Tag Archives: Singapore Gaming

Final Fantasy XIV Is Coming to Switch 2 in August — What Singapore Players Need to Know

Singapore’s FFXIV community has been patient — and the wait is nearly over. Final Fantasy XIV Online is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026, marking the first time the critically acclaimed MMORPG has ever appeared on a dedicated handheld. With full cross-platform progression, a free early-access window, and a meaningful subscription discount for existing players, the Switch 2 version is shaping up to be a smart pick-up for anyone who wants to take Eorzea on the go.

FINAL FANTASY XIV – Gameplay Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

Launch Window and Free Early Access

Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy XIV will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026, with an exact date still to be announced. The release will open with approximately one month of free early access — designed to let Square Enix stress-test servers before official service begins. During that window, you can play at no charge; once official service launches, a subscription kicks in.

Final Fantasy XIV on Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Subscriptions: The Deal for Existing Singapore Players

This is the headline detail for the many Singapore and SEA players already subbed on PC or PS5: you can add the Switch 2 version at half price. While your existing subscription on another platform remains active, the Nintendo Switch 2 subscription is available at 50% off. That makes the ask for portable Eorzea considerably more palatable.

A few other things to note:

  • The Switch 2 version requires a separate game purchase and subscription on top of your existing licence.
  • Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required — FFXIV handles its own online infrastructure.
  • The free trial remains available and substantial: it covers all of A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward expansion — well over 100 hours of story content before you spend a cent on a subscription.

How It Plays: 30fps, Joy-Con Mouse and Cross-Platform Progression

According to Nintendo Life’s breakdown of the Switch 2 gameplay trailer, the game targets a stable 30fps — consistent performance is the priority over chasing 60fps, which makes sense for a game built around long sessions. The trailer also confirmed Joy-Con mouse support, letting players use the Switch 2’s Joy-Con in mouse mode to navigate the UI and hotbars in a way that feels closer to the PC experience than a standard controller would.

Cross-platform character progression is fully supported via your Square Enix account. Your Warrior of Light, gear, story progress, and inventory carry across platforms — log in on Switch 2 and you pick up exactly where you left off on PC or PS5.

Final Fantasy XIV Eorzea world on Nintendo Switch 2
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Evercold — The Sixth Expansion — Arrives January 2027

Square Enix also announced the sixth expansion, Evercold, launching in January 2027 across all platforms. Switch 2 players who jump in during the August early-access window will have several months to work through existing story arcs and be ready for Evercold alongside PC and PlayStation veterans when it drops.

Last Words

For Singapore FFXIV players who’ve spent years wondering if they’d ever get handheld Eorzea, August 2026 is your moment. The 50% sub discount for existing subscribers makes the Switch 2 version a reasonable second home for the game, and the free trial remains one of the best entry points in online gaming for newcomers. Keep an eye on our latest game news — Square Enix hasn’t announced a specific August date yet, but it will land soon.

Attack on Titan: Become a Scout at Hita’s Forest Park

If you’ve ever watched the Survey Corps go screaming through the canopy on ODM gear and thought “I want to do that,” there’s a forest in Kyushu that has been waiting for you. Forest Adventure Okuhita — tucked deep in the hills of Hita, Oita — runs a limited-time Attack on Titan collaboration that turns its zipline obstacle course into a Scout Regiment training run. Cloak on, blade in hand, the only thing missing is the Titans.

Visitors in Survey Corps cloaks at Forest Adventure Okuhita's Attack on Titan collaboration

Why Attack on Titan, and why Hita?

This isn’t a random anime tie-in. Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama is from Hita, and the town has leaned into being the spiritual home of Shingeki no Kyojin — there’s even a bronze statue trail of Eren, Mikasa and Armin nearby. So when the official Forest Adventure Okuhita park recreates the “Forest of Giant Trees” arc, it’s doing it on the franchise’s home turf. The course frames your safety briefing as Survey Corps enrollment, then sends you out on a mission inspired by the Female Titan capture operation.

So what does “role-playing as a Scout” actually involve?

The base attraction is a proper high-ropes adventure course: 35 activities spread across four sites, including swaying suspension bridges, a single-plank bridge that won’t stop wobbling once you start, and a Tarzan swing that flings you off a treetop platform onto a net. The headline thrill is the ziplines — four of them, with two stretching over 150m across deep valleys, and the longest runs around 180m at roughly 30km/h. The whole circuit takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Zipline through the cedar forest at Forest Adventure Okuhita

That’s the part that does the heavy lifting for the fantasy: gliding between cedar trunks on a harness is about as close as a theme attraction can get to the feeling of ODM gear without the imminent threat of being eaten.

The Attack on Titan magic comes from the add-on collaboration option, which has run at roughly ¥1,500 per person on top of admission. It kits you out with:

  • “Wings of Freedom” original non-slip gloves
  • A rental Survey Corps “blade” prop to carry through the course
  • A special completion certificate carved from Hita cedar — your proof you survived recruitment

Travel creators have captured the vibe well. In a widely shared Instagram reel, food-and-travel account @japanomnom framed the experience simply: “POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps.” During special collaboration runs, guests can even don Survey Corps cloaks for the photo spots dotted along the trail.

“POV: It’s your first day in the Survey Corps” — via @japanomnom on Instagram

Watch it in action

We Got the Ultimate Attack on Titan Experience — via OniGiri on YouTube

The practical stuff: price, height limits and getting there

Standard admission runs ¥3,800 per person for adults and children, dropping to ¥3,500 each for groups of eight or more, with the collaboration option layered on top. To take on the course you’ll need to be at least 140cm tall or 10 years old, and under the 110kg weight limit. Kids 17 and under need an adult along (one adult can supervise up to three children), while high-schoolers can go solo with ground-level supervision.

Survey Corps themed obstacle course at Forest Adventure Okuhita

The park sits in Nakatsue, Hita City, near the old Taio Gold Mine — punch “Taio Gold Mine” into your navigation. It’s roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive from Fukuoka, so a rental car is basically essential. Bookings, including the Attack on Titan option, go through the park’s official reservation site.

One important caveat: the Attack on Titan collaboration is a recurring limited-time event, not a permanent fixture. It has returned across multiple seasons (2021, 2023 and 2024 among them) and the themed option has been listed again heading into 2026, but the exact dates shift each run. Check the official booking page or the Hita City Tourism Association for the current window before you plan around it — the base adventure course, however, runs year-round.

Worth building a trip around

Kyushu is an easy, underrated add-on to a Japan itinerary: fly into Fukuoka, and Hita is a doable day trip — the same region as Yufuin and Beppu’s onsens, if you want to soak away the muscle ache afterwards. For an Attack on Titan fan, slotting in a morning where you actually strap into a harness and play Scout beats another merch run, and it’s hands-down one of the closest real-life brushes you’ll get with the world of Shingeki no Kyojin.

For more trips and tie-ins worth your leave days, browse our community features and guides.

Hatsune Miku Official Shop in Akihabara: Is It Worth It?

If you follow Hatsune Miku, you’ve probably seen the photos: a whole building in Akihabara wrapped in Miku and the Kagamine twins, with a giant “HATSUNE MIKU OFFICIAL SHOP IN AKIBA” banner over the entrance. I went looking for it on a recent Tokyo trip — and the honest version is shorter than the hype. It’s real, it’s official, and it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re walking into before you build a day around it.

Quick verdict: it’s a permanent official Miku corner on Level 2 of Don Quijote Akihabara, not a flagship megastore. It’s compact — think one well-stocked section, not a multi-floor experience. Not worth a special trip across Tokyo on its own, but if you’re already in Akiba (and as a Miku fan, you will be), it’s an easy, fun stop that’s open around the clock.

A walkthrough of the shop — via GsChannel on YouTube

Where it is and what makes it unusual

The shop sits on the 2nd floor (Level 2) of Don Quijote‘s Akihabara branch at 4-3-3 Sotokanda. Per the official Hatsune Miku blog (Japanese), the corner — branded “HATSUNE MIKU official shop in Akiba” — opened on 27 April 2024 as a permanent fixture.

That word “permanent” is the genuinely unusual part. Most official Miku retail in Japan is pop-up: limited-run fairs, anniversary booths, collab cafes that vanish after a few weeks. This one stays put. And because it lives inside a Don Quijote — Japan’s famously chaotic 24-hour discount chain — it inherits Donki’s hours. You can buy an official Nendoroid at 3am if that’s your life. I can’t think of another character shop where that’s true.

Inside the Hatsune Miku Official Shop in Akiba, with a painted sky ceiling and Kagamine Rin and Len wall art
Image: GameTrader.SG

What’s actually inside

The space leans into the theme hard: a painted blue-sky ceiling, the full Crypton/Piapro cast on the walls — Miku, the Kagamine twins Rin and Len, Megurine Luka, plus KAITO and MEIKO — and a “HATSUNE MIKU OFFICIAL SHOP IN AKIBA” graphic running right across the floor. It photographs much bigger than it feels in person.

Stock-wise, it’s mostly the small, giftable stuff: acrylic keychains, badges, phone straps, folding fans, stationery, apparel and plush, alongside glass cases of scale figures and deformed (chibi) figures. When I visited, scale figures ran from around ¥6,273 (roughly S$55) up to the big premium display pieces at ¥30,000–¥38,000 (north of S$300). The everyday goods are far gentler on the wallet — this is a place you can walk out of with a ¥700 keychain and be happy.

Hatsune Miku scale figures in a glass display case with Japanese yen price tags
Image: GameTrader.SG

The display cases of oversized deformed figures are a nice touch — they’re showpieces more than stock, and they make the corner feel like a proper official space rather than just a merch rack. A large designer figure (by illustrator CHANxCO) was on show when the shop first launched, per the official blog.

Display cases of deformed chibi Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len figures inside the official shop
Image: GameTrader.SG

One thing to know: check Level 5 too

Here’s the bit that’s easy to miss. The Level 2 corner is the always-on permanent shop, but the same Don Quijote Akihabara periodically runs limited-time “Hatsune Miku Don Quijote Fair” collab events on a separate floor (Level 5), with newly drawn illustrations and fair-exclusive goods you won’t find downstairs. If you’re making the trip specifically for merch, it’s worth checking whether a fair is running during your dates — that’s where the collectible, time-limited items live.

What this means for Singapore fans

For SG Miku fans, the takeaway is simple: don’t fly in for this, but absolutely swing by if Akihabara is on your Tokyo itinerary — and it should be. Budget 15–20 minutes, go in expecting a tidy official corner rather than a flagship, and enjoy that you can drop in basically whenever, since it never really closes. The keychains, straps and stationery make easy souvenirs, and the prices on the small stuff are reasonable even before you factor in that there’s no equivalent permanent official Miku shop here at home.

The HATSUNE MIKU OFFICIAL SHOP IN AKIBA floor graphic running through the aisle
Image: GameTrader.SG

If you’re chasing more Japan store visits and gaming finds, browse our other guides. And if a Miku Don Quijote Fair lands while you’re in town, that’s the version actually worth planning around.

Tifa Joins Street Fighter 6: How the FF7 Crossover Happened

It is the crossover the fighting-game community has joked about for years — and now it is real. At Summer Game Fest 2026, Capcom confirmed that Tifa Lockhart from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series is joining Street Fighter 6 as a guest fighter, headlining the game’s Year 4 DLC roster. She arrives in early 2027, and the developers behind both franchises say the deal was years in the making.

Street Fighter 6 — Year 4 Character Reveal Trailer feat. Tifa — via Street Fighter on YouTube

Tifa headlines the Street Fighter 6 Year 4 roster

Capcom announced the Year 4 line-up on 6 June 2026, alongside the launch of the new Character Pass. Four fighters are coming, and Tifa is the marquee name:

  • Yasmin — a brand-new fighter, releasing 3 August 2026
  • Arjun — a new challenger, arriving Autumn 2026
  • Tifa — the Final Fantasy VII Remake guest, landing early 2027
  • Bosch — the World Tour antagonist, closing the season in Spring 2027

In Street Fighter 6, Tifa is written as a member of the resistance group Avalanche and a master of Zangan-style martial arts who finds herself pulled into a new world. Her kit leans into the close-range striking she is famous for, blended with the unique special powers she carries over from her home game.

Street Fighter 6 Year 4 key visual featuring Tifa, Yasmin, Arjun and Bosch

Image courtesy of Capcom

“If it were to happen, it would be Tifa”

The most interesting part of the reveal is how long it was in the works. Speaking to Japanese outlet Denfaminicogamer (Japanese), Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama said discussions with Square Enix began roughly two and a half to three years ago — long before the public-facing stage moments fans saw at recent showcases.

According to Nakayama, when the idea of a Final Fantasy collaboration first came up, the choice of character was never really in doubt: “もし実現するなら、やはり『ティファ』でしょう” — “If it were to happen, it would certainly be Tifa.” Her hand-to-hand fighting style made her the obvious fit for a game built entirely around martial combat.

Nakayama added that the Street Fighter team worked closely with the Final Fantasy VII Remake creative side — including series figurehead Tetsuya Nomura — to keep Tifa authentic, saying they wanted to carry over the original’s most appealing and memorable elements “as much as possible” while rebuilding her as a genuine Street Fighter character.

Final Fantasy VII Remake series and Street Fighter 6 collaboration artwork

Image courtesy of Capcom / Square Enix

Materia, rebuilt as a Street Fighter system

This is not a straight cosmetic port. Japanese coverage from Famitsu (Japanese) confirms that Materia from Final Fantasy VII has been worked into a new battle system for Tifa. The developers also teased that a further mechanic “symbolic of Final Fantasy” will be implemented, though they declined to detail it at the reveal — a tantalising hint that her kit will feel distinct from anything currently on the Street Fighter 6 roster.

It is a notably ambitious approach for a guest fighter. Rather than dropping a Final Fantasy skin onto an existing moveset, Capcom is folding FF7’s signature progression idea into fighting-game mechanics — the kind of design swing that tends to define whether a crossover character is remembered fondly or quietly forgotten.

Why Square Enix finally said yes

Tifa has long been one of gaming’s most requested crossover guests, and Square Enix has historically been protective of her. At the reveal, Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi acknowledged that many other game IPs had asked for Tifa over the years, but that the studio had been reluctant to “give her away” because she is so beloved worldwide, as relayed in Square Enix’s explanation of Tifa’s inclusion.

What changed was timing and fit: with the Final Fantasy VII Remake series highly active and a new entry on the horizon, and with Tifa’s martial-arts identity matching Street Fighter 6 so neatly, both sides felt the moment was finally right. For Tekken fans who had spent years imagining Tifa in Bandai Namco’s fighter, it is Capcom that ultimately landed the deal.

Street Fighter 6 Year 4 Character Pass details

Image courtesy of Capcom

What this means for Singapore gamers

Street Fighter 6 remains one of the most-played fighters in Singapore’s local FGC scene, with a steady stream of community tournaments and ranked grinders across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A guest as recognisable as Tifa is the kind of mainstream draw that pulls lapsed players and Final Fantasy fans back to the lobbies — and gives the local competitive community a fresh character to theorycraft well into 2027.

The Year 4 Character Pass and Ultimate Pass are on sale now, automatically unlocking each fighter as they release, starting with Yasmin on 3 August 2026. If you have been holding off on jumping back in, the run-up to Tifa’s early-2027 launch — likely timed near the next chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga — is as good a reason as any to dust off your stick. We will update this post as Capcom reveals more of Tifa’s “symbolic” Final Fantasy mechanic.

For more, check out our latest gaming news and upcoming events.

METAL BUILD EXPO: Inside Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

If you grew up wanting your Gundam to be made of actual metal, Bandai Spirits just built a whole event around that itch. The METAL BUILD EXPO is a single-brand showcase running at the Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo in Akihabara, and we dropped by to see every die-cast hero the line has to offer under one roof. Here’s our walkthrough — plus what it means for collectors back home in Singapore.

METAL BUILD EXPO event poster showing dates 27 March to 6 July 2026
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

What is the METAL BUILD EXPO?

METAL BUILD is Bandai Spirits’ premium line of pre-painted, fully-articulated figures that mix die-cast metal with plastic for real heft and a satisfying clink. This is the first time the brand has been given its own dedicated event, and it pulls together the latest releases across Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, the EX PROJECT line and more.

The essentials:

  • Where: Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo, 1-1 Kandahanaokacho, Chiyoda-ku — a one-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station (Electric Town Exit).
  • When: 27 March – 6 July 2026, daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
  • Admission: free — the storefront sign literally reads nyujo muryo (free entry).

Gundam SEED takes centre stage

The headline wall belongs to Gundam SEED. The Strike Freedom Gundam anchors the display in full die-cast glory, wings of light fanned out the way every SEED fan remembers it.

METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam with wings of light spread
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Bandai is using the expo to relaunch the figure: the METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam <Revival Ver.> hits general retail in June 2026 with a refreshed package and an added support stand. Alongside it, the store is selling new store-limited Sword Striker and Launcher Striker packs that clip onto the Strike Gundam (Heliopolis Roll Out Ver.) to rebuild the Sword and Launcher loadouts.

METAL BUILD Strike Gundam striker pack displays with price tags
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Force Impulse Gundam on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

A glass cabinet near the back lines up the SEED roster side by side — Strike, Strike Freedom, Destiny and friends — so you can see how the sculpts have evolved over the line’s run. If you want a sense of scale and finish, this shelf is the one to study.

Shelf comparing multiple METAL BUILD Gundam SEED figures
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Tucked into the exclusives corner are the Astray frames — the Gold Frame and Red Frame — wearing “ON SALE HERE NOW!” tags, the kind of store-only stock that makes the trip worth it for serious collectors.

METAL BUILD Gundam Astray Gold Frame and Red Frame exclusives in a display case
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

The commemorative Hi-ν Gundam

Every Tamashii store event gets a commemorative piece, and this one is the METAL BUILD Hi-ν Gundam [METAL BUILD EXPO]. It’s based on the 2022 Hi-ν, but repainted from the novel’s purple-and-white into the official blue-and-white scheme, with a new fin funnel hanger so you can display the funnels stowed or deployed. It’s a Premium Bandai item that needs a CLUB TAMASHII MEMBERS registration to order.

METAL BUILD Hi-Nu Gundam in blue and white on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

00, Evangelion and a Toho surprise

The Gundam 00 corner shows off GN-001 Gundam Exia and the 00 Gundam, GN blades catching the spotlights. Staff had an Exia out of the case for a closer look — the inner-frame detail on these is genuinely absurd.

METAL BUILD Gundam 00 figure on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD GN-001 Gundam Exia held up close
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Beyond Gundam, EVANGELION Unit-01 represents the line’s wider reach, posed mid-lunge off its launch rail.

METAL BUILD Evangelion Unit-01 figure
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

And the one that stopped us in our tracks — a fully die-cast Toho mecha from the Godzilla universe, all spines and silver plating, licensed TM & © Toho Co., Ltd. Not what you expect at a Gundam-heavy show, and all the better for it.

METAL BUILD Toho Godzilla-series mecha figure
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Hatsune Miku gets the METAL BUILD treatment

The most unexpected booth is a snow-globe diorama built for METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku — yes, the Vocaloid icon reimagined as a mecha-suited figure, posed across a starry, checkerboard stage. It’s a reminder that METAL BUILD isn’t only about war machines.

METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku banner at the expo
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD 初音ミク SPECIAL PV — via BANDAI SPIRITS on YouTube
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure posed in a starry diorama
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure detail
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure with weapon
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure close up
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

What this means for Singapore collectors

METAL BUILD figures don’t get a regular shelf presence in Singapore — they’re a Premium Bandai and Tamashii web-store world, so most SG collectors import via Bandai’s online stores or specialist hobby shops. The catch with an event like this: the store-limited Striker packs and the commemorative Hi-ν are tied to the Tokyo store and the Tamashii web store, so they’re not something you’ll casually find at a local mall.

If you’re heading to Tokyo before the expo wraps on 6 July 2026, the Akihabara store is a one-minute walk from the station and free to enter — easily worth an hour even if you’re only browsing. On the tags we spotted, figures ranged from the low ¥10,000s up past ¥40,000 (the Force Impulse Gundam was tagged ¥41,800), so factor that in if you plan to buy rather than just gawk. For more on-the-ground coverage, check our other events reports.

Full event details are on the official Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo page.

Final Fantasy Resonance: First HD-2D Final Fantasy Hits Oct 22

Square Enix has pulled off a genuine surprise: Final Fantasy Resonance is the very first Final Fantasy game built in the gorgeous HD-2D art style — and it’s landing on basically every platform that matters on 22 October 2026. Revealed during the 9 June Nintendo Direct (right alongside a fresh Kingdom Hearts IV trailer), it’s a turn-based, crystal-and-chocobo love letter to the series’ roots, and it’s coming to Switch 2, Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE – Announce Trailer — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

The first Final Fantasy in HD-2D

If you’ve played Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy or the Dragon Quest III remake, you already know the look: lovingly detailed pixel sprites layered over 3D environments, dramatic depth-of-field and sweeping camera angles. Square Enix has used HD-2D to revive plenty of classics, but Final Fantasy Resonance marks the first time the main brand itself wears the style. The result, on the evidence of the reveal trailer, is exactly the nostalgia hit long-time fans have been begging for — pixel chocobos, towering espers and airships rendered with serious cinematic flair.

Final Fantasy Resonance HD-2D key art

Image courtesy of Square Enix

A Brave Exvius story, rebuilt for consoles

Here’s the twist long-time fans will want to know: Final Fantasy Resonance is based on the first story arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the 2016 mobile gacha RPG. Square Enix is keen to stress this is far more than a port — the publisher says the season-one storyline has been “extensively rebuilt” as a full-fledged, console-quality RPG, with voiced characters, new cutscenes and a freshly recorded soundtrack.

The adventure returns to the world of Lapis, following the Grandshelt knight Rain, his adoptive brother Lasswell and the mysterious maiden Fina as they race to stop Veritas of the Dark from corrupting the world’s crystals. It’s a self-contained slice of the Brave Exvius saga, so newcomers don’t need to have touched the mobile game to jump in.

Final Fantasy Resonance turn-based battle screenshot

Image courtesy of Square Enix

Turn-based combat and the Visions system

Combat is unapologetically classic turn-based, with a modern twist. You’ll exploit enemy weaknesses to stagger foes and chain into cinematic “Resonance” attacks — a tactical layer that rewards reading each encounter rather than mashing through it.

The real fan-service hook is the Visions system, which lets you recruit “echoes” of beloved Final Fantasy heroes as party members. The reveal confirmed cameos from across the series, including Cloud, Tidus, the Warrior of Light, Terra and Clive, with each Vision bringing its own skills for party customisation. There’s plenty to chew on beyond the main story, too: the trailer and store listings tease run-ins with the wandering swordsman Gilgamesh, a Colosseum, a Chamber of Arms and showdowns with the Ultima Weapon.

On the audio side, the score comes from Elements Garden — the team led by Noriyasu Agematsu — with 33 newly recorded tracks joining music carried over from Brave Exvius.

Final Fantasy Resonance HD-2D world exploration screenshot

Image courtesy of Square Enix

Release date, platforms and editions

Final Fantasy Resonance launches on 22 October 2026 across Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Steam and the Microsoft Store). The line-up:

  • Standard Edition — US$49.99
  • Digital Deluxe Edition — US$59.99 (adds digital bonuses)
  • Collector’s Edition — US$209.99, bundling the base game, the Digital Deluxe bonuses and four physical collectibles: an acrylic block set of pixel-art characters, summons and bosses; a 120-page hardcover art book; a 120-track soundtrack CD; and an exclusive Final Fantasy Trading Card Game promo card.

Square Enix hasn’t published Singapore dollar pricing yet, but the US$49.99 base price works out to roughly S$65 at current rates — keep an eye on local retailers and the eShop/PlayStation Store closer to launch for confirmed SGD figures.

What this means for Singapore gamers

This one is squarely aimed at the JRPG faithful — and Singapore has plenty. A brand-new, story-complete Final Fantasy at a friendly US$49.99 (well below the S$90-plus you’ll pay for a typical AAA release) makes Final Fantasy Resonance an easy recommendation, especially for Switch 2 owners hunting for a meaty turn-based RPG to sink the year-end holidays into. The cross-platform launch means you can grab it wherever you already game, and the HD-2D presentation should look fantastic in handheld mode.

Collectors will be eyeing that US$209.99 Collector’s Edition, though import shipping and the weak conversion will sting — we’d watch for a local distributor before committing. As always, GameTrader will keep tracking SGD pricing, pre-order bonuses and trade-in values as 22 October draws closer. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the latest gaming news and reviews.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation: Every New Detail So Far

The wait for the finale is almost over. Final Fantasy VII Revelation — the third and final chapter of Square Enix’s Remake trilogy — is locked in for a worldwide launch in Spring 2027, and director Naoki Hamaguchi has been peeling back the curtain on what to expect. Between the Summer Game Fest reveal and a deep-dive interview with Japanese outlet Denfaminicogamer, we now have a much clearer picture of how Cloud and company close out 30 years of FF7 storytelling. Here’s everything new we’ve learned.

FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION — Reveal Trailer, via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

What is Final Fantasy VII Revelation?

Revelation is the conclusion to the trilogy that began with 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake and continued with 2024’s Rebirth. Hamaguchi explained that the “Revelation” title is meant to signal that “things previously concealed are being revealed” — a direct nod to the questions and theories the first two games left dangling. After Remake and Rebirth teased an altered timeline, this is the entry that’s supposed to pay it all off.

Encouragingly for anyone burned by long FF7 waits, Hamaguchi says the game is already fully playable from start to finish and now sits in its final balancing phase. He claims to have personally played through the whole thing around 40 times — a good sign the Spring 2027 window is solid rather than aspirational.

A colossal Weapon rises from the sea beside an industrial platform in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Highwind and a world without boundaries

The headline feature is freedom. The iconic airship Highwind is obtainable early in the game, and instead of touching down at fixed landing spots, players drop in anywhere via parachute, seamlessly transitioning from sky to ground. You can fast-travel back up to the Highwind or return to on-foot exploration at will, and the ship’s interior even updates dynamically as the story progresses.

Every region from Rebirth returns, but the landscape has been reshaped — the awakening Weapons have caused geological upheaval, so familiar areas now look and play differently. Hamaguchi describes the design as an “ultra side-quest” structure: you can reach a lot of the map early, but the wildly varying difficulty of each area nudges you toward your own non-linear path rather than a single critical line.

Meet Pico, your one and only Chocobo

Rather than the stable of region-specific Chocobos from Rebirth, Revelation gives you a single companion bird named Pico that grows alongside you across the adventure. As Pico develops, it unlocks flight and gliding, opening up vertical exploration and letting you finally reach locations that were inaccessible earlier in the game. It’s a clever way to gate the open world without walling it off entirely.

Party members face off against a towering plant-like creature in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

New playable characters and the “Ware” system

Two long-requested party members are confirmed playable:

  • Vincent Valentine finally enters the rotation, complete with a “Beast Mode” transformation you can toggle with a single button press mid-battle.
  • Cid Highwind joins as an attacker who specialises in aerial combat — fitting for the trilogy’s most airship-obsessed character.

Underpinning the combat is a new “Ware” system, which lets you customise each character’s role by swapping equipment, reshaping how they play. Notably, all Ware types unlock at once, so you’re encouraged to experiment and diversify your party builds from the off rather than grinding to slowly open options.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation — Gameplay Overview Trailer, via IGN on YouTube

Story: choices that actually matter

Hamaguchi is leaning hard into the “weight of choice.” Player decisions reportedly determine which storylines unlock and which events play out — and they can even shift how you perceive individual characters. The main story still follows a set sequence, but the side content around it stays flexible.

A few story threads got specific attention: the previously underdeveloped Wutai storyline is being expanded, character relationships now reach beyond the usual Cloud-centric pairings, and Zack is said to play an important role in illustrating just how different this world has become from the 1997 original. As for the cast, Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer returns as the English voice of Vincent, with Travis Willingham confirmed as Sephiroth for the finale.

Sweeping vista of the reshaped world in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Platforms and release

Revelation launches simultaneously worldwide in Spring 2027 across PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox on PC). It’s the first mainline entry in the Remake trilogy to skip a PS5 timed exclusivity window and arrive everywhere at once — including, for the first time, on a Nintendo platform via the Switch 2, with the Switch 2 version receiving further optimisation closer to launch.

What this means for Singapore gamers

The day-one multiplatform launch is the big win here. No more watching the rest of the trilogy land on PS5 first — Singapore players on Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S or PC get to start the finale on the same day as everyone else in Spring 2027. SGD pricing and pre-order editions haven’t been announced yet, but expect details to firm up through late 2026.

If you’re planning to dive into the finale, now’s the time to make sure your back catalogue is sorted — whether that’s picking up Remake and Rebirth or trading in titles you’re done with to fund the upgrade. Drop by GameTrader to buy, sell or trade your games and consoles, and keep an eye on our news page as more Revelation details (and that all-important price) drop ahead of launch.

Five Singapore Games to Watch From SEAGS 2026

Five Singapore studios took the global stage at the Southeast Asian Games Showcase 2026 this past weekend — and their projects cover everything from a romance visual novel set right here in Singapore to a monster brawler with cendol and you tiao on the menu. If you missed the showcase, here’s your Singapore-focused rundown.

[OFFICIAL PREMIERE] Southeast Asian Games Showcase 2026 (SEAGS) — via SEA Games Showcase (SEAGS) on YouTube

Singapore Game Developers at the Southeast Asian Games Showcase 2026

Now in its second year, the Southeast Asian Games Showcase (SEAGS) is a premium annual online showcase for developers from Southeast Asia and the diaspora. The 2026 edition aired on 6 June as part of Summer Game Fest, streaming live on the official SEAGS YouTube and Twitch channels and simultaneously on The Game Awards YouTube channel. A total of 35 games from studios across the region were featured — five of them from Singapore.

The Five Singapore Games From SEAGS 2026

Merry Crisis (Monsoon Games) — A Visual Novel Set in Singapore

Monsoon Games’ Merry Crisis is the most locally resonant of the five. It is a romance visual novel about returning to Singapore for Christmas after a difficult breakup, navigating a charged reunion with a first love, an unexpected visit from a recent ex, and a new connection with a musician next door. By New Year’s Eve, you have to choose: the life you built abroad, or home.

The game is set between Singapore and New York, and the Singapore sequences draw on local settings and family dynamics. Players can customise gender identity and relationship type (straight or queer), with the story adapting to each choice. Merry Crisis promises over 12 hours of gameplay and is targeting Q4 2026 on PC, with a free extended demo already live on Steam.

Merry Crisis key art — Singapore route — Monsoon Games
Image courtesy of Monsoon Games

HellHeart Breaker (BattleBrew Productions) — Singapore on the Menu

BattleBrew Productions — the Singapore studio behind cooking RPG Cusineer — showed off their next project: HellHeart Breaker. The action game takes players to the Kappa Market, a supernatural food court where the specialities include cendol, you tiao, and durian mango sago. If a game has ever felt more unmistakably Singaporean in its DNA, we haven’t played it. HellHeart Breaker is targeting Q2 2027.

Hoa 2 (Skrollcat Studio) — The Ghibli-Esque Sequel Goes 3D

Skrollcat Studio’s original Hoa built a loyal following with its hand-painted art direction and meditative puzzle-platformer gameplay, drawing frequent comparisons to Studio Ghibli. Hoa 2 preserves that visual identity — the lush hand-painted aesthetic and gentle tone are still front and centre — but makes the move to full 3D environments. No firm release date was given at SEAGS 2026; the studio confirmed it is “coming soon.”

Hoa 2 screenshot — Skrollcat Studio's 3D sequel to the acclaimed puzzle platformer
Image courtesy of Skrollcat Studio

13Z: The Zodiac Trials (Mixed Realms) — Claim the 13th Position

Mixed Realms opened their 13Z: The Zodiac Trials reveal trailer with the line “12 walked this path before” — a nod to the Chinese zodiac as players compete to earn the elusive 13th zodiac spot. Details are still thin, but the trailer suggests an action title with mythological stakes. Mixed Realms is targeting Q4 2026.

Growing My Manhole (SylverDev) — Eat the Universe

SylverDev’s Growing My Manhole is a Q3 2026 roguelike built around progressive upgrades — specifically, consuming more and more of the universe. Unusual premise, potentially very satisfying loop. One to keep an eye on for fans of scale-climbing and incremental games.

The Wider SEAGS 2026 Lineup Is Worth a Watch Too

Beyond Singapore’s five entries, the full showcase was packed. Malaysian studio Metronomik showed a new story trailer for No Straight Roads 2. Passion Republic Games confirmed a 9 July release for the GigaBash: Ultraman Zero DLC. Filipino studio Polychroma Games unveiled Until Then: Afterimages, a DLC expansion for their acclaimed narrative adventure, releasing 18 June. Indonesian and Thai studios rounded out the bill with a strong mix of horror, cosy games, and brawlers.

The full showcase video — all 35 games — is on the SEA Games Showcase YouTube channel.

Last Words

Five Singapore studios on the same global stage at once is a meaningful moment for the local game development scene. From the deeply personal homecoming story of Merry Crisis to the local-food-fuelled spectacle of HellHeart Breaker, Singapore’s developers are making games with a clear sense of place. Keep these studios bookmarked — Q3 and Q4 2026 are shaping up to be busy.

Stay up to date with the latest in Singapore gaming via our Game News coverage on GameTrader.SG.

Summer 2026 Anime: Your Singapore Streaming Guide

The summer 2026 anime season is looking unreasonably stacked. Ghost in the Shell gets a manga-faithful reboot by Science SARU, Bleach finally closes the book on the Thousand-Year Blood War, and — yes — there is now an official Sekiro anime dropping on Crunchyroll in September. With shows spread across Crunchyroll, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, Singapore fans have no excuse for an empty watchlist this July.

Sekiro: No Defeat | Official Trailer 2 | Crunchyroll — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

Sekiro Gets the Anime Treatment — Exclusively on Crunchyroll

FromSoftware’s 2019 action masterpiece Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is making its first leap into animation. Titled Sekiro: No Defeat, the series is fully hand-drawn 2D by Studio Qzil.la, directed by Kenichi Kutsuna with a screenplay by Takuya Sato and character designs by Takahiro Kishida. The production was developed in close collaboration with FromSoftware, adapting one of the game’s branching narrative paths into a single definitive storyline — so expect Wolf’s story to feel personal and complete rather than a loose game recap.

The anime premieres on 4 September 2026 exclusively on Crunchyroll worldwide (excluding Japan, China, Korea, Russia and Belarus), the same day Japan gets a limited theatrical run. Crunchyroll is fully available in Singapore. This is the first FromSoftware IP ever adapted to another on-screen medium, so it is kind of a big deal.

Ghost in the Shell Goes Back to the Manga — Prime Video, 7 July

The Ghost in the Shell 2026 anime by Science SARU — key visual showing Major Motoko Kusanagi
Image courtesy of Science SARU / Amazon Prime Video

Science SARU — the studio behind Dandadan, Devilman Crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off — is taking on Masamune Shirow’s original Ghost in the Shell manga. Directed by Mokochan (assistant director on Dan Da Dan) with scripts by EnJoe Toh, it is being billed as the most faithful adaptation of the source material the franchise has ever had, leaning into the manga’s goofier, more eccentric Kusanagi rather than the stoic icon of the 1995 film.

Before the global debut, the first two episodes will world-premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. The full series launches on Prime Video on 7 July 2026. Amazon Prime Video is available in Singapore.

Bleach Ends — For Real This Time — Disney+, July

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity key visual for the final season
Image courtesy of Pierrot / VIZ Media

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is the fourth and final cour, completing one of the “Big Three” shonen’s long-awaited animated finale. North American fans get a theatrical preview window — the first three episodes screen in select US cinemas from 25–29 June — before the full season hits streaming in July. For Singapore fans, Disney+ carries the TYBW series; check the Disney+ SG library for local availability and episode schedule.

The Rest of the Summer Watchlist

If three landmark shows were not enough, the rest of the summer 2026 slate is equally strong. Highlights:

  • Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 (Studio Bind) — Crunchyroll, 6 July. The acclaimed isekai continues Rudeus Greyrat’s emotional arc.
  • Sparks of Tomorrow (Kyoto Animation) — Netflix, 5 July. KyoAni’s brand-new steampunk original set in an alternate Japan where electricity was never discovered. KyoAni originals are always an event.
  • Goodbye, Lara (Kinema Citrus) — Crunchyroll, 5 July. A fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid with a Ghibli-esque visual style from the Made in Abyss studio.
  • Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games (Diomedéa / Capcom) — Crunchyroll, 7 July. A Capcom collaboration that features actual Street Fighter 6 gameplay footage woven into the anime — tailor-made for GameTrader readers who just watched SF6’s Tifa DLC reveal last week.
  • Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai — Netflix, 18 June. Already here — the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure of fighting anime returns with Musashi Miyamoto as the new challenger.
  • One Piece: Heroines (Toei Animation) — TBA, July. A spinoff focusing on Robin and Nami.

Your Summer 2026 SG Streaming Cheatsheet

Anime Platform (SG) Date
Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai Netflix 18 Jun
Goodbye, Lara Crunchyroll 5 Jul
Sparks of Tomorrow (KyoAni) Netflix 5 Jul
Mushoku Tensei Season 3 Crunchyroll 6 Jul
Ghost in the Shell (Science SARU) Prime Video 7 Jul
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games Crunchyroll 7 Jul
One Piece: Heroines TBA Jul
Bleach: TYBW – The Calamity Disney+ Jul
Sekiro: No Defeat Crunchyroll 4 Sep

All four platforms — Crunchyroll, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ — are available in Singapore. Streaming rights can vary by region; verify local libraries before subscribing.

Last words

Between a manga-accurate Ghost in the Shell cyberpunk noir, a hand-drawn Sengoku-era Sekiro odyssey and the long-awaited final swing of Ichigo’s Zanpakuto, Singapore anime fans are going to need to clear some calendar space from July onward. Keep it locked on GameTrader’s anime coverage for first-episode impressions and anything else worth talking about this summer.