Kyurem, then spend a Premium Battle Pass or two on whatever else is in your gyms.

Shiny Kyurem Is Available

Shiny Kyurem official artwork — the alternate colour form of the Boundary Pokémon
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Yes — Shiny Kyurem is in the encounter pool. The golden-tinted palette swap flips Kyurem’s dark grey body to a warm amber-gold with white accents, making it one of the better-looking shiny Legendaries around. Shiny odds in standard 5-Star Raids sit at roughly 1 in 20, so a solid Raid Hour session gives you a meaningful number of attempts. Check each catch screen carefully before tapping away.

Looking Ahead: Uxie Raid Hour Next Wednesday — Singapore Included

Uxie official artwork — the Knowledge Pokémon, exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region in Pokémon GO
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Next Wednesday’s Raid Hour (5 August) brings a trio of Lake Guardians: Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. These three are region-locked — and Uxie is the Asia-Pacific exclusive, which means Singapore trainers are the ones who get it. Mesprit is locked to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India; Azelf is Americas and Greenland. If you have friends overseas who still need Uxie for their Pokédex, next Wednesday is a prime Remote Raid window to share. Mark the calendar now so you do not miss it.

For more Pokémon GO events and Singapore gaming news, check out the Game News section on GameTrader.SG.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Is Now Streaming in Singapore

Tonight is the night. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle I — the record-breaking finale that spent months as the highest-grossing anime film of all time — is now available to stream in Singapore. Netflix has it live across Asia from today, and Crunchyroll opens at 11:00 p.m. SGT. When the streaming date was confirmed earlier this month, Netflix Singapore’s availability was still listed as to be confirmed. It’s confirmed now.

Official theatrical poster for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle I
Image courtesy of Aniplex / ufotable

Netflix Singapore: Infinity Castle Is Live Now

Netflix Anime’s official announcement confirms the film is streaming across Asia from 28 July, with Japan, Mainland China, and India the only regional exclusions. Singapore is fully in. Open Netflix tonight and you’ll find Infinity Castle I already there — no waiting required.

A battle scene from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle I
Image courtesy of Aniplex / ufotable

Crunchyroll: 11 PM SGT Tonight

Crunchyroll brings the film worldwide from 8:00 a.m. PT on 28 July, which lands at 11:00 p.m. SGT. It’s a late-night start but arguably the ideal way to experience it: Japanese original audio with English subtitles is available alongside the English theatrical dub. Southeast Asia viewers also get subtitle tracks in Thai, Chinese (Traditional), Indonesian, and Melayu — making it one of the most thoroughly localised anime film releases the region has received.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle | Official Trailer — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

What Infinity Castle I Covers

The film follows directly from the Hashira Training Arc, dropping Tanjiro Kamado and the entire Demon Slayer Corps into Muzan Kibutsuji’s shapeshifting fortress. Directed by Haruo Sotozaki and animated by ufotable — the same team behind every season of the TV series — it funnels years of character build-up into a single extended encounter. If you have seen the TV series through the end of the Hashira arc, you are ready to watch with no setup needed.

Tanjiro Kamado in an action sequence from Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
Image courtesy of Aniplex / ufotable

For the full background on the film’s records, cast, and theatrical history, our original streaming announcement covers it in detail. In short: it is the first of three Infinity Castle films that together close the Demon Slayer story, and this first chapter represents one of the most anticipated streaming drops of the year for anime fans in Singapore.

Films Two and Three: Still to Come

A still from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle
Image courtesy of Aniplex / ufotable

The second and third Infinity Castle films are still in production, with no streaming dates announced yet. For Singapore fans who didn’t catch the theatrical run, Film I is where the story begins and it’s where to start — both Netflix and Crunchyroll have it covered tonight. Check the anime section for streaming news on the follow-up films when they’re confirmed.

The Remarried Empress Drops First Poster — Disney+ This Fall

Disney+ has unveiled the first official teaser poster for The Remarried Empress (재혼 황후), its upcoming Korean fantasy romance series — and it is already giving Singapore’s webtoon community all the feels. The poster arrived on 27 July 2026, ahead of a confirmed Fall 2026 premiere on Disney+.

Shin Min-ah as Empress Navier in The Remarried Empress on Disney+
Image courtesy of Disney+

What Is The Remarried Empress?

If you have been anywhere near the Naver Webtoon app in the past few years, you already know the name. The Remarried Empress is a fantasy romance manhwa by Alphatart that has racked up an extraordinary 2.97 billion cumulative views since launching in 2019, across ten language editions. It is consistently one of the most-read titles in the platform’s history, and Singapore readers have been among its most devoted fans.

The adaptation is billed as Disney’s first Korean fantasy romance original, produced by Studio N under director Jo Soo-won (Pinocchio) with a screenplay by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Choong-yeol, the team behind The Uncanny Counter. Principal photography ran from June to November 2025, filmed largely in Prague, Czech Republic — preserving the Western-fantasy aesthetic of the source material rather than transposing the story to a Korean historical setting.

A Star-Studded Cast

Main cast of The Remarried Empress — Shin Min-ah, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young in character
Image courtesy of Disney+

The four leads are among the most recognisable names in Korean drama right now:

  • Shin Min-ah as Empress Navier — intelligent, composed, and utterly unwilling to be written off
  • Ju Ji-hoon as Emperor Sovieshu — the husband who makes the catastrophic decision to trade his empress for his mistress
  • Lee Jong-suk as Prince Heinrey — the charming prince of the Western Kingdom, who harbours a secret ability to transform into a bird
  • Lee Se-young as Rashta — the former slave whose rise becomes the catalyst for everything that follows

Supporting the leads are Lee Bong-ryun, Choi Dae-hoon, Park Ho-san, Kang Han-na, and Lee Joon-hyuk, among others. The ten-episode series has a rating of 15+ (teens 15 and older).

The Story — Betrayal, Palace Politics, and a Power Move

The setup is already one of fiction’s most satisfying premises: Navier, the flawless Empress of the Eastern Empire, discovers that her husband Emperor Sovieshu wants to replace her with Rashta, a former runaway slave. Rather than accept the humiliation of a one-sided divorce, Navier conditions her agreement on one thing — imperial permission to remarry. The teaser poster captures that moment perfectly, Shin Min-ah standing alone in a grand cathedral hall, the words printed across the image: “I accept this divorce. And I request an approval of my remarriage.”

Her chosen suitor is Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom, a man with ulterior motives who gradually finds himself genuinely falling for her. What follows is a story of court intrigue, political negotiation, and a woman who refuses to let betrayal define her.

Behind the Scenes

The Remarried Empress cast at the May 2025 script reading — Lee Jong-suk, Shin Min-ah, Lee Se-young and Ju Ji-hoon holding their scripts
Image courtesy of Disney+

The main cast gathered for a script reading in May 2025, shortly before filming began. Seeing Lee Jong-suk, Shin Min-ah, Lee Se-young, and Ju Ji-hoon together with their scripts marked the first public confirmation that the project was fully in motion. Since then, the production has stayed quiet — making this first teaser poster the most substantial update fans have seen in months.

When Can Singapore Fans Watch?

The Remarried Empress is coming to Disney+ in Fall 2026. Disney+ is available in Singapore, so local fans should be able to stream the ten-episode series directly on the platform without any regional workaround. No specific premiere date has been announced yet — but with the teaser poster now out, a full trailer and air date are likely the next milestones to watch for.

For Singapore’s sizeable community of manhwa readers, the wait is nearly over. Stay across our manga and anime coverage for the moment that premiere date drops.

Persona 3 Stage Play Streams Free on YouTube from 31 July

Persona fans, clear your calendars: Atlus is making the first chapter of the Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade stage play available to stream free on YouTube for two weeks starting 31 July. Both the male and female protagonist versions will go up on the official ATLUS GAME MUSIC YouTube channel (Japanese) — and if you have not played the game yet, there has never been a better moment to jump in, with Persona 3 Reload currently slashed in an anniversary sale that ends as soon as 29 July on PS Store.

Free on YouTube From 31 July — How Long You Have

Persona 3 the Weird Masquerade Blue Awakening theatrical key art featuring both male and female protagonists
Image courtesy of Atlus / P3 the WM Project

Atlus is releasing both versions of PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade ~青の覚醒~ (Blue Awakening) as a limited-time, free YouTube stream to mark the Persona series’ 30th anniversary and Persona 3’s 20th anniversary. The schedule is:

  • Female protagonist version (starring Asumi Kana as Kotone Shiomi): goes live 31 July 2026 at 5 pm SGT, available until 13 August at 4:59 pm SGT
  • Male protagonist version (starring Shota Aoi as the male protagonist): goes live 1 August 2026 at 5 pm SGT, available until 14 August at 4:59 pm SGT

Both videos are already on the ATLUS GAME MUSIC channel with the 【期間限定公開】 (limited-time release) tag. The performances are in Japanese with no English subtitles in the official upload, so dust off your headphones and enjoy the atmosphere even if your Japanese is limited — Persona 3’s soundtrack and stagecraft carry a lot.

Persona 3 the Weird Masquerade — Blue Awakening (Female Protagonist ver., starring Asumi Kana) — via ATLUS GAME MUSIC on YouTube (Japanese)
Persona 3 the Weird Masquerade — Blue Awakening (Male Protagonist ver., starring Shota Aoi) — via ATLUS GAME MUSIC on YouTube (Japanese)

What Is the Weird Masquerade?

Persona 3 the Weird Masquerade Blue Awakening promotional anime art showing SEES members
Image courtesy of Atlus / P3 the WM Project

Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade is a series of stage plays produced by CLIE that adapt the events of the 2006 Atlus RPG. The first chapter — Blue Awakening — ran for five days at Theatre G-Rosso in Tokyo in January 2014, and was famously double-cast: the same ensemble performed the story twice with a different lead actor playing the protagonist in each version (a nod to Persona 3 Portable’s female protagonist option). The series continued across four chapters through 2017, following SEES as they battle Shadows during the Dark Hour and unravel the mystery of the Apathy Syndrome.

For years these plays were essentially impossible to watch outside Japan without seeking out fan recordings. Making Blue Awakening — the very beginning of that story — free on YouTube for two weeks is a meaningful gesture for international Persona fans, and a first step for anyone who wants to follow the full arc across subsequent chapters. The anniversary campaign has been rolling out monthly promotional content since earlier this year; this is the seventh installment.

Persona 3 Reload Sale — Act Fast on PS Store

Persona 3 Reload gameplay screenshot featuring Aigis in combat in Tartarus
Image courtesy of Atlus

Running alongside the stage play announcement is a P3 20th Anniversary sale on Persona 3 Reload, Atlus’s 2024 full remake of the game. Based on the official Persona Channel announcement (Japanese):

  • PS Store: up to 60% off — ends 29 July (Wednesday) in Japan, so Singapore PS5 players should check their regional storefront immediately as this closes soon
  • Nintendo eShop: up to 40% off — ends 10 August (Monday)

Discounts vary by region; check your Singapore PS Store or Nintendo eShop directly for local pricing. Persona 3 Reload is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (Steam / Windows). If you have been sitting on the fence about Persona 3, jumping in during the sale and then watching the stage play while it is free is a pretty ideal combination — the musical themes from Shoji Meguro carry over into both, and seeing the live-stage versions of the SEES dormitory scenes hits differently once you have played through Tartarus yourself.

Check the Manga Anime section for more Persona and Atlus coverage, and keep an eye on the ATLUS GAME MUSIC YouTube channel — if the monthly campaign continues its pattern, more chapters may follow after Blue Awakening concludes its run.

Senren*Banka Anime Announced for 2027, KOTOKO Returns

After a decade of devoted fans asking when Yuzusoft would finally make the leap to television, the wait is officially over. At Yuzusoft Songfes 2026 in Kanto on 26 July, the developer announced that their acclaimed visual novel Senren*Banka (千恋*万花) will be adapted into an anime — broadcast scheduled for 2027. What makes this even sweeter: the entire original voice cast is coming back, and KOTOKO will handle the opening theme song once again.

Senren*Banka anime cast announcement slide confirming original voice cast
Image courtesy of Yuzusoft (Japanese)

What Is Senren*Banka?

If the title is new to you, here is the short version. Senren*Banka is a Japanese-style romance visual novel set in a sleepy hot-spring town steeped in mythology. The protagonist — a city boy visiting the countryside — accidentally draws an ancient cursed sword from a shrine rock, triggering a cascade of supernatural trouble involving shrine maidens, rival ninja clans, and four unforgettable heroines. It is warm, funny, and surprisingly emotional.

Yuzusoft quietly became one of the most acclaimed visual novel studios in Japan, and Senren*Banka is their centrepiece title. It launched for Windows PC in 2016, received a Nintendo Switch port, and was localised into English by NekoNyan Soft. By February 2026 it had crossed one million copies sold worldwide, sitting on an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam backed by around 34,000 reviews — a remarkable result for an independently produced visual novel.

For Singapore players who have not yet experienced it: the English version is available right now on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Now is the perfect time to catch up before the anime arrives.

Senren*Banka gameplay screenshot showing the Japanese hot-spring town setting
Image courtesy of Yuzusoft

Senren*Banka Anime: What Was Confirmed at Songfes 2026

Three concrete details were revealed at the Kanto event on 26 July:

  • Original cast, all returning. Haruka Sora reprises Yoshino Asatake (朝武芳乃), Kotorii Yuuka returns as Mako Hitachi (常降茉子), Mikan Sato voices Murasame (ムラサメ) once more, and Sawazawa Sawa returns as Lena Liechtenauer (レナ・リヒテナウアー).
  • KOTOKO on the opening theme. The artist who performed the original game opening returns for the anime, maintaining the musical identity fans know.
  • 2027 broadcast window. No specific season or cour has been pinned down yet.

The animation studio, episode count, and international streaming arrangements — including whether Crunchyroll, Netflix, or another service will carry it for Singapore — have not been announced. Yuzusoft has promised further details in upcoming announcements. We will update our coverage here at GameTrader the moment SG-specific streaming information becomes available.

Official Senren*Banka anime announcement summary card from Yuzusoft Songfes 2026
Image courtesy of Yuzusoft (Japanese)

Why Singapore VN and Anime Fans Should Care

This is Yuzusoft’s first-ever anime adaptation — the studio has produced acclaimed visual novels for over a decade, with titles like Riddle Joker and Sanoba Witch earning strong followings on Steam in Southeast Asia, but none had crossed over to animation until now. Senren*Banka is the breakout, and the circumstances feel earned: a million-copy global fanbase, an official English localisation that reached readers well beyond Japan, and a community that has lobbied for an adaptation for years.

KOTOKO’s involvement adds its own weight. She has been a pillar of the anime music scene in Southeast Asia for two decades — themes like “Re-sublimity” and her work across multiple visual novel franchises are well known among SG fans. Her returning specifically to Senren*Banka’s universe suggests this is a production built for the audience that made the game a million-seller, not a box-ticking exercise.

Streaming availability in Singapore is to be confirmed. Follow the official Yuzusoft X account (Japanese) for future updates, and keep an eye on our anime coverage here for when localised streaming details emerge.

Senren*Banka visual novel gameplay screenshot
Image courtesy of Yuzusoft

Blue Archive 5th Anniversary Update Lands 29 July — New Gacha System Sparks Community Backlash

Blue Archive turns five on 28 July 2026 — and to mark the occasion, NEXON is dropping a major update on 29 July that introduces fresh story content, new summer characters, and the biggest change to the game’s monetisation in its history. The catch? Sensei, that last part is the one getting everyone fired up.

Blue Archive raid battle gameplay
Image courtesy of NEXON

What’s New in the 5th Anniversary Update

The headline content additions are genuinely exciting. Swimsuit banners are leading the charge: Makoto (Swimsuit) and Satsuki (Swimsuit) drop first on 29 July, followed by the long-awaited Iroha (Swimsuit) on 5 August — her first alternate variant since the character launched. Iroha mains have been waiting for this one for a long time.

On the story front, the update finally delivers a Gehenna main story chapter, exploring the academy that’s been a backdrop to some of the game’s most memorable moments but has never had its own dedicated main story arc. For players who’ve been grinding through Kivotos’s narrative, this is the chapter they’ve been asking for.

Blue Archive main story selection screen with Kivotos story chapters
Image courtesy of NEXON
5th Anniversary Anime PV — via ブルーアーカイブ-Blue Archive- on YouTube

The New Gacha System — What Is Actually Changing

Here’s the part where it gets messy. As of 29 July, Blue Archive’s entire recruitment (gacha) system is overhauled. The long-running recruitment points system — where accumulated points carried over between banners and gave veteran players a sense of security — is being removed entirely.

Replacing it is a model that looks familiar on the surface but lands differently in practice:

  • A 50/50 system kicks in at 100 pulls: you have a 50% chance to get the featured character, 50% chance of getting an off-banner 3-star student.
  • If you lose the 50/50, the next featured character is guaranteed — but that guarantee doesn’t come until pull 200.
  • There is no soft pity — pull rates do not increase as you approach 100. You can pull 99 times and still have the same base rate as pull 1.
  • Pity resets to zero the moment you win the featured student. So if you get lucky at 30 pulls, you start from scratch on the next banner, with no cushion carried over.
Blue Archive school life and cafe decoration gameplay
Image courtesy of NEXON

Why the Community Is Upset

The 5.5 anniversary livestream on 26 July concluded to a wave of criticism from both the JP and Global communities. Players who were happy with the earlier content announcements hit a wall when the gacha changes dropped.

The core complaint is straightforward: getting lucky is now actively punished. Under the old recruitment points system, players who happened to pull a character early still banked progress toward future banners. Under the new system, winning the 50/50 at 30 pulls means starting completely cold on the next banner — and with no soft pity slope, there’s no comfort zone as you approach 100. As one community member noted on X: “You can very easily still go past 100 pulls and never get a rate-up character to chance that 50/50.”

For Singapore players used to juggling limited pyroxene budgets across multiple banners, the change hits especially hard. The old system rewarded patience; the new one arguably punishes consistency.

Blue Archive Recollection Lobby story scenes
Image courtesy of NEXON

Should Singapore Players Log In on 29 July?

Despite the gacha controversy, the content itself is solid — Iroha’s first alt, new swimsuit characters, and a Gehenna story chapter are all things the community has genuinely wanted. Blue Archive typically distributes anniversary pyroxene and free recruitment tickets to celebrate milestones, so there’s reason to log in even if you’re sitting this banner out.

Blue Archive is available free on iOS and Android globally, and on Steam for PC. Whether NEXON adjusts the new pity system in response to community feedback remains to be seen — but with the backlash already loud across JP and Global forums, expect the conversation to continue well past the July 29 launch.

Every Marvel SDCC 2026 Reveal: Ghost Rider, Doomsday, BP3 and More

Marvel Studios came back to San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H on Saturday after skipping 2025 entirely, and they made every minute count. Over roughly one hour, Kevin Feige and a parade of surprise guests unpacked the next chapter of the MCU — from a December blockbuster with a cast of hundreds to a 2028 wildcard that had fans screaming the moment Ryan Gosling walked on stage. Here is everything revealed, and what it means for Singapore fans heading into the busiest Marvel year in recent memory.

Ryan Gosling Rides Into the MCU as Ghost Rider

Marvel Studios Ghost Rider official logo
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios

The biggest surprise of the night landed early. Ryan Gosling walked out to the sound of a motorcycle revving, then told Hall H what many had long hoped to hear: he is playing Johnny Blaze in a new Ghost Rider film for Marvel Studios, set for a 2028 release. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is attached to direct, with Jonathan Tropper writing the script.

Gosling and Levy are currently co-starring and directing respectively on Star Wars: Starfighter (releasing May 2027), and Gosling told the crowd they spent a lot of their downtime on that set dreaming up what a Ghost Rider story could look like. “This is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time,” Gosling said on stage at SDCC, as relayed by Deadline. No plot details were revealed, but the casting alone is one of the most anticipated MCU announcements in years — Gosling’s charisma (and his track record with Levy) has set the bar very high.

For Singapore fans: Gosling is box-office gold here after Barbie and The Fall Guy, and Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine was one of the biggest theatrical events in Singapore in 2024. A 2028 release puts Ghost Rider squarely in the post-Secret Wars era of the MCU.

Avengers: Doomsday — New Hall H Footage and a Packed December Slot

Doctor Doom faces Thor's hammer in Avengers: Doomsday
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
Avengers: Doomsday | Only in Theaters December 18, 2026 — via Marvel Entertainment on YouTube

Avengers: Doomsday arrives on December 18, 2026, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (returning after Infinity War and Endgame), and running 165 minutes. The film assembles the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Wakandans, and Thunderbolts against Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doctor Doom — and the Hall H footage made it clear this is not the Iron Man audiences knew. As described by GamesRadar, the screened clip opens on Doom seated on his throne as Vanessa Kirby‘s Sue Storm tells him he is “broken as a person.” Pedro Pascal‘s Reed Richards confirmed to the crowd that his character and Doom share a history that will be explored in the film. The footage ends with Doom placing his hand on the ground and raising an army of broken Sentinels, declaring: “Hell answers to me. For I am Doom.”

Steve Rogers and Thor face off in Avengers: Doomsday
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios

Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers, with Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor using Mjolnir to confirm his identity in a scene shown to Hall H. Hayley Atwell is also confirmed in the cast. On the post-Doomsday slate: Avengers: Endgame Encore hits theatres on September 25, 2026, with a theatrical re-run that includes an exclusive look at Doomsday footage — a warm-up for the December event. Avengers: Secret Wars, the follow-up, is locked for December 17, 2027.

December 18 in Singapore means the usual early-access screenings across Golden Village, Cathay, and Shaw — expect preview screenings to open well ahead of the US release given the time zone advantage. For a 165-minute runtime, IMAX and Dolby showings will sell out fast.

Black Panther III: A New King Steps Up

Black Panther III official Marvel Studios logo
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios

Black Panther III is official, with director Ryan Coogler returning and David Jonsson stepping in as the new Black Panther — playing T’Challa’s son, who takes up the mantle. Jonsson is best known for Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk. The film is dated for December 15, 2028, per CBR’s full panel recap. Feige kept further plot details close to his chest, but Jonsson’s casting signals the franchise is ready to move forward with a fresh lead while keeping Coogler’s creative vision intact.

More From Hall H: VisionQuest, Spider-Man, and Ryan Reynolds

VisionQuest, which Marvel is calling the conclusion of the “WandaVision trilogy,” lands on Disney+ on October 14, 2026. Spider-Man: Brand New Day had new footage screened, featuring Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker alongside Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher in a confrontation against Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk — confirmation that the Punisher has fully crossed into the main MCU timeline. And in classic Hall H fashion, Ryan Reynolds appeared in the audience dressed as “Gray Deadpool” and spent much of the presentation providing commentary for the crowd.

Taken together, Marvel’s SDCC 2026 slate is the clearest picture yet of where the MCU is headed post-Doomsday. Ghost Rider under Gosling and Levy, Black Panther III with Jonsson carrying the mantle, and the promise of Secret Wars in 2027 — the next two years are shaping up to be among the most event-driven in the franchise’s history. Keep an eye on the GameTrader news feed as local cinema dates and Singapore ticket pre-sales are confirmed.

New Galaxy Express 999 Film Announced — Rintarō Returns

Toei Animation and Leijisha have officially announced a new Galaxy Express 999 theatrical film. The project reunites the franchise with director Rintarō — the man behind the iconic 1979 and 1981 films — who is currently drafting an original story for the new production.

Maetel key art for the new Galaxy Express 999 film
Image courtesy of Toei Animation / Leijisha

Back on the Endless Railway

The announcement was made on 25 July 2026. While a release date has not been set, the confirmation that Rintarō is actively working on the story signals this is a genuine production rather than a greenlight announcement with nothing behind it.

Makiko Matsumoto, representing Leijisha — the estate that holds the late Leiji Matsumoto’s intellectual properties — expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration. Speaking to Anime News Network, she confirmed the project is moving forward with the blessing of the Matsumoto estate, honouring the late manga artist’s legacy.

Galaxy Express 999 film still featuring Maetel and Shadow
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Why This Matters

Galaxy Express 999 holds a singular place in anime history. The 1979 theatrical film — directed by Rintarō and based on Leiji Matsumoto’s manga — is routinely cited as one of the most emotionally resonant anime films ever made, and it cemented the franchise’s place in Japanese pop culture decades before mecha or shōnen battle anime dominated the global conversation.

Rintarō (real name Shigeyuki Hayashi) continued working into his eighties; his involvement here — drafting the story himself — means this is not a nostalgic reboot handed to a newer director, but a direct continuation of the creative lineage from the originals.

Galaxy Express 999 4K Remaster Collector's Edition Blu-ray set
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

What We Know So Far

  • Studio: Toei Animation, in collaboration with Leijisha
  • Director: Rintarō (drafting an original story)
  • Announced: 25 July 2026
  • Release date: Not yet confirmed
  • Format: Theatrical film

No cast, trailer, or visual materials beyond what has been shared officially have been released at this stage. Given the weight of the announcement and Rintarō’s active involvement, further details are expected to follow as production advances.

For Singapore Fans

Galaxy Express 999 has not had a significant theatrical or streaming presence in Southeast Asia for many years, but Toei Animation has been steadily expanding its international catalogue. The 4K remaster of the original films has already surfaced on select streaming platforms globally — making this announcement the right moment to revisit (or discover for the first time) what made the franchise legendary.

GameTrader will track this one as details emerge. Stay tuned to our anime and manga coverage for updates.

All 146 Kamen Rider Works Hit Prime Video Japan on 29 August

The 55th anniversary of Kamen Rider is shaping up to be the franchise’s biggest year yet. From 29 August 2026, Amazon Prime members in Japan will be able to watch all 146 works in the Kamen Rider franchise for free — no extra charge, no gaps in the library.

146 Works, Zero Extra Charge

The announcement, confirmed via Japanese media including natalie.mu (Japanese) and Denfaminicogamer (Japanese), covers the full breadth of the franchise on Prime Video Japan:

  • Full TV series catalogue — the original 1971 Kamen Rider through the entire Heisei era (Kuuga through Zi-O) and all Reiwa-era entries including Zero-One, Saber, Revice, and beyond
  • V-Cinema films making their unlimited streaming debut — including Kamen Rider Faiz 20th: Paradise Regained and Kamen Rider OOO 10th: Core Medals of Resurrection
  • TV specials and streaming originals — such as Rider Time: Kamen Rider Ryuki

One small exception: Kamen Rider Geats joins the library on 1 September rather than the 29th. Everything else drops together.

The timing is deliberate. The archive unlock coincides with the Prime Video premiere of Kamen Rider Agito: Super Power War, the 55th anniversary theatrical film. Toei and TV Asahi ran a fan vote earlier this year to choose which Heisei-era Rider would receive the anniversary treatment; Agito — which achieved an average TV rating of 11.7%, the highest of any Heisei Rider — was the clear fans’ choice.

KAMEN RIDER MY-TH | Official Teaser — via TOEI TOKUSATSU WORLD OFFICIAL on YouTube

Kamen Rider My-Th: A Mouse Takes the Belt This September

Kamen Rider MY-TH full suit official photo
Image courtesy of Toei / TV Asahi

While the archive headlines are huge for long-time fans, the franchise’s future is also being mapped out. Kamen Rider My-Th — the next mainline series — is confirmed for September 2026 on TV Asahi, replacing Kamen Rider Zeztz in the Sunday-morning Super Hero Time block alongside Kakusei Hunter Omegahorn.

It marks a franchise first: the lead Rider’s motif is a mouse. Kamen Rider MY-TH himself is silver and blue, wearing the MY-TH Driver diagonally across the chest in a style reminiscent of Zeztz. Two rival Riders have also been revealed: the crimson, crystal-armoured Maou (with the Maou Driver worn at the waist) and the blue-accented Rid, who uses the MY-TH Driver augmented by a Hammer Bone Buckle.

The series follows Sora Otosumi, a butler-turned-hero who serves as “meister” to a young girl named Yuna Mizuki and transforms on her behalf. Toei’s tagline: “Awakening from a century’s slumber — people’s wishes endure, and a falling star becomes a MYTH.”

Kamen Rider Maou official suit photo — the crimson antagonist Rider
Image courtesy of Toei / TV Asahi

For Singapore Tokusatsu Fans

The 146-work streaming deal is confirmed for Prime Video Japan — not yet for other regions. Singapore fans who want to dig into the full archive now will need a Japanese Prime Video account.

That said, Toei has a consistent track record of bringing Kamen Rider to Prime Video globally. Kamen Rider Black Sun and Shin Kamen Rider both launched on Prime Video Singapore, and new Reiwa-era series have generally followed within months of their Japanese broadcast start. Based on that pattern, Kamen Rider My-Th is the one to watch: once it airs in Japan this September, a global Prime Video window is the most likely path — though no SEA date has been confirmed.

Whether you are coming back to the franchise after years away or discovering it for the first time, 29 August is shaping up to be a landmark date for tokusatsu. Keep an eye on GameTrader’s anime and manga coverage for updates as they land.