The moment Nioh 3 was revealed as Team Ninja’s next project, it immediately jumped to the top of my most anticipated games of 2026. That excitement was dampened somewhat when the studio revealed the game’s “open field” level design. I am very much over open-world games, but I was particularly worried that we were about to get the Nioh version of Rise of the Ronin - which, really, was itself Nioh-lite in an open world.

Team Ninja’s post-Nioh games haven’t lacked in interesting ideas, and Ronin was no different, but it also squandered much of its potential on what ended up being the game design equivalent of thinking your inflatable pool skills can transfer to Olympic swimming.

Nioh 3 feels like it was made with clear awareness of that baggage. It wastes no time demonstrating that it’s still a Nioh game at its core, just one that wants to venture beyond what the structure of those games has allowed - though only on its own terms.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Nioh 3’s open world is its headline feature. But the way it’s built doesn’t call much attention to that, so it was easy for me to forget that I was, technically, playing an open-world game. The team’s decision to call it “open field” rather than “open world” is telling, and it comes across as a conscious show of restraint.

The world of Nioh 3 is several large maps, each made up of smaller regions. A region is really a bundle of the sort of curated levels found in every Nioh game, just with multiple routes of ingress and egress. This, of course, opens up different gameplay opportunities of its own. Roads and other distractions serve as the connective tissue holding those traditionally-designed levels and dungeons together, existing to subtly push you towards the next thing.

It’s a more practical, to-the-point approach to that style of open-world design that eliminates the minutes-long treads through vacant landscapes so many of those games just can’t find a good use for.

You surprisingly do not get any sort of mount to traverse Nioh 3’s world, though you do get a - sometimes comical - supersprint that kicks in when you hit the road. I once again cannot help but admire the restraint. For a mount to make sense, that dead space between interesting bits of content would need to be far larger, which, of course, players are promptly going to skip as son as fast travel is unlocked.

Nioh 3’s approach offers an alternative, and it asks for a bit of trust on your part that it won’t waste your time. Fast travel exists, but I only used it to mop up after having already explored each region.

The real standout here is the ability to switch between two combat styles at any moment: Ninja, and Samurai. You’re playing as two characters simultaneously, curating gear and weapons for each, and maintaining two builds. As a result, a lot of the Ninjutsu, throwables and some Onmyo-like spells have moved to the Ninja, which is one way Nioh 3 has made that part of it more accessible. Anyone familiar with the earlier games knows that those powerful abilities were typically clunky to use in the heat of battle.

Most of your time will be spent as the Samurai, but the freedom to switch between the two at the press of a button gives you the incentive to explore how each of them could excel (or struggle) in any given situation.

The most admirable thing about Nioh 3 is how it builds on years of Nioh and post-Nioh games, picking which mechanics and core features to bring forward, which to evolve, and refining everything so it makes sense within the game’s world.

Stranger of Paradise’s gear auto-equip feature is here, and much better implemented. It works just as you’d expect; automatically-equipping the best gear and weapons for the job for you. It’s malleable enough that you can toggle it off and on, which you might find yourself doing, depending on the quality of loot you get and how bothered you are about taking 10 minutes to sort through two inventories. It even lets you target weight classes, so you never have to suddenly find yourself fat-rolling in the middle of a boss fight.

My favourite mechanic in Nioh 3 comes from Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which remains one of the studio’s most interesting experiments in recent memory. Elden Ring changed open-world game design forever, so action RPGs that came after needed to learn from FromSoft’s masterpiece. Fallen Dynasty, however, was a traditional, level-based game, so borrowing ideas was out of the question.

What Fallen Dynasty did instead, however, was offer players a very compelling incentive to explore its world, that, crucially, needed to exist in a game with linear levels. The system boiled down to gradually growing players’ power the more parts of its levels they explore.

Nioh 3’s world is much larger by comparison, but Team Ninja found a brilliant way of evolving the feature. Each region on the map is assigned an exploration rating, which rises the more of the various activities you partake in. Your incentive to do so is two-fold. First, each level you gain boosts how informative the map itself becomes. It starts off blank, then grows to show a layer of roads and major towns, before it marks down the location of every collectible.

Climbing through those levels also comes with a set of bonuses to combat, which apply to your character universally. In fact, there’s a combined rating that pushed me to max out each region to get the whole map’s bonus.

You could draw a line from each one of those back to the games they originate from, but playing this game and witnessing how much they meaningfully ameliorate the experience compared to past Nioh games is the real win here.

Nioh 3, of course, evolves its own series’ mechanics, recontextualising them in some instances. The Burst Counter is no longer tied to your choice of Guardian Spirit, but is instead assigned to the style-switching button. This achieves two goals. One, it trains you to regularly flip between the two - a major feature of this sequel, but it also makes pulling off a Burst Counter easier, which means more players are more likely to use it.

Making the game more accessible without compromising the core experience is a goal Team Ninja clearly had when developing Nioh 3. Where Ronin’s approach had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, Nioh 3’s instead sands off some unnecessarily sharp edges to encourage players to engage with the more fun parts of what remains a mechanically dense action RPG.

Sometimes that comes in the form of deflects being easier to pull off (and more rewarding), and other times it manifests in more complex ways that will take veterans some time to appreciate.

One aspect that has unfortunately not evolved is the game’s narrative. The structure of the whole thing is the only interesting part about it, and it almost succeeds at distracting you from just how underwhelming it is.

This is a time-travelling story that unfolds over four eras of Japan. Your created protagonist is something of a time cop (time warrior?) who travels to each era to rid it of the evil of those dreaded Spirit Stones. By law, every conflict in a Nioh game must always come back to Spirit Stones.

Clever though it may be, that trick can’t mask how outdated and unsubstantial it is. This is still a silly tale involving historical characters; no more than an excuse to ally with/fight Figures You Know. You have to admire Team Ninja’s commitment to using the same narrative mould with every Nioh game, just slotting in era-appropriate characters and events.

Three games in, I know better than to expect much from that side of the Nioh games, but I was happy to at least have an exciting wrapper. Splitting the campaign into multiple eras is also a nice and convenient excuse to have multiple open-world maps, which is another way the trek through time remains fresh.

Nioh 3 isn’t without frustrating moments. Bosses will still kill you in two hits; platforming rules will occasionally confuse you; and there’s plenty of PS3-era level design ethos Team Ninja just can’t seem to get rid of. The PC version runs fine, but I expect people with the upper range of GPUs to grouse about not being able to lock it to 120fps, the occasional stutters when spinning the camera, and some crashes when multiple monitors are present.

None of that detracts from how tremendous of an action game this is. That it continues to deliver the series’ renowned satisfying combat, mechanical depth, and build variety while evolving and building on the past is a none-trivial triumph.

I find it difficult to ask more from Nioh 3. It’s a game that proudly announces its goals at the outset, and trusts the player to discover how well it’s going to nail every one them over the course of its 45+ hour runtime. It is the confident result of shaking up Nioh’s near decade-old formula that’s only outshone by Team Ninja’s steady hand in crafting it.

Reviewed on PC, code provided by publisher.

Starsand Island is a life and farming sim that isn't gacha, and it's out next week

Starsand Island officially has an Early Access release date, and it sounds like it won't stay there for years.

Though it may seem like we just had a big life sim release in Heartopia, 2026 actually has more than one highly-anticipated release in that particular subgenre of cozy game. The next big one on the horizon is Starsand Island, the life and farming sim from Seed Sparkle Lab.

The game has been gaining momentum since the launch of a demo in October last year, but the developer never quite managed to commit to a date for its debut title. Until now.

Seed Sparkle Lab announced today that Starsand Island will enter Early Access on February 11, which is only a bit over one week from now. This goes for Steam and the Xbox Preview Program version.

The developer said to expect a fairly short Early Access run, as the full launch is expected in the summer of this year. When the full release arrives, the game will also make the jump to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, as well as Switch 2.

The full release is also expected to bring Steam Deck support and introduce the multiplayer mode, which will not be available during Early Access

Starsand Island has something of a unique look compared to other games in the subgenre. The storybook, anime-inspired aesthetics are popular in the realm of gacha games, of course. However, seeing as this particular game isn’t gacha, being a premium product means it’s going to offer something free-to-play games aren’t designed to.

Speaking of which, the game will be available in two editions: Standard and Deluxe, with the latter including Romanticism-inspired outfits, furniture, and other customisation items. If you buy either during launch, you’ll also get a Chinese New Year bonus with even more outfits and furniture.

On top of the usual systems of farming, mining, and making friends with adorable characters (and animals), the game also has combat that pits you against ancient guardians. You can, of course, also build a home in it, and decorate it to your heart's content.

Seed Sparkle Lab says you can expect about 100 hours of content in the Early Access launch build, and more features will arrive over the course of the next six or so months, including a crossover event with My Time At Portia.

You can look forward to more Starsand Island coverage from us in the near future. Until then, you can get started by planning who you’re going to date now.

Zenless Zone Zero’s latest Special Program has delivered a tonne of information about the game’s big upcoming update, Version 2.6. This latest addition kicks off celebrations in New Eridu, and it’s dubbed Encore for an Old Dream.

Version 2.6 is not far off, either, arriving in ZZZ on February 6 - exactly one week from today. Encore for an Old Dream is something of an in-between story that takes place after the end of Season 2.

The narrative of 2.6 sees the Proxies’ return to Sixth Street for New Eridu's annual Gilded Carrot Day. At the centre of the celebrations is the debut of idol group Angels of Delusion at the 404 Error music venue, but not all is as it seems.

The story follows the Proxies getting invited backstage to support the group, which also includes helping them set up practice schedules, organise events and manage social media activities. There’s a rhythm minigame as part of that, along with new maps and mechanics for Marcel Adventure.

Angels of Delusion is also the group that the two new Agents being introduced in this update belong to. Members of the same group are capable of performing coordinated attacks. The new arrivals are Sunna and Aria.

Sunna is a an S-Rank Physical Support Agent who specialises in boosting teammates using Attack and Anomaly. Her Ultimate sees her pull out a giant hammer to land heavy damage, and bring teammates into combat using Quick Assist. Sunna’s companion, Bubblegum, can cast Cat's Gaze on enemies, marking them for detonation. Bubblegum can also buff the squad’s attack.

Aria is the other new arrival, the group’s lead vocalist who can shift between two forms, idol projection and construct. Aria is an Ether Anomaly Agent who also deals high burst damage, specifically against enemies who suffer from any Attribute Anomalies.

Sunna and Aria also benefit from the support of the amusingly named Bangboo Biggest Fan, a fan club president who can heal them over time, and boost the squad’s Attack any time two or more Angels of Delusion members are present.

Version 2.6’s S-Rank re-runs are Yixuan (Auric Ink - Rupture), and Yuzuha (Physical - Support), who you can look forward to as part of the banners.

Version 2.6 will also expand Hollow Zero with a new game mode, Operation Matrix. The mode offers themed stages that rotate weekly, each offering new mechanics. You can now also Sweep in Hollow Zero.

Beyond all the celebrations, this update also brings combat kit overhauls to a couple of older S-Rank characters, Lycaon and Harumasa. You can look forward to multiple limited-time events, too, including one where you can earn a new outfit for Pan Yinhu.

The big event is naturally going to be themed around Gilded Carrot Day, and it actually starts today. There’s the usual run of login rewards (about 3,300 Polychromes), as well as daily activities. Yet another login event - Gilded Surprise, Wonderful Boo-ns - will be available February 14-23, offering daily draws from a pool of 4 billion Polychrome.

As always, there’s no reason not to catch up on the latest set of Zenless Zone Zero codes for some free in-game items.

Infinity Nikki ushers in the Year of the Horse with... a deer-themed Version 2.2

Chromatic Beings Everbright, the latest major Infinity Nikki update, has arrived, bringing Chinese New Year celebrations vibe to the game.

Infinity Nikki, the free-to-play, open-world dress-up RPG, has delivered yet another big content drop in the form of Chromatic Beings Everbright. The latest update brings the game up to version 2.2, and introduces a new narrative chapter, and gameplay taking place around a festival narrative.

If you couldn’t guess already, the new theme is Bloom Festival, inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations.

The big new story chapter takes place in the Infinity Nikki’s Wanxiang Realm. This deceptively serene and blissful region hides a dark secret, however. Chromafaces, the mythical inhabitants of the realm, have to embody fixed identities that dictate how they live and work.

These are doled out through Character Tokens, which are used to assign roles to each individual. The story follows Nikki as she uncovers the script that runs the realm and the facade it props up. Nikki will help free Chromafaces and dispel the illusion.

The Wanxiang Realm is split into three areas. Cai Ye is your typical lantern-lit district, where festivals and fireworks happen. Kongming Gorge is almost the opposite of that; a quiet and cold place. Finally, Jiuhua Pavilion literally floats above the region, and it's home to neverending music and dance.

The other big addition in 2.2 are the two new 5-Star Resonance Outfits with some interesting gameplay implications. Where Wanxiang Weaves Life is inspired by wuxia aesthetics, and true to its inspirations, it lets Nikki shapeshift into different Spirit Personas - and automatically collect resources in her vicinity.

Chroma's Mortal Heart, on the other hand, allows Nikki to fly around the Wanxiang Realm, drawing on the power of the Celestial Deer. This outfit also uses Celestial Deer Vision to automatically ping and mark treasure chests around her.

You can also look forward to Nefarious Shadows, a new Ability Outfit, which lets Nikki see through disguises, and reveals hidden paths in the world.

As with every major update, of course, there are themed activities and limited-time events throughout. Hotpot House is a cooking minigame where you attempt to run the eponymous restaurant, whereas Flavor Frenzy is series of platforming challenges that tasks you with gathering ingredients. Fortune Mahjong is a little more straightforward, with support for solo and multiplayer play.

If you’re jumping back into the game soon, be sure to hit up our Infinity Nikki codes page for some freebies.

Quantic Dream addresses toxicity, tech bugs and tutorials for Spellcasters Chronicles closed beta 2 - here's how to get a key

Here are the start and end times for the second Spellcasters Chronicles closed beta, as well as what's new in this latest test.

Quantic Dream has opened up its upcoming fantasy MOBA for a second closed beta weekend starting from today, January 29, until 9AM UTC on Monday February 2.

The closed beta is for PC only in Europe, Asia and North America and potential players can register to join the waitlist for a key at the game’s official website or on the Spellcasters Chronicles Steam page. Players who had access to the first closed beta will automatically have access to the second, but you can sign up on both the site and Steam to increase your chances of entry.

The MOBA genre is competitive in every sense and Quantic Dream is trying to break into it with a Magic the Gathering-esque spin on the format. Players build a deck of cards before queuing into teams of 3, then face off as battling mages, summoning creatures, building fortifications and casting spells rather than choosing a Hero with unique abilities in the traditional MOBA style.

Beta content includes a new map, 6 new spells and 5 new summon creatures for your deck, as well as 3 new buildings too.

Also new for this second closed beta is an introduction and tutorial for some of the game’s finer details, as well as a text chat for strategising and much-needed player reporting system to go with it. It will also feature early versions of the Spellcaster customisation system and ranked matches.

Quantic Dream has said that this closed beta places a strong emphasis on performance, memory usage and overall gameplay stability to create a smoother experience, so with that in mind, here are the minimum and recommended PC specs:

Minimum System Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or equivalent (6 core / 12 threads).
• GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 2070 or Radeon RX 5700 or equivalent with at least 8 GB of VRAM
• Memory/RAM: 16 GB of RAM.
• Storage: SSD NVMe
• Operating System: Windows 11

Recommended System Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700 or equivalent (8 core / 16 threads)
• GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 9060 XT or equivalent with at least 10 GB of VRAM
• Memory/RAM: 16 GB of RAM.
• Storage: SSD NVMe
• Operating System: Windows 11

Spellcasters Chronicles is the first ever multiplayer online game from Quantic Dream, the French studio best known for cinematic narrative games like Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls.

A TV adaptation of the latter game is reportedly in development, or the rights for one have been acquired at least. Elsewhere, Quantic Dream’s long-rumoured game in the Star Wars franchise was revealed as Star Wars Eclipse, a return-to-type narrative action game set in the High Republic era of a galaxy far, far away.

Nioh 3 is one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and it’s easily among the biggest releases of February. We’re a few days away from the start of that month, however, but we don’t have to wait until then to actually play Team Ninja’s next major release.

The previously announced demo has arrived, and it’s one any fan of action games should check out, especially if you missed the PlayStation-exclusive beta held last year.

Unlike previous tests, the Nioh 3 demo is available on PC and PS5, just like the main game. This is pretty new for the series, which has typically launched first on PlayStation before coming to PC months later.

The Nioh 3 demo includes a decent portion of content from the beginning of the game. It’s enough to show off the core duality mechanic, letting you switch between the Samurai and Ninja styles at will. It also includes a preview of the game’s open field level design, which makes it sit somewhere between full open world and the more linear level design of past Nioh games.

Feedback from the previous beta has been implemented into the demo (and full release), so you may see some familiar faces, as well as areas you visited before - assuming you played that one.

Another big reason why you might want to grab the Nioh 3 demo is that your progress in it will carry over to the full version. This includes the character creator, too, meaning you can spend all day perfecting your character without having to worry about missing out on playing the actual game.

The demo even supports online multiplayer for up to three players, in case you come to Nioh for co-op. If you complete the available content, you’ll earn an in-game bonus in the full version. This is something Team Ninja has done with past Nioh titles, of course.

This time, your reward is the Twin-Snake Helmet. Just make sure you complete the demo before February 15.

Nioh 3 is out February 6 on PC, and PlayStation 5.

After weeks of waiting, Arc Raiders developer Embark has officially unveiled the first few months of the game’s 2026 roadmap. The plan is split into four months, covering January to April, collectively dubbed Escalation.

We’re expecting a content update each month, with the majority of the biggest additions happening on the game’s existing maps. There is, however, at least one new map in the works, but it won’t be here until sometime in April.

While we wait for that, Arc Raiders is going to go through several events and other in-game changes, some more meaningful (and exciting) than others. January looks to be the lightest so far, which makes sense given that it’s just a week or so from ending.

January’s chapter is titled Headwinds, kicking off on January 27. This segment will see the addition of a new matchmaking option for players above level 40 - at or near the game’s endgame. We’re also expecting a new Map Condition, and a new Player Project for everyone to contribute to.

Things start getting interesting in February, when Shrouded Sky will begin. This chapter brings three exciting additions to Arc Raiders. There will be a new Map Condition, new Arc Threat, and the start of another Player Project.

Interestingly, we’re going to see some sort of map update during the month, but Embark didn’t share anymore details. The next Raider Deck will also deploy in February, alongside a new Expedition Window.

The Flashpoint chapter begins in March, when we’re expecting another new Map Condition, one more new Arc Threat, as well as another Player Project. March’s most interesting addition is an update to everyone’s trusty rooster friend, Scrappy.

Finally, April is when the big guns come out, because that’s when the first new map of 2026 will arrive in Arc Raiders. With it, comes a new large Arc, which is to be expected. A new Map Condition will debut then, too, likely starting off on the new map.

That’s pretty much it, but seeing as we’re just one day away from the start of the January stage, things are about to get exciting again in Arc Raiders.

Battlefield 6’s first big map in months is coming to Labs soon, but I'm more excited about BF4's Golmud Railway making its way to BF6

As promised, Battlefield Labs is coming back to bring us a preview of some of Battlefield 6’s upcoming Season 2 content.

Battlefield 6’s Season 2 was recently pushed back by a month to give Battlefield Studios time to polish up its content. Now, the developer has revealed how it plans to use some of that time, and the first port of call is Battlefield Labs.

As discussed in the initial delay message, BF Studios wants the community’s involvement earlier and more consistently in the development of future content. This includes Season 2, of course, and a big component of what it’s bringing to the game is headed to Labs.

The first Battlefield Labs session kicking off soon will focus on Contaminated, one of the new maps coming to Battlefield 6 with Season 2. BF Studios says the map falls between Eastwood and Mirak Valley, in terms of size.

The blog post even likened it to Battlefield 1’s St. Quentin Scar, and Battlefield 5’s Arras. Although we’ve yet to actually play it, the size and description do sound really well, especially in a game as starved of big maps as Battlefield 6 currently is.

Another thing BF Studios wants to test is the way ground vehicle gameplay and aerial presence interact with infantry combat, which is pretty standard for most Battlefield maps. Interestingly, there appears to be some sort of mechanic unique to Contaminated that the developer also wants to evaluate.

More Labs sessions are planned, including one that will show off new gameplay tools and vehicles. The AH-6 Little Bird helicopter was specifically namedropped, which makes sense given that it’s going to be part of Season 2’s content.

Battlefield Labs sessions will also extend beyond the biggest-ticket items of maps and vehicles. BF Studios said we should expect tests of upcoming features, like the Aircraft Radar, as part of a list of other air combat updates.

Ground vehicles, and they way the various rockets interact with them, will also be evaluated in a different session, with specific adjustments planned for RPGs and TOWs. And, of course, the work to improve and perfect hit reg remains ongoing, and future tweaks will go through Labs first.

There’s even more exciting news for fans of big maps, as the blog post also confirmed that Battlefield 4’s Golmud Railway is currently in the works, planned to go live in a future season. Golmud Railway will show up early in Labs, and you can expect it to evolve over multiple sessions.

For context, when it does arrive in Battlefield 6, Golmud Railway will be the largest map in the game, which is saying something. Though the map is beloved by vehicle players, it has its issues elsewhere, and BF Studios says it will be looking at all that when it creates the BF6, emphasising that it won’t be a simple port of the BF4 original.

Finally, the post throws a bone to Redsec battle royale players still waiting for a Solo mode. BF Studios continues to test the idea internally, but it’s taking a while. Needless to say, there are so many aspects that need to be considered. Game pace, balance, player survivability, match flow just to name a few.

Redsec BR was built with squads in mind, so that task is extra challenging. Though the developer didn’t say when we can expect Solos to arrive in Labs, players will get a chance to experience it before it enters the live game.

Heartopia surprise launches on Steam and shockingly, everyone seems to be happy

Heartopia players didn't actually end up having to wait too long to play the game on Steam, which is certainly not what anyone expected.

Heartopia has officially arrived on Steam, only a little over a week after it launched on iOS and Android. When the game’s release date was announced back in December, developer XD said it was pushing back the Steam release without offering any hints about how long the delay was going to be.

While the game can be played on PC through TapTap, the developer’s own emulator, many had been anticipating the Steam launch. So you can imagine that when the free-to-play life sim game surprisingly showed up on Valve’s platform on Saturday, there were a lot of happy people.

Heartopia’s Steam release has, much like mobile launch, been a success. We do know that the game reached the number one spot across app stores in over 50 countries, and though the Steam numbers may not be as record-breaking, everything is looking pretty good.

The game peaked at a decent 28,815 concurrent players (via SteamDB) on Steam one day after it launched, and considering how sticky it has been with the majority of those players so far - and the fact the launch itself was a surprise - there’s every chance those figures will improve over the course of this week as it picks up momentum.

Steam user reviews have similarly been quite positive, with the overall rating currently sitting at Mostly Positive, based on over 1,400 reviews.

You’re still need either a Google, Facebook, or Apple account to log into the game, same as you would on mobile. The Steam version does support cross-play with other platforms, so you’ll be able to play with your friends on mobile.

We’ve been playing a lot of Heartopia ourselves, and have been updating and expanding our guides. If you’re looking to get started, such as with how to add and play with friends, how to regain Energy, and how to unlock home plots, our guides offer the best place to start.

Once you’re past the initial hump, you’ll probably be looking for where to find things like mushrooms, bugs, fish, and birds, so definitely bookmark those, too. If you simply like free stuff, our Heartopia codes page is a must read before playing.

Battlefield 6’s promised, season-extending update has been officially detailed. The patch, version 1.1.3.5, arrives tomorrow, January 20 right when Season 1 was supposed to end. Part of the update’s goal is to extend the current season, until Season 2 kicks off in the middle of February.

Update 1.1.3.5 does, of course, have a change log of its own that goes beyond just the season’s extension, but the changes fall somewhere between not very exciting, and a bit puzzling.

Patch 1.1.3.5 is, for all intents and purposes, a smaller update. When Battlefield Studios announced it earlier last week, the developer didn’t promise any major changes or fixes, so expectations never got out of hand.

The patch is mainly made up of bug fixes, but it does have three key areas of improvements to gameplay. There’s a big focus on melee combat, how responsive/unresponsive it is with the various melee tools, and how melee behaviour interacts with sprinting and other animations.

The end result should be faster attack speeds for the knife, and clearer wind-up animations for both the knife and the sledgehammer. The timing dictating when melee damage gets credited has also been made more consistent in different environments.

Interestingly, sprint is now only interrupted when the melee attack reaches its target. As it stands, sprinting is only interrupted after the full duration of the animation has been completed, which adds to the that perceived feeling of sluggishness.

The other major, and arguably most confusing is the nerf to jet cannons. The patch is going to make jets far less stronger against other air vehicles, requiring 40% more hits to destroy a target. This is puzzling because jets - and air vehicles in general - are already the least survivable in Battlefield 6.

And, considering how the rest of a jet's arsenal is either situational or nearly ineffective, the cannons were really the one guaranteed way of downing other air vehicles, so long as you manage to land your shots consistently. While the change is wellmeaning, the percentage will likely be reduced in future patches.

Finally, the update makes a few refinements to UI across the game, though mainly aimed at Redsec and modes where players wear armor. Armor bar visibility has been improved, and there’s a fix for the annoying bug that sometimes caused the armor bar to disappear every few seconds.

Read on below for the 1.1.3.5 change log.

Vehicles

• Fixed an issue where vehicles could explode when a takedown was performed on an enemy soldier lying on top of them.
• Reduced jet cannon damage against other jets and helicopters, requiring approximately 40% more hits to destroy enemy air targets.

Weapons

• Bipod attachments no longer display as always providing a hipfire accuracy bonus, as this bonus only applies while the bipod is deployed.
• Fixed an issue where the GRIM 1.50x optic on the DB-12 cost fewer loadout points than intended (15 instead of 25).
• Fixed an issue where the RPKM iron sights would shoot low when using the short barrel.
• Fixed an issue where the TR-7 Light Barrel incorrectly improved muzzle velocity.
• Fixed bipod mount input behaviour for Alternate, Lefty Alternate, Southpaw, and Legacy Southpaw presets so the bipod mount now follows the melee button.
• Improved attack speed for knife melee attacks.
• Improved buffering behaviour for knife and sledgehammer attacks.
• Improved consistency of melee damage timing against enemies and the environment.
• Improved consistency of recoil modifiers when using a controller across different weapons.
• Improved how sprint is interrupted when performing melee attacks. Sprint is now only interrupted until the attack reaches its target, rather than for the full duration of the animation.
• In the Firing Range, target dummies can now take damage while in the process of getting back up.
• Shooting with a suppressor now emits a small muzzle flash when viewed from close range only.

Gadgets

• Fixed an issue where the GDPIS was not destroyed when targeted by the XFGM-6D Recon Drone, Defibrillators, or the Repair Tool.
• Fixed an issue where the Sniper Decoy did not properly hide scope glints from nearby snipers.

-Assault Ladder

• Fixed an issue where ladders positioned above the player could not be entered.
• Fixed an issue where soldiers could be launched unexpectedly when attempting to enter a ladder.
• Improved the soldier animations while climbing ladders.

UI & HUD

• Added a new option allowing players to customize the reticle colour inside weapon and gadget scopes.
• Fixed an issue where home screen focus navigation could become locked to the bulletin.
• Fixed cases where weapon menus displayed incorrect Reload Time stats for LMGs.
• Soldier lightning improvements to the front-end
• Improved front-end lighting to enhance the visual quality of soldier characters.
• The Reticle Colour option now correctly updates reticle colours for Thermal Scopes and other supported gadgets.

VFX & Audio

• Adjusted explosion particle effects by lowering the shockwave force.

Redsec

• Fixed an issue where jump landing movement speed reduction behaved inconsistently in REDSEC compared to other multiplayer experiences.
• Fixed an edge case in Gauntlet mode “Data Extraction” where the drone could disappear permanently if drives were deposited at the exact moment it landed.
• Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear intermittently.
• Fixed an issue where the Airburst Incendiary Launcher icon appeared as a grenade in the loot feed.
• Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear after quickly editing a loadout.

35 million of you have already pre-registered for Arknights: Endfield

Ahead of its official release next week, Arknights: Endfield has already surpassed 35 million pre-registrations from players around the world.

Arknights: Endfield developer Gryphline has a good reason to celebrate, as the upcoming free-to-play action RPG has achieved yet another milestone. The developer announced today that Endfield already has over 35 million pre-registrations.

This a major moment for the game, which is poised to be one of 2026’s biggest releases on mobile.

In December, when Gryphline officially revealed the Arknights: Endfield release date, the developer said at the time that the game had surpassed 30 million pre-registrations, meaning over 5 million more have joined in since then.

Arknights: Endfield has pretty much wrapped up closed testing, and we’re in the final stretch ahead of the January 22 launch, when the free-to-play game will go live across PC (where it'll be available via the Epic Games Store, as well as Gryphline's own launcher), PS5, and mobile platforms (iOS, Android).

The developer hosted a livestream to celebrate, where it also debuted two new trailers: the launch trailer (below), as well as another look at gameplay. The gameplay trailer also shows off more of the game’s Talos-2 world, and sets up the mystery at the centre of its narrative.

If you’re going to be playing Endfield on PC, you’ll be happy to know that you can expert a breezy experience with support for 120fps. The game also comes with a wide range of modern technologies, including Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, and Frame Generation. Both Xbox and PlayStation controllers are supported, too.

You can expect more Arknights: Endfield coverage from us at release and beyond. In fact, based on what we played so far, we’re pretty confident in this early Arknights Endfield characters list.

After 15 years, The Sims' best spin-off finally gets its due follow-up in The Sims 4: Royalty & Legacy

The Sims Medieval had a short but powerful run back in 2011, and now many of its best features are finally coming to the main franchise.

The Sims 4 developers recently promised an exciting year for the game, and the franchise as a whole, and we just got an early look at one of those first events. After some light teasing, the developer unveiled Royalty & Legacy, the game’s next expansion.

Royalty & Legacy’s first trailer debuted on Thursday, revealing a February 12 release date, and showing off the expansion for the first time.

There’s a lot going on in Royalty & Legacy, which is priced $40. For one, it introduces a new world, Ondarion, which is going to be the setting for your kingdom, as you join a race for the throne. The expansion introduces Dynasty and Nobility - two new systems you can use to create your own world of royal shenanigans.

Ondarion is made up of three neighborhoods (regions). Each region has a unique theme and culture, and they’re each ruled by a Dynasty. Dambele is a place that prioritises art and community. Verdemar is a chaotic world of outlaws and nobles. Finally, Bellacorde is an extravagant region known for opulence and romance.

Speaking of building places, Royalty & Legacy also adds a new Lot type, The Backroom Lot. It serves two functions that change with the time of day. For instance, it can be a library or gym in the morning, and shift into a night club at night. Dambele has its own library-turned-rave, for instance.

At the heart of Ondarion are all the possible fantasy lives and stories you can live. The Sims calls them Powershifts, and they include some well-known Arthurian fantasies and other, more silly ones.

Swordsmanship is the new 10-level skill arriving with the expansion, which further plays into those fantasies by letting your Sims duel. There are even Swordsmanship Tournaments you can watch take place across every neighborhood in Ondarion.

Then there are Secret Passageways, which let you speed up moving across the new regions. They essentially let your Sims teleport between designated passageways, either on their own lots, or other lots in the world. Some of these are hidden for you to find, while others you can create.

In terms of new careers, there’s the Noble Career, where your Sim can rise through several Noble Rankings by doing basically what nobles had to do in the middle ages to earn favour.

The aforementioned Dynasty System is how you can join any of Ondarion’s existing families, or start your own. You actually have a lot of say in what goes on, including the usual business of appointing heirs.

Of course, no royal roleplay would be complete without scandals, which is where the Scandals System comes in. Through it, you can create stories to discredit others, or even topple an entire dynasty.

In November, you may recall The Sims 4 introducing new free items inspired by West African culture. In creating that content, EA worked with a group of Simmers who have direct ties to West African countries.

The group’s guidance was once again utilised to build the Dambele neighborhood in this expansion, and some of the lots around the world of Ondarion were even created by members of the group.

While you wait for Royalty & Legacy to actually arrive, there’s more in The Sims 4 you can jump in right now. The game recently kicked off a collaboration with fashion brand Coach that brought several free items to Create a Sim, and Build Buy. That arrived alongside a free update, which already makes for a busy start of the year for The Sims 4.