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Kingdom Hearts IV Hits Late 2027 With a Coco World

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After four years of near-silence, Kingdom Hearts IV finally has a release window — and a first Disney world that nobody had on their bingo card. At D23’s Disney Entertainment Showcase, Square Enix and Disney confirmed the game launches in late 2027, and handed Sora a Keyblade shaped like a guitar in the Land of the Dead from Pixar’s Coco.

The trailer went up on Pixar’s own YouTube channel rather than Square Enix’s, which tells you how much Disney wants this crossover front and centre. It is the first Pixar world ever confirmed for a mainline Kingdom Hearts game.

KINGDOM HEARTS IV | D23 2026 Showcase Trailer — via Pixar on YouTube

Pixar’s Coco is the first Kingdom Hearts IV world

The roughly 90-second trailer opens inside Coco‘s story rather than beside it. Papá Héctor explains the Final Death — what happens to the dead once the living stop remembering them — before Miguel steps up to a microphone and performs for a crowd. Then the Heartless arrive, and Sora drops in wearing the same calavera face paint as everyone else in the plaza.

That is a meaningful change in how these worlds are built. Kingdom Hearts has spent two decades dropping Sora into Disney films alongside their plots; here he is inside the story beats, in costume, fighting through a sequence the movie’s own characters are living. His Keyblade even reshapes into a skull-fronted guitar to match — the same instrument that drives Coco‘s plot.

Miguel from Pixar's Coco performing at a microphone in Kingdom Hearts IV

Still from Pixar’s official KINGDOM HEARTS IV D23 2026 Showcase trailer.

The other detail worth flagging: neither Donald nor Goofy appears anywhere in the Coco footage. Sora fights alongside Héctor instead, which lines up with where the story left off.

Kingdom Hearts IV release window: late 2027, on almost everything

Square Enix pinned the game to late 2027 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox on PC. The Steam store page is already live and wishlistable in Singapore, listing Square Enix as both developer and publisher with a 2027 window.

That platform spread is the real break from series tradition. Kingdom Hearts has been PlayStation-first since 2002, with Nintendo getting the handheld spin-offs and, eventually, cloud versions of the mainline games on Switch. Kingdom Hearts IV is the first numbered entry launching natively on a Nintendo home console on day one — Switch 2 sitting in the same launch bracket as PS5 would have been unthinkable a console generation ago. Square Enix Asia put out its own cut of the platform teaser back in June:

KINGDOM HEARTS IV – Teaser Trailer | June 2026 — via Square Enix Asia on YouTube

One caveat worth keeping in mind: this franchise has a long record of slipping. A “late 2027” window announced in mid-2026 leaves a lot of runway, and Square Enix has not committed to a date.

Sora attacking a giant Heartless above the city of Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Donald, Goofy and the search for Sora

The trailer also checked in on the rescue party. King Mickey, Donald and Goofy are still hunting for Sora after the events of Kingdom Hearts III, and the footage shows them in the Underworld putting the question to Hades — who confirms Sora is not among his dead.

Donald Duck and Goofy in the Underworld in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Strelitzia and Sigurd from Kingdom Hearts Union χ were also confirmed to return, which will matter enormously to anyone who has been tracking the Lost Master arc since the mobile game shut down.

Quadratum, the Tokyo that isn’t

The game’s hub is still Quadratum, the photoreal city Square Enix’s Osaka team modelled on Tokyo — a fictionalised Shibuya and Minami-Aoyama, with Sora keeping an apartment there as an early-game base. It is the most grounded setting the series has ever used, and it is where Sora wakes up after Kingdom Hearts III, unable to get home.

Sora talking with Strelitzia and a masked man on a street in Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Still from Pixar’s official KINGDOM HEARTS IV D23 2026 Showcase trailer.

Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue are directing, with Yoko Shimomura returning to score. Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher are back as Sora and Riku.

Strelitzia standing on a street in Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Kingdom Hearts is becoming an animated series too

The second announcement out of D23 was a Kingdom Hearts anime series, greenlit for Disney+ and Disney Channel, made with Nomura and the Square Enix creative team. It will not retell the games — Disney is describing it as a new story inside the same universe, with an original lead rather than Sora.

Speaking in Disney’s announcement, as carried by Nerdist, Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said the show would be “unmistakably ‘Kingdom Hearts'” while giving fans “a whole new way to experience the world they love”. No premiere window, studio or staff beyond Nomura’s involvement has been named.

For Singapore, only half of that distribution matters: Disney Channel no longer exists here. It went dark on local pay-TV in June 2020 and the wider Southeast Asian feed shut down in October 2021, with everything folded into Disney+, which launched in Singapore in February 2021. So when this series arrives, Disney+ is where SG viewers will find it — assuming it carries the same rights into this region, which has not been confirmed either way yet.

The 25th anniversary panel airs Sunday morning, Singapore time

There is more coming almost immediately. D23’s DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS panel — an hour marking the series’ 25th anniversary in 2027 — runs at 4.30pm Pacific on 15 August, which is 7.30am on Sunday 16 August in Singapore. Kingdom Hearts IV co-director Tai Yasue is on the panel alongside Osment, Gallagher, Disney & Pixar Games’ Nana Gadd and Disney Character Voices’ Renée Johnson.

It streams on the official Kingdom Hearts and Disney YouTube channels plus The Game Awards’ YouTube and Twitch. The catch, per Square Enix: there is no VOD afterwards. If you want to see it, you are setting an alarm for a Sunday morning.

Catching up before 2027

Late 2027 is a long wait, and the back catalogue is unusually cheap right now. At the time of writing, the Singapore Steam store has Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX at S$19.23 (down from S$64.10), and both Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind and HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue at S$24.03 (down from S$80.10) — all 70% off. That is roughly S$67 for the whole run-up to Kingdom Hearts IV, which is a far friendlier entry point than the series’ reputation for convoluted spin-offs suggests.

We will have more as the D23 panel airs. In the meantime, there is plenty more in game news and manga and anime on the blog.

Game News

Beast of Reincarnation Patch 1.0.7 Is Out — Game Freak Fixes Camera, Performance, and More

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Game Freak’s debut action RPG Beast of Reincarnation launched on 4 August to a divisive reception — critics landed around the 73-point mark while Steam user reviews hit “Mixed.” True to their word, the developer dropped Patch 1.0.7 on 9 August, addressing the most consistent complaints from players worldwide, including those on PS5 and PC in Singapore.

Beast of Reincarnation gameplay screenshot showing the open world
Image courtesy of GAME FREAK / Fictions
Beast of Reincarnation – Launch Trailer — via XBOX on YouTube

What Patch 1.0.7 Changes

The headline fix is the default graphics preset: the game now boots into Performance mode rather than Cinematic. Cinematic targeted a higher resolution at around 30fps; Performance targets 60fps at a lower resolution. Most players, especially on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, will feel the difference immediately. The patch also adds official support for NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and AMD FSR 4.0 Super Resolution on PC, which means Singapore PC players rocking an RTX 40- or 50-series card can now lean on AI upscaling for a sharper image at higher frame rates.

Beast of Reincarnation combat scene showing Emma fighting enemies
Image courtesy of GAME FREAK / Fictions

The camera — arguably the most-complained-about element since launch — has been reworked both in and out of combat. Game Freak did not publish exact numbers for the field-of-view changes, but coverage of the patch suggests the in-combat view pulls back noticeably, giving more situational awareness during boss fights.

Other changes in 1.0.7:

  • Text size increased throughout the game
  • Parry window adjusted when Emma takes damage — Game Freak has not specified whether this widens or narrows the window
  • Boss and enemy balance passes across all difficulty levels, plus additional tuning to enemy encounters on Normal specifically
  • Story pacing: affinity-building conversations that could previously trigger multiple times in a row are now limited to once per day
  • Bug fixes: upscaling settings no longer reset on game restart; button icon changes now save correctly; V-Sync settings no longer interfere with resolution options; an issue where Emma could become unable to interact after cancelling a Bloom Art is resolved; the sixth golem in Subcity 01 — which many players reported losing — is now easier to locate
Beast of Reincarnation exploration scene in a large open environment
Image courtesy of GAME FREAK / Fictions

Context: How the Game Launched

As we covered at launch, Beast of Reincarnation is Game Freak’s first major release outside the Pokémon franchise — a third-person action RPG published under their Fictions label. The “Mixed” Steam tag at launch stung, given the pedigree involved, but the core criticism was largely about rough edges rather than the game itself: the camera, performance defaults, and a lack of accessibility options in text size. Patch 1.0.7 hits most of those directly.

More Fixes on the Way

Game Freak has stated that “multiple additional patches are planned, and various fixes and adjustments will continue to be made in response to ongoing player feedback.” That line suggests the studio is treating post-launch support as ongoing rather than a single clean-up pass.

Beast of Reincarnation boss encounter in a dark dungeon
Image courtesy of GAME FREAK / Fictions

If you picked up Beast of Reincarnation on PS5 or PC at launch and set it down after hitting the camera or performance walls, the 1.0.7 patch is worth a fresh look — many of the issues that dragged the first impression down are now addressed. For more game news, keep checking back.

Game News

Attack on Titan 3 Locks December 10 Launch Date — Editions, Pre-Orders and Features

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Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have confirmed December 10, 2026 as the launch date for Attack on Titan 3, announced during tonight’s reveal stream. Digital pre-orders are now live on PSN and Steam, and the full edition lineup — including a SteelBook Launch Edition and a Digital Deluxe with 72-hour early access — has been detailed.

Attack on Titan 3 — Official Release Date Trailer, via IGN on YouTube

December 10 Confirmed — Edition Breakdown

As we covered this morning when the stream was first announced, Koei Tecmo promised a release date reveal tonight and delivered. Here’s the full edition breakdown:

  • Standard Edition: US$69.99 / £54.99 / €69.99 / ¥9,680
  • Digital Deluxe Edition: US$89.99 / £69.99 / €89.99 / ¥12,980 — adds 72-hour early access (PS5, Xbox and PC only; Switch 2 excluded), a Digital Artbook, Character Customisation Pack (3 costumes, 7 parts), Original Equipment Pack (13 parts), and a Starter Item Pack
  • SteelBook Launch Edition (physical only): the base game in a SteelBook case with ICONART, plus Wings of Freedom Choker and Wings of Freedom Gloves DLC

All physical and digital buyers receive the Wings of Freedom Hoodie DLC costume at launch. Digital pre-orders additionally unlock the Wings of Freedom Earrings. Save data from either of the previous Attack on Titan games triggers special in-game gifts.

Attack on Titan 3 gameplay screenshot showing ODM gear combat
Image courtesy of Koei Tecmo

The Full Story, Start to Finish

Attack on Titan 3 is the first game in the series to cover the entire manga and anime from beginning to end. You play as a custom Scout Regiment recruit alongside Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the broader cast, building relationships that unlock character-specific abilities and cutscenes. Koei Tecmo confirmed that MAPPA — the studio behind the anime’s later seasons — is producing an exclusive opening animation directed by Arifumi Imai, to be added via a post-launch update.

Attack on Titan 3 screenshot showing large-scale Titan battle
Image courtesy of Koei Tecmo

Nine Titans, Exterior Scouting Missions and Casual Mode

All Nine Titans — the Colossal, Armoured, Female, Jaw, Cart, Beast, War Hammer, Attack and Founding — appear in-game for the first time in the series. The 3D Maneuver Gear system has been rebuilt to feel faster and more intense, recreating the anime’s large-scale battles.

Brand new are Exterior Scouting Missions, which push the squad beyond the walls: explore open terrain, construct supply bases, manage ODM fuel and blade durability, and take on high-difficulty titan threats. A Casual Mode is also included for players who want to experience the complete story without the mechanical challenge.

Attack on Titan 3 exterior scouting mission beyond the walls
Image courtesy of Koei Tecmo

Platforms, Pre-Orders and Singapore Pricing

Attack on Titan 3 launches December 10 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam. Pre-orders on PSN, the Xbox Store and Steam are open now; Switch 2 pre-orders will open at a later date. No SGD pricing has been announced yet — the US$69.99 standard edition converts to roughly S$95 at current rates, though the Singapore PlayStation Store will likely carry its own regional price. We will update this article once local pricing is confirmed.

For more upcoming releases, check out our Game News section.

Attack on Titan 3 character creator customisation screen
Image courtesy of Koei Tecmo

Game News, News

FF7 Revelation’s FITS System, Explained

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Square Enix has finally shown how combat will evolve in the last chapter of its remake trilogy, and it comes down to a wardrobe. Revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026, the FITS system is Final Fantasy VII Revelation‘s take on the classic Final Fantasy job system — and it lets you turn Cloud into a Black Mage without breaking a sweat.

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

What is the FITS system?

FITS stands for Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear — Square Enix’s slightly tongue-in-cheek name for a set of job-based outfits that directly change how a character plays. Those new costumes the party wore in the reveal trailer weren’t just for show: each suit grants a fresh moveset and skills on top of a character’s core stats, layered over the materia and equipment you already know from Rebirth.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Summer Game Fest, director Naoki Hamaguchi called the job system “a pretty iconic factor of the Final Fantasy series as a whole.” He and combat director Teruki Endo landed on it while looking for ways to expand the hybrid battle system beyond Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Longtime fans will recognise the DNA: it’s a modernised riff on the jobs that have been part of the series since the very first Final Fantasy, and its outfit-driven presentation echoes the dress sphere system from Final Fantasy X-2.

Four FITS each, and Cloud as a Black Mage

The headline hook is flexibility. Cloud is a front-line warrior by default, but, as Hamaguchi put it, the goal is to let players “customize their characters based on their personal preferences” — so you can slot the Black Mage job onto Cloud and get a spellcaster who still carries his warrior traits. The team no longer wants party members locked into rigid tank or healer lanes.

Each playable character has four different FITS, a detail Hamaguchi confirmed on content creator Maximilian Dood’s stream, as relayed by Gfinity Esports. In the reveal footage the default look for everyone appears to be called Freelancer, with Cloud shown in a Warrior FITS and Tifa in a Black Mage FITS. “We’re taking it a step further in FF7 Revelation,” Hamaguchi teased.

FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION – Gameplay Introduction — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

Why you can only swap FITS between battles

There’s one important catch. The remake trilogy’s combat already asks you to switch between characters on the fly, so letting you also swap jobs in the middle of a fight risked, in Hamaguchi’s words, making it “too complicated.” FITS changes are therefore locked to between battles — you plan your loadout before the fight, then commit to it. It’s a deliberate guardrail to keep the real-time action readable rather than overwhelming.

Cid battling a serpentine creature with his spear in Final Fantasy VII Revelation

Image courtesy of Square Enix

Vincent and Cid finally join the party

Introduced in Rebirth but never fully playable, Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind are proper party members this time. Cid fights with his iconic spear and plays like “an aerial version of Red XIII,” according to Hamaguchi, while Vincent brings his own kit to the roster. Hamaguchi even admitted Vincent is “one of my personal favorites to put into my party” — so expect both to slot neatly into the FITS system’s job experiments.

Vincent Valentine aiming his glowing gauntlet in Final Fantasy VII Revelation

Image courtesy of Square Enix

A bigger, seamless open world

FITS isn’t the only expansion. Hamaguchi describes an “even bigger open world map” than Rebirth‘s, one you can drop into by parachute from the airship Highwind — which you’ll get roughly “five to six hours” into the game. Areas carry recommended levels, but “there won’t be anything physically blocking you” from wandering into tougher zones early. It’s the most open the remake series has been, and the FITS jobs give you more ways to tackle whatever you find out there.

Party members parachuting from the Highwind into the open world in Final Fantasy VII Revelation

Image courtesy of Square Enix

Release date and where Singapore fans can play it

Final Fantasy VII Revelation lands in Spring 2027, and — for the first time in the trilogy — it’s a simultaneous multi-platform launch. It’s confirmed for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox on PC), per the official Final Fantasy portal.

That day-one spread is genuinely good news locally. FF7 Rebirth was a PS5 timed exclusive, so Singapore fans who game on Switch 2, Xbox or PC no longer have to wait — or pick a side — to finish Cloud’s story. No SGD pricing has been announced yet given the 2027 window, and it’s worth noting the trilogy’s finale assumes you’ve played the earlier parts, so newcomers here have plenty of runway to catch up on Remake and Rebirth first. We’ll update with local pre-order details closer to launch.

Close-up of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII Revelation

Image courtesy of Square Enix

Between a deeper open world, two new playable characters and a job system that lets you rebuild the cast to taste, Revelation is shaping up as the most customisable entry in the remake trilogy. Hamaguchi says the combat has “reached its perfected state” — we’ll find out for sure in Spring 2027. For more on the biggest releases on the horizon, check out our other game news.

Game News

Dispatch Is Now on Xbox — Aaron Paul’s Strategy Hit Gets Xbox Play Anywhere Launch

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Singapore Xbox players, your wait is over. Dispatch, AdHoc Studio’s acclaimed narrative strategy game, has officially landed on Xbox Series X|S and is available right now via Xbox Play Anywhere — meaning a single purchase covers both the console and Windows PC versions.

Dispatch — conference room briefing with the superhero team
Your squad brings together some of comics’ most beloved archetypes — and some of Hollywood’s biggest voices.

What Is Dispatch?

Developed by AdHoc Studio, Dispatch casts you as the newly appointed director of a superhero management agency in a world where powered individuals are just part of the workforce. Part narrative adventure, part tactical resource manager, the game has you deploying the right hero for the right crisis — balancing public image, morale, and escalating threats across a sprawling city.

The voice cast is genuinely staggering: Aaron Paul leads the ensemble alongside Laura Bailey, Jeffrey Wright, and Matthew Mercer. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most stacked casts in recent indie game history.

Dispatch — protagonist close-up dialogue scene
Story-driven choices sit at the heart of Dispatch — every call you make ripples forward into later crises.

A Certified Hit, Now on Xbox

Dispatch launched on PlayStation 5 and PC in October 2025 to near-universal acclaim, scoring 97% on OpenCritic and selling over four million copies. If you missed it on PS5 or Steam, the Xbox launch is the second chance you needed.

Dispatch — city map management screen
The city overview layer is where strategy meets storytelling — assign heroes, manage resources, and navigate the politics of being in charge.
Dispatch — mech action scene with fire
Crisis missions escalate fast — some situations call for finesse, others for raw firepower.

Official Xbox Release Date Trailer

Price and Availability

Dispatch is priced at USD$29.99 on Xbox and PC. Xbox Play Anywhere means one purchase unlocks the game on both Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, with shared cloud save progress. The game is available now from the Xbox Store.

Game News

Wreckreation 2 Announced: Burnout Creator Goes Fully Indie

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Fiona Sperry, the director behind Burnout Paradise and one of the driving forces at Criterion Games during its golden era, has revealed Wreckreation 2 — and she’s doing it entirely on her own terms. The sequel is being developed by When Tides Turn, Sperry’s newly founded independent studio with no publisher attached, and is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in 2027.

Wreckreation 2 gameplay screenshot showing Heartbreak City streets
Image courtesy of When Tides Turn

The Burnout Legacy Behind When Tides Turn

Sperry spent years at Criterion Games, where she led development on titles that defined the arcade racing genre — Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit among them. When Tides Turn is the studio she founded after going independent, and Wreckreation 2 carries forward the same ethos: aggressive, physics-driven driving in dense, lived-in environments where every car is a potential weapon.

The studio behind the original Wreckreation is now operating without any publisher, which means no compromise on design and no external pressure on release timing. For fans who feel modern racing games have drifted too far toward simulation, the return of Sperry’s no-publisher setup is a genuine signal of creative intent.

Wreckreation 2: Official Announcement Trailer — via IGN on YouTube

Welcome to Heartbreak City

The action unfolds across Heartbreak City — a dense open-world environment built with close-quarters chaos in mind. Unlike the first game’s sprawling open world that felt sparse in places, When Tides Turn’s stated focus for the sequel is a compact, tightly designed city with dense streets, freeways, airport runways, dockyards, and hidden backroads that reward learning the layout rather than just driving straight.

Wreckreation 2 — aerial view of Heartbreak City open world
Image courtesy of When Tides Turn

Modes Built for Mayhem

The confirmed mode list reads like a greatest-hits for fans of the Burnout era. Road Rage and Marked Man return alongside Pursuits, Blackspots, Wreckonings, and Eliminators. Rounding things out is the Live Mix tool — a creator mode for building custom challenges and races within Heartbreak City.

It’s an unusually complete-sounding feature list for an announcement-stage reveal, which suggests When Tides Turn has been developing in stealth for some time before going public.

Wreckreation 2 — Road Rage mode in action
Image courtesy of When Tides Turn

What Singapore Racers Need to Know

PS5 is the dominant gaming platform in Singapore, and arcade racers with a strong multiplayer hook — exactly Wreckreation’s wheelhouse — have consistently found a home in the local community. With PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC all confirmed, no players are left out.

Regional pricing and a specific release date within the 2027 window have not yet been announced. Given When Tides Turn operates without a publisher, pricing decisions will be their own to make — worth watching as more details emerge. For now, keep an eye on the Game News section here for any follow-up announcements.

Wreckreation 2 was announced on 21 July 2026. Sources: Gematsu, Insider Gaming.

Game News

Halo: Campaign Evolved Reviews Are In — 84 on Xbox, 81 on PS5

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The review embargo for Halo: Campaign Evolved lifted yesterday, and the first wave of critics have delivered their verdict ahead of Tuesday’s full global launch. Early access is live right now for Premium Edition and Collector’s Bundle buyers — and the scores land in broadly positive territory, though with some meaningful platform-specific caveats that PS5 players should factor in before parting with S$79.90.

We have been tracking this release since announcement — our last round-up covered early access details and the gold milestone — so here is the score breakdown and what the reviews mean for Singapore gamers heading into launch.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Metacritic Scores at Launch

Halo ring structure viewed from inside, with a planet visible beyond — screenshot from Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios

Based on Metacritic, which aggregates critics across all three platforms:

  • Xbox Series X/S: 84/100 (26 reviews)
  • PlayStation 5: 81/100 (43 reviews)
  • PC (Steam / Windows): 77/100 (19 reviews)

OpenCritic puts the overall picture at an 88% recommendation rate across 58 critics — a strong endorsement even if the raw numbers look modest by Halo standards. For context, the original Halo: Combat Evolved scored 97 on Metacritic in 2001, so this remake technically carries the franchise’s lowest aggregate ever. That context matters less than it sounds: the critical split here is almost entirely about value-for-money rather than the quality of the core game itself.

What Critics Are Saying

Master Chief faces a Flood creature in a tense close-quarters encounter — screenshot from Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios

The highest scores celebrate the ambition of the rebuild. VGC gave a perfect 10/10, calling it “an Unreal Engine 5-powered upgrade that elevates the original with sublime visuals, smart tweaks, and broad respect.” Push Square awarded 9/10 on PS5, describing it in their review as “a legendary shooter brought back in style — a faithful yet expanded and improved remake of an everlasting great.”

The middle tier sits around 8–8.5. Game Informer (8.5/10) wrote that “the core gameplay shows its age, but the magic that made this formula work is still intact.” IGN (7/10) acknowledged solid gunplay while wishing the three new prequel missions ran longer.

Halo: Campaign Evolved | Launch Trailer — via HALO on YouTube

PS5-Specific Issues Singapore Players Should Know

Cortana's holographic form in a rebuilt cinematic — screenshot from Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios

The gap between the Xbox (84) and PS5 (81) scores is partly explained by platform-specific criticism. DualShockers (6.5/10) cited PS5 performance issues as currently “holding it back in major ways” — most notably, performance mode does not consistently hold 60fps during heavy combat. Push Square also flagged that DualSense adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are underwhelming, calling it “a missed opportunity to differentiate the PS5 version.” PS5 disc buyers should additionally note that a full digital download is required even with a physical copy.

Xbox Series X runs meaningfully better, which is reflected in its higher aggregate. And for Game Pass subscribers, the decision is easy: all Standard Edition players gain access from 28 July at no extra cost.

Is It Worth S$79.90 in Singapore?

Warthog vehicle firing its turret in a frozen cave — screenshot from Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios

The honest answer depends on your history with Halo. If you are a PlayStation-only player who never experienced the original campaign, the PS5 version — performance dips and all — delivers one of gaming’s most influential shooter campaigns rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, with three new prequel missions, four-player crossplay co-op, and a Campaign Remix replayability layer. Push Square’s 9/10 makes a strong case for first-timers.

For veteran Halo fans who have replayed the original, S$79.90 for a campaign-only package with no PvP and no Firefight is a harder sell — and that tension runs through every middling review. The game itself is good; the price-to-content ratio is where critics diverge.

UNSC soldiers in a newly reshot cinematic cutscene — screenshot from Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Xbox Game Studios

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches globally on 28 July 2026. Standard Edition is priced at S$79.90 on the PlayStation Store and Steam. Premium Edition early access players — including Singapore buyers who unlocked access today — also receive the Silver Anniversary Armor and Assault Rifle Styles, plus the newly added Sandstone Ancient armor style as a launch goodwill bonus. Follow our game news coverage for further updates as the July 28 launch approaches.

Game News

Halo: Campaign Evolved Goes Gold — SG Early Access Starts This Thursday

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Halo Studios has officially confirmed that Halo: Campaign Evolved has gone gold — development on the 1.0 version is complete, and the game is on track for its July 28 global release. For Singapore players, that means the wait is almost over: early access kicks off this Thursday, 24 July, for Premium and Collector’s Edition owners, with the full launch following on Tuesday, 29 July.

As we covered earlier this month, this marks the first time a mainline Halo campaign has ever come to PlayStation — so PS5 owners in Singapore are finally getting their shot at the Chief.

Master Chief faces off against a Covenant Elite in Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Halo Studios / Xbox

When Can Singapore Players Start?

The global release date of July 28 at 8 AM PDT works out differently for the Asia-Pacific region. Halo Studios confirmed in the official launch FAQ that Singapore and other Asia-Pacific markets are on the same schedule as Japan:

  • Premium & Collector’s Edition early access: Thursday, 24 July 2026 (SGT)
  • Standard Edition global launch: Tuesday, 29 July 2026 (SGT)

If you were planning to buy a physical copy at local game retailers and electronics shops, the disc should be on shelves for the 29 July date — physical availability in retail was confirmed as part of the July Community Q&A.

Halo: Campaign Evolved | Cinematic Story Trailer — via HALO on YouTube

What the July Community Q&A Revealed

Alongside the gold announcement, Halo Studios published a detailed community Q&A on Halo Waypoint answering fan questions ahead of launch. A few highlights that were not part of earlier coverage:

  • Machinima Mode is included — it supports freecam, lowered weapons, and controlling a Spartan without needing skull unlocks, so content creators and long-time fans of the original’s machinima scene will have tools to work with from day one.
  • Weapon dropping works differently here: you can drop a weapon for a teammate without automatically swapping to whatever is on the ground, which sounds small but makes co-op much cleaner.
  • Friendly fire can be toggled on or off by the fireteam leader — handy for co-op sessions where you’d rather not grief your squadmates.
  • AI behaviours have been improved since the earlier preview build that media played ahead of launch.
  • LASO mode uses a curated assortment of skulls rather than all 42, making it — per the team — “technically more like LAASO.”
A Warthog with turret blazes through an icy Forerunner cave in Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Halo Studios / Xbox

Operation: METEORITE — The Three New Story Missions

Every edition of the game includes Operation: METEORITE, a brand-new three-mission arc set a year before the events of the original Halo. The prequel follows Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson on a clandestine UNSC operation aboard a Covenant research vessel — it is effectively new canon, filling in story that Halo: Combat Evolved only implied.

Cortana rendered in stunning detail in Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Halo Studios / Xbox

Editions, Pricing and Game Pass

The game launches at USD 49.99 for the Standard Edition. The Premium Edition (USD 59.99–69.99) adds five days of early access — so Thursday 24 July in Singapore — along with a digital art book, weapon skins, armour cosmetics, and a digital manual. The Collector’s Edition at USD 199.99 is available via Halo Waypoint and mirrors the Premium digital bonuses with physical extras.

If you are on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, the Standard Edition is included in your subscription at launch — no extra charge. That is genuinely one of the better deals in gaming right now if you have not picked up Game Pass yet.

Pre-ordering the digital version before 7:59 AM PDT on 28 July also nets you the Foundry Armory Pack — legendary-style cosmetics for the Master Chief’s Mark V Mjolnir armour — which is also bundled with physical copies.

Sgt. Johnson leads a UNSC squad in Halo: Campaign Evolved's Operation Meteorite prequel missions
Image courtesy of Halo Studios / Xbox

Steam Deck Verified, Handheld Optimized on Windows

One more piece of good news for portable players: the July Q&A confirmed Halo: Campaign Evolved has earned Steam Deck Verified status (the highest Steam Deck rating) and is rated Handheld Optimized on Windows handhelds. Given how popular handhelds are becoming in Singapore’s gaming scene, that is worth flagging — the Chief plays just as well lying on your sofa as he does at a desk.

The interior of Installation 04 stretches out against a breathtaking planetary vista in Halo: Campaign Evolved
Image courtesy of Halo Studios / Xbox

Nine days to go — or four if you have the Premium Edition. You can follow all our gaming news coverage here on GameTrader.SG.

Rose Belmont, protagonist of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
Game News, Game Preview

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Preview Roundup — Critics Call It a “Potential GOTY Contender”

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The hands-on preview embargo for Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse lifted this past weekend (July 17–18), and early impressions from the press have been overwhelmingly positive. Kotaku put it bluntly: “the game f***ing rules.” GameRant called it a “potential GOTY contender.” Eurogamer said “superb.” For a franchise celebrating its 40th anniversary, it’s the kind of reception Konami fans have been waiting years to see.

Paris and Notre Dame cathedral at dusk in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Forty Years of Legacy, Reimagined in 1499 Paris

The preview builds drop players into a dark, beautifully rendered 15th-century Paris, set 23 years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. You play as Rose Belmont, daughter of the legendary Trevor Belmont, on a mission that threads directly into the franchise’s gothic mythology.

Crucially, Evil Empire and Motion Twin — the studio behind Dead Cells — have confirmed that Belmont’s Curse contains no roguelite mechanics. This is a pure Metroidvania: a hand-crafted world, permanent progression, and deliberate exploration. Rose’s moveset centres on seven distinct weapon types and the Arcana Whip, which doubles as a grappling hook for both traversal and combat. IGN praised the whip mechanics specifically, noting how fluidly it extends Rose’s reach in tight platforming sequences and mid-boss encounters. A tarot-based spell system and a Relic passive-ability layer round out the build options.

Rose fighting on the docks with Notre Dame in the background
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Boss Design That Demands Attention

Two bosses from the preview build — The Fallen and a reimagined Joan of Arc — drew widespread praise. Both were described as multi-phase encounters with striking visual design, using Paris’s rooftops and Notre Dame cathedral as dramatic backdrops.

Konami Producer Tsutomu Taniguchi and Evil Empire Creative Director Emmanuel Nouaille told the PlayStation Blog (July 17) that the team wanted every boss to feel “worthy of the Belmont legacy” while introducing entirely new narrative threads. PC Gamer called the overall package “a very solid Metroidvania with tremendous potential.”

Boss fight with golden flames and Paris skyline in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

Singapore Pricing and Pre-Order Details

Singapore players can pre-order now on the PlayStation Store ahead of the October 15, 2026 global release:

  • Standard Edition: SGD 35.50
  • Midnight Edition (adds Soundtrack + Digital Artbook): SGD 42.60
  • Pre-order bonus (all editions): Alucard Style Costume

The game launches simultaneously on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Gameplay screenshot from Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
©Konami Digital Entertainment

We covered the initial Nintendo Switch confirmation and October release window earlier this month. The preview coverage this week makes it clear that Belmont’s Curse is shaping up to be one of the biggest titles of the 2026 holiday season — and one of the most anticipated Castlevania entries in years.

Images: ©Konami Digital Entertainment. Preview quotes sourced from PlayStation Blog, Kotaku, GameRant, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and IGN.