Tag Archives: PlayStation 5

Game News, Retro Gaming

Cotton Rock With You Launches 6 August on PS5 and Steam

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The Cotton franchise turns 35 this year, and SUCCESS Corporation is marking the milestone in style: Cotton Rock With You — Oriental Night Dreams launches 6 August 2026 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC (Steam). Full English subtitle support is confirmed, meaning Singapore fans can grab it without any language barrier — whether digitally on Steam or as a physical import.

Cotton Rock With You – Release Date Trailer (Japanese) — via Gematsu on YouTube

Cotton’s Sweetest Adventure Yet — A Japan-Themed Setting

The Cotton series has charmed shoot-’em-up fans since 1991, following the young witch Nata de Cotton as she chases her beloved Willow candy through fantastical worlds. For this 35th anniversary entry, developer Studio Saizensen swaps the usual magical-kingdom backdrop for the streets, shrines and scenery of Japan — giving the series a fresh look and feel that feels both nostalgic and new.

Studio Saizensen returns on development duties after helming the well-received Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll: Superlative Night Dreams (2021), and the Japan theme feeds directly into the game’s visual style and stage design. Think torii gates, festival lanterns and traditional aesthetics rendered in the studio’s sharp, colourful anime art style.

Cotton and Silk in a story cutscene in Cotton Rock With You
Image courtesy of SUCCESS Corporation

Ten Characters, Sixteen Stages

Cotton Rock With You ships with ten playable characters — eight returning cast members from Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll: Superlative Night Dreams, joined by two guest pilots new to the series.

Leading the roster is Nata de Cotton herself, whose magic shot changes type based on the crystal she collects mid-stage. Holding the Shot Button casts spells, and her bomb hits hard. Each of the returning characters brings their own distinct shot type and bomb, giving veteran fans reasons to experiment across runs.

Izuna from Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja on the character select screen in Cotton Rock With You
Image courtesy of SUCCESS Corporation

The two guest characters are Izuna from Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja and Psyva Ria from the Psyvariar 3 series — an inspired pairing of classic Japanese gaming properties. Izuna is a close-range fighter who attacks with blades and kunai: hold the Shot Button for Kunai Barrage (up to 99 hits), or the Special Button for Dimensional Slash.

Izuna close-up in a story scene in Cotton Rock With You
Image courtesy of SUCCESS Corporation

The game spans 16 stages: six selectable main stages, plus bonus and final levels. Story segments between shooting sections are fully voiced, with SUCCESS confirming they have expanded the adventure content beyond what Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll offered.

How Singapore Fans Can Play Cotton Rock With You

The game launches with a generous language roster: English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are all confirmed. That makes the Steam version fully accessible as an import even without a Japanese account.

The standard edition is priced at ¥6,380; a limited edition at ¥11,880 bundles in an acrylic stand set of Nata de Cotton, an original soundtrack CD and an art book. Singapore PlayStation Store availability has not been confirmed, but the Steam version is expected to be globally accessible, and Play-Asia is stocking the physical edition for international shipping.

If you love Japanese shmups, import-friendly releases like Cotton Rock With You are exactly what the Switch 2 and Steam era has been good for. Catch up on more game news while you wait for the 6 August drop.

Game News, Retro Gaming

Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos Remaster Announced for PS5 and Switch

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If Croc was a part of your PS1 childhood, Argonaut Games just gave you another reason to smile. Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos — the 1999 sequel to the multi-million-selling original — is being remastered for modern platforms, and the announcement trailer is already out. This follows Argonaut’s 2025 remaster of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, meaning the little green croc is now a full franchise revival.

Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos – Official Announcement Trailer — via IGN on YouTube

Croc 2 Is Getting the Full Remaster Treatment

Croc standing on a dock in the sunny Sailor Village level
Image courtesy of Argonaut Games

The remaster picks up right where the 2025 original left off. Croc 2 expands the world considerably: instead of one island, you now roam a mainland split into four distinct villages — the coastal Sailor Village, the wintry Cossack Village, the prehistoric Caveman Village, and the mountaintop Inca Village. Captured Gobbos are scattered throughout, and Swap Meet Pete’s General Store returns to sell handy gadgets and teleport you between villages.

The move set has been updated too. Croc’s classic jumps and tail-spin are back, joined by a new triple jump that gives extra height in trickier sections. But the bigger addition is the sheer variety of how you get around: car races, speedboat sections, minecart runs, hang gliding, and even an airplane sequence are all in the mix across 40-plus levels of open-ended 3D platforming.

Croc racing in a small car on a lava-bordered track
Image courtesy of Argonaut Games

New bosses make their debut, including Soveena the Squid (whose ginger soda fixation makes her a coastal menace), Cannon Boat Keith (a skeleton-crewed pirate captain), and Flavio the Thermal Fish (who spits scalding water). The game promises updated visuals that preserve the original’s charm while modernising the look for current displays.

The Croc2pedia and Behind-the-Scenes Museum

Croc hang gliding through a glowing lava cave collecting crystals
Image courtesy of Argonaut Games

A highlight of the original remaster was its digital museum, and Croc 2 goes further with the Croc2pedia: a curated archive of full game design documentation, marketing assets, promotional merchandise, animation test videos, and 3D model galleries of characters, levels, and items that were cut from the original shipped game. Interviews with original Argonaut team members, remaster developers, and producers are also included. For anyone curious about how a classic 90s 3D platformer actually came together, this is a genuine treat.

Platforms — But No Release Date Yet

Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. No release date has been announced. Singapore gamers with a PS5 or Nintendo Switch will be able to play it, and given that the original Croc remaster launched simultaneously across platforms in 2025, a simultaneous release seems likely here too. We will update when pricing and a release window are confirmed.

For more retro gaming revivals and new releases, keep an eye on our Game News and Retro Gaming coverage.

Game Industry News, Singapore Gaming Scene

Sony Pushes Ahead on PS5 Disc Cutoff Despite 352K Backlash

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Sony’s decision to end physical PS5 game disc production from January 2028 is not up for debate — and the company’s CFO made that unmistakably clear this week. As we covered when the announcement landed in early July, the countdown for physical game buyers has already begun. Now Sony has doubled down: the pushback has not moved the needle, financially or strategically.

What Sony’s CFO Said at the Q1 FY2026 Earnings Briefing

PS5 Digital Edition — the disc-free direction PlayStation is heading
Image courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment

At Sony Group Corporation’s Q1 FY2026 earnings call, CFO Lin Tao addressed the community reaction head-on. Her message: the plan is moving forward regardless. “We put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this, and we came to this conclusion, and we’re going to cautiously move this forward,” as reported by Siliconera. She acknowledged hearing the community: “We have received various opinions and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us.” Acknowledging views and acting on them, however, are different things.

Asked whether the backlash is actually hurting Sony’s bottom line, the CFO was blunt: “At this point in time, we are not seeing any impact on our business,” as relayed by Push Square. The explanation is the same one that drove the decision in the first place — the majority of PlayStation content sales are already digital, so removing the disc changes little in revenue terms.

The Backlash Has Been Real — Just Not Financially Felt

That does not mean the community has been quiet. A Change.org petition titled “Don’t Kill the Disc: Tell Sony to Keep Physical PlayStation Games” had collected over 352,940 signatures by 31 July 2026. On social media, there has been talk of PS Plus subscription cancellations and purchase boycotts. PlayStation players are also organising a platform-wide “blackout” from 23 to 30 August — a coordinated week where participants commit to stopping all PlayStation spending. Sony is watching, but it is not blinking. The company is forecasting a record-breaking fiscal year and has assessed the protest’s financial impact as negligible.

Physical Boxes Will Still Exist — Without a Disc Inside

There is one partial concession for physical collectors. The CFO confirmed that physical game boxes will continue to be sold in North America, housing a digital download code rather than a disc — following the model already used by titles like GTA 6. Whether that code-in-box approach extends to Singapore and Southeast Asia has not been confirmed. For local buyers, that means the possibility of a future where no physical option of any kind — disc or otherwise — is available locally. Sony has yet to address this question for the Asia market.

What Singapore Physical Game Buyers Should Know

January 2028 is roughly 18 months away. New physical PS5 game discs continue to be produced through to that date, and local game retailers will keep stocking them in the meantime. The preowned market will continue beyond 2028 as well — disc-based PS5 games will circulate through second-hand channels long after Sony stops pressing new ones.

The longer-term concern for Singapore gamers is what a disc-free library means for ownership: no reselling, lending, or buying used physical games going forward. Sony’s view is that this reflects where most players already are. Also approaching: the PS3 and Vita PlayStation Stores close worldwide in July 2027, trimming the accessible PlayStation back-catalogue further. The trajectory is one-way. For Singapore gamers who prefer physical, the next 18 months are the window to buy what you want on disc. Stay up to date with our Game Industry News coverage for any further developments.

Game News

Helldivers 2 × Warhammer 40K Warbond Lands 12 August — Castellan’s Creed Fully Revealed

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Arrowhead’s full reveal of the HELLDIVERS 2 × Warhammer 40,000: Castellan’s Creed Legendary Warbond landed today — and after our earlier coverage of the teaser, we now have the complete contents card. The collab drops 12 August 2026 on PS5, PC, and Xbox, and it looks precisely as grimly satisfying as two universes of expendable soldiers against impossible odds promises.

HELLDIVERS™ 2 x Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond — via HELLDIVERS™ 2 on YouTube

Everything in the Helldivers 2 Warhammer 40K Warbond: Castellan’s Creed

Castellan's Creed Legendary Warbond full contents infographic — armor sets, weapons, cosmetics
Image courtesy of Arrowhead Game Studios / Games Workshop

The Warbond packs four pieces of Warhammer 40,000-flavoured kit alongside two full Imperial Guard armour sets:

Weapons & Support

  • R/40-K Hot-Shot Marksman Rifle (Primary) — precision las-energy weapon
  • P/40-K Bolt Pistol (Sidearm) — heavy stopping power in a compact frame
  • 40-K Meltagun (Support Stratagem) — short-range superheated thermal weapon capable of melting heavy armour; community testing suggests two can destroy a Factory Strider
  • G/40-K Meltamine (Throwable) — proximity mine that liquefies anything nearby

Armour Sets — both carry the exclusive True Grit passive: +20 weapon handling and +30% reload speed for support weapons

  • TG-122 Demo-Trooper (Heavy)
  • TG-8 Sharpshooter (Medium)

Cosmetics: Camo Cloak and City Fighter’s Resolve player banners and capes; “Still Standing” player title; “Castellan’s Green” paint pattern for your FRV, Exo Suit, Shuttle, and Hellpod.

One note for your wallet: as a Legendary Warbond, Premium Warbond Tokens cannot be used — you will need Super Credits. Based on the pricing of the Halo: ODST and Killzone Legendary Warbonds, expect around 1,500 Super Credits.

Imperial Guard, Not Space Marines — and Why That Is the Right Call

Warhammer 40K Space Marine and Helldivers 2 Helldiver side by side in the crossover announcement
Image courtesy of Arrowhead Game Studios / Games Workshop

The Warbond draws on the Cadian Kasrkin — an elite regiment of the Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) — rather than the Space Marines that most outsiders associate with 40K. That choice is actually perfect lore sense: both Helldivers and the Guard are regular humans flung into suicidal engagements, fighting through sheer numbers and discipline rather than superhuman enhancements. Arrowhead’s Director Mikael Eriksson stated that “at Arrowhead, we believe these universes fit perfectly together,” noting the studio is full of “diehard Warhammer fans.” In-game lore frames Castellan’s Creed as a tribute to the Helldivers who gave their lives defending the world of Chara during the First Galactic War.

Platforms and What Singapore Helldivers Need to Know

The Castellan’s Creed Legendary Warbond arrives 12 August 2026 for PS5, PC (Steam), and Xbox. There is no Switch or Switch 2 version. Singapore-based Helldivers can buy in through the PSN SG store, Steam, or Xbox marketplace at the usual Super Credit pack rates — no separate SGD pricing has been announced. If you plan to grab it on day one, it is worth topping up your Super Credits beforehand since Legendary Warbonds require a direct purchase.

Browse more Game News for the latest PS5 and PC releases relevant to Singapore gamers.

Game News, Retro Gaming

Doraemon Famicom Classic Hits Switch 2 and PS5 Worldwide

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Everyone’s favourite blue robotic cat is finally reaching fans outside Japan. The 1986 Doraemon Famicom game — a million-selling classic that never received a global release — is out now on Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 through Hamster Corporation’s Console Archives series, priced at US$7.99 / ¥800. This is Doraemon’s first-ever appearance on a non-Japanese storefront, and it is landing right as Singapore fans are deep in their Doraemon nostalgia.

Doraemon, Nobita, Shizuka, Gian and Suneo flying with the Take-copter
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation

What Is the Doraemon Famicom Game?

Released by Hudson Soft (now Konami) in December 1986, Doraemon moved over one million copies in Japan, making it one of the Famicom’s best-selling titles of its era. The game stays true to the franchise’s core setup: a time-machine accident scatters Nobita, Shizuka, Gian and Suneo across three perilous dimensions — Space, the Haunts of Evil, and the Undersea — and Doraemon must use his himitsu dōgu (secret gadgets) to rescue them all.

The adventure unfolds across three chapters, each drawn from a beloved classic film: Nobita’s Space Pioneer, Nobita’s Great Adventure in the Mysterious Continent, and Nobita’s Undersea Castle. Gameplay switches between overhead action stages — the layout will feel immediately familiar to anyone who has played the original Legend of Zelda — and side-scrolling shooter sequences, giving each world a distinct pace and feel.

Console Archives Doraemon — via HAMSTER Corporation on YouTube

Exploring Space, the Haunts of Evil, and the Undersea

The Space chapter opens things up in overhead perspective: Doraemon navigates alien terrain, collecting gadget items that unlock new paths while avoiding an array of pixel enemies. The Haunts of Evil chapter then shifts the camera side-on for cavern exploration, darker and more intense than the cheerful box art might suggest. The Undersea chapter wraps the adventure beneath the waves, blending both perspectives for a climactic finale.

Doraemon top-down gameplay — navigating open terrain with enemies in the Space world
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation

The score was composed by June Chikuma and weaves original tracks with arrangements of the anime’s iconic themes. Players who grew up humming the Doraemon opening will recognise the melodies immediately.

A 40-Year-Old Classic, Freshly Modernised

Doraemon gameplay in the Haunts of Evil — side-scrolling cave section with enemies
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation

Hamster has applied the same quality-of-life treatment it applies to every Console Archives title. Customisable button layouts, rapid-fire toggling, multiple anywhere-save slots, a rewind function to undo painful deaths, screen layout adjustments, and an optional CRT TV filter for full retro atmosphere are all included. These additions make the game genuinely approachable for first-time players while keeping the original challenge intact for those who want it.

Available Now on Switch 2 and PS5

Console Archives Doraemon — original 1986 title screen as it appears on modern platforms
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation

Console Archives Doraemon is live now on the Nintendo eShop for Switch 2 and the PlayStation Store for PS5, priced at US$7.99 / ¥800 (regional pricing may vary). For Singapore fans, this is the first legitimate, no-hardware-import way to play the Famicom original. Details are on the official Console Archives page.

For more on classic games making a comeback, browse our Retro Gaming coverage, and stay across all the latest in Game News.

Game News

Blue Reflection Quartet Is Out Now — Four Games, Two Console Debuts, One Bundle

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The wait is over for fans of Gust’s magical-girl JRPG series. BLUE REFLECTION Quartet is now available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam — bringing all four entries in the franchise together in a single package, with two of them making their console debut for the very first time. When pre-orders opened back in June, we knew this was a landmark release for the series; now it’s live and ready to play.

Blue Reflection Quartet — gameplay screenshot showing the magical girls in battle
Image courtesy of KOEI TECMO / Gust

What’s Inside Blue Reflection Quartet

The collection bundles four titles under one purchase:

  • BLUE REFLECTION (2017 original console game, with HD upgrades)
  • BLUE REFLECTION: Second Light (2021 console RPG)
  • BLUE REFLECTION RAY — the 2021 anime series, rebuilt as a playable console experience with new 3D character models
  • BLUE REFLECTION SUN — the smartphone and PC game, now on console for the first time with an overhauled battle system

All four entries are connected by theme, characters, and lore, but this marks the first time players can move through the entire story arc in one place. A new in-game Reference Database organises each title’s events on a shared chronological flowchart, with character relationship charts and series correlation maps — a genuine help for newcomers trying to follow how everything connects.

BLUE REFLECTION Quartet – Announcement Trailer — via KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. on YouTube

RAY and SUN Get Rebuilt for Their Console Debut

The two newcomers to console are where most of the new content lives. Blue Reflection RAY has been rebuilt with new 3D character models for the main cast, and the experience now includes an unlockable short story accessed via Memory Shards, plus a new prologue and epilogue that weren’t part of the original anime broadcast. It’s effectively a director’s cut in playable form.

Blue Reflection Quartet — RAY characters in rebuilt 3D
Image courtesy of KOEI TECMO / Gust

Blue Reflection SUN gets an even more substantial overhaul. The console port replaces the original mobile combat with the fully-featured battle system from Second Light — a notable upgrade — and adds a brand-new Chapter 24 event, unique character conversations, and its own prologue and epilogue. Neither version has ever been available outside Japan before, making this the first legitimate way for global players to experience both stories.

Blue Reflection Quartet — SUN story scene
Image courtesy of KOEI TECMO / Gust

Eight New Party Members Come to Second Light

Buying the Quartet bundle unlocks a meaningful bonus in Second Light: eight characters from RAY and SUN join as fully playable party members, expanding the roster beyond the original game’s cast. On top of that, the original Blue Reflection and Second Light receive quality-of-life improvements across the board — faster movement during exploration, increased battle speed, event skip and fast-forward options, and autosave. Character designer Mel Kishida’s full gallery of official artwork is also accessible through the Reference Database.

Blue Reflection Quartet — party battle featuring characters from across the series
Image courtesy of KOEI TECMO / Gust

Platform Notes and Pricing for Singapore Players

Blue Reflection Quartet is available in Singapore digitally through the PlayStation Store (PS5) and the Nintendo eShop (Switch and Switch 2), as well as on Steam. All versions are digital-only in Western markets, including Singapore — Japan gets physical PS5 and Switch releases, but there is no physical version available here.

One important caveat for Switch 2 players: there is no upgrade path from the Switch version, and save data does not transfer. If you already own the original Second Light on Switch, you will need to repurchase the Quartet bundle separately on Switch 2.

The game is priced at USD 49.99 on Steam; check your regional PlayStation Store or Nintendo eShop listing for local pricing. The game is English-text only with Japanese voice acting. A free limited-time photo frame bonus is available until 12 August 2026 for all purchasers.

For JRPG fans on any of those platforms, this is a rare chance to experience the full Blue Reflection story in one go. Check out our game reviews for more on what’s worth picking up this month.

Game News

Suika Game and Planet Drop on PS5 — S$3.20 Each on SG Store

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Aladdin X’s Suika Game — the fruit-stacking sensation that became Nintendo Switch eShop’s most-downloaded game in Japan two years running — just quietly landed on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, with zero fanfare and no countdown. No marketing blitz, no teaser campaign: you blink, and suddenly it’s there alongside its sequel Suika Game Planet. Both are live right now on the Singapore PS Store for S$3.20 each.

A Switch Smash Hit That Needed a Bigger Stage

If you’ve somehow avoided it until now: Suika Game is a deceptively simple puzzle game where you drop fruit into a box, matching same-sized pieces to merge them into ever-bigger fruit — from a humble cherry all the way up to a towering watermelon. Combine two watermelons and you win. Lose the plot and your box overflows. It sounds like a children’s toy; it plays like a time-eating machine that turns calm adults into fruit philosophers muttering “one more round.”

The game first launched in Japan on Nintendo Switch back in December 2021, then quietly exploded globally when streamers on Twitch and YouTube discovered it in late 2023. Since then it’s racked up over 13 million downloads worldwide across Switch, iOS, and Android — a staggering number for a puzzle game from a small developer. As we reported when the Steam version was first confirmed, the move to PC felt overdue. Turns out the PS5 version was right behind it.

Suika Game gameplay — stacking fruit in the box
Image courtesy of Aladdin X
スイカゲーム / ゲーム紹介動画 — via スイカゲーム® 公式チャンネル on YouTube

Suika Game Planet — The Sequel Lands at the Same Time

What makes this launch a genuine double-take is that Aladdin X didn’t just port the original — they dropped a sequel the same day. Suika Game Planet had already launched on Switch 2, Switch, iOS, and Android earlier this year; the PS5 and Steam versions arrived simultaneously yesterday as a surprise same-day release.

Suika Game Planet key art
Image courtesy of Aladdin X

Planet shakes up the formula in a few meaningful ways. The rectangular box becomes a spherical arena — fruit rolls around the full 360° interior rather than stacking in a fixed column, which opens entirely different line-thinking. A new character named Poppy joins the cast, a Super Evolution bonus awards extra points for satisfying chain merges, and — crucially — there’s now a brief recovery window after a fruit grazes the top edge, so a single fumble doesn’t instantly end your run. It rewards slightly more aggressive play than the original’s nail-biting tension.

【新発売】スイカゲーム ぷらねっと / ゲーム紹介動画 — via スイカゲーム® 公式チャンネル on YouTube

What You Get on PS5 — and How Much It Costs in Singapore

Both PS5 versions come with 34 trophies each, including a Platinum — a rare treat for a S$3 game. PlayStation Premium subscribers can also stream either title via cloud gaming, meaning you could be playing Suika Game Planet on a phone browser in under a minute. Controllers work, too, which might actually be the best way to play on a big screen.

Suika Game on PS5
Image courtesy of Aladdin X

Pricing on the Singapore PS Store:

  • Suika Game — S$3.20 (Singapore PS Store)
  • Suika Game Planet — S$3.20 (Singapore PS Store)
  • Suika Game 1&2 – Thank You Set (bundle) — approximately S$6.50, saving you the price of a kopi-o

Both are rated IARC 3+, so they’re genuinely family-friendly. For context, that’s less than the cost of most bubble tea, and both games are among the most stress-testable value plays in the Singapore PS Store right now. If you’ve got kids at home during the school holidays, this is about as safe a bet as games get — and adults who claim they won’t get addicted are usually the first ones still playing at 2am.

Game News

MARVEL Tōkon Reveals Phoenix Cyclops DLC and Studio Sanzigen Opening Movie

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Arc System Works used its San Diego Comic-Con panel to deliver two pieces of post-launch news for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls ahead of the game’s August 6 global release: the Year 1 DLC lineup kicks off with Phoenix Cyclops, and the game’s opening movie — crafted by Tokyo animation studio Sanzigen — is already live. Both are worth your attention before you decide whether to pick up the base game or hold out for the Ultimate Edition.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls – Official Phoenix Cyclops DLC Trailer | Comic Con 2026 — via IGN on YouTube

Meet Phoenix Cyclops, the First MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls DLC Character

Phoenix Cyclops in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls — glowing visor close-up
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

This is not the Cyclops you know from the Saturday morning cartoons. Phoenix Cyclops draws directly from the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, where Scott Summers was one of the Phoenix Five — five mutants briefly granted a portion of the Phoenix Force in a last-ditch bid to save their species. In MARVEL Tōkon he fights accordingly: optic blasts supplemented by Phoenix Force telekinesis, cosmic fire manipulation, and the kind of ruthless conviction that made him one of Marvel’s most compelling anti-villains. Storm’s warning in the reveal trailer — that someone needs to stop him “before he turns everything to ash” — sets the tone perfectly.

Ray Chase, who voiced Cyclops in the X-Men ’97 animated series, reprises the role here. Phoenix Cyclops arrives this fall as part of the Year 1 Character & Stage Pass, which bundles four post-launch fighters, one new stage, and a set of result-screen character poses. Three of those four slots are still unannounced — expect Arc System Works to reveal them over the coming months leading up to, and after, launch.

Singapore players on PS5 and PC are in the global August 6 release window. (New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea are on a one-day offset, releasing August 7 — so you’ll actually have the game a day before your friends across the water in Tokyo.)

Studio Sanzigen’s Opening Movie Channels Early 2000s Anime Energy

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Opening Movie — via MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls on YouTube

Arc System Works’ decision to commission Studio Sanzigen for the opening movie is no accident. The studio’s credits include the Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers anime and the Initial D Legend film trilogy — exactly the pedigree you want when the brief is to blend the intensity of classic fighting game intros with the spirit of anime openings that hit differently at 2am on a school night.

The opening theme, titled “Stronger as One”, features Keiko Terada of veteran Japanese heavy-metal act SHOW-YA alongside Mayu of rising act NEMOPHILA on vocals, with composition and arrangement by MEG (MEGMETAL) and direction by Sanzigen’s Daisuke Suzuki. If you are old enough to remember when fighting game intros were a genuine art form — think King of Fighters, early Guilty Gear — this hits that exact nostalgia register while still feeling fresh.

Ultimate Edition, Year 1 Pass and a Free Wolverine Crossover Costume

MARVEL Tōkon Fighting Souls Ultimate Edition contents — Year 1 pass, costumes, pre-order bonuses
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

If you want everything on day one, the Ultimate Edition includes the base game, the Year 1 Character & Stage Pass, five classic character costumes (Spider-Man Advanced Suit 2.0, Storm Punk Rock, Iron Man Classic, Captain America Classic, and Doctor Doom Supreme Ruler), Howard the Duck and Cosmo lobby cosmetics, plus an animated Chromatic Color Unlock for all 20 launch characters. Pre-orders additionally bundle the Infinity Gauntlet lobby equipment, Cosmic Surfboard ride, and Baby Groot lobby pet.

One extra detail tucked into the SDCC reveal: the Battle Reborn Wolverine alternate costume, an original design co-created by Insomniac Games and Marvel Games as a crossover with the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 title. It is available to owners of the base game.

Wolverine Battle Reborn costume in MARVEL Tōkon, original design by Insomniac Games and Marvel Games
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel Games

The open beta that ran July 24–26 gave Singapore players their first hands-on with the base roster. If you liked what you tried, the SDCC news makes a strong case for upgrading to the Ultimate Edition before August 6 — four mystery DLC fighters, the Sanzigen opening stamping the tone before the title screen, and a Wolverine design that ties the two biggest Marvel games of the year together. Check out more game news for the latest on the lead-up to launch.

Game News

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Reveals Seven New Bracers, Fishing, and Viewer Mode — Out 17 September

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Nihon Falcom’s remake of the beloved 2006 JRPG Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is two months out, and the studio has used the lead-up to September 17 wisely — a new batch of reveals this week details seven returning bracers, a full fishing system, and the game’s new Viewer Mode photography feature.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — gameplay screenshot showing Estelle and party in battle
Image courtesy of Nihon Falcom

Seven New Bracers Join Estelle’s Journey

The reveals centre on senior and receptionist-rank Bracers stationed across Liberl — familiar faces for players who cleared the first chapter, now with full English and Japanese voice casts confirmed.

  • Aina Holden (23) — Rolent receptionist, calm and composed, with a hidden talent for heavy drinking (Katiana Sarkissian / Sayumi Suzushiro).
  • Jean (24) — Ruan receptionist and long-time friend of Agate, upbeat and personable (Kylen Deporter / Kent Itou).
  • Kilika Rouran (27) — Zeiss branch strategist, exceptionally sharp intuition, trained in Eastern martial arts, and an old acquaintance of Zin from Calvard (Meli Grant / Haruka Michii).
  • Elnan (25) — Grancel branch leader whose leadership helped prevent the first chapter’s coup (MacLeod Andrews / Sohei Horikane).
  • Kurt Nardin (29) — High-ranked senior bracer in Grancel, masterful with a spear and Eastern Fangshu techniques; serves as a mentor figure for Estelle and Anelace (Kyle Hebert / Shouichirou Oomi).
  • Carna (25) — Ruan-area senior bracer specialising in orbal firearms and support Arts, a Royal Tournament competitor tracking the mysterious Society (Yuuki Luna / Yurina Amami).
  • Grant (22) — Bose branch vanguard, cheerful and self-taught with a greatsword, the kind of straightforward fighter who punches well above his rank (Stephen Fu / Tasuku Hatanaka).

The depth of detail here — specific ages, region assignments, and dual voice casts — signals that Falcom is treating the 2nd Chapter as a full production rather than a light visual refresh. Fans of JRPG releases will recognise several of the English voice actors from other Kiseki titles and broader anime-adjacent work.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — character detail showing a senior bracer
Image courtesy of Nihon Falcom

Fishing Comes to Liberl — with a Notebook to Fill

A fishing mini-game is in, playable at designated spots scattered across the Liberl Kingdom. The system asks players to match rod and bait to attract specific species — each successful catch logs into a Fishing Notebook, and completing the entries unlocks bonus items. Mechanically: pick a casting location, time a button press to hook the fish, then manage the reel with the control stick. Simple enough to pick up between story beats, deep enough to keep completionists busy.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — fishing gameplay at a scenic waterside location
Image courtesy of Nihon Falcom
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — Release Date Trailer via GungHo on YouTube

Viewer Mode: Liberl as Your Photo Studio

Viewer Mode is a new photography feature that lets players pose characters against a range of backdrops and dress them in costume items and accessories — including anything unlocked from DLC or the Season Pass. Locations and characters available in the mode expand as you progress through the main story, giving fans a reason to return to the feature throughout the playthrough rather than burning through it on day one.

It is a feature set you would have expected from a modern JRPG, and its inclusion here shows Falcom is aware that Singapore and SEA audiences — who have embraced the character-collection side of JRPGs enthusiastically — expect more than just remastered battle systems.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — Viewer Mode photography feature with Estelle
Image courtesy of Nihon Falcom

17 September, Worldwide — Including Singapore

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter launches 17 September 2026 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Publisher GungHo Online Entertainment has confirmed a worldwide simultaneous release, which means Singapore players on every major platform are in from day one — no region delays, no waiting for a separate Asia SKU.

The Switch 2 version specifically is notable: for Singapore players who already upgraded, this will run on the new hardware with whatever performance improvements Falcom has baked in for that version. A price has not been confirmed for Singapore yet; the Steam page is live for wishlisting in the meantime.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter — overworld exploration in the Liberl Kingdom
Image courtesy of Nihon Falcom

For those new to the series: the 2nd Chapter is the direct sequel to last year’s Trails in the Sky remake, picking up immediately where Estelle’s first journey ended with Joshua’s disappearance and the Ouroboros conspiracy beginning to surface. Falcom has built the remake with modern 3D visuals while keeping the turn-based battle system and dense world-building that made the originals cult classics — and the 2nd Chapter is widely considered the stronger of the two Liberl arcs.