Category Archives: News

D23 Asia Is Coming to Singapore — June 2027 at Marina Bay Sands

Singapore is about to become the first city in Southeast Asia — and only the third location globally — to host Disney’s flagship fan convention. D23 Asia: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event has been confirmed for 25–27 June 2027 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, with ticket sales opening in November 2026. For Disney fans in the region, it’s the closest the D23 experience has ever been.

What Is D23 Asia?

D23 Asia The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Singapore 2027 logo
Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

D23 is Disney’s official fan convention — the name references 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his first studio. The event brings together films, Disney+, theme parks, merchandise, live stage presentations, and direct access to the creative talent behind Disney’s biggest properties under one roof. Think exclusive sneak peeks, special announcements, celebrity appearances, behind-the-scenes sessions, and shopping, all aimed squarely at enthusiast fans.

The main D23 Expo runs every two years in Anaheim, California. This Singapore edition is a dedicated Asia-Pacific version — and while no specific panel lineup has been confirmed yet, previous D23 Asia events in Japan featured Marvel franchise updates, theme park expansion previews, and appearances by the productions’ creative teams.

D23 Asia: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Coming to Singapore in 2027 — via Disney on YouTube

Venue and Dates

The event runs across three days — 25, 26, and 27 June 2027 — at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, the large events space connected to Marina Bay Sands. This is the same venue that regularly hosts major conventions and trade fairs, so it has the floor space and infrastructure for a multi-day fan event of this scale.

Specific ticket prices and pass tiers have not yet been announced. Ticket sales open in November 2026. Disney has indicated further programming details will be shared via the official D23 Asia website and its Instagram channels closer to the event.

What Singapore Fans Can Expect

D23 Asia Singapore 2027 fan event announcement Disney
Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

Disney has outlined D23 Asia as featuring “live stage presentations with special announcements, interactive experiences, curated merchandise, sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes moments, thrilling performances, shopping, surprises, and more.” That is intentionally broad at this stage, but based on prior D23 editions the format typically includes:

  • Hall presentations for major franchises (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney Animation, Pixar)
  • Disney+ Asia-Pacific Originals previews and meet-the-creator sessions
  • Theme park announcements (Asia-Pacific fans will be watching for updates on Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland)
  • Exclusive D23 merchandise available only at the event
  • Cosplay, fan community showcases, and interactive activations

For gaming fans: Kingdom Hearts IV, Disney Lorcana, and Disney’s console collaborations have all had a presence at past D23 events, so game-related announcements are plausible — especially with Kingdom Hearts IV building toward its release window.

Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer at The Walt Disney Company, said in the announcement: “Bringing D23 to Singapore reflects the incredible passion of Disney fans across Asia Pacific and our desire to meet them where they are.”

Why Singapore, and Why Now?

D23’s previous Asia editions were all held in Japan (2013, 2015, 2018), reflecting Tokyo Disneyland’s enormous draw for the franchise’s Japanese fanbase. The shift to Singapore for 2027 signals how Disney sees Southeast Asia as its next major growth market — and Singapore’s position as a regional hub for conventions and entertainment events makes it the natural anchor.

For Singapore fans, the practical upside is significant. Travelling to Anaheim or Tokyo for a fan convention involves flights and hotels that make a D23 trip expensive for most regional fans. A Singapore edition removes that barrier — and positions the city as a genuine pop-culture destination on the same tier as the convention cities that have hosted it before.

Tickets go on sale in November 2026 at the official D23 Asia website. Check our events section for any programming updates as they are announced.

Kingdom Hearts IV Extended D23 Trailer: Mickey, Donald, and Goofy Are All Playable

The four-minute extended Kingdom Hearts IV trailer, shown during Disney’s D23 fan event on 15 August, packed in gameplay reveals that the 90-second teaser the night before only hinted at. The headline is unmistakable: King Mickey is playable — properly playable, with his own world and his own mechanics — and Donald and Goofy step into the action too. As we covered when the Coco World was first revealed, KH4 is targeting a late 2027 window across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. This extended look makes that wait feel a great deal more worthwhile.

King Mickey Is Finally Playable — and Gets a Paper-World to Call His Own

Mickey’s playable section takes place inside a book within Scala ad Caelum, a flat paper-styled world built around origami shapeshifting. Players can create a paper-thin version of Mickey to slip through wall cracks, scale up to a giant form for heavier combat, or compress to a tiny size for puzzle navigation. Mickey can also fold himself into a paper airplane to cross gaps. The series has placed Mickey in spectacular cutscene moments since the original Kingdom Hearts — having him in your hands with a dedicated traversal system feels like a genuine series milestone.

Kingdom Hearts 4 – Official Coco Extended Gameplay Trailer | D23 2026 — via IGN on YouTube

Donald and Goofy Take On the Land of the Dead

Donald and Goofy get their own playable moments too — seen sledding through the Underworld and fighting Heartless with their signature abilities in the Coco crossover world. They show up in full Día de Muertos skeleton outfits, making their way through the Land of the Dead on a mission parallel to Sora’s. The gameplay shown for the duo is more familiar in style, but having them fully controllable — rather than AI party members — is something the series has circled around for over two decades.

Donald Duck and Goofy in Día de Muertos skeleton outfits in Kingdom Hearts IV's Coco world
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Riku Has Found Sora — and Maleficent Is in the Mix

After a search that stretched across KH3 and Melody of Memory, Riku has broken through into Quadratum — the Tokyo-inspired world where Sora has been living. The extended trailer closes on a shot of the two reuniting alongside Sigurd and Strelitzia. Series director Tetsuya Nomura also hinted at a significant role for Maleficent in the story, saying “I hope you look forward to her,” as relayed in ComicBook.com’s D23 coverage.

Sora in the Tokyo-inspired world of Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Singapore players are well-served by the platform lineup — all four versions (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC) are available locally, and Square Enix has consistently kept the KH series at standard Asia-region pricing. There’s no SGD price or local physical edition confirmed yet; those details will likely come as late 2027 approaches. For now, the extended trailer is the most complete look the team has offered, and it suggests a game that’s been thought through well beyond its opening Coco world reveal. Browse the latest in Game News for more upcoming releases.

Reincarnated as a Sword Season 2 Drops Second PV — Premieres October 2026 on HIDIVE

Fran and her talking sword are heading skyward — and Singapore isekai fans had better clear their HIDIVE watchlists. NBCUniversal Anime/Music dropped the second promotional video (PV第2弾) for Reincarnated as a Sword Season 2 today, giving the sharpest look yet at the Floating Island arc that will power the upcoming October 2026 run.

Floating Island, Undead Labyrinths and a Necromancer Rival

Reincarnated as a Sword Season 2 floating island teaser visual
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal / Tenken Production Committee

The new PV picks up right where Season 1’s credits left off: Fran and Teacher discover a mysterious floating island high above the port town of Dars and decide — naturally — they are going to conquer it. According to the official story overview, the island hides “a vicious labyrinth where undead magical beasts lurk,” setting the stage for the undead-army showdowns glimpsed in the trailer.

The key trigger for Season 2’s central adventure is Jean Douvey (ジャン・ドゥービー), a necromancer researcher voiced by Yuma Uchida (内田雄馬, known for his roles in My Hero Academia and Vinland Saga). His encounter with Fran and Teacher sends the pair on the floating island quest — and judging from the PV, the undead hordes waiting inside that labyrinth are not exactly welcoming.

Jean Douvey — new character in Reincarnated as a Sword Season 2, voiced by Yuma Uchida
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal / Tenken Production Committee

Watch the New Second PV

PV第2弾 (Second Promotional Video) — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

The PV second edition was uploaded to the NBCUniversal Anime/Music official YouTube channel today, the same day as a special premiere screening with stage greetings at Tachikawa Cinema City in Japan — so lucky audiences in Japan are getting their first extended look at the season right now, while the rest of us make do with this excellent trailer.

Cast and Crew — Studio C2C Brings Everyone Back

Fran — main character of Reincarnated as a Sword, voiced by Ai Kakuma
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal / Tenken Production Committee

Studio C2C returns to handle animation, with the core Season 1 creative team intact:

  • Director: Shinji Ishihira
  • Series Composition: Takahiro Nagano
  • Character Design: Atsuko Saito
  • Original Work: Yuu Tanaka (light novel & manga)

The returning voice cast has Ai Kakuma (加隈亜衣) as Fran and Shinichiro Miki (三木眞一郎) as the Teacher/Master sword, joined by Yuma Uchida’s Jean Douvey as the season’s key new face.

The light novel series is published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, so readers who want to race ahead of the anime have a fully localised edition to binge before October.

How to Watch in Singapore — HIDIVE Has the Exclusive

HIDIVE holds the worldwide simulcast rights, and the platform is available in Singapore. Season 2 will simulcast exclusively on HIDIVE from October 2026 — meaning Crunchyroll is not an option this time around.

If you haven’t seen Season 1, it’s a worthwhile catch-up: 12 episodes of a catgirl and her sentient sword murdering monsters across a fantasy world, with a lot more heart than that synopsis suggests. Check the Manga Anime section for more on the fall 2026 lineup coming our way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coco 2, Ghost Market and What Else Pixar Revealed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disney Lorcana Hyperia City new card reveal
Image courtesy of Ravensburger

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

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

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

A Digital Lorcana Game Is Finally in Development

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

Everything Else From the D23 Lorcana Panel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sugimori’s Pikachu Card — Card #01/30

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

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

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

Atsuko Nishida Draws Card #25/30

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

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

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

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

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

Pokémon Pokopia Hits 5 Million — Bubbly Basin Is Live

Nintendo Switch 2’s cosy star just hit a major number. Pokémon Pokopia has surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide — physical Game Key Cards and digital downloads combined — as confirmed by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo on 13 August 2026. The announcement came just days after the launch of the game’s first paid expansion, and it is hard to ignore the link.

Five Million in Under Five Months

Pokémon Pokopia — overhead view of the town-building game on Nintendo Switch 2, with Pokémon helping rebuild a community
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Pokémon Pokopia launched on 5 March 2026 as the Switch 2’s first dedicated Pokémon title — a life simulation game where players control a Ditto disguised as a human, gathering materials, crafting, and building a settlement that Pokémon will call home. The game moved 2.2 million units in its first four days. Reaching five million across five months on a still-growing hardware platform is a meaningful achievement, and Nintendo World Report notes that Pokopia was the only first-party Switch 2 game to exceed 1 million shipments in the most recent fiscal quarter alone — 1.27 million units in that window — pointing to sustained daily engagement rather than a launch spike.

Ditto using a transformation ability in Pokémon Pokopia — glowing mid-transform inside a cave environment on Nintendo Switch 2
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The five million figure covers both the base game and the recently released Expansion Pass. Pokopia is a Switch 2 exclusive with no cross-gen version, which means every sale is a player on Nintendo’s latest hardware — a strong signal heading into the second half of 2026.

Bubbly Basin: A Whole New Town Underwater

Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass | Extended Trailer — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on YouTube

The milestone arrived a week and a half after the 5 August 2026 launch of Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass — Part 1: Bubbly Basin. The first of three planned content drops adds an entirely new location: an abandoned underwater town that Ditto — now equipped with a Dive move introduced via free software update — can reach and rebuild from the seabed up.

In Bubbly Basin, Water-type Pokémon take the lead. Popplio and its line help restore structures, specialist Water-types power bubble machines and streetlights, and the whole town is themed around its underwater setting, with new furniture recipes, outfits, and even underwater watermelon crops. The full Expansion Pass covers all three waves: Bubbly Basin is live now, Part 2 arrives in late 2026 focused on wearable accessories for Pokémon, and Part 3 — a brand-new town — is planned for 2027. Players who purchase the pass by 31 August 2027 receive 30 rare Pokémetal ingots via serial code.

Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass — Bubbly Basin atmospheric title card showing the sunken underwater town at night on Nintendo Switch 2
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Singapore Players: How to Get In

If you picked up a Switch 2 locally — including via the Pokémon Pokopia bundle that launched in Singapore on 23 July — the game’s free software update is already waiting on your console. That update adds the Dive move to all Pokopia owners. The full Bubbly Basin settlement — new Pokémon collaborators, themed furniture, and recipes — unlocks with the Expansion Pass, available now on the Nintendo eShop.

Five million is a strong marker for the Switch 2’s first year, and with two more Pokopia content waves planned through 2027, the community is only going to get bigger. Keep an eye on our game news for more Switch 2 coverage as the year picks up pace.

Battlefield 6 × Top Gun: Wake Island Returns on 18 August

Top Gun: Maverick was one of the biggest cinema events in Singapore in recent memory, and now EA is bringing that same jet-powered adrenaline rush into Battlefield 6. Season 4 Phase 2 — dubbed the Top Gun Update — drops on 18 August 2026, adding the legendary Wake Island map, the franchise’s first two-seat jets since Battlefield 2, and voicelines recorded by the original Top Gun: Maverick cast. It is free for all BF6 owners and goes live on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC simultaneously.

Battlefield 6 x Top Gun: Carrier Strike Cinematic Trailer — via Battlefield on YouTube

Rooster, Bob and Warlock with Original Actor Voicelines

Three characters from Top Gun: Maverick enter Battlefield 6 as playable operators, reprised by the actors from the film:

  • Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw — voiced by Miles Teller
  • Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd — voiced by Lewis Pullman
  • Adm. Solomon “Warlock” Bates — voiced by Charles Parnell

Teller and Pullman recorded new lines specifically for the Top Gun: Fighter Sweep Gauntlet mission, making this feel more like a genuine Hollywood crossover than a cosmetic reskin. “Jets. Adrenaline. The drive to be the best. Battlefield’s unmatched sense of scale is the perfect way to bring Top Gun’s iconic and cinematic aerial combat to life,” said Ryan McArthur, Executive Producer at BF Studios, as reported by CGMagazine.

Battlefield Season 4 Top Gun crossover announcement banner with two operators on aircraft carrier
Image courtesy of EA / BF Studios

Wake Island Is Back — With Two-Seat Jets

Wake Island — a fan-favourite map from Battlefield 1942 that has appeared in several entries since — makes its BF6 debut rebuilt around large-scale naval warfare across land, air, and sea. The atoll setting is designed to make every jet, boat, and tank relevant, with the aircraft carrier playing a central role in the new Carrier Strike mode.

Two-seat jets also return for the first time since Battlefield 2. The Top Gun Update adds:

  • F/A-81F Super Spectre (two-seat jet)
  • F-74A Seacat (two-seat jet)

These sit alongside the existing F-18 Super Hornet and F-14 Tomcat in the vehicle roster. Having a dedicated gunner slot changes the tactical dynamic significantly — expect squad pilots coordinating voice-chat runs over Wake Island from 18 August.

Battlefield 6 Top Gun Wake Island gameplay aerial view showing aircraft carrier and jets
Image courtesy of EA / BF Studios and Paramount Pictures

Top Gun: Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep

Two brand-new modes arrive with the update:

  • Top Gun: Carrier Strike (Battlefield 6) — Teams battle across Wake Island to destroy the enemy aircraft carrier by capturing sectors and deploying vehicles. This is the flagship new mode and directly showcases the land-air-sea design philosophy of the map.
  • Top Gun: Fighter Sweep (Battlefield REDSEC) — A jets-only Gauntlet mission set on Tsuru Reef with original voiceovers from Miles Teller and Lewis Pullman. Pure dogfighting, no ground combat.

The Aircraft Carrier is also a new POI in Battlefield REDSEC, offering higher-value loot than standard drop zones and spawning with High Value Zone status.

Everything Else Dropping on 18 August

Beyond the crossover content, Phase 2 is dense:

  • New weapon: Interdictor sniper rifle
  • New features: Spectator Mode and Custom Lobbies go live simultaneously, a long-requested addition for community tournament organisers
  • Portal: The Advanced Editor Program gains baked lighting and terrain editing tools; Tsuru Reef joins as a Portal custom-experience map

Phase 3 — Tidal Strike on 15 September — follows with the Diver’s Knife melee weapon, the Deep Six collection event, new Phantom Program discoverable secrets, and the Proximity Chat feature for REDSEC.

Battlefield 6 Season 4 full roadmap showing Pacific Front, Top Gun, and Tidal Strike phases
Image courtesy of EA / BF Studios

The Top Gun Update is free for all Battlefield 6 owners; some Season 4 content requires gameplay or in-game purchase to unlock. Battlefield REDSEC remains free-to-play as a standalone. Check EA’s official Battlefield 6 page for full details on pricing and availability. For more game news, keep an eye on GameTrader.

Pokémon Bank Closes February 2027 — Move Your Collection Before It’s Gone

If you have Pokémon sitting in your 3DS cloud storage right now, The Pokémon Company just handed you a six-month countdown. Pokémon Bank will permanently end service on 26 February 2027 — and when it goes, any Pokémon still inside will be stranded there for good. The announcement came bundled with a wave of genuinely exciting Pokémon HOME updates arriving in October, so there’s plenty of reason to pay attention beyond the bad news.

What Is Pokémon Bank and Why Does the Shutdown Matter?

Pokémon Bank is a 3DS cloud storage app that has kept collections from every major Pokémon game on the platform — X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon — alive and accessible since 2013. For competitive Singapore trainers especially, Bank has been the last official lifeline connecting decade-old 6IV catches and event Pokémon to the modern HOME ecosystem.

Pokémon Bank app logo — service ends February 2027
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Once the service ends, the Bank-to-HOME transfer function shuts down at the same time. Any Pokémon still in Bank’s online Boxes at the cutoff will be permanently inaccessible. There is no offline workaround and no extension is expected. The Pokémon Company is advising all players to transfer their stored Pokémon to Pokémon HOME before the service ends.

Your Deadline: 26 February 2027

The exact shutdown time is 11:00 AM SGT on 26 February 2027 (7:00 PM PST on 25 February). That gives Singapore trainers roughly six and a half months from today. It sounds like a comfortable buffer — but Pokémon Bank’s previous shutdown of the free period in 2024 caught a lot of players off guard, so do not leave this until the final week.

To transfer: boot Pokémon Bank on a 3DS system (the app itself remains free to use until the shutdown date), send your Pokémon to the Home boxes, then open Pokémon HOME on Switch or mobile to receive them. Pokémon HOME itself is not closing — it continues on Switch, iOS, and Android.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Connect to HOME This October

Pokémon FireRed Version gameplay — exploring Kanto on Nintendo Switch
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The Bank announcement was tucked inside a bigger Pokémon HOME news post, and the bigger news is genuinely great. Pokémon HOME version 4.1.0, arriving in October 2026, will add connectivity with Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version — the remakes that dropped on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 back in February 2026.

From October, players will be able to transfer Pokémon caught in FireRed and LeafGreen forward into HOME and from there into other compatible Pokémon games. The official announcement on Pokémon.com does carry one important caveat: the transfer is one-way only. Once a Pokémon leaves FireRed or LeafGreen, it cannot return to that game, and Pokémon from other titles cannot visit Kanto.

Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version on Nintendo Switch — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

Complete the Kanto Pokédex, Claim a Free Celebi

Pokémon FireRed — Gym Leader Misty battle in Cerulean City
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Here is the part worth circling: if you complete the FireRed or LeafGreen Pokédex, you can claim the Mythical Pokémon Celebi via the Pokémon HOME mobile app. The reward does not even require you to transfer anything — simply registering all 151 Kanto species in-game is enough to unlock the claim in the app. For Singapore trainers who picked up the Switch version at launch and have been grinding towards completion, that is a meaningful payoff.

More HOME 4.1.0 Upgrades Worth Knowing

Pokémon FireRed — exploring the Sevii Islands at One Island
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

The October update brings a few other quality-of-life wins alongside the FRLG connectivity:

  • Premium storage raised to 9,000 Pokémon (up from 6,000) at no extra cost — useful if Bank transfers push you close to the current cap.
  • Safari Ball transfers from Pokémon GO are now possible for Premium users. The ball will change to a Strange Ball on arrival in HOME, so factor that in if ball authenticity matters for your collection.

A Game News reminder: Pokémon HOME Premium is not expensive, and the storage bump alone makes October a worthwhile time to subscribe if you have been holding off.

What Singapore Trainers Need to Do Right Now

The action list is short but time-sensitive. Check whether you have a working 3DS and a Pokémon Bank subscription (the app is free to use until shutdown). Open the app and review your online Boxes — anything you want to keep needs to move to HOME before 26 February 2027 at 11:00 AM SGT. If you have been hoarding competitive Pokémon from the XY or ORAS era, this is your window.

For players on the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen, October will open the door to moving your Kanto catches into the wider Pokémon ecosystem — and if your Pokédex is close to complete, the free Celebi gives you an extra reason to finish the job before the update drops.