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Game News

Suikoden STAR LEAP Launches 7 August in Japan — Global Date TBA

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The wait for Suikoden’s return to active gaming is almost over. KONAMI announced today, 3 August, that 幻想水滸伝 STAR LEAP (Genso Suikoden: STAR LEAP) will launch in Japan on 7 August 2026 for iOS and Android — four days from now. A global version (iOS/Android) and a Steam PC release are still in the pipeline with dates to be announced later, so Singapore fans will need to be patient or get creative with a JP account for now.

Suikoden STAR LEAP — the 108 Stars of Destiny gathered in a spring meadow
Image courtesy of KONAMI

A Canonical New Chapter in the Suikoden Series

When pre-registration opened in July, KONAMI was clear this isn’t a spinoff or a remaster cash-in — STAR LEAP is described as official canon, weaving a brand-new story around one of the franchise’s True Runes, the Rune of Change. Set in Solar Year 453, east of the old Scarlet Moon Empire, a village by a lakeside is struck by a mysterious attack. After the threat passes, the protagonist resolves to rebuild and, in true Suikoden fashion, sets out to gather companions: the legendary 108 Stars of Destiny.

For a generation of Singapore and Southeast Asian gamers who discovered Suikoden I and II on the original PlayStation, that number carries weight. STAR LEAP is the first new Suikoden title to use that full mechanic since the PS2 era, and KONAMI is leaning into the nostalgia hard — Flik, the fan-favourite blue-clad swordsman voiced by Nakamura Yuichi, is among the confirmed returning faces.

Three characters crossing a rope bridge in Suikoden STAR LEAP
Image courtesy of KONAMI

What the Game Actually Plays Like

STAR LEAP uses a timeline turn-based battle system — a nod to classic JRPG structure rather than the real-time action that has become standard on mobile. Players string together normal attacks, rune-based magic, and charged super moves called ougis to clear battles. War battles — the large-scale strategic conflicts that defined the console originals — are also present and use each character’s unique war ability to swing the outcome.

Suikoden STAR LEAP battle system showing the mobile UI and party selection
Image courtesy of KONAMI

Outside of battle, the game centres on a headquarters base that grows as you recruit more of the 108 Stars. Each new companion unlocks facilities and unique mini-games — one screenshot shows a character catching falling fruit in a cheerful orchard, which is exactly the kind of low-stakes charm Suikoden has always balanced against its grander political drama. The headquarters kitchen lets you cook meals and host banquets to deepen bonds with your party, while a suggestion box lets you complete requests from companions for rewards.

Suikoden STAR LEAP headquarters mini-game: catching falling fruit in an orchard
Image courtesy of KONAMI

Watch the Story Trailer

幻想水滸伝 STAR LEAP ストーリートレーラー — via KONAMI公式 on YouTube

Launch Details and How to Follow Along

The Japan App Store and Google Play launch is set for 7 August 2026. The night before — 6 August at 20:00 JST (21:00 SGT) — KONAMI is hosting a pre-launch broadcast on its official YouTube channel where the team will likely walk through the game’s systems and announce any opening events.

As things stand, no Singapore or global release date has been announced. The Steam PC version and the global iOS/Android build are listed as coming later, so local availability is genuinely TBA. For those who can’t wait, it is technically possible to download the Japan version by creating a JP App Store or Google Play account — the game is free-to-play with item purchases — but note that in-game purchases, customer support, and event timing will all be Japan-region by default.

For more game news including the upcoming Suikoden anime adaptation, keep an eye on GameTrader.SG. KONAMI has been unusually active with the franchise this year, and with the anime slotted for October 2026 and STAR LEAP arriving on Thursday, August is shaping up to be a big month for Suikoden fans across Southeast Asia.

Game News, Manga Anime

Mushoku Tensei: Chronicle of Echoes Is Live on Mobile

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation — Chronicle of Echoes hit iOS and Android in Japan on 27 July 2026, kicking off while Season 3 of the anime is still airing. The free-to-play 3D battle RPG from GREE Entertainment and ASOBIMO is the franchise’s second game, following 2024’s console-and-PC release Quest of Memories, and it’s squarely aimed at fans who want to relive the series’ story and light-novel moments on their phone.

Mushoku Tensei Chronicle of Echoes gameplay screenshot
Image courtesy of GREE Entertainment

What Is Chronicle of Echoes?

The game pitches itself as a full recreation of the anime’s storyline with newly recorded narration, plus original episodes from the light novel that were never animated — all fully voiced. Author Rifujin na Magonote supervised the exclusive in-game story content, so these aren’t padding; they’re missing scenes written into the canon.

Gameplay is a tap-driven 3D battle RPG with real-time-flavoured combat: players assemble parties from the main cast — Rudeus, Eris, Ruijerd, Roxy and more — and trigger class-specific magic and sword techniques with simple controls. Between battles, “Private Time” sequences let you spend time with the key heroines in unaired original scenes. Pre-registrations surpassed 350,000 before launch, netting players up to 7,500 magic stones and a selectable 5-star character ticket as a starting bonus.

The opening theme is “Chronicle” — a new track by Yuiko Ōhara, the same artist handling the Season 3 anime’s opening — tying the game and the currently airing season tightly together.

Watch the Official Opening Movie

『無職転生』クロニクル・オブ・エコーズ Opening Movie 「クロニクル」 — via GREE Entertainment ANIME & GAME【公式】 on YouTube

Can Singapore Players Access It?

Mushoku Tensei Chronicle of Echoes key visual
Image courtesy of GREE Entertainment

The game launched for the Japan App Store and Google Play as of 27 July, with a PC version via DMM GAMES (Japanese) also available. There is no confirmed global or English version at this stage. Singapore Android users can find and install it through QooApp, the SEA-friendly storefront for Japanese mobile titles — the game lists English and Traditional Chinese among its supported languages, which suggests a wider release is at least on the table.

iOS access without a Japanese Apple ID is trickier; SG players on iPhone will need to wait for any regional roll-out or use a Japan account. Given that the prior Mushoku Tensei game went worldwide on Steam and consoles, a global mobile version is plausible — but nothing has been confirmed, so treat it as Japan-only for now and check GameTrader’s game news feed for updates.

Game News, Manga Anime

KonoSuba Mobile RPG Confirmed for 2026 — Pre-Register Now

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KonoSuba is ten years old, and Kadokawa is marking the occasion with something fans have been waiting for: an official new mobile RPG built around the original creative team, the original cast, and a launch window of 2026. Pre-registration is open right now — here’s what we know.

KonoSuba Prosperity to This Beloved Town key art showing the full cast in the city of Axel
Image courtesy of Kadokawa

What Is Machi-suba?

The new title’s full name is KONOSUBA: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! ~Prosperity to This Beloved Town!~ — fans in Japan are already calling it Machi-suba (まちすば). It’s a free-to-play “Otherworldly Trouble-Life RPG” developed by Sumzap under Kadokawa and confirmed for iOS, Android, and PC with a Japanese launch in 2026.

The premise: you take over the city of Axel — the ramshackle adventurer’s town where Kazuma and the gang are perpetually broke — and build it into something prosperous. Gameplay combines town management and resource building with RPG quest progression and character interactions. You recruit adventurers, expand facilities, and drag Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness along for an entirely original story. The original anime voice cast reprises their roles in full.

The Original Team Is on Board

KonoSuba ~Prosperity to This Beloved Town!~ Teaser PV — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

What separates Machi-suba from the flood of anime-licensed mobile titles is the involvement of the franchise’s actual creators. Light novel author Natsume Akatsuki is supervising the original story. In a comment carried on the official Kadokawa announcement (Japanese), Akatsuki said: “I’d like to aim to be an independent solo player like Yunyun, so I hope the event design won’t exclude those who play alone.” That’s a pointed jab at mobile games that wall content behind guild participation — and a hint that Akatsuki is pushing for a design that actually respects solo fans.

Original illustrator Kurone Mishima is cooperating on the art, and noted in the same announcement: “I’m truly happy to be able to meet Kazuma and the others again in this form.” The game’s key art — drawn in Mishima’s instantly recognisable style — already looks like a series-accurate production rather than a rushed licence job.

KonoSuba Machi-suba official announcement showing the city of Axel and creator comments from Natsume Akatsuki and Kurone Mishima
Image courtesy of Kadokawa

Pre-Registration and Platforms

Aqua from KonoSuba in an action pose in the Machi-suba teaser PV
Image courtesy of Kadokawa

Pre-registration is open now via the official site (Japanese), which links to both the App Store and Google Play, with a PC version also planned. The game is free to play. No specific launch date has been announced beyond “2026,” and no English or global version has been confirmed.

For Singapore and SEA fans, that means a Japanese App Store or Japan-region Google Play account is the current path to pre-registration. Given KonoSuba’s massive overseas fanbase — the series is one of the most streamed isekai franchises in the region — a global rollout seems commercially obvious, but Kadokawa has made no announcement. Treat it as Japan-first for now and flag the official site for updates.

The City of Axel on Your Phone

Aerial view of the city of Axel in KonoSuba Machi-suba title card
Image courtesy of Kadokawa

KonoSuba previously had KonoSuba: Fantastic Days (2021), a gacha RPG that shuttered in 2024 — not an unusual fate for anime mobile games. Machi-suba feels like a deliberate course correction: city-building gives the game a long-term progression loop that doesn’t rely purely on banner pulls, the creator involvement adds story credibility, and Akatsuki’s lobbying for solo-friendly events suggests Kadokawa is listening to what drove players away from the genre.

KonoSuba Season 4 is also in production for 2027, so the franchise is in an active content cycle. A new game landing alongside a fresh anime season is smart positioning — if Machi-suba earns goodwill on launch, it will have a wave of new viewers to convert.

Check our Game News for more upcoming releases, and our Manga & Anime section for KonoSuba Season 4 updates as they arrive.

Game News

hololive Dreams Is Live — Free on iOS, Android and Steam

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The wait is over — hololive Dreams is live right now worldwide, and Singapore fans can start playing for free this very moment on iOS, Android, or PC via Steam. We covered the announcement back in early July when pre-registrations crossed 1.3 million, but now the game is actually in our hands. Here’s what you’re getting into.

hololive Dreams – Full GAME TRAILER — via hololive Dreams ホロライブドリームス on YouTube

Six Lanes, 150+ Songs: How the hololive Dreams Rhythm Game Works

At its core, hololive Dreams is a six-lane rhythm game where notes scroll downward in time with official hololive music. Three note types keep things varied: taps, held long notes, and directional flicks. What separates it from a straight music game is that your team composition actively affects your score — each hololive member you bring to a live carries skills that can boost score multipliers, protect your combo, or recover health when you miss. It’s closer to Gakuen Idolm@ster (which QualiArts also developed) than a simple tap-along.

hololive Dreams rhythm gameplay six-lane note chart
Image courtesy of Cover Corp

The song library at launch includes more than 150 tracks — originals, unit songs, and covers — with official MV and live-concert footage playing in the background as you chart. Every featured member has at least two tracks attached to their name, and the roster covers hololive Japan, hololive EN, and hololive ID. (Note: hololive English -Justice-, DEV_IS FLOW GLOW, and HOLOSTARS are not in at launch.)

Build Your hololive Dream Park

hololive Dreams theme park island base building
Image courtesy of Cover Corp

Beyond the rhythm battles, hololive Dreams gives you an island — a literal dream park — to develop over time. The hololive Park hub connects everything: NPC interactions, story events, and member-themed facility zones. As you progress, you unlock the Megasphere, a 3D space with platforming and casino-style mini-games. Each section of the park ties back to a specific set of holomem, so completionists will have plenty of reasons to keep pulling the gacha.

The Gacha: Teams of Six, Skill Trees, No Dupes Wasted

hololive Dreams gacha character collection screen
Image courtesy of Cover Corp

Teams in hololive Dreams consist of a Leader plus five members, each card carrying a distinct skill set. The game is built around progression through individual skill trees, so duplicate pulls aren’t dead weight — they feed upgrade materials. Over 50 holomem are collectible at launch, each with multiple costume variants that carry different stat spreads and skill effects.

The in-game currency is Diamonds, earned through story content, event missions, and the login calendar. The game is free to play with optional in-app purchases for Diamond top-ups.

Launch Rewards — Claim Your Free Gacha Pulls Now

hololive Dreams launch event rewards screen
Image courtesy of Cover Corp

Pre-registration milestones mean there’s a stack of freebies waiting in your in-game mailbox when you first log in. Because the 1.3 million pre-registration mark was cleared before launch, you’re entitled to the cumulative rewards from every milestone up to that point — including 2,500 Diamonds (enough for roughly 10 gacha pulls), a guaranteed ★4+ gacha ticket, Live Stage Day/Night Memory cosmetics, 3 Music Discs, and Dot Sunglasses cosmetics for all 54 talents in the game. Claim them from the mailbox on first login before they expire.

A special hololive 9th anniversary event is also planned for around October 2026, with details set to be revealed through official broadcasts after launch — something to look forward to later in the year.

How to Download hololive Dreams in Singapore

hololive Dreams park exploration and mini-games
Image courtesy of Cover Corp

hololive Dreams is available globally right now with no regional restriction for Singapore players. Your three options:

  • iOS — Search “hololive Dreams” on the App Store or follow the link from the official hololive site.
  • Android — Available on Google Play under the same name.
  • Steam (PC) — Find it at store.steampowered.com; free to install with cross-save supported across all three platforms via a linked Nintendo or Google account.

Cross-save works across all three platforms, so you can start on mobile and switch to Steam (or vice versa) without losing progress. There’s no Nintendo Switch Online subscription or equivalent barrier — just download, log in, and collect your launch freebies. For more game launch coverage, check our game news archive.

Game News

Langrisser: Sea of Sword Announced — Pre-Registration Now Open

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Langrisser: Sea of Sword has been revealed — a brand-new entry in the classic strategy RPG franchise that shaped an entire generation of Asian gamers — and global pre-registration is open right now on the official site.

Langrisser: Sea of Sword title logo
Image courtesy of BlackJack Studio / GameTree

A Completely New Langrisser

The strategy RPG series that started on the Mega Drive in 1991 and won fans across Japan and Southeast Asia is back — and this time it is a full ground-up reinvention. Developed by BlackJack Studio (the team behind Langrisser Mobile) and published by GameTree, Sea of Sword keeps the franchise’s hallmark emphasis on unit placement, action order, and terrain exploitation, but rebuilds its world, narrative, and game systems from scratch.

The teaser puts players on a continent shrouded in a mysterious sea of mist. You take on the role of a nameless protagonist chasing lost memories, travelling alongside a mysterious white-haired girl through a landscape torn apart by inter-nation conflict and power struggles. BlackJack Studio describes the story as spanning “intense ensemble drama” with a multi-character cast. All of the artwork shown is hand-drawn — an appealing commitment in the era of AI shortcuts. More gaming news on GameTrader.

Langrisser: Sea of Sword character designs
Image courtesy of BlackJack Studio / GameTree
Langrisser: Sea of Sword Concept Teaser Trailer — A New Langrisser Saga Begins — via Langrisser: Sea of Sword on YouTube

What the Teaser Shows

The reveal trailer leans atmospheric and lore-heavy rather than gameplay-focused — think sweeping CGI of a gothic cathedral lined with armoured statues, robed figures observing a stone relief carved with warriors mid-battle, and two female characters who look set to be key story figures: one in blue armour with flowing silver hair, the other in a white frilled ensemble. It is a deliberate mood-setter; BlackJack Studio has confirmed that gameplay footage will come in a separate reveal down the line.

Langrisser: Sea of Sword gothic cathedral environment
Image courtesy of BlackJack Studio / GameTree

Yasunori Nishiki Composes the Soundtrack

One of the more exciting details buried in the announcement: Yasunori Nishiki is handling the original score. Nishiki composed the celebrated soundtracks for both Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II, games noted for their sweeping orchestral themes and individually crafted character motifs. His involvement strongly signals that Sea of Sword is not a quick cash-in — BlackJack Studio is investing seriously in production quality.

Langrisser: Sea of Sword lore reveal scene with robed figures
Image courtesy of BlackJack Studio / GameTree

Platforms, Release Window, and Singapore Access

Langrisser: Sea of Sword is confirmed for PC (including Steam), iOS, and Android. Pre-registration materials are available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese — a deliberate signal that Asia-Pacific, including Singapore and Southeast Asia, is a day-one target audience. Singapore fans can head to the official site right now to pre-register; the game is expected to be free to download, consistent with the Langrisser Mobile model (though no monetisation specifics have been confirmed).

No release date has been set. The announcement landed first in Japanese outlets Dengeki Online (Japanese) and 4Gamer (Japanese) on 16 July 2026, with English-language coverage from Gematsu following shortly after. More details — including gameplay footage and a confirmed release window — are promised in future updates.

Langrisser has carried a loyal following in Singapore since the Mega Drive days, through the Langrisser I & II collection on Switch and PS4, and into the mobile era. Sea of Sword looks to bring that strategic depth to a contemporary global audience. The official tagline puts it well: “Ahead lies the Sea of Mist, where hidden currents stir. And we are ready to set sail.”

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.

Manga Anime

Scissor Seven: Movie, HEIBAI Spin-Off and Game Revealed

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The Scissor Seven universe is about to get a lot bigger. At BilibiliWorld 2026 today, AHAVERSE — the studio behind the franchise — unveiled three major new projects at once: a theatrical feature film, a new animated spin-off series called HEIBAI, and expanded plans for the Shadow Clash mobile game. The series that became the first Chinese original animation to debut as a Netflix Original now has its most ambitious slate yet.

Scissor Seven: The Movie — Into the Heart of Xuanwu (2028)

The headline announcement is a standalone theatrical film, currently in production and targeting a global theatrical release in 2028. The movie takes Seven into Xuanwu — the mysterious martial arts kingdom where he originally came from — and explores the culture, politics and power struggles that shaped his world long before the events of the series.

AHAVERSE said in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant that the film “has been designed as a standalone adventure, so audiences who are discovering Scissor Seven for the first time can enjoy it without having seen the animated series.” New characters join returning favourites, and the studio says the movie maintains the series’ signature blend of comedy, action and emotional storytelling — just at cinematic scale.

Scissor Seven movie still — Seven stands alone in a dark, glowing landscape
Image courtesy of AHAVERSE

HEIBAI — A New Animated Series Set 25 Years Earlier

Alongside the film, AHAVERSE announced HEIBAI, an animated spin-off based on one of China’s most popular official Scissor Seven comics. Rather than following Seven, HEIBAI centres on two new protagonists — Mo Lang and Bai Qi — two characters with contrasting personalities set on very different journeys.

The series is set roughly 25 years before Scissor Seven, in an era of ancient legends and dangerous encounters. Despite the timeline, AHAVERSE is calling it a spin-off rather than a prequel, and say it is fully accessible to newcomers. HEIBAI is scheduled to premiere in China in Q1 2027; international release details are to be confirmed.

HEIBAI — a lone figure in a long coat stands at the threshold of a vast, luminous space
Image courtesy of AHAVERSE
HEIBAI — Mo Lang and Bai Qi clash in a high-speed battle above a desolate mountain range
Image courtesy of AHAVERSE

Shadow Clash — The Official Mobile Game Hits China This Year

Rounding out the announcement is Scissor Seven: Shadow Clash, the franchise’s first official action-adventure mobile game, developed in partnership with SHAREFUN studio. The game promises original stories beyond anything in the animated series. A China launch is planned for Q4 2026, with global release details to follow.

Scissor Seven: Shadow Clash — pixel-art gameplay showing Seven's Chicken Island barbershop neighbourhood
Image courtesy of AHAVERSE
Scissor Seven: Shadow Clash — official announcement — via Scissor Seven: Shadow Clash on YouTube

Where Singapore Fans Stand Right Now

All five seasons of Scissor Seven are streaming on Netflix Singapore today — if you have not watched it, the franchise’s 30-plus billion views globally and presence in 190-plus countries give you a sense of how big this has become. As Aiken Zou, founder of AHAVERSE, put it at BilibiliWorld 2026: “Our goal is to give global audiences more worlds to return to, while creating opportunities for creators to help shape the stories of tomorrow.”

The movie (2028 global release) and HEIBAI (Q1 2027 China premiere) do not have confirmed Singapore or international streaming dates yet — Netflix handled the series internationally and is the most likely home for both, but nothing is official. Shadow Clash’s global launch is also TBA. We will update as dates are confirmed. In the meantime, catch up on our latest anime coverage while you wait.

Game News

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis Shuts Down in October — Red Crystal Sales Already Stopped

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Singapore’s Final Fantasy VII fans woke up to difficult news this morning: Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis will end service on 7 October 2026 at 14:00 SGT — and as of 10:00 AM SGT today (8 July), the sale of Red Crystals, the game’s premium currency, has already been permanently halted. Any Red Crystals already in your account remain spendable until the servers close.

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis gameplay showing Aerith, Barret and Red XIII battling the Scorpion Sentinel
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Shutdown Date and Key Timing for Singapore

The server closes on 6 October at 11:00 PM PDT, which translates to 7 October at 15:00 JST and 7 October at 14:00 SGT. Both the mobile versions (iOS and Android) and the Steam PC version shut down at the same time. Red Crystal sales were cut first — disabled on 7 July at 7:00 PM PDT (8 July, 10:00 AM SGT). No new paid options will be offered between now and closure. As confirmed in the official notice, existing Red Crystals can still be used on in-game content right up until the shutdown.

Before Crisis Story Chapters Will Still Drop Before the End

Not everything stops today. Square Enix confirmed that all remaining scheduled story content will be released before closure — including the final chapters of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, the spinoff told from the perspective of the Turks set before the events of the original game. Chapter 1, “The Turks’ Mission Begins,” was the most recently released instalment. If you have been following the Before Crisis narrative inside Ever Crisis, there is still reason to log in over the coming months.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- Chapter 1 — via スクウェア・エニックス (Square Enix) on YouTube (Japanese)
Cloud and Sephiroth face each other in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Two Years and Ten Months of FF7 — A Brief Look Back

Ever Crisis launched on iOS and Android in September 2023 and expanded to Steam in December 2023, running for roughly two years and ten months in total. The game offered something unusual for the mobile space: a visually polished, chapter-by-chapter retelling of the entire FF7 universe — pulling from the original 1997 game, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus and the Compilation films all in one free-to-play package.

In their shutdown notice, Square Enix cited difficulty maintaining the standard of service quality they aimed to deliver — a common reason given when live-service mobile titles close, though a painful one when the IP is as beloved as Final Fantasy VII across Southeast Asia.

Cloud Strife in action in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis
Image courtesy of Square Enix

What to Do Before October 7 (SGT)

Red Crystal purchases are done — no more spending is possible. Any crystals you already own can still be used on weapons, costumes and event content until the servers close. The remaining Before Crisis chapters will continue to release, so keep an eye on the official Ever Crisis site for a content schedule. If you have been putting off finishing story chapters or pulling for a specific character weapon, the 7 October deadline at 14:00 SGT is the hard stop. There will be no extensions.

For more on the games and anime Singapore fans are playing right now, check out our Game News coverage.

Game News, News

BLEACH Mirrors High CBT Open Now — Tite Kubo Personally Designed 2 New Soul Reapers

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Bandai Namco has opened Closed Beta Test applications for BLEACH Mirrors High today at Anime Expo 2026 — and the headline is not just a new mobile game, but two entirely original Soul Reaper characters designed by series creator Tite Kubo himself. If you want in on the beta, you have until 13 July to apply.

What Is BLEACH Mirrors High?

BLEACH Mirrors High is a free-to-play mobile action RPG for iOS and Android, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Set after the events of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc — the last chapter of the main BLEACH saga — the game tells an original story within the universe, with players stepping into Karakura Town as a Soul Reaper protagonist. The playable roster includes returning fan favourites: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Kisuke Urahara, Byakuya Kuchigi and Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

BLEACH Mirrors High key art featuring Ichigo Kurosaki
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

Two New Soul Reapers — Straight from Tite Kubo’s Pen

The biggest announcement at the AX reveal is that Kubo was not just a licensor on this project. He participated in the kickoff meetings, wrote the original story title and scenario, designed the game’s logo, and attended voice actor auditions and recording sessions. Most strikingly, he created two brand-new protagonist Soul Reapers specifically for this game: Shirin Migishima and Shirane Sanari. These are not adapted from manga or anime — they are original characters existing only in Mirrors High, making this a genuine expansion of the BLEACH universe, not a simple retread.

BLEACH Mirrors High – 2nd Trailer — via [Global] Bandai Namco Entertainment – Mobile Games on YouTube

Gameplay and Platforms

The game is described as “immersive 13 Court Guard Squads action” — Bandai Namco’s shorthand for fast-paced Soul Reaper combat. It is free to download on the App Store and Google Play, with in-app purchases. Device requirements are iOS 17.0 or above (minimum 4 GB RAM) and Android 12.0 or above (minimum 6 GB RAM); tablets are not supported. The game will launch in multiple languages including Japanese, English, French, German, Traditional Chinese and Korean — so Singapore and Taiwan players will have a native-language option at launch.

BLEACH Mirrors High — 2nd Trailer title card
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

How to Join the Closed Beta Test

CBT applications are open from 4 July through 13 July 2026 at 2:59 AM UTC. The actual test runs from 22 July 11:00 PM to 29 July 10:59 PM PDT (that is 23 July 2:00 PM to 30 July 1:59 PM SGT). Sign up via the official site at bleach-mh.bn-ent.net. No confirmed global launch date has been announced yet, though Bandai Namco has described the title as coming to iOS and Android worldwide. Keep an eye on their channels — and check out our other mobile and console game news in the meantime.