Summary Heading deeper into the ninth generation of game consoles, Square Enix’s leading RPG franchises are both flourishing.Final Fantasystill reigns supreme in many parts of the world, having put out the last ofFinal Fantasy 16’s DLC,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, andFinal Fantasy 14’sDawntrailexpansion over the course of 2024. Meanwhile,Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeis finally releasing in November, with similar remakes ofDragon Quest 1and2following in 2025. With talk of aFinal Fantasy 9remake andDragon Quest 12announcements looming, theFinal FantasyandDragon Questfranchises should keep their momentum strong....

Summary According to Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson, AI and machine learning were crucial in developingEA Sports College Football 25. Released on July 19,EA Sports College Football 25marked the return of the franchise, powered by the Frostbite engine and offering an enhanced and dynamic gaming experience through advanced technology. EA Sports College Football 25incorporates new NCAA regulations that now allow athletes to earn compensation from their name, image, and likeness. The game features a substantial roster of over 10,000 NCAA athletes, including notable players such as Texas QB Quinn Ewers, and Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter, among others, prominently featured on its cover....

Summary PS5 console exclusive gameConcordis performing worse thanRedfall, an Xbox console exclusive that was one of 2023’s biggest flops.Concordis a newly-released live-service hero shooter game that has been met with considerable backlash ever since it was first announced. With the hero shooter genre becoming increasingly cramped, many fans expressed their annoyance that Sony decided to make one instead of another single-player blockbuster that it’s known for. That, combined withConcord’s unappealing character designs and $40 price tag, have spelled disaster for the game....

Quick Links Concordhas a large roster of different characters, each of which will take time to learn and master. Players who have tried outRokamay enjoy her aerial superiority and/or the splash damage offered by her SAL-90 Light Missile Launcher. There are some things one needs to know in order toutilize her to the best of her abilities. Each character has aCrew Bonus, with Roka falling into theHauntcategory. This means she has a focus on improving mobility....

Summary D23,the Walt Disney Company’s official fandom megafest is live this weekend in Anaheim, California, and with it the House of Mouse rolls out several days of announcements for its biggest upcoming projects across feature film, TV, streaming, parks and more. Known for some of the most successful film franchises of all-time includingToy Story,Inside Out,Finding Nemoand more, the venerable Pixar animation studio formed a key segment of Disney’s day 1 announcements....

Theofficial trailerforSonic The Hedgehog 3is out, and it looks like it is going to be yet another epic adventure that fully embraces its source material. It also gives us a detailed look at Shadow, Sonic’s foil, who will likely be teamSonic’s greatest threat yet, requiring them to turn to an unlikely ally. The trailer also has a number of Easter Eggs and references to the video games, some of which might not be noticed on first viewing....

Drawing inspiration from the strategic card gameExploding Kittens, the animated series of the same name debuted on Netflix on July 12th. Boasting a production team backed by top industry figures and one of the card game’s co-creators, Matthew Inman, as the chief creative officer, theExploding Kittensshow marks the culmination of over two years of work. Channeling the spirit of the game, the series presents a delightfully quirky tale. It follows God, fired from his job and sent to Earth for redemption, but with a humorous twist: he’s trapped in a chubby cat’s body throughout the ordeal....

Quick Links Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrailhas added new trials and raids to the fan-favorite MMO. As players rush to challenge themselves in this new content, many ask what gear they should be wearing. The answer to this question can be tricky to work out alone, especially for Melee DPS players whose job is to deliver the lion’s share of the group damage. Luckily, the Best in Slot for each job stays relatively stable through different Pings and playstyles - meaning that players can use the Gearsets created by those in the community with an eye for numbers....

Summary The first-ever update for the PC edition of theFinal Fantasy 16demo is now available for download. Identified by version number 1.01, this release refines theFinal Fantasy 16PC demo with around a dozen changes, including fixes for some major bugs. TheFinal Fantasy 16PC version was officially confirmedin September 2023, some two and a half months following the game’s PS5 debut. Nearly a year later, Square Enix at last committed to a concrete release date, stating that the RPG will reach Steam and the Epic Games Store on May 12, 2025....

Summary The next update toGenshin Impactwill add a trio of new characters to the popular Genius Invokation TCG game mode, including a pair of popular cast members from Fontaine. The trading card game within the HoYoverse RPG has seen plenty of new updates since it was first introduced in Version 3.3. Each patch has typically added new Character Cards, new Action and Event Cards, and a variety of different ways for players toexperience theGenshin ImpactTCG....

Summary AGenshin Impactleak has revealed which Opening Characters and Special Guest characters will feature in the Imaginarium Theater during Version 5.0. The challenging game mode pushesGenshin Impactplayers to invest in their characters' builds and obtain Primogems and other rewards. SinceGenshin Impactintroduced the Imaginarium Theater as the new end-game content alternative to Spiral Abyss, players have found the combat challenges very rewarding.Completing the Imaginarium Theater inGenshin Impactnot only grants up to 620 Primogems per run, but also special cosmetic features for characters like Thespian Tricks and Envisaged Echoes....

Summary The player count for Arrowhead Game Studios' critically-acclaimed co-op shooter,Helldivers 2, has declined dramatically on Steam. Despite being a massive commercial success for both Arrowhead and Sony, it seems thatHelldivers 2is struggling to maintain the majority of its playerbase several months after its simultaneous release on PS5 and PC. There are many reasons why this could be happening, but regardless of the cause, this doesn’t paint a good picture for the future of PlayStation’s live service ambitions....

Hogwarts Legacyis one of modern gaming’s biggest success stories, having sold 22 million units in 2023 despite being an ambitious game for a developer still proving its skills in the space. For the most part, it succeeded in its aim of immersing players in a well-realized take onthe world ofHarry Potter. Being sorted into a house, and finding a place in the iconic school is something that fans have wanted for years, and 2023 was the year it became a reality....