Gen Con 2026 wrap-up news

Gen Con 2026 is in the bag, and they have released some of the numbers for 2026: > Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, packed the halls of the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) last week with over 74,000 gamers and fans, setting an all-time attendance record and generating an estimated economic impact of more than $83.5 million for Indianapolis hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses. > > “We were proud to welcome a record-setting 74,000 attendees from more than 45 countries this week for Gen Con, generating more than $83.5 million in economic impact for our city,” said Chris Gahl, Chief Business Officer with Visit Indy. "Together with the Gen Con team, we look forward to continuing the momentum into 2027 and the opportunity to grow the event into the expanding Indiana Convention Center.” > > A severe Saturday evening thunderstorm and tornado warning caused leaking inside the ICC, but water falling from the ceiling couldn't put a damper on high spirits, with staff responding quickly to ensure safety and make repairs. Attendees returned to their scheduled activities once the tornado warning was lifted, with minimal disruption to convention operations. > > "Even through construction and thunderstorms, Gen Con 2026 was bigger and better than ever, with a record-breaking number of attendees gathering in Indianapolis for The Best Four Days in Gaming,” said Gen Con President David Hoppe. "We can’t thank Indy enough for hosting us, and we’re already looking forward to our 60th anniversary convention in an expanded Indiana Convention Center next year.” > Held each year since 1968, Gen Con gathers fans of board games, card games, roleplaying games, cosplay, and pop culture to play, shop, celebrate, and connect over a shared passion for gaming. > > During the four days of the convention, attendees browsed and shopped the wares of nearly 800 game publishers and vendors and participated in nearly 28,000 events and activities, including a wide range of gaming sessions and tournaments, artist and author appearances, film screenings, musical performances, and the annual Gen Con Costume Contest. > > New this year, event programming expanded to Victory Field, including a Dungeon Crawler Carl meetup with bestselling writer Matt Dinniman, who attended the convention all weekend long to play games with fans, livestream a full play of the new Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG from Renegade Game Studios, and more. > > Additional marquee events at this year’s convention included a drone light show over Victory Field on Saturday night hosted by Wizards of the Coast, a Dungeons & Dragons takeover of the Indiana Repertory Theater that transformed the historic establishment into “D&D Tower,” and a Lord of the Rings-themed “Hobbiton Summer Festival” Magic: The Gathering activation in Lucas Oil Stadium. > > Attendees also flocked to Gen Con's outdoor Block Party activation on South Street. The outdoor, open-to-the-public festival featured dozens of local food trucks alongside Gen Con's local food and beverage partners, including Sun King Brewery, HotBox Pizza, Daniels' Vineyard, Helm Coffee, Island Noodles, and Prime 47. > > Gen Con partners with charities each year to raise funds and spotlight the work of the selected nonprofit organizations. This year, attendees helped raise nearly $50,000 for Super Heroines, Etc. and Immigrant Welcome Center. Gen Con has raised over half a million dollars for charity since 2003. > > Make-A-Wish® and Gen Con partnered to grant the wish of Eleanor, a teen who dreamed of attending Gen Con 2026. Eleanor attended the convention in Indy this year with her parents and sister, where the family was treated to four days of unforgettable memories and extra-special amenities and perks, making the ultimate wish of a young storyteller and tabletop gaming fan born with a critical heart condition come true. > > “We’re grateful to the Gen Con team for creating such a special experience for Eleanor,” said Caitlyn Haddenhorst, Vice President of Mission Delivery for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana. “She and her family enjoyed attending Opening Ceremonies, meeting Matt Mercer, attending the Costume Contest, and experiencing True Dungeon, among many other highlights over an unforgettable four days.” > > Gen Con will return to Indianapolis from August 5-8, 2027, for its 60th edition. Next year’s convention will feature additional event and exhibition space from the 143,500-square-foot convention center expansion, including the new Signia by Hilton hotel, which opens in February 2027. Badges for next year's convention will go on sale in early 2027 on the convention's website (gencon.com).

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Kazutaka Kodaka on Danganronpa 2x2, Slayhem Mode, and… octagons?

When Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was released outside of Japan in 2014, it instantly became a cult classic, charming the world with a colorfully eccentric cast and mind-bending murder mysteries. The series has exploded in popularity since then, finding success on various platforms and surpassing 10 million units worldwide as of the end of 2025. Each entry has its loyal fans (v3 is my personal favorite), but in the social circles I am in, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is the most revered. Over a decade later, the upcoming Danganronpa 2x2 is taking the beloved sophomore entry and rebuilding it for the latest gaming systems. However, the biggest surprise was the inclusion of a brand-new scenario, utilizing the settings and characters as a base to craft an alternative narrative with remixed victims, killers, and murder methods. During Spike Chunsoft’s Anime Expo panel, new details were unveiled regarding the highly anticipated title. From showing off the revamped character art, environments, and UI, to gameplay tweaks with the world map, these freshen up a familiar experience. Of course, all eyes were on the new story content. Now titled Slayhem Mode, this storyline can be selected from the get-go, though it is recommended to complete the original scenario first. Most surprising was the scope of the mode, which is estimated to be 20% longer than the original story. During Anime Expo, was able to talk to series creator Kazutaka Kodaka and the game’s producer Shohei Sakakibara regarding their vision for Slayhem and the rest of the project. **What was the writing process like? Balancing staying true to the characters, addressing fan feedback on the original work, while also sticking to your vision for this new story?** > **Kodaka:** The roster in 2x2 and also the location of Jabberwock Island is pretty much exactly the same. What we did for 2x2 was instead focused on what happens there, like the cases. Other things got added here and there, but to be true to the original, like with the main cast, those haven’t been changed. You can imagine the second round or second mode of 2x2 as like the second time through of a Werewolf game. Totally different cases, things happening completely differently from the original scenario. That is what the second mode is all about. **I like how you compare it to a second round of a Werewolf game, because one of the biggest surprises was the reveal that the size of this scenario exceeds the original title. Was this concept always the intended scope of the Slayhem route, or did this balloon naturally over time?** > **Kodaka:** Everyone in Danganronpa 2 is very unique and has their own established character. When I started writing stuff for each of them, it just kept going and going and going. Some stuff I couldn’t fit in the original. All the tricks in the cases have evolved from [Danganronpa] 1, 2, and v3. So 2x2 will be that extension. It’s not going to be more difficult, but will be very involving. To maximize that feature, we needed to extend the volume of the second mode. **When looking at the staff list, what I found most noteworthy is how the scenario writer is Yoichiro Koizumi. As someone unfamiliar with a lot of his works besides his routes in Hundred Line [Conspiracy, Romance] and Shuten Order [Ministry of Health], what are his strengths as a writer you admire?** > **Kodaka:** We alongside Takekuni Kitayama, who is the author of the Danganronpa Kirigiri prequel novels, came up with the overall plot concept and tricks. Koizumi has been working with me since [Danganronpa] Ultra Despair Girls and all the way through from there on in the series, so he’s very well versed in each of the characters and their portrayals. I place my full trust in Koizumi, and on top of that, whatever he writes, I check. I have no worries whatsoever. He was involved with the writing of all the death games in Shuten Order, and I knew that Koizumi was moving on to 2x2 right afterwards. In essence, Shuten Order was like a warm-up mode. **The hardware transition from Danganronpa 2 to V3 had the series jump from the PSP into the Vita and PS4. Now, with a 2x2, the franchise has transitioned to modern platforms. For a series known for its depiction of over-the-top violence and gore, what opportunities has the transition in hardware opened up?** > **Sakakibara:** With the current consoles, we approached 2x2 by building on top of what we could do with Danganronpa 2. All the assets have been rebuilt. The resort hotel and the overworld received 3D overhauls. Character portraits have been updated and pretty much been redrawn from scratch [in addition to being able to move]. **Regarding the overhaul of the world map, will the gameplay within the trial portions also receive similar quality-of-life tweaks as well? In addition, will those changes also be in the original game?** > **Sakakibara:** For Slayhem, please wait for future announcements. For the original, we’re sticking to how the original gameplay was, but revamping all the graphics, of course. **Diving as much as you can, how did the name Slayhem come into fruition for 2x2’s new route?** > **Kodaka:** Slayhem is the English name we came up with, but in Japan it's called Kyoki Mode. It’s written in katakana, but one of the ways it can be interpreted is “insanity”. There are additional meanings to it, but we would like everyone to play the game and discover them for themselves. **Finally, the most important question of all. A question fans are dying to know: because Slayhem will have different tricks for the murder methods, will Hajime get a chance to learn that an octagon has eight sides?** > **Kodaka:** (Laughter) Since Slayhem mode has different cases, we can’t really say if it will have octagons or not. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Guess we will have to wait to find out if the eight-sided polygon will make its glorious return alongside the rest of the DR2 cast. Danganronpa 2x2 is projected to release in early 2027 on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more coverage on Danganronpa and other Spike Chunsoft titles. Thanks to Kodaka and Sakakibara for their time, and Spike Chunsoft for organizing this interview. _This interview has been edited for clarity._

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Why Nintendo are slowing down GameCube releases on Nintendo Switch Online

Arguably the most special reason to own a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch, was the ability to play Nintendo GameCube games via Nintendo Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack. Over the past 14 months, we've seen Nintendo release monthly GameCube titles, starting with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soul Calibur II. After this debuting trifecta, monthly classics would be added to the NSO GameCube every month, until March, when they ceased their monthly GameCube update pattern after Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. This slowdown became frustrating and confusing for fans, even despite new games showing up each month for Nintendo's other illustrious systems, such as the NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance. Now we've been informed that Nintendo GameCube classics are returning with Super Mario Sunshine on August 13th, it's the perfect time to ponder why we've had to wait so long for a new GameCube curio offering. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

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QIDI Plus 5 Review

Every once in a while, a piece of hardware arrives that doesn’t just improve on what came before—it redefines your expectations entirely. For me, QIDI printers have always occupied that rare space where reliability and specifications meet to create a remarkable device that demands your attention. For me, the QIDI Plus 4 earned its place in my workshop through sheer consistency, delivering more than a thousand hours of flawless prints, including my massive Warhammer 40K Space Marine armor build. It also punched out multiple single‑piece helmets that pushed its dimensions to the limit. It was a machine I trusted implicitly, one that never flinched no matter how demanding the project. How in the world would QIDI improve on this design? Well, somehow, I think they just might have done exactly that with their shadow-dropped QIDI Plus 5. After more than 100 hours of prints, I think it just took the crown from its predecessor. Let’s talk about why. Reviewing the QIDI Plus 5 had a lot to prove. Yes, it’s a bigger printer bed, but that can’t be the only thing it had to offer. As it was stepping into the shadow of a proven workhorse, it had to do more than that to take the crown. From the moment I lifted the Plus 5 out of its shipping box (carefully, because this is a nearly 66 pound, fully enclosed Core XY beast) it was clear that QIDI wasn’t content with incremental progress. It has improved on just about every metric that matters. Better bed temp control, an improved extrusion system, upgraded belts, a larger print volume, and much more promised a more refined and capable device in ways that immediately matter to anyone who prints large, complex, or high‑temperature models. Like the QIDI Plus 4, the Plus 5’s setup is a breeze. Surprisingly, plugging it in and following the instructions on the screen continues to be the standard as it runs you through a visual guide to nip all the little bits that hold the device secure for shipping, raise the bed, calibrate, and more with full guidance. This is a big improvement over QIDI’s contemporaries as they tend to abandon you to a QR code or a setup PDF, at best. QIDI instead ensures anyone can set this device up as it walks you through everything without missing a single step. Even the screen itself gets a nice upgrade (albeit in a slightly smaller package). It’s bright, responsive, and sports an upgraded interface thanks to an upgraded OS. It’s slightly bigger than its predecessor. QIDI did move the USB connector off of the side of the screen, instead locating it on the body of the device. I do wish they’d put it right next to the screen up front, but perhaps next time. The first thing you notice once you put on the textured plate is the expanded build volume. At 320 × 320 × 300 millimeters, the Plus 5 finally gives you the breathing room that the Plus 4 only just managed to accommodate. The Space Marine Primaris helmet I printed in a single shot on the Plus 4 fit—but just barely. The Plus 5 makes prints like that feel comfortable, not precarious, letting you ensure you have a safe build and more flexibility with placement. Large armor plates, cosplay weapons, engineering prototypes, and multi‑component assemblies like the helmet I ultimately printed all benefit from the extra space. As with the Plus 4, the fully enclosed chamber means you can take advantage of that volume with materials that demand thermal stability, such as replacement parts like gears and objects that might have fluids in them. If you ever wanted to print that planter shaped like a skull, an enclosed printer is a must, and the Plus 5 handles it with ease. The size increase is only the beginning of the spec upgrades on the Plus 5 – engineering upgrades are immediately noticeable the moment the machine begins its startup routine. The new CoreXY motion system is smoother and more controlled than anything QIDI has shipped before. New linear rails guide the toolhead with a precision that eliminates the micro‑vibrations and ringing artifacts that can plague even well‑tuned printers. If you’ve ever had a small split that you had to fill (my aforementioned Primaris helmet had one just above the cheek to fix), you’ll appreciate the new rail stability. The 1.5GT belts, gives you a finer tooth profile that allow the machine to execute tiny movements with greater accuracy, again reducing small artifacting issues that can ruin a print. When the printer performs its input‑shaping calibration—shaking itself with deliberate violence to measure resonance—you can feel the sophistication of the system working to counteract motion artifacts before they ever appear in a print. It’s a joy to watch, and it showcases how all of these upgrades work seamlessly together to ensure a clean first layer every time, and then a reliable extrusion throughout. An upgraded rail and belt system makes for far more precise movements All of this engineering effort pays off in the final product, as we quickly saw. I went through my usual routine, knocking out a small X/Y cube to check for calibration, then a plate of chip clips that help my mom’s arthritic hands deal with closing bags easily, and finally a huge leap to a full-size helmet from the folks at Galactic Armory. This time around I opted for a multi-part Halo Reach helmet. The Plus 5 produced prints that are noticeably cleaner than the Plus 4 – something best illustrated by the unboxing and review video you can see above. That’s a huge statement, given how clean the Plus 4 prints already were. Layer lines, even on standard PLA, are nearly invisible. Surfaces that would normally show faint striations instead come out smooth and uniform. The skull on the Halo Reach helmet should have shown striations across the skull surface, but instead it had small dents, chips, and a surface quality that approaches what I would normally have to use resin to achieve. This is the Plus 5 not only delivering reliability, but also prints that look like they came from a machine operating at a much higher price tier. The forehead textures are remarkably clean A major contributor to this leap in quality is QIDI’s new nozzle. Instead of relying on a probe with an offset (an approach that always introduces a layer of mathematical abstraction and often a small bit of drift), the Plus 5 uses a nozzle-as-sensor approach physically touch the build plate and measure deflection. This approach eliminates probe offsets entirely and ensures perfect first‑layer accuracy, regardless of the plate’s texture or material. Whether you’re printing on textured PEI, smooth PEI, glass, or anything else, the Plus 5 touching the surface ensures a first layer that is consistent, repeatable, and astonishingly precise. A new hotend delivers better calibration regardless of plate The thermal system inside the Plus 5 also picks up an upgrade. The heated chamber reaches up to 149° Fahrenheit (65°C), allowing for stable printing with engineering‑grade materials that would warp or delaminate in an open printer type. Heading down to the plate, a huge coverage improvement lies underneath. Rather than a spiral style, the bed is comprised of a full-coverage ultra-dense silicone that provides edge-to-edge uniformity that you can’t get otherwise. Moving away from the typical serpentine trace you find in most consumer printers gives the Plus 5 the ability to eliminate cold spots entirely. At scale, that’s rarely if ever the case. The end result are large prints that adhere evenly across a large surface, stay flat, and maintain consistent thermal behavior from corner to corner – critical to avoid warp. Even if you aren’t printing more complex materials, simple ABS sticks cleanly as well. The hotend is another standout upgrade. With a maximum temperature of 690° Fahrenheit (370°C) and a flow rate of up to 40 mm³/s, the Plus 5 is built to handle high‑speed, high‑temperature materials without clogging. It’s not just about heat, though – you also need to control thermal cycling to avoid heat creep. To that end, QIDI integrated active cooling directly into the toolhead. In what amounts to a miniature air conditioner for the extruder, the Plus 5 is able to keep the hotend stable, even during long and demanding print sessions. Combined with the chamber heating, the Plus 5 becomes a platform capable of printing literally anything and everything from PLA to PPS‑CF with confidence. I look forward to trying more exotic and challenging materials. Am I going to take up printing dental appliances? Doubtful, but I will likely print a handful of cosplay accessories that’ll hold up to more vigorous handling. Heated chambers results in consistent sticking on your prints Once printing begins, the Plus5’s reliability becomes immediately apparent. Just like the Plus 4, the Plus 5 has been flawless in testing, minus a bad orientation on my part. Beyond that, zero failed prints, clogs, jams, calibration drift, or anything else – it simply prints what I throw at it, and it does so beautifully. The consistency is remarkable, especially given the machine’s expanded capabilities. It feels like QIDI took everything that made the Plus 4 dependable and built an even more robust foundation beneath it to keep that consistency, but also raise the quality to the next level. While I didn’t get to test it, the Plus 5 also supports the QIDI Box for multi‑color printing, enabling up to sixteen colors with filament tangle detection, clog detection, auto‑refill, and run‑out recovery, just to name a few features. While my initial testing focused on single‑material performance, I will be returning to the QIDI Box to test how it handles a complex multi‑material workflow to push the machine even further. The QIDI Box allows up to 16 colors! While I’m far less concerned about the fumes coming from extrusion printing compared to resin 3D printing, Thankfully, the Plus 5 sports a new three‑layer air filtration system. It does so with a removable G3 pre‑filter, H12 HEPA, and activated carbon filter that pledges to capture “99.5% of dust and airborne particles”, making the Plus 5 safer than an open or unfiltered XY printer. Inside the box, an upgraded 1080p AI-integrated camera provides anomaly detection, spaghetti detection, and timelapse recording, while multiple sensors monitor chamber temperature, hotend temperature, bed temperature, motherboard temperature, and exhaust flow. The entire chamber is flame‑retardant (something I hope to never test in practice) and designed for long, uninterrupted print sessions. AI detection helps prevent spaghetti, foreign objects, and more With a new slicer coming with the upgraded hardware, the QIDI’s software ecosystem gets a much-needed shot in the arm. QIDI Studio (the new name for the software suite) now supports high‑speed printing, engineering‑grade material presets, and open‑source fluid control interfaces, so you won’t need to use a third-party slicing software. Additionally (and also for free) you also gain access to a growing library of optimized models that have already been tested on the device. The fact that it’s using open-source software (Klipper, Moonraker, etc.) is a huge plus, and one that ensures that this device will have a useful life far beyond any closed-source printer. The pricing on the QIDI Plus 5 are about what you’d expect from a device of this caliber, but not what I anticipated given the increased prices for just about everything. At launch the QIDI Plus 5 Combo (that’s the printer and the QIDI Box) is $899, but if you have a previous QIDI printer you can get that down to $819 until August 31st. If you just need the printer, the price drops to $749 for normal pricing, with a loyalty price of $699 before 8/31. Impressively, that’s actually the same price as the QIDI Plus 4 at launch. I have to applaud QIDI for holding the line. QIDI Plus 4 (left) vs. QIDI Plus 5 (right) After spending time with the QIDI Plus5, it’s clear that this machine isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a completely new platform. QIDI has taken everything that made the Plus 4 exceptional and rebuilt the platform with a level of engineering ambition that pushes the entire category forward. The Plus 5 is bigger, faster, cleaner, safer, and more capable in every way that matters. It’s a printer that doesn’t just meet expectations; it exceeds them so thoroughly that it redefines what a mid‑size enclosed printer can be. For makers, cosplayers, engineers, workshop owners, and anyone who demands industrial‑grade reliability and precision, the QIDI Plus 5 is one of the best printers you can buy in 2026. It is, without exaggeration, the most impressive mid‑size enclosed printer I’ve ever used. Here’s to hoping it can deliver 1000 hours of flawless prints, just like its predecessor. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s another powerful upgrade from a company that continues to go from strength to strength. Review Guidelines 100 ### QIDI Plus 5 #### Phenomenal With consistent delivery, but somehow even cleaner results, the QIDI Plus 5 manages to top its predecessor in every meaningful way. It’s now my go-to printer, and my immediate recommendation to anyone who wants a reliable and well-built printer that will serve them for hundreds or even thousands of hours into the future. * * * ##### Pros * Incredibly clean prints * Layer lines are all but erased * Open source software expands its life * Impressive array of engineering upgrades * Consistent results * Well positioned on price ##### Cons * None! * * * This review is based on a retail copy provided by the manufacturer.

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Embark drops update 1.40 for ARC Raiders

Embark have dropped update 1.40 for ARC Raiders, bringing a new cosmetic set to wishlist, more on the crossover with The Finals, and the start of the Phantom Targets Project. For full details, read the information below: > Today, Embark Studios launched the 1.40 Store update for the extraction adventure, **_ARC Raiders_**. The update introduces the new ‘Phantom Targets’ Player Project, while Embark’s cross-game summer celebration with **_THE FINALS_** continues, and wishlisting opens for the new Tick Hunter Set. Players can also look forward to the continuation of the ‘Phantom Targets’ project, along with an Event, in the upcoming 1.42 Live update. > > Highlights of the 1.40 update include: > > *** Phantom Targets: Project Part 1:** Starting today, Raiders can begin Part 1 of the six-stage ‘Phantom Targets’ Project. Raiders willing to go Topside to find more data to explain some unusual signals discovered in Shani’s surveillance will be able to obtain rewards for completing the first three steps, with Part 2 of the project unlocking with Live update 1.42 on August 18. > > *** Phantom Targets: Player Event:** Also starting August 18 through September 7, players can take part in the new ‘Phantom Targets’ event, where they will be able to unlock rewards, including cosmetics, gameplay items and Raider Tokens, through earning Merits. > > *** Embark Summer Celebration:** Embark continues to celebrate summer across worlds with both ARC Raiders and THE FINALS. Through August 20, players who log 3 hours in ARC Raiders will earn the Azimuth Bundle in THE FINALS. > > *** New Cosmetic DLC – Tick Hunter Set:** Starting today, players will also be able to wishlist the Tick Hunter Set on Steam. Arriving on August 18, the Tick Hunter Set retails at $20 and contains the Tick Hunter Outfit in 4 color variants, as well as a backpack, backpack charm, face tattoo and 2,400 Raider Tokens. > > * **New Cosmetics in the in-game store** The Volare set will be available in the in-game store in Black and Yellow variants, and on August 11 the Vulpine set will also be available in Green Camo and Black color variants. Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more on The Finals!

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Crimson Moon gets launch date, price

ProbablyMonsters announced the release date and price for their upcoming Action RPG _Crimson Moon_ today. You and and a friend will be able to take on the role of brutal half-angel Nephilim to slaughter the hordes of Hell as soon as **September 1**. What's more, they'll be releasing the game at a very enticing **$19.99** (or you can get the Deluxe Edition for $29.99. Be sure to check out their announcement trailer below: The game will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S and at that price, you can't afford to NOT slaughter the demon hordes.

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Mistfall Hunter review

Mistfall Hunter wears its inspirations on its sleeve. A game that, at a glance, mixes elements of extraction games and Soulslike ARPGs feels like an easy play for a niche audience. In fact, if all you’d seen of the game were its launch trailer, you could be forgiven for thinking it was _Elden Ring Nightreign._ What we have is a competent extraction ARPG that still has some rough edges to buff out. That said, for about the same price as a large pizza and breadsticks, there’s plenty of fun (and frustration) for you and a couple buddies to enjoy. We take the longboats to victory! Let’s be honest. You probably thought this was going to be a more affordable _Nightreign_ clone, and that’s ok. No one could blame you. Heck, elements of the game’s marketing have even made it feel like a FromSoft title. The game features some macabre-looking enemies, a variety of dark fantasy classes, and a maiden to guide you on your adventures. There are some notable distinctions that grant Mistfall Hunter its own identity, though, for better and worse. Hopefully Bellring Games will put in the work to flesh out the experience with time, though. From the ground up, Mistfall Hunter is an extraction game, and that comes with all the positives and negatives intrinsic to the genre. Before each mission, you’ll sort through your warehouse, prepare your loadout, then it’s off to the expedition. Once in mission, you’ll kill monsters, pick up and work on completing tasks, loot everything you can get your hands on, and work to kill everyone that crosses your path. When you’re ready or out of time, you’ll work on safely getting out of dodge with all that sweet loot in tow. We're all chasing high-tier gear Before we get into the basic gameplay loop, I want to discuss combat. In a shooter, like _Tarkov_ or _Marathon_ , the premise is straightforward - shoot things and maybe use a couple of special abilities to help along the way. In Mistfall Hunter, you’ll shoot, slash, and cast your way to victory. Each of the six classes is given a unique set of skills with two viable paths. The Seer, for example, has the Revenant with its ranged casting or the Blasphemer with in-your-face mace-wielding skills. The Mercenary, on the other hand, can take a sword-and-board approach to protect themselves and their friends or throw caution to the wind with a two-handed hammer. Regarding the moment-to-moment combat, Mistfall Hunter feels less like _Dark Souls_ and more like a standard third-person ARPG. You can’t lock onto enemies, and there’s no gear weight to affect your dodging. There are definitely times that feel _Souls_ -adjacent, but Mistfall Hunter sets itself apart just enough to break that illusion…and honestly, I think it’s better for it. Each class has a variety of talent trees to explore Now, let’s discuss the gameplay loop. First up, the preparation phase. Here, you’ll sort through your warehouse, equipping gear and consumables to take on your next mission. Space is limited, so choose wisely. Once that’s sorted, double-check your skills and talents, making adjustments as you see fit. Regardless of your class, talent points can, thankfully, be refunded for free, so feel free to experiment! Finally, you’ll want to grab a drink from the tavern for some stat boosts, then queue up to embark. After taking a longboat to one of two locations, the real action begins. You’ll explore, killing monsters and picking up loot along the way. You can also take on bosses, complete quests, and pick up in-mission tasks for some extra goodies. When you’re done, you’ll summon a bell creature, kill it, ring chimes at its withered corpse, and return home…assuming everything goes smoothly. Things rarely go smoothly in Mistfall Hunter (or any other extraction game, for that matter). More often than not, you’ll end up in some intense PvP fights. Survive those, and you can nab the other teams’ loot. Lose those battles, and everything on your person is forfeit. To the victor go the spoils. At launch, there are only two locations (and you can only Solo queue for Hallowgrove) The game has two maps at launch, and while they’re functionally unique, they look almost indistinguishable, save for a few design features. Loot and enemies are different, of course, but the environmental design feels like it could’ve used more thought. Hallowgrove feels like a standard, rocky viking fantasy landscape, complete with houses, feasting halls, boats, and campfires set near mountainous outcroppings and caves. You have a time limit there, but you can take your time for the most part. Brandrgarde, on the other hand, is a series of rooms, almost like a prison facility or dungeon, that has a mist wall working its way in at regular intervals like a battle royale. You’ll constantly have to move to survive. Extraction plays out differently depending on the map. Hallowgrove has stationary bell locations you can find on the map that unlock after a set period. You’ll activate a totem, which begins summoning the woodling. After a minute or so, it spawns, and you’ll have to kill it, using its corpse as a shrine. After ringing your own bell at the shrine, you can get out of dodge. The catch is that while you’re fighting the woodling, it’s fair game for adversaries, too, and each move it takes causes sound others players can hear. Beating the woodling doesn’t get you out of the woods, though. The chimes you have to ring to open the way home take 5-10 seconds of bell ringing, too, leaving you vulnerable to aggressive loot goblins. In the second map, Brandrgarde, bells spawn intermittently, and you’ll have to seek them out, kill them, and pick up a bell from their corpse. The cool thing here is that once you have a bell, you can extract any time you want. You'll want to upgrade everything in your camp, but that takes time and rare materials. Once you’re back in camp, you’ll be able to discuss completed tasks with NPCs and offload the inventory you extracted with (assuming you made it out alive) to your warehouse. You’ll also be able to spend your time and gyldenblod to prepare for the future: upgrade your camp, complete seasonal quests, buy or build gear and materials, and so on. While the combat isn’t wildly complicated, it’s fun and satisfying. Tying that with the core loop of task completion and looting offers an experience I’m happy to pour time into. That said, the game has a laundry list of things that I feel like hold it back. First, having only two maps that feel visually similar is underwhelming. The game needs a couple more zones with some visual variety (icelands, volcanoes, _something_ besides rocky terrain). The decision to have multiple character slots feels unnecessary, too, when all the gear is account-bound. It could’ve been streamlined so we choose which character to play as before each run with level progression intact. On top of that, by default, you can only create three characters and have to upgrade your camp to get more slots. Monsters, bosses, and other players, oh my! Yes, cross-platform play is here, but cross-platform progression is _not_. I began playing on PS5, but it’s graphically inferior to PC, and it would’ve been nice to see my work there carry over. Instead, I bought a second copy of the game and had to start my warehouse inventory and camp progress from scratch. On top of that, ranged characters like the Blackarrow feel better suited to mouse aiming. There are plenty of quests along the way, but much of it is gated by brutal boss encounters where the stars have to align for you to progress. It’s elating to finally conquer bosses, but between the already-difficult fights, they can be interrupted by malicious third parties looking for an easy ambush. It can take quite a few tries to keep the story moving, particularly if you’re relying on randoms for help. On top of that, the game’s story feels like it gets completely lost in the sauce of the gameplay loop, making it feel like nothing more than a vehicle to keep you running expeditions. As of this writing, Mistfall Hunter has a wildly toxic chat community. If the devs want to guide any of that, they need to put some guidelines in place. Beyond even that, I find the lack of a roadmap most concerning. I know Bellring is working to fix bugs, and they’ve started banning players for cheating/teaming, but they haven’t made any public statements on how they plan to support the life of the game in the future. At present, the best we can do is hope it’ll be in the best interest of the game and its player base moving forward. Be sure to drink up at the tavern between missions. Mistfall Hunter has a lot going for it. Class variety is meaningful, and the game’s core loop is fun. Some of their core design decisions are questionable, and I’m concerned about the future of the game, but if you don’t mind the repetitive structure, the game offers significant bang for your buck. If you actively avoid extraction games due to the permanent loss mechanics, Mistfall Hunter probably won’t win you over. If you enjoy big enemies, tense PvP encounters, or the risk/reward associated with extraction titles, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth though. Let’s just hope Bellring makes the right moves to grow the game and its community in healthy, fun, sustainable ways. Get in, get stuff, get out Review Guidelines 70 ### Mistfall Hunter #### Good Mistfall Hunter is a fun but flawed ARPG extraction title that won’t be for everybody. The classes provide meaningful variety, but the game handles multiple archetypes more frustratingly than its contemporaries. If you enjoy ARPGs and extraction games, you’ll definitely get $25 worth of fun out of the game, but your mileage may vary due to repetition fatigue and a list of concerns about the game and its future. * * * ##### Pros * Class variety is meaningful with options to customize and grow * In-mission tasks are fun and rewarding * Winning PvP fights is exhilarating * Microtransactions offer no competitive advantages ##### Cons * Only two maps at launch, and only one has a solo queue * Can be immensely frustrating, particularly without a dedicated team to communicate with * Console version looks noticeably worse (lower resolution, muddier textures) and there’s no cross-platform progression * General Chat is wildly toxic with no way to mute people or topics * Loot system encourages greed and toxicity, which the community already seems to be dealing with * * * This review is based on a retail PS5 copy provided by the publisher.

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G2 Esports take the Warzone Resurgence Series at EWC 2026

While most may have looked for Twisted Minds to repeat, or Team Falcons to make a run, last week's COD:WRS Championship was cinema throughout. G2 Esports surprised everyone with a dominant victory, as Anthony "Anziety" Moran, Ashton "Bigman" Ezard, and Aarondeep "Cythe" Dhami took the gold. All of the details from their EWC win are below, check it out! > **PARIS, France (August 2, 2026) –** G2 Esports has won the Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series Championship at the Esports World Cup 2026 after an epic 11-match grand final that saw five teams end on match point and the final game come down to the dying moments. > > The G2 Esports roster of Anthony "Anziety" Moran, Ashton "Bigman" Ezard, and Aarondeep "Cythe" Dhami has been playing together for years, avoiding the frequent roster changes that regularly affect the Call of Duty: Warzone scene, and sticking together through the good times and bad. Last year at the Esports World Cup they ended in 17th place, failing to even make the grand final and receiving a lot of criticism from fans. > > But this year was a different story, with the team signed to G2 Esports this past February and putting on solid, though inconsistent, displays throughout the year. They entered EWC as a firm contender, but few had them down as a favorite for the competition heading in. Then the group stage happened, with G2 putting up 235.2 points to come second in Group B and lock in a spot in the Grand Final. > > When the final got underway, G2 got off to a flying start, taking top three finishes in each of the first four maps. After such a hot start, more teams tried to challenge them, resulting in some poor results midway through the final day, but still reached match point by Game 10. In Game 11, G2 punctuated the finals with a massive 26-kill performance to take home the trophy. Across all 11 maps in the final, they only placed outside of the top five twice, and notched more total kills than anyone with 150 total. > > “I’ve been playing with [my team] for the past four years, last year at EWC we almost got dead last, and for this year, just to prove all the doubters wrong, it doesn’t feel real, it's crazy,” said Aarondeep "Cythe" Dhami. “It's just crazy to prove all the haters wrong, and if they hate you that means you are doing something right in life. So I appreciate all the support.” > > “It feels good, especially from last year. I was on rock bottom and now we won, so it's just the storyline that was meant to be,” added Ashton "Bigman" Ezard. “It hasn’t hit me yet, it doesn't feel real, but it will hit me later. It just felt like a scrim to me.” > > Anthony "Anziety" Moran was crowned the SONY MVP for the tournament, scooping an extra $25,000 and the coveted MVP award. “I've got no words right now, none,” he said after winning. “I’m just shocked that we won that game. There are just no words. It feels amazing. I lost my voice screaming. This is amazing.” > > G2 Esports take home the top prize of $250,000 and 1,000 Club Championship points, but after failing to place in the top eight of both VALORANT and League of Legends, the Club still needs another top eight finish in either Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 or Counter-Strike 2 to be eligible for the Club Championship. Current Club Championship leaders Team Falcons, who were a favorite for the Warzone Resurgence Series Championship, ended the final in last place, missing out on any Club Championship points. > > 2026 saw the inaugural season of the Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series take place, which culminated at the Esports World Cup. The season-long competition featured two LAN events, one in Birmingham, England, and one in Atlanta, USA, that offered EWC qualification opportunities to top teams, along with $200,000 in prize money. Finally, a series of online qualifiers offered even more chances for teams to qualify for the season-ending championship at the Esports World Cup. > > To learn more about the Esports World Cup, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow the Esports Foundation on LinkedIn. **Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more EWC and Call of Duty: Warzone news and info!**

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New Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis mini-doc looks at the puzzles

Even though Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis isn't coming until next year, there's still plenty to talk about. The Crystal Dynamics team has been dropping new episodes in a series covering this remake, and we've made it all the way to number five. You can check out all of them below, alongside our hands-on preview from Summer Game Fest! Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis — SGF 2026 Hands‑On Preview“I make my own luck.”GAMINGTRENDRon Burke > Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics have just released the fifth in a series of mini-documentaries on the making of _Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis_ , a stunning reimagining of Lara Croft’s defining 1996 debut adventure. > “ _What kind of challenge keeps you thinking, long after you’ve solved it?_ ” > > This episode focuses on how the Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog teams took the spirit of the puzzles in the original game, and updated them for modern audiences. In the episode, you’ll hear how the developers combined level design and world building to create the puzzles and deadly traps that Lara will have to overcome in her quest. > > _Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis_ will launch Feb. 12, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. ### Previous episodes: * Episode 4: Traversal and Movement Reimagined * Episode 3: Creatures of Peru  * Episode 2: Reimagining Peru * Episode 1: Meet Lara Croft **Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis news and info!**

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Cut loose, Yasmine arrives in Street Fighter 6 today

Today, Capcom released new DLC for Street Fighter 6. As part of the Year 4 Character Pass or Year 4 Ultimate Pass on all platforms, Yasmine joins the roster as the series' first Filipino martial artist. > Yasmine learned the art of Eskrima alongside her Kuya (older brother) under the guidance of her Lolo (grandfather). Dice up the competition with her Karambit knife in Fighting Ground and the Battle Hub, as Yasmine sets out to find her missing brother. Yasmine is available now. For more on all things Street Fighter, stay tuned to GamingTrend.

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World of Warships: Legends celebrates anniversary with Modern Era battle mode and more

Get ready to get Cold... War. At least, to have it invade your modern game! Wargaming is partying for their 7th anniversary, and the festivities include a lot of awards, an event, and a brand new battle mode. This five week celebration is packed, and you can take a look at all the details below, including Cold War ships being pulled into the present. > Wargaming, developer and publisher of the hit naval battle MMO World of Warships: Legends, is celebrating seven years on the seven seas with a packed August update. Headlining the update are anniversary festivities including themed rewards and a special event, plus a brand-new battle mode featuring modern era warships. August’s update also welcomes another 5-week campaign packed with rewards, new Ranked Seasons and more. ### **Celebrate Seven Years of World of Warships: Legends** > To celebrate seven years of fast-paced, Legendary battles, players can celebrate the game’s anniversary through plenty of special activities. Across a daily Calendar, web-based Treasure Hunt event, and other activities during the update, players can earn a special currency, Mariner’s Coins. These can be exchanged for various rewards, including two new and rare ships, Soviet Tier V Premium battleship Novorossiysk and Spanish Tier VIII Premium cruiser Almirante Oquendo. In addition to these vessels, players can get their hands on Explorer’s Chests, which feature birthday-themed rewards from previous years, and the chance to drop a Grand Explorer’s Chest, which can drop exclusive golden ships or new German Legendary Tier battleship Mecklenburg. ### **A Brand New Modern Era Battle Mode** > One of the update’s major additions is the Modern Era battle mode, a new limited-time experience featuring warships inspired by late Cold War-era vessels and equipped with advanced armaments. Available across the next two updates, players can participate in both player-versus-player and player-versus-environment battles, utilising new modern technologies from offensive homing and cruise missiles, to advanced defensive systems and EMP waves. By playing and upgrading ships, players can unlock various rewards, including a Commonwealth Tier VI Premium light cruiser as the final prize. ### **A New Noble Lombard Campaign** > A new campaign, Noble Lombard, also arrives, spanning five weeks and 100 milestones, and packed with rewards. Waiting at the end, for players with active Admiralty Backing, is Italian Tier VIII Premium cruiser Ferrante Gonzaga. Achieving high speeds, and armed with battle-ready consumables, Ferrante Gonzaga boasts rapid-firing guns that spray high-explosive and semi-armor piercing shells, and powerful torpedoes, making her a formidable foe on the battlefield. ### **New Ways to Earn and Use Steel** > Also arriving in the game is Franklin D. Roosevelt, a brand new U.S. Legendary Tier aircraft carrier with immense attacking power, available to purchase for Steel in the Forge section of the Store. Players looking to earn more Steel to unlock the Legendary vessel can do so via new Ranked Seasons offering double the usual amount of Steel, as well as via Endless Trials in the Noble Lombard campaign, Premium Supplies missions, and the special Steel Hunter mission. > > Full details on the August update can be found in the patch notes. WoWS: Legends — Become a naval legendWoWS: Legends — Become a naval legend **Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more World of Warships: Legends news and info!**

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Wingspan: Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians now available

The second of the Wingspan: Bird Packs Season Pass, Additional Asian Avians, brings 25 new fan-designed bird cards to the game: > Enhance your wildlife preserve with **25 fan-designed Asian bird cards** , each featuring **unique powers** , and hear them sing in the **second digital Bird Pack**. Add new favorites to your collection with bird species from diverse Asian habitats never before seen in **Wingspan Digital** , and unlock an **exclusive player portrait**! > Wingspan Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians is the second of **six Bird Packs** coming to all platforms over time, each introducing **25 new birds** and an **exclusive player portrait**. Future packs will feature magnificent flocks from Continental Europe, New Zealand, and North America. > > Pick up the Wingspan: Bird Packs Season Pass to instantly unlock **Wingspan Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians** and **Wingspan Bird Pack: British Birds**. You'll also secure all remaining upcoming **Bird Packs** as they release, growing your collection over time. It’s the most convenient way to expand your sanctuary while getting every pack together at a better price! > > **Wingspan: Bird Packs Season Pass is available on Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, XBOX and Nintendo Switch.** > The price of Wingspan Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians on all platforms will be $5.99 (US). > > The price of Wingspan Bird Packs: Season Pass on Steam and consoles will be $24.99 (US). > > For more details, visit the Wingspan Bird Pack: Additional Asian Avians and Wingspan Bird Packs: Season Pass pages on Steam.

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Beast of Reincarnation Review

You ever encounter a game mechanic that just makes you go, “whoa”? It arrests with its creativity, distracting you from whatever pressing mission at hand to play with this shiny new toy. Such were _Beast of Reincarnation_ ’s plant powers: its protagonist in the swordswoman Emma can extend vines at will, springing off the ground with towering growths or forming makeshift bridges with her flora-infused hair. I marvel at my newfound control, giddily swinging like Spider-Man from tower to tower or expectantly hopping onto dilapidated roofs, excited at what I might find. A ravaged landscape of ruins, robots and rabid creatures becomes a playground; a never-ending toy chest for me to plunder and experiment. It’s a fleeting moment of ecstasy in this bleak world from Game Freak, representing their most ambitious step outside of their _Pokémon_ comfort zone. This is not an innocent cartoon of doe-eyed children leaving home to raise pets— _Beast of Reincarnation_ is a post-apocalyptic world set in the far-flung future, where food is scarce and a plague known as the Blight delivers an effective death sentence. Most humans have transferred their souls into robotic constructs called Golems, but this solution proves fruitless—countless centuries of repressed emotions drove many robots to madness, and the few who escaped this corruption have taken to repeating humanity’s mistakes, lording over their former flesh-and-blood kinsmen in an ironic display of classism. With the titular Beast living up to its name every hundred years to propagate more Blight, humanity has resigned itself to a cycle of despair. And yet, it’s in the depths of said despair does _Beast of Reincarnation_ echo a voice of hope; a message that’s made me a diehard adherent, eager to amplify its message. I say this knowing quite well it bears all the hallmarks of a modern flawed gem: overeager with ambition, bursting at the seams with ideas it can’t fully deliver. It’s an action RPG framed within a soul-searching narrative staged upon a photorealistic setting—nothing Game Freak is known for, yet prime for their infamous performance issues to muck up. Yet it’s that very novelty that sets it apart from your typical parry-heavy sword-fighting game, with flashy gameplay and heart-wrenching humanity woven together into something breathing and living. It’s _alive_. Previews have likened _Beast of Reincarnation_ as a fusion of _Sekiro_ ’s swordplay with _Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth_ ’s menus and spell-casting. This is largely true, although director Kota Furushima correctly affirms this game is no Souls-like, presenting an approachable model with its abundance of checkpoints, multiple difficulty options, and the presence of Koo—a stray dog serving as Emma’s companion; one also imbued with the very same powers over nature. (The very “Blight” that’s consumed the world, as it happens.) Successful parries aren’t just rewarded with openings—they fill both characters’ respective gauges, which provide the opportunity to unleash their special skills in Blade Arts (Emma) and Bloom Arts (Koo). Koo doesn’t just fight alongside you: he’s another branch of your movepool; a dependable reservoir of damage-dealing status effects to juggle amidst Emma’s acrobatics. It’s here where _Beast of Reincarnation_ ’s combat shines: mastering its rhythm provides a wealth of approaches, be it simply piling on damage or melding numerous inflictions together to gradually whittle away at the opponent’s health. Players will wisely exploit the latter, as most all Golems and “Malefact” creatures you battle are susceptible to their respective weaknesses in Burn, Poison, Corrosion, and whatever other effects at your disposal. Fully wreath your opponent in flame, and they’ll be left stunned for you string combo after combo; unleash enough attacks to wear down their stagger gauge, and they’re easy pickings for a flashy execution. With how the game encourages build-making with EXP and unlockable skills, the game is prime for experimentation, allowing players to pursue a variety of playstyles. Naturally, combat’s where those aforementioned plant powers get their chance to shine. Emma dances across the battlefield with grace, spawning plants every which way to immobilize, shower and pierce through enemies. You’ll summon distant plants to swing away from precarious situations, tag-team with Koo to launch enemies into the air and toss projectiles into your combos, and spring up, up, and away before slamming back down to earth; a deadly swarm of flowers and vines overwhelming your foes. Giant, mutated beasts in the Nushi serve as the game’s boss fights, swipes of antlers and hooves clashing with Emma’s sword as we desperately hack away at their stagger gauge, working in coordination with Koo to inflict effect after effect. _Beast of Reincarnation_ is fast, furious, and simply very cool to watch _and_ play. Goodness, I can keep talking about how much I love this combat. Say there’s a crowd of enemies impeding my path—they’d surely slaughter me in seconds, so should I send Koo in as a decoy before charging in? But which foe should he attack: a weaker Golem to whittle down their numbers, or the pack leader to distract them as I make my approach? Should said approach involve sneaking through tall grass and enacting an assassination, or do I take to the air via vine and bring my sword down upon a Golem’s skull? Do I use Emma’s bow or crossbow to exploit weaknesses and speed up the status effect bars, or simply to pick off aerial monsters? What if Malefacts launch a surprise attack on the Golems—do I bide my time and wait, or test my luck and charge in using Koo’s binding ability to group them all together? Whatever the case, the game’s open level design carefully plays into each encounter, providing sky-high branches and cliffside vantage points for a malleable approach. (And in the event you’re clearly under-leveled? Go out into the semi-open world and rack up some experience. Maybe scavenge for some goodies and equipment while you’re at.) It’s the clashing factions I want to emphasize—drawing from the likes of _Nausicaa_ , _Princess Mononoke_ , _NieR_ , and even a touch of _Star Wars_ to illustrate its tragic setting, _Beast of Reincarnation_ paints a picture of how life persists even in this ravaged world. Mutated rats scurry beneath your feet in the ruins of subways, repurposed as makeshift forts between warring robots. Golems are littered across the Japanese landscape in ill-fated quests to reclaim their humanity, from hidden camps replicating another life to bodies desperately clutching to forgotten books to drifters dwelling in landmarks from millennia past. ("I bet you think I'm crazy,” says one robot in a dilapidated building we can’t begin to recognize) Malefacts you hunt can be harvested for meat, vital for staving off hunger; otherwise, running on empty means Emma and Koo can’t heal gradually. Oil, dirt and blood gradually cake the duo from their many battles, and that’s when it’s time for a nice shower. Their sanctuary in the Cleanse Walker—a bipedal vehicle stepping straight out of the Battle of Endor—pulses with the game’s beating heart. A delicate piano rendition of the main theme by Kow Otani (_Shadow of the Colossus_) welcomes Emma home, washing off the grime and harvesting her growing seeds for fellow orphan, Kagura, to cook. The ambiguous bond between this found family of four—including Brad: their crusty, enigmatic guide who clearly knows more than he’s letting on—is key; no one knows what they’re doing cramped in this walking apartment, really, least of all those propagating the only status quo they’ve ever known (Emma) or wavering under the burden of their responsibilities (Brad). Beneath every shared meal, every head scratch, every diary entry is a living being prodding at the walls of their shell. The “emotionless soldier learns to love” narrative is well-worn, yet _Beast of Reincarnation_ ’s interwoven themes and gameplay interactions are what make for a compelling hook. Stepping outside the boundaries of her lifelong duties as a Sealer, Emma is caught between robotically following her orders and following the instinct of human curiosity, echoing newfound entries in her vernacular—ranging from “simpleton” to “pity”—like an inquisitive toddler. Antagonistic foils in her journey operate on malformed examples of the love she attempts to pursue, whereas her growing confidants in Violet—a mysterious apparition acting as her conscience—and little Kagura are where the game bears its soul. (Particularly the latter, contrasting adolescents who’ve two very different lives of servitude and how they come to trust and depend on one another.) Yet like any growing toddler, _Beast of Reincarnation_ stumbles in the learning process. The game mostly does a good job in emphasizing one enemy to attack—think how _Zelda: Ocarina of Time_ centralizes __ focus __ with Z-Targeting—but mobs infrequently swarm poor Emma, leaving inadequate time for the player to react, dodge, and parry accordingly. To cite one example: a certain boss summons enemy hordes as their central gimmick, yet dividing attention between the small fry proves improbable when the big bad comes swooping in to ruin your perfect parry. The lack of coordination breeds chaos, and it flat-out doesn’t work. The overall combat is showy and exciting, but there remain kinks to work out. The big sticking point, however, will be performance—I confess that as someone who shrugged off the problems plaguing _Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth_ and _The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered_ on my PlayStation 5, my neutrality largely remained the same here. Emphasis on “largely”; while I found any occasional framerate dips didn’t impact combat, there’s no shortage of distant (or not-so-distant) texture flickering, split-second slowdown and aliased graphics lathered across _Beasts of Reincarnation_. The game offers both Performance and Quality Modes, but while I stuck with the former, I couldn’t spot any notable difference between the two. (Barring the grotesque “Cinematic Mode” for cutscenes—do yourself a favor and switch it to Performance. You’ll thank me.) Point being: _Pokémon Scarlet and Violet_ this ain’t—the fidelity alone’s leagues above anything Game Freak’s done before—but I imagine more than several will find the overall performance a turn-off. And while that’s a shame, I can’t deny there exist other problems: the game’s world is certainly inviting, but its environmental variety is content with recycling the same ravaged greenery and rusty cliffsides. Inspired concepts in ever-changing forests and a calendarized timeframe feel undeveloped and superfluous. There are typos in the script. _Beast of Reincarnation_ begins _in media res_ practically not once but twice, obstructing our understanding of the story. (Particularly the circumstances surrounding Violet, who, while undeniably vital to Emma’s development, makes a head-scratching first impression.) Yet for all its imperfections, I think back to why the game overrode its flaws in ways beyond flashy combat. _Beast of Reincarnation_ invites us to look at a world that can often seem relentlessly cruel, buffeted by countless existential crises, and ask ourselves: what do we have around us that we’re thankful for? Who is in our corner? What reprieves can we lose ourselves in? Might there be a loving dog waiting for us at home? _Beast of Reincarnation_ frequently weaves this thesis statement into its gameplay. The rapport system builds Emma’s relationship with her new housemates: by feeding Koo treats, we increase his skill slots for battle; by confiding in Kagura, we improve her output for stat-boosting meals. As Emma lies in repose at a makeshift camp site, Kagura excitedly calls in about the new meal she’ll cook, determined to win over Emma’s neutral taste buds. Koo sniffs out landmarks and scavenges through the scrapped metal of fallen Golems, unearthing goodies to gift me. (Good boy!) I might not understand the calendar’s purpose, yet as the sun rises on a Monday, one look at Emma and Koo’s filthy coats has me mutter, “I should go see how Kagura’s doing.” Perhaps, then, _Beast of Reincarnation_ isn’t so different from Game Freak’s flagship franchise. _Pokémon_ ’s strongest appeal isn’t the number-crunching or the claim to fame by catching ‘em all, but in the invisible bonds and personalities we project onto every one of our collectible critters. Even despite their relative muteness, Emma and her ragtag bunch are more explicit in their motives and desires, but they subscribe to a budding partnership all the same; one fostering a seed of hope, blooming forth human connection in this dire, imperfect, sheltered little world. We might not be filling in the blanks with self-insert avatars, but we remain responsible for maintaining their individual relationships all the same. Who wouldn’t get attached amidst all that? _Beast of Reincarnation_ can be clumsy, but it’s earnestly genuine in carving out its own organic niche, dedicated to performing feats of wonder much as it’s resolute in proving that even in a world such as this, we can still pet the dog. Actually, you’re straight-up encouraged to do so. Maybe not the most awe-inspiring feature, but I can't think of a better example in how it won my heart. Review Guidelines 85 ### Beast of Reincarnation #### Great While no masterpiece, Beast of Reincarnation’s engaging combat and bond-based core render it an endearing debut from a storied publisher. Check it out if you’re in the market for something different. * * * ##### Pros * Riveting, eye-catching combat * Organic gameplay loop that feels alive * Beautiful story and music ##### Cons * Performance issues mar gorgeous visuals * Unpolished mechanics can feel sloppy and undeveloped * Not always clear with its on-boarding * * * This review is based on an early PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Beast of Reincarnation comes out on August 4, 2026.

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Lies of P is great on Switch 2, if a little worn down

Lies of P is a fascinating game, being a loose but faithful adaptation of Pinocchio into a Souls-like. If you, like me, missed out on the original release, it’s now on Switch 2 with the DLC included in Lies of P Complete Edition. While this port has its issues, it’s not a bad way to play the game at all. Most third-party, AAA ports have stuck to 30 frames per second on Switch 2, even action games like Tales of Arise, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, and Granblue Fantasy: Relink. So I was surprised to find that Lies of P actually has three graphics mode options: Performance-centered, Balanced, and Graphics-centered. Graphics is what you would expect, focusing on visual fidelity to deliver a decent 30 fps, while Performance forgoes fidelity to target 60. It’s hard to tell the difference at a glance, but when comparing the two directly, Performance is noticeably more blurry. Still, I find it worth it for that higher framerate. Balanced is only available in docked mode and targets 40 fps, which makes it a very strange mode as the Switch 2 can’t currently support Variable Refresh Rate in docked mode, which would be needed to make things look smooth. If you can tolerate the fps difference, you’ll get a decent middle ground between Graphics and Performance, but personally I find it difficult to look at. I spent the majority of my time playing handheld in Performance mode, and it is unfortunately far from perfect. It stays at 60 the majority of the time, though it frequently drops down 1 frame for a few seconds and has some noticeable dips when exploring; the visual compromises might make someone swap to Graphics mode. There’s _a lot_ of pop-in, particularly in the more open areas later on in the game. Enemies thankfully don’t pop in, but objects like rocks, trees, and other decorations will suddenly come into existence when you get close enough. An additional patch to performance mode is coming on day one, so it’s possible they could further update and clean it up a bit. I prefer a higher framerate for a game like this, but I have been tempted by Graphics mode because of the pop-in and lower resolution. The game itself plays great, even as someone a bit sick of Souls-likes given their full saturation in the action genre. As an adaptation, though, Lies of P intrigued me, and I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. Part of that is being able to rebind the controls. I really hate having my primary attack buttons on the bumpers and triggers, so when I saw the game lets you rebind them, I immediately put light and heavy attack on Y and X respectively. The reason Demon Souls put those actions on those buttons was because it’s standing in for your left and right hands. Imitators and even games like God of War, Assassin’s Creed, and even Lies of P didn’t seem to notice this particular bit of intentionality, and just slapped attack on there because that’s what Fromsoft did. Using the face buttons feels a lot better, and I would encourage other Souls-fatigued people to try it, at least until we get non-Souls-like action games again. Of course, button placement doesn’t mean a whole lot if there’s no reason to press those buttons, and Lies of P’s combat and level design are top-notch. It’s still fairly player-hostile, with hidden foes and traps everywhere, but that’s part of the sub-genre’s appeal. Despite taking place mostly in one city, environments feel diverse, with tons of different enemy types and a variety of location themes. You’re mostly fighting humanoid puppets, but they do throw in the occasional oddball like a freaky clown puppet to spice things up (it’s the stuff of nightmares in the best way). Despite being a fascinating adaptation of a classic story, the writing is pretty bad. There are weird grammar choices all over the place, phrasing that just makes things confusing instead of creating mystery, and it’s just generally difficult to read. "Everyone's dead, from the Petrification Disease or from the monster.” is just the worst way you could possibly phrase that. The voice acting doesn’t really help or hinder this; it’s fine, but every read is extremely slow in that typical Souls-like fashion. The human/puppet dynamic you can play with through lying or telling the truth is fascinating and easily the best part of the story, but you’re not getting that through the dialogue itself, as it’s more of a mechanical thing. Overall, I’m really enjoying Lies of P on Switch 2, and I’m glad this is my first experience with the game. While it’s a little crusty, I find Souls-likes much more digestible when you can pick up and play them for a few minutes at a time thanks to the Home menu and sleep mode pausing the game. I also appreciate the multiple difficulty options, as these games being notoriously hard usually just results in grinding levels in my experience. I played on the middle difficulty, and it’s just right for me, being hard but not frustratingly so. With the DLC included, it’s hard to go wrong with this version if you can tolerate the decreased fidelity for better performance. In case you missed it, check out Richard’s review of the original game on the PlayStation 5 and Henry’s review of the Overture expansion!

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Splatoon Raiders Review- A Raiding Good Time?

**James Davie** Splatoon has been a member of Nintendo's first-party clubhouse since 2015, squirting out three successful core entries that are much adored by fans. Deviating away from its multiplayer bread and butter leanings, Splatoon Raiders is a new single and co-operative player take on the franchise on Nintendo Switch 2, eschewing the well-rejoiced competitive elements of its predecessors for a looter splatter experience, where drilling for glistening gem nuggets and opening spangly treasure boxes are normalized, and where you definitely cannot pulverize your teammates with ink until the squids explode out of their trounced bodies. What we’re left with is something that’s not quite ink-redible, but may leave you with an ink-redulous look on your face as you wonder how a single-player Nintendo game could be so moreish and addictive. Raiders isn’t a traditional nor a numbered Splatoon entry, it’s a spin-off with an emphasis on single and co-operative play. Every level drops you into big islands, where you’re tasked with obtaining a big bountiful haul of treasure. Before you can press your gold-digging mitts on the plunder though, you’ll need to contend with a horde of oversized and undersized beasts known as Salmonids. Some Salmonids are big and burly like overstuffed Angry Birds, and some of them are the size of the Hoothoot Pokemon. Their tactics are nefarious and diverse, as some will use their girth to cause damage, while some of them are stacked high with sniper-trained splat beams aiming for your supple body, and there are those pesky types who man ink-loaded machinery you’ll need to overload with splat fire in order to bring them and their conniving contraptions down. They’re a dangerous and devious bunch, especially as you level up and progress through Raiders’ deluge of levels. Every Salmonoid you find will be detailed in an encyclopedia, and if you defeat a significant number of them, you unlock an interesting fact-which is a laughably weak excuse for all the grinding, isn’t it? Referring back to the plunder, there are numerous special trinkets you can find and they’re all on display for you to look at in a menu. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean a whole lot because none of it is entrenched in Splatoon lore, but you’ll learn enough from the relics you unearth from the golden chests you open after each level. There are also workbenches to upgrade your weapons, health and special abilities that’ll prove useful as the difficulty gradually stacks up. The levels in Splatoon Raiders never stop being wildly chaotic, and this is what makes it so darned addictive, massaging the “one-more-go” appeal over and over again until you’re up into the graveyard hours of the morning still splatting away with nary a care that you’ve got a full day of work ahead of you. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Nintendo’s foray into the looter shooter is madness, but their method of creating this madness should be bottled and processed into the future for the betterment of their modern videogame standards. Not all is right as blotted rain as Nintendo made us believe Raiders was a huge new single player-lead experience, yet they’ve allowed players to buddy up with each other whenever you if you find yourself stuck. All you need to do is select the “Call For Help” option, and suddenly you’ve got three pals backing you up and your chances of success just increased exponentially. This option comes with a 30 minute cooldown where you cannot request support, which incentivizes you to attempt difficult levels again in case you’re successful. It’s no doubt great to play with others and to receive a helping hand when urgently called for, but players might use it as a crutch too often. Despite how enjoyable and devilishly moreish it can be, Splatoon Raiders does feel like a seismic rinse and repeat. The levels are lavish, the challenges are plenty, the compulsive qualities are undeniable, and its whimsy is as wonderful as always, yet it is hard not to feel like something more ambitious was left on the cutting room floor and Raiders really could do with more variation to keep the sense of monotony at bay. **David Flynn** While I adore Salmon Run in Splatoon 2 and 3, I actually didn’t love Splatoon Raiders. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a lot of fun, but I think it follows the Salmon Run formula a little _too_ closely. Raiders is very focused on combat, almost solely so, and this means things can get very repetitive very fast. You’re fighting the same groups of the same enemies in the same or very similar arenas over and over again. There are stage types sprinkled throughout that mix things up, like the Sample dungeons to test out weapons, gadgets, and builds, or the more open Spirhalite mining levels, but these are outnumbered by the standard arena stages or linear levels. I enjoyed the linear levels the most out of these because they add just a bit of platforming into the mix, but they also all blended together by sharing similar, beachy or mountainous aesthetics. What does vary things is the massive build potential available, with even more opening up as you progress the game. My favorite build I settled on involved a pair of Dualies, Frye as my bot operator, and the Power type tank. I used the Spatchet to deal tons of damage to any enemies in front of me, and constantly combined the Flywyrie to get up high when grappling enemies and the Meteor Mitt to slam down for a big AoE splash. I became something of a glass cannon, but you really do need high DPS to get through some of the later stages, let alone the Spicy Mode variants. Making that and other builds for each tank/operator was a ton of fun, but I do think it’s a bit of a problem when I’m thinking more about how to improve my build than what I’m actually doing in any particular stage. The campaign here could have been greatly improved if it took more after the three main game’s story modes rather than the Side Order DLC of 3. While Raiders is primarily a single-player adventure, there is multiplayer where you and two other players can take on any stage. You can simply request help on a particular mission, or join up in a persistent party for multiple runs. I find the multiplayer is way more stable here than in Splatoon 3, though that might be because of the reduced player count. I actually didn’t make use of multiplayer too often, but that’s because of the game’s very fast pace. You’re constantly jumping in and out of levels, and waiting a few seconds for matchmaking is something of an interruption. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just the reality of multiplayer. **Tyler Catalano** As the first spin-off of the series, _Splatoon Raiders_ is a refreshing departure from the PvP-driven focus of the mainline games. Although there is an online aspect to _Raiders_ , its focus is entirely on Co-Op PvE. As someone who clocked an unreasonable amount of time on _Splatoon 2_ during the Pandemic, but who lost touch with the game during the _Splatoon 3_ era, _Raiders_ revived the love I had for this series. It features the classic catalogue ofNot only does it feature the classic catalog of ink-based weapons that I remembered from past gameslove, with my personal favorites being the dualies and the roller, while also utilizing the familiar gameplay of past “mini-games,” with the main gameplay loop boiling down to what is e but the main gameplay loop centers around what is essentially Salmon Run Plus. You play as The Mechanic, and as The Mechanic, you are deployed to specific locations throughout the Spiralite Islands, with the end goal of reaching the treasure at the center of the spiral for which the archipelago is named. As you progress through the islands, you’ll encounter more and more difficult salmonoid enemies, with designs that are both grotesque and hilarious. These encounters are the core of Raiders as it is through them that you collect both treasure to upgrade your weapons, as well as the weapons themselves. Don’t get too attached to your weapons though because there is a limit to how much you can upgrade them. Eventually, to keep up with the increasing difficulty of the further islands, you’ll have to use the higher level weapons you receive while playing through them. This brings me to one of my personal favorite parts of _Raiders_ , and a detail I think will interest a lot of people, and anger just as many. This game heavily encourages experimentation with other playstyles/gadgets, with it almost being mandatory when it comes to the gadgets that you use. There are three options for ink tanks, Speed, Power, and Tactical, with each option coming with 5 distinct gadgets. You level up the tanks by collecting a specific amount of Salmonoid eggs with each tank equipped, but to unlock the full power of each tank, you’ll have to collect eggs with one of the others. I started off using the Power tank, but eventually switched to the Tactical tank as its fully upgraded version allows the use of a single Power tank gadget. In order to unlock this upgrade for the Tactical Tank though, you’ll need to collect some salmonoid eggs with the Power Tank. The other side of this “forced experimentation" is with weapons. You collect weapons as you play through levels, with some dropping from enemies and bosses, and others being found in the chests at the end of some levels. As mentioned before, you will inevitably outgrow your weapons, so it is best not to rely on one weapon solely because there is a chance that you’ll enter a level on a new island, and the damage output won’t be enough to protect against the enemies anymore. The nuance of this situation forces players to try out playstyles and weapon-gadget combinations they would have never tried before. I know it certainly did for me. Splatoon Raiders is not what I expected, and I couldn’t be more happy about it. It isn’t just a fresh coat of pain on an eleven year old franchise, it's a purposeful switch up designed to reignite the love that some players may have forgotten they had for this franchise. Review Guidelines 75 ### Splatoon Raiders #### Good Despite how enjoyable and devilishly moreish it can be, Splatoon Raiders does feel like a seismic rinse and repeat. The levels are lavish, the challenges are plenty, the compulsive qualities are undeniable, and its whimsy is as wonderful as always, yet it is hard not to feel like something more ambitious was left on the cutting room floor and Raiders really could do with more variation to keep the sense of monotony at bay. * * * ##### Pros * Tons of build potential * Fun characters * Very addictive ##### Cons * Bland level design * Very repetitive * Lacking ambition * * * This review is based on a retail Nintendo Switch 2 copy provided by the publisher.

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Impressions

Out of all the Xenoblade games, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was perhaps the most in need of a Switch 2 upgrade. As much as I love the game, its dynamic resolution scaling on the original Switch caused the game to look quite crusty or just hard to parse in certain combat scenarios. Just like the other two upgrade packs so far for X and Xenoblade DE, I think I can safely recommend getting these if you’re a Xenoblade fan or playing for the first time, though once again with some caveats. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition bumps the game up to an upscaled 4k resolution and 60 frames per second… kinda. It’s definitely easier to see that the initial image is lower resolution here, with some remaining jaggies and such, but it still looks stunning in both docked and portable modes. I never had an issue with not being able to see what’s going on in combat or in Torigoth either, which is already a massive improvement. Though Gormott is still the most blurry area, it’s not as bad anymore. Framerate is a bit of a different story though. It’s mostly 60 fps, but occasionally (mostly in cutscenes) the game will jump back down to 30 for a second or two. It seems like if the game drops a single frame at 60, it’ll default back to its original target, which makes the drop far more noticeable. Certain animations are also still rendered at 30 fps even if everything else around them is moving at 60; it’s a really strange effect. Also, the screen flashes weirdly when bringing up the GameChat menu; it seems like a lot of games with upscaling have issues with this particular feature. Still, I’d take these upgrades over sticking with the original any day, especially since they’re free in the standalone version of Torna the Golden Country (of course I have a physical copy, who do you think I am?). Torna only gets the framerate and resolution buffs though, not even the new UI-less screenshot option by pressing L and R at the same time. The base game, on the other hand, does have a few additions, some that are incredibly big but somehow weren’t advertised at all. By going back to Tora’s house after adding him to your party, you can get a new rare Blade: MOMO from the Xenosaga trilogy! She’s a light/dark aspected bit ball Blade, and can swap elements just like Pyra and Mythra by pressing the button she’s assigned to while she’s equipped. She starts in light or Real MOMO mode, and can swap to Imaginary MOMO, referencing the Imaginary Number Domain from Xenosaga so I guess that’s canon now. She has some incredible abilities, like being able to add an elemental orb to an enemy without the need to complete a Blade combo (which also applies to _the rest of your party_), so be sure to fill out her affinity tree ASAP. You’ll also need to do so for her Blade Quest, The Home of the Soul, which is surprisingly lengthy and has tons of voice acting. It’s both filled with Xenosaga references and a totally standalone story within the world of Xenoblade 2, and I really enjoyed it. Especially all the times Poppi made fun of Tora. Apparently Bandai Namco isn’t credited in the Switch 2 specific credits, so it’s possible Nintendo and Monolith purchased the Xenosaga property from Bamco. Xenosaga trilogy remastered when? MOMO isn’t the only new gameplay addition here, Pyra and Mythra have gorgeous new looks you can toggle in the options menu (which are unfortunately overwritten by Core Crystal Costumes), and there’s a whole new mode with a new style of gameplay. Heading into the Merc Group menu after returning to Garfont Village after a certain point in the game will unlock Merc Assault mode, which is essentially another way to complete certain Merc Missions. Where Merc Missions are passive, just waiting for them to complete after sending a group of Blades off, Merc Assault is an action game style mode. You can only send Rare Blades on these missions, and are able to take control of them directly to fight off monsters similar to the Land of Challenge battles. You can swap between the Blades you sent on the mission at any time with the D-Pad or ZL/ZR, perform normal attacks with A, block with Y, and use Specials with X. Attacking will build up that Blade’s Special meter as well as their Role Art, used with B. Role Arts simply release some buff orbs to increase the party’s Attack, Armor, and Recharge percentages during the mission or green orbs to heal. It’s all pretty simple in practice; just hit the bad guys more than they hit you and you win, but it’s a novel and fun mode. It doesn’t feel fantastic to actually play, with attacks feeling weightless and floaty, though I’d certainly do this over just waiting for a Merc Mission to complete… if I hadn’t already completed almost all of them in my over four playthroughs of this game. You also can’t do Merc Assault on the game’s worst grind, Ursula’s Bearing Her Soul quest, so that’s still going to take you over a dozen hours of waiting around. Those are the two big changes, but the best part of this upgrade isn’t anywhere to be found on the eShop page and that’s Field Skills. In the original version of the game, you’d have to engage a Blade to use their Field Skill, wait for a UI animation to play out, and then wait for the action to actually complete. It was a real pain as it constantly required you to shuffle your party around to do exactly one thing then shuffle all the Blades you actually want to use back in. Now, if you have a Blade in your reserves their skills can still activate, no questions asked, _and_ the UI animation will play at the same time as the field animation, making the process a whole lot faster and less tedious. In my testing this seems to apply only to Rare Blades, but it could simply be using Common Blade Skills in the background. That feature alone makes me excited to go through a fifth playthrough, this time from scratch instead of New Game+. Unfortunately, there’s still only one save file and I’m sure as heck not deleting my save, so I have to make a new Switch 2 profile to play through the game again. Even so, this upgrade pack is a great addition to the game, and I highly recommend it.

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Allplay announces new titles at Gen Con

Allplay announced several new games at Gen Con 2026. The first big one is a new edition of the classic game Dominant Species. This version will even include Ian O'Toole artwork. The next major announcement is a sequel to the classic game, Through the Desert. Through the Mountains will crowdfund later this year. Other new titles include Crash Landed, which challenges players to survive on an alien world, and Have a Magical Day, which is all about having your best day at a theme park.

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UGREEN DXP4800 GT NAS review

You’ve heard of UGREEN before – we’ve reviewed their power banks, chargers, and docking stations. One thing we’d not investigated was their NAS, or Network Attached Storage devices. A NAS can be used for a massive variety of applications, not the least of which being storage and backup, but UGREEN seems to be looking to do a lot more with their DXP4800 GT. A well-equipped four-drive NAS solution, with gear under the hood that punch far above this little device’s weight. With a market heavily dominated by the likes of QNAP and Synology, can this newcomer make a dent? Time to find out. UGREEN hasn’t just launched a single drive, but an entire array (enjoy that pun) of them to match consumer need. If you want a simple backup solution, able to withstand a drive failure, but don’t need to run much on it beyond the software to secure your data, then the UGREEN NASync DH2300 or 4-bay UGREEN NASync DH4300 Plus might be exactly what you need. It’s significantly cheaper than a cloud backup solution, can run a basic video server, and you retain full control over your files and data. Both are solid entry-level devices, but with a bit of work, your NAS can do so much more. Jumping up a level, you’ll find the “prosumer” level NAS solutions from UGREEN. These range from the 2-bay UGREEN NASync DXP2800 up to the eight bay DXP8800 Plus for spinning disk solutions, but pop even higher up with the DXP480T Plus – an all flash NVMe system for when you need the most performance possible. Just before you make that leap to all flash or 8-bay extreme amounts of storage you find the subject of this review – the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT. Unboxing the DXP4800 GT NAS won’t take you long, as you might expect. Inside the box you’ll find the drive system itself, and an accessories box. The NAS is empty – all of them are as you’ll need to supply your own media, and inside the accessories box you’ll find an HDMI cable for direct local connectivity, a pair of 10Gbps Ethernet cables, drive mount screws, and the power cables. Underneath all of this is a power brick with a dogbone-style connector to allow you to swap out the power cable for a longer one, and a barrel connector on the other end to power the NAS. You’ll also find a screwdriver, two keys for the drive bays, the warranty card and quick start guide, and finally a pair of silicone cooling pads for your NVMe drives. The NAS itself is a good looking mixture of blacks and greys, with a metal chassis and a handful of lights and ports up front. The bays are clearly marked in black on light grey (thank you – no black on black!) with small locks to keep them secure during operation. Below the four drives is a full-sized SD card 3.0 reader, a USB-C port, and finally a USB-A 3.2 port, both 10Gbps. Heading around back, you’ll find two RJ-45 ports – both delivering 10 GbE. That means, provided you have the push on the other end, you can transfer 1250MB/s, and with both connected, you do it with full redundancy. That’s more than 10 times the max speed of most NAS devices on the market. I don’t know the cost difference between the standard 1 GbE or 2.5 GbE ports you find on most devices and the 10 GbE on this one, I just know that it throws data around my network very, very quickly and I love it. The HDMI port was a surprise, with the fact that it is also 4K at 60Hz being even more surprising. It’s useful for initial configuration or troubleshooting should you be unable to reach the device via your network. Speedy! The cost of drives of any kind is absolutely _insane_ right now. The larger the drive, the more that price is going to be intolerable. It’s here that a NAS can be very helpful as they can have a multiplicative effect. Let’s take a moment and talk about RAID. RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks – an evolution over the original 1988 definition of "Inexpensive Disks”. That change was to recognize that these systems have evolved with the rise of virtualization, logical unit cohesion, fault tolerance, and far more. In this case, UGREEN has built this NAS around it completely, supporting 0, 1, 5, and 10. Let’s talk about what RAID does, and then we’ll talk about why you’d use them. Who would have thought these would become expensive?! RAID 0 is better known as “striping”. It’s built around maximum performance, splitting the data writes and reads across all drives. In this case, it’d write across each drive, spreading the data evenly – Block 1 goes to drive A, Block 2 goes to drive B, and so on. This data splitting means all drives are working simultaneously, giving you significantly faster read and write performance. It also means you get full capacity out of all drives. If you feed this system four 2 TB drives, you get 8 TB of space. Unfortunately, it also means there is zero redundancy, and if a single drive is lost, all data is unrecoverable. Dangerous but fast. RAID 1 is better known as “Mirrored”. It means all data is divided up in pairs – a mirror of each other. Drive A mirrors its data with Drive B, and Drive C mirrors with Drive D. That means you end up with two separate RAID 1 arrays, and using our four 2 TB drive scenario, that means you’ll have one pair of drives as a single array as A and another pair of drives as a single array – B. It also means you get full capacity, but single drive failure redundancy, as long as they are not in the same array. Given that it’s mirroring, however, you get half capacity – 4 TB in this case. Courtesy of Experte.com RAID 5 is “striped and mirrored” – the combination of 0 and 1, and the best balance of speed, capacity, and fault tolerance. It’s also the most commonly used as it allows for a single drive to fail while the entire array stays online. When the faulty drive is pulled and replaced, the data is reconstructed on the fly using parity. Sure, performance takes a hit while that happens, but the world continues to rotate for your users. For the same four 2 TB drives, you end up with 6 TB of space as a cost for that redundancy. Courtesy of Experte.com RAID 10 is “mirrored and striped” – it’s RAID 5, but inverted. It requires four drives, provides the best performance and redundancy. With four drives, RAID 10 creates two mirrored pairs, just like in RAID 1, and then stripes the data across those pairs, just like RAID 0. You get the redundancy of mirrored systems (within the pairs) with the speed of striping. The same rules apply – you can’t lose more than a single drive in a pair, but in specific use cases it might be the right choice. It also, however, has the same space limitation – you’re getting 4 TB of space here. Courtesy of Experte.com There are two more types of RAID to know about – Hybrid and RAID 6. Hybrid allows the mixing of drive sizes, meaning you can use two 2 TB drives and two 6 TB drives together. Without it, the array uses the lowest common denominator (2TB in this scenario) wasting all of the extra space in the bargain. In this example. you’d have 8 TB of space, not 16. With Hybrid, the system allows for mixing and matching, making use of all available space with some clever tech behind the scenes. Unfortunately, UGREEN’s UGOS does not support Hybrid mode, so you’ll need to know that if you intend to use dissimilar sizes. The other array type is RAID 6. When you start building larger arrays, above 10TB in size, the time to rebuild an array starts to extend dramatically – even into days. This thrashing on the other drives to rebuild it can lead to a second failure, which would cause a total collapse of all data. RAID 6 instead has two parity blocks, meaning it consumes two drives to ensure that two drives can be lost and rebuilt without losing the entire array. It delivers read speeds on par with RAID 5 due to striping across all disks, but thanks to the parity calculations needed to place data redundantly, write speeds are slightly slower than RAID 5. That said, that same double parity means a much lower risk of catastrophic failure during rebuild. That brings me to capacity. The catch? You need more than 4 drive bays to pull this off – at least 6. That’s where larger systems like the 8800 series come in, but that’s a conversation for another day. Let’s talk about capacity. When we talk about total capacity, the UGREEN NAS solutions deliver that in a big way. The DXP4800 GT supports up to a whopping 144TB of total capacity. That’s support for four 36TB drives! Granted, a 36TB drive, at the time of writing, will cost you roughly $1300 for each one, so a total of $5200 to fill this up. Couple that with the warning I just gave you about rebuilding large arrays, and you start to wonder if you really need that much capacity, or if it’d make sense to jump up to a larger array like the 8800 model, with smaller drives, and more of them. The answer to that, by the way, is “yes”. When we talk about PLEX this will matter. But I'm getting ahead of myself... Underneath the NAS you’ll find a plate with two screws. Removing the plate, you’ll find a pair of M.2 NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x2) slots. These are entirely optional to use, but you can load them up with NVMe drives to provide high-speed cache. This cache speeds up access and write, allowing you to pull data in and out more quickly into high speed storage, which is then drained into the slower storage at its specific read and write speed. An NVMe at this spec can throw around roughly 2GB/s, whereas a hard drive at 7200 rpm will hit around 130 MB/s – a stark difference. If you’re finding that buffering or slowness is a problem, this is likely going to solve it rather quickly, if you’ll excuse the pun. Now that you have an idea of what types of drives this supports, and when you’d use them, let’s talk about what powers it all. Realistically, you don’t need a top-flight processor to drive a NAS, but you do need power to handle specific workflows. Being a storage environment is remarkably low on the processing power scale, but when you want to do more, you need both power and RAM. The UGREEN DXP4800 GT is a 12th Gen 5-core Intel processor – specifically a 4.4 GHz, 5 core, 6 thread CPU. That matters because most manufacturers are choosing the cheaper Celeron N5105 processor for cost, but the tradeoff might bite you when you least expect it. To test out the DXP4800 GT, I wanted to try to solve a problem lots of folks who run their own media servers hit – transcoding. Whether it’s not enough power to run Plex Media Server or Jellyfin, or the programs and processes that surround it, a Celeron-powered NAS can run into issues where you’ll go to play a file and be greeted by “server is not fast enough” messages rather than your favorite show or movie. In this case, your GPU, CPU, or both are not strong enough to perform what’s called “transcoding”. Transcoding is the process where digital media is converted from one encoding format to another. Encoding formats can be h.264 (aka AVC or MPEG-4), DivX (Digital Video Express - a discontinued digital video format partially created by Circuit City (yes, _that_ Circuit City) as a sort of destructible rental encoder format), .avi (Audio Video Interleave - a Microsoft-backed format that was meant to not require special drivers or tools), and many more. These formats are typically well tolerated by the devices that use them, but occasionally you run into an issue where a device or program refuses to play the media. At that point you either get a refusal to play, or your device might attempt to transcode. Transcoding converts from one type to the other by decoding back to the original file in an uncompressed intermediate state, and then re-encoding it into a new format, resolution, bitrate, or all three. Transcoding is critical for services like Jellyfin as you’re often dealing with a mixed bag of media. The device hosting and serving the media has to perform this encoding in real-time to allow the viewer to watch their media, or it has to be transcoded in advance. If things go well, it’s invisible to the user, but if it doesn’t, you typically either see the “server is not fast enough,” or it’ll play for a single second, and then stop. Either way, it’s frustrating, and you’re stuck – there’s no upgrading a GPU or CPU on a NAS. The 12th Gen processor shines here as it’s a staggering 219% more powerful than an equivalent Celeron. It looks like it's easy to install! Turns out...it's more complex than that. Running Plex is one thing, but running all of the things that surround it as well can tax a device. If you’re serving media with Plex, you’re probably pulling in shows with Sonarr, movies with Radarr, monitoring services with Tautulli, pulling in subtitles with Bazarr, taking requests with Seerr, with other items like Decluattarr, Checker, Cleanarrr, and more to run your entire video empire. Running all of those services simultaneously will push a device to the limit, but I wanted to get as many of them running as possible to simulate what that might look like. Building out Autoplexx is meant to be a click-and-run event. It’s not quite as simple as all that, but setting up the DXP4800 GT couldn’t have been easier. Making things simple, I fired up Portainer (which installed in a single click) and then started working through getting Docker rolling. Once I had that built out, it was about an hour’s worth of concentrated effort to work through the particulars of AutoPlexx to get it all tied together. At the end, I had a through line whereby a user could request something on Seerr, have it approved via Discord ping, automatically push it to the correct service (Radarr or Sonarr), requested via an Indexer, pulled via SABnzbd, pulled into Plex, indexed and renamed, placed into the appropriate folder, and loaded with subtitles with Bazarr without a single bit of administration. That media was then available to users to watch. The next question was about performance. It'll take a bit of time, but yes -- you can have ALL of this and much more running on this NAS. If you’re running a media server for multiple people, you probably want to know that their experience is good and that it’s not redlining the device. To that end, I installed Graphana and Tautulli to keep an eye on things. The results speak for themselves: Outputting to Discord is a breeze with Graphana, keeping you in the know on ALL the things. As you can see, despite just about everything I could throw at it running simultaneously, the DXP4800 GT had juice to spare. When I say “this product punches above its weight” – this is what I mean. Seeing that the device could handle just about anything I could throw at it, I wanted to see what it’d take to tip it over. I loaded a local LLM, or Large Language Model. LLMs are what’s needed to train AI and have it deliver results back. You’d need a reason to run your own LLM, but once you see them, it makes perfect sense. People fling their personal and confidential data into AI without thinking about the fact that it’s now in somebody else’s hands, and you no longer have control over what they do with it. Sure, they might say they’ve deleted it, but you might find out differently when you see your data appear in a breach. With a local AI, you can be sure that the data stays local, processed and retained on site, and without any third party access. Additionally, it provides a completely offline AI that works in total isolation, making it useful in remote locations where reliability is important, but connectivity is spotty. The other two advantages of a local AI are cost and performance. Provided your hardware can keep up, you’ll find that local execution is faster than anything you find online. Real-time applications such as voice assistance, image processing or generation, or even AI-coding tools can be powerful (regardless of ethical implications), but they can also be very slow. On-site execution means you can run them not only quickly, but they also don’t cost you “credits’ each time you do so. Let’s punch a hole in the idea that AI “saves money”. Let's load up an LLM! Generating a 6 second funny cat video will cost you about 600 “credits”. 1000 credits will set you back, on average, $9.99. That cat video is probably funny, but the cat might have extra limbs, or you want to refine the dancing or whatever. You run it back through the refiner and attempt to corral the behavior. 600 credits later, and now the motion is worse, the cat’s look transforms mid-animation, or some other oddity. You try to correct it back, another 600 credits spent, and suddenly the cat doesn’t move anymore, the camera simply pans from bottom to top, and then stops. The model has collapsed, is unrecoverable without a full reset, and you’ve spent $80 or more on a stupid cat video. Local models have the cost of setting up the LLM and whatever software you are planning to run (e.g. ComfyUI), but after that the only cost is time. Most companies are not running LLMs at a scale large enough to allow a whole team to work on it, meaning they continue to burn credits. Is RAM expensive enough yet? Holy smokes. With Autoplexx installed and all of its various models running, we were sitting at around 44% total memory usage and 3% total CPU utilization. The device has 8GB of DDR4 SODIMM single-channel RAM, with an empty slot for a second module for expansion. Unlike other NAS units, the RAM isn’t soldered in, so you can pull that 8GB and replace it with a 16, or a pair of 16s to get up to 32GB, or a pair of 32s to get to the maximum - 64GB. The second I fired up Ollamma, a base AI, I saw the CPU spike to 19% and the memory to 88% utilization. I tried multiple AIs with smaller footprints, but all of them soaked up at least this amount, if not more. I spent several hours tinkering with a local AI, installing ComfyUI, generating images, asking questions, and performing various tasks. Ultimately, it did reveal that running all of the Plex-releated items as well as the AI didn’t leave enough memory headroom to run more than the simplest of tasks. ComfyUI was maxing out the remaining memory while generating images, slowing generation dramatically. If I were planning on running this AI long term, I would immediately expand the memory. The going rate for 32GB is roughly $170 to $200, and the system will support up to 3200 MHz – happy hunting. You'll want to expand your overall system memory before you run ALL of these things simultaneously. Ultimately, I came away impressed with what I saw with the UGREEN DXP4800 GT. Out of the box, it’s remarkably capable, able to run a wide array of incredibly complex and interdependent Docker containers, deep monitoring, and even a local AI without much difficulty. The UGOS is simple and easy to navigate, and enabled me to build a RAID 5 array with no problem whatsoever. Let’s address the last elephant in the room, shall we? Oh great. Storage prices are insane too. Goodie. A certain vendor decided to try their hand at vendor lock in for their drives. UGREEN has vehemently refused this path. Not only do they not make hard drives, making that path impossible, they also recognize that it’s anti-consumer. Frankly, it’s the reason why I’m looking at switching out entirely. I can’t support a company that makes such anti-consumer choices, so I’m saying sayonara to Synology. As is always the case in our hardware reviews, we take a look at price and warranty, and I’m happy to report great news for both. UGREEN has aggressively targeted this space, and despite the stacked deck of excellent hardware including 10 gig ports and non-soldered memory, the price on this 4-bay NAS is $659.99. During Prime Day, the price bounced down to $527.99. For comparison, a comparable one from just about any manufacturer comes in between $629 to $679 at current market prices. Better news than the price is the warranty. While most manufacturers are sporting a 1 year warranty on their gear, UGREEN shouts loudly that theirs is double that – the card is one of the first things you pull from the box. Combined, the DXP4800 GT is an impressive outing from UGREEN. Frankly, it’s the sort of refinement I’d expect from somebody several generations into making NAS, but we get it on their first outing. The tech stack is mature, as is the operating system, and the price is very aggressive. Coupled with a 2 year warranty, it’s clear – UGREEN intends to snap up some market share, and this device should do exactly that. Review Guidelines 90 ### UGREEN DXP4800 GT NAS #### Excellent A powerful 4-bay NAS, the UGREEN DXP4800 GT delivers hardware transcoding, 144TB of power, Docker and virtualization support, and even impressive AI performance. While I’d recommend expanding the RAM (which you can do - nothing is soldered!), the device is incredibly performant right out of the box. I highly recommend it. * * * ##### Pros * UGOS is simple to use * Docker / Portainer support is rock solid * Non-soldered RAM, 2 NVMe cache slots * Aggressively priced * 2-year warranty ##### Cons * 8GB RAM is light * No Hybrid RAID support * * * This review is based on a retail version provided by the manufacturer.

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Rock and Stone! A DRG Card Game announced

A new card game in the Deep Rock Galactic universe was announced by Ghost Ship Games and MOOD Publishing: > Ghost Ship Games and MOOD Publishing announced plans for a Deep Rock Galactic card game, launching on Kickstarter in September, 2026. Swapping cavernous quarries for competitive card play, fans of the hit intergalactic dwarven mining shooter will compete against one another in a strategy-based game involving hidden cards, attempted mind games, and tactical betting. > > Available for backing in early September, the fast, competitive, and highly replayable format puts relationships to the test as 2–6 players compete to mine the most Morkite. Packed into fast-moving 15–20 minute rounds, the game will be designed to keep players coming back dive after dive. > > Dedicated employees of Deep Rock Galactic mining corporation can follow along on campaign updates and get the first look at gameplay reveals ahead of launch by signing up for the Kickstarter NotifyMe Page. > The launch of the card game follows the successful release and subsequent expansions of _Deep Rock Galactic: The Board Game_. Since its debut crowdfunding campaign in 2022, the board game has seen multiple additions, with 2023’s _Space Rig_ and _Biome_ expansions, and 2025’s addition of _Rival Incursion_ gameplay expansion, the _Horrors of Hoxxes_ biome expansion, and the _Shockwyrm_ enemy. > > Kasper Mouritzen, Head of Publishing at MOOD Publishing, commented: “"Developing a party-style card game with our friends at Ghost Ship Games is a ton of fun. It's fast-paced, for all types of players, contains bluffing elements, and can be tailored to every group of friends. We can't wait to show you more!”

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New The One Ring expansions coming to BackerKit

The One Ring is expanding Middle-earth with two new books and a revised core book coming to BackerKit soon: > Free League’s upcoming BackerKit campaign launching in September for The One Ring, the officially licensed and award-winning tabletop roleplaying game based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, features two new expansions and revised Core Rules: > > * The White Tower and the Hall of Gold: A major campaign expansion exploring Gondor and Rohan, the last great realms of Men in the west of Middle-earth. > * Creatures Strange and Foul: A bestiary filled with enemies from the shadows of the Third Age, including Black Númenórean spies, Haradrim champions, and ancient evils from forgotten ages. > * Revised Core Rules: An updated presentation of the game with new cover art by and updated rules. The revised book remains fully compatible with previously released supplements. > > **More details about the campaign can be found on the** pre-launch page**, and prospective backers can** reserve their pledge now**for just $1 to claim an exclusive dice bag for _The One Ring_.** > > The two expansions will also be adapted for ** _The Lord of the Rings™ Roleplaying_** , the**5E** version of _The One Ring_. They will be released under the titles ** _Realms of the South_** and ** _Of Orcs and Evil Things_**. > > The campaign also features **limited Collector’s Editions** with faux-leather covers and silver or gold foil printing. These editions are exclusive to the campaign and will not be reprinted.

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Free League Unbound now in early access

Free League Publishing has launched a new digital platform for their games called Free League Unbound: > Developed by the creators of D&D Beyond, Free League Unbound is an official digital platform built for Free League’s tabletop roleplaying games. It gives players access to official game content and searchable rules across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. > > Early Access is available now at freeleagueunbound.com. The initial release includes a digital reader and game compendia for four game lines: > > * The One Ring™ > * ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition > * Coriolis: The Great Dark > * Invincible – Superhero Roleplaying > > During Early Access, players can test new features and share feedback that will help shape the platform. Character creation and progression tools are planned for later this year, with more Free League games joining the platform in the months ahead. > > _“The impact digital tools have had on tabletop roleplaying over the past few years is unmistakable—for longtime players and newcomers alike, both at the table and between sessions,”_ said Adam Bradford, Free League Unbound co-creator, founder of D&D Beyond, and writer and designer for _Invincible Superhero Roleplaying_. _“I can’t wait for fans to have tools that reflect the unparalleled passion and quality Free League brings to every one of their games.”_

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Daggerheart comes to the Foundry VTT

Daggerheart is making its way to Foundry Virtual Tabletop via MetaMorphic Digital Studio: > Long awaited news for Daggerheart fans—Darrington Press has partnered with Foundry Virtual Tabletop and MetaMorphic Digital Studio to bring Daggerheart premium content to the popular Foundry VTT platform. > > The current product pipeline includes modules for the _Daggerheart Core Rulebook_ , _Daggerheart: Hope & Fear_, and a custom _Daggerheart Duality Dice Set_. Delivery for all three modules is expected for fourth quarter 2026. Additional future Daggerheart products are planned as they become available from Darrington Press. > > Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a best-in-class tool for online roleplaying with powerful features, beautiful visuals, and an abundant content ecosystem. > > MetaMorphic is an industry leader in role playing game conversions and has worked with a wide range of large and small publishers to bring hundreds of modules to Foundry VTT and other platforms. Their global team is made up of expert coders, UI specialists as well as rpg, video game, and board game developers. Most importantly they are gamers, who live to play the games they create and convert. > > Andrew Clayton, founder of Foundry Gaming LLC, says: _“I’m thrilled to see the excellent Daggerheart system become officially supported in partnership with Darrington Press. This system already has an incredible community foundation which we can build upon further through beautifully crafted official products to provide an exceptional experience for playing Daggerheart online. Our friends at MetaMorphic and the Foundryborne development team are the ideal partners for this work, and I can’t wait to see the amazing content they produce together.”_ > > **Pre-Order Bundle Available Now** > > You can pre-order the three-module bundle from the Official Foundry VTT Marketplace now! Pre-order customers get the 3D Duality Dice set for free with their bundle and early access to beta versions of the module to help provide feedback and shape development. > > **Play Daggerheart Today!** > > This project would not be possible without the dedication and passion of the developers from the FOUNDRYBORNE community who created the excellent Daggerheart system for Foundry VTT. Foundry VTT users can install the system for free and play using SRD content.

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The Guild Kickstarter unlocks Conludo

The Guild Kickstarter has reached an important milestone and has unlocked a new show, Conludo. This new board game series sees Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton together again: > _The Guild: Ren Faire'd_ Kickstarter continues to grow, and with it, so does the universe surrounding the beloved franchise. As part of the campaign's expanding slate of fan-unlocked content, Felicia Day has announced _Conludo_ , a new board game series co-hosted by Day and Wil Wheaton. > > Each episode of _Conludo_(which is Latin for “play together”) centers around a shared topic of conversation between Felicia and Wil - from books they're reading to memorable meals they've enjoyed - before they choose a board game that fits the conversation and invite their friends to play along. Fans can unlock up to 10 episodes of _Conludo_ through _The Guild: Ren Faire'd_ Kickstarter, with the first episode unlocking at the $4.6 million stretch goal and each additional $100,000 funding another episode. > “Wil and I are so excited to come together again and shine a spotlight on the incredible independent creators who make the tabletop community so special,” says Felicia Day. “We’ve both really missed having an excuse to hang out! Plus we’re especially excited that with this show we’ll also get to share the things we’re passionate about with each other and the fans. _Conludo_ is truly a celebration of all the wonderfully nerdy things that inspire us, the creative people behind them, and of course the thing we love most: sitting down together and playing games with our friends!” > > Since its launch on July 20, the campaign has received support from more than 25,000 backers, **surpassing its original goal by $2.5 million dollars**. This achievement marks a major milestone for independently produced entertainment, ensuring the original “Knights of Good” return for a new, blockbuster-style feature-length adventure ahead of _The Guild’s_ 20th anniversary in 2027. > Created, written by, and starring Day, _The Guild: Ren Faire'd_ will reunite Codex (Felicia Day), Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh), Vork (Jeff Lewis), Tink (Amy Okuda), Clara (Robin Thorsen), and Bladezz (Vincent Caso), continuing their story in the same independent, community-driven spirit that made the original series a defining part of online fandom and geek culture. Nathan Fillion (_Firefly_ ,_The Rookie_ ,_Superman_)**** and Misha Collins (_Supernatural_ ,_Gotham Knights_ , _The Boys_) are also joining the cast. > > _The Guild_ premiered on July 27, 2007, and followed the members of an online gaming guild whose virtual adventures frequently collided with their real lives. Supported in part by fan contributions, the series ran for six seasons and 70 episodes, plus three music videos, and generated more than 300 million lifetime views across platforms. Across its run, _The Guild_ earned six Streamy Awards and four International Academy of Web Television Awards, appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of “The Net’s Best Serial Shows,” and was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution, which accessioned Codex’s costume into its digital culture collection.

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Mortal Shell II Open Beta arrives on PlayStation and Xbox

Following the success of the Steam Open Beta, the Mortal Shell II Open Beta is now available on PlayStation and Xbox, giving console players their first hands-on look at the brutal dark fantasy action RPG. The console beta offers the same content that hooked players on Steam, including access to the game's opening Prologue and an early stretch of its open world. Players begin the Harbinger's journey by claiming their first Shells, meeting their disciples, and recovering the lost Ova, all while exploring dungeons, facing mini-bosses, and confronting one particularly formidable foe. Those who push beyond Marrow Keep will also earn the option to skip the Prologue in the full game when it launches. As with the Steam beta, anyone who plays the Mortal Shell II Open Beta will unlock the Flayed Harbinger, an exclusive cosmetic reward that can be claimed in the full game at launch. Mortal Shell II will officially launch on August 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. For more news on Mortal Shell II, stay tuned to GamingTrend!

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Day one of Gen Con 2026

Last week, we put out our list of games we were excited to get our hands on here. Now that we're in Indy and got a look at what's on offer, what’s piqued our interest? ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

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Dungeons & Dragons partners with Star Wars

Dungeons & Dragons is now crossing lightsabers with Star Wars with an unexpected collaboration. I do appreciate that Wizards of the Coast snuck Season of Rebellion onto the roadmap. There are few details at the moment other than that the partnership begins in 2027: > None other than Sith Lord, Darth Vader capped off the event by taking stage to herald the arrival of a D&D | Star Wars partnership beginning in 2027. Mysterious as ever, Darth Vader was not forthcoming with additional details, so fans are commanded to stay tuned!

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X-COM: The Miniatures Game now available for pre-order

Modiphius Entertainment opened pre-orders for XCOM: The Miniatures game: > Modiphius Entertainment has today announced pre-orders for XCOM: The Miniatures Game, the highly anticipated solo and co-op adventure wargame based on _XCOM: Enemy Unknown_ , the legendary turn-based strategy video game from Firaxis Games. > > The 280 page Core Rulebook, based on the rules of the best selling _Five Parsecs from Home_ adventure wargame, allows players to lead an elite team of XCOM operatives as they fight across different missions to build XCOM and defeat an alien threat. > > The hardback, full-colour standalone core rulebook features tech, research and base-building options, campaign and single-player modes, and 33 mission types, including Terror Site, Combat Patrol and UFO Crash. > > Rules also include the ability to play PVP matches with opposing alien or operative squads, or let one player take control of the aliens in the campaign with Alien Commander mode. > > The game is supported by high-quality, multi-part resin collectors’ miniatures. And due to popular demand, High Impact Polystyrene (HIPs) plastic miniature versions will also be available to preorder, for delivery at a later date. > > Chris Birch, Co-founder of Modiphius Entertainment, said of the decision: > > _“XCOM The Miniatures Game has been a passion project for many of our team, and we planned a big rollout using resin production from our own factory, as we did with Fallout miniatures when first launched. The community attention for XCOM: The Miniatures Game has been so huge, and there have been a lot of requests for hard plastic miniatures, so we decided to offer the sets in both resin and HIPS. We’re working with the plastics engineering team at Archon (StarCraft, Dungeons and Lasers) to get the models into tooling and production as quickly as possible.”_ > Players will be able to pre-order: > > * 280-page full-colour XCOM: The Miniatures Game Rulebook > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game - Operatives, which includes: 2 Assault operatives, 2 Support operatives, 1 Heavy and 1 Sniper operative, plus six 30mm bases > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game - Aliens Set 1, which includes: 3 Sectoids, a Sectoid Commander, 3 Thin Men and an Outsider, plus eight 30mm bases > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game - Aliens Set 2, which includes: 2 Seekers, 2 Floaters, 2 Chryssalids, four 30mm plastic bases, two 40mm and four resin flying stands > > Plus optional additional accessories: > > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game Dice Set, which includes: eight blue ten-sided dice, one red ten-sided ammo die and two six-sided dice > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game Reference Card Pack, which includes: 60 US poker-size cards featuring quick reference information on each of the aliens, weapons and essential gear. > * XCOM: The Miniatures Game Acrylic Token Pack, which includes: 132 acrylic laser-cut (119) tokens and (13) standees to enhance play. > > Also available are a **Getting Started Bundle** in resin and in hard plastic (£110 & £95 respectively), and an **All In Bundle** in resin and in hard plastic (£210 and £185 respectively). These include a promotional miniature in clear resin: the **Ghost Sniper Veteran Operative**. > > Bundles are also available for retailers. This promo will also be available on select products to retailers that pre-order directly from Modiphius. > > As part of Modiphius Entertainment’s August free shipping offer, UK, US and EU orders over £150 / $200 will qualify for free shipping, up to a value of $50. > > The game will also be supported with later releases, including S.H.I.V.’s (and their variants), XCOM Veteran Operatives in popular armours, Mutons (including Berserkers and Elites), Cyberdiscs, Drones, Mechtoids, MEC Troopers, Heavy Floaters, Ethereals, Sectopods, and the EXALT, along with terrain pieces such as Infection Pods and crashed UFO equipment.

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D&D Icons brings back legendary storytellers

Wizards of the Coast is returning to its roots by bringing back some of the biggest names in D&D history. Amid the Gen Con hustle, our own Steven Starkey has compressed the announcements into bite sized tidbits: Stating that their goal is to “bring everybody back to the table,” the upcoming releases span the gamut from new books, including adventures and roleplaying supplements, to D&D Beyond, and even minis. These efforts include partnering with Blizzard to add the World of Warcraft setting into D&D, bringing in publishing partners to support a more robust publication schedule, and teaming up with luminaries from D&D’s past and present. Those iconic and influential creators from D&D’s history will be featured in an initiative called “Icons”. These creators will work on new stories in classic settings with the goal of teaming these legendary creators with the current design team for future content. They will be launching with Luke Gygax working on Greyhawk content with input from some of Gary Gygax’s unreleased notes, under the creative direction of Joe Mangeniello. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman will return to the Dragonlance setting and R.A. Salvatore will be handling Drizzt Do’Urden again.

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Dungeons & Dragons returns to the world of Dark Sun

Dungeons & Dragons brings back the world of Dark Sun in 2027. This classic world is known for its brutal combat and difficult survival. Our own Steven Starkey summarized the announcement while fighting off hordes of hungry halflings at Gen Con: Also in 2027, during the Season of Survival and for the first time in 5th edition, D&D will give us a new take on the Dark Sun setting. While continuing with the original Dark Sun theme of survival in a harsh world which, as they put it, “isn’t a world you save, it’s a world you survive”, Wizards will be offering their first mature-themed content for D&D. The books will be shrink wrapped and rated 18 plus. With bloodshed, nudity, and sexuality, players can expect content targeted at adults and definitely outside of the family-friendly fare of previous releases. The setting continues to be ruled by tyrannical sorcerer kings controlling city-states through power and fear. Seven city states encompassing a variety of adventure settings from tree towers and corpse plant guardians to tyrants pursuing power, dabbling in forbidden arts, and practicing taboo rituals, the world is harsh and takes heroics just to survive. There will be a map pack, a Dungeon Master's screen, and 3 books: a player’s expansion, a dungeon master’s setting guide, and a limited-edition player's handbook with alternate Dark Sun parts. Within nearly 500 pages of new content, players will find the new Scion class.

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New technology upgrades coming to D&D Beyond

Enhancements to the D&D Beyond app are coming with the hope of making it easier to play D&D than ever before. Our own Steven Starkey summarized the updates while looking for a group: Upcoming updates to technology platforms will be focused on easier ways to gather around the table together. With new “looking for group” options in both D&D Beyond and the official D&D Discord server, players will be able to find local players to gather around a physical table to play with. There will also be a dedicated D&D event section enabling posting local events on D&D Beyond. Players will have an option to have a professional DM help them get started (for a fee). Additional tools and updates to D&D Beyond, including running sessions without having to open a virtual tabletop, will increase the usefulness of the tool to DMs. Tools focused on reducing the need to interact with electronics at the table and supporting tabletop play, focusing on mobile first, then other platforms later hoping to help players focus on the play experience, respecting that you gather in person to spend time together. Expect an early version in 2027, which they plan to iterate and improve throughout the year.

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