The second incarnation of Final Fantasy 14 debuted in 2013, and it's proven to be far more resilient than the version that arrived in 2010. However, there's been discontent in the FF14 community lately over the removal of a popular mod, which led to the game's subsequent review-bombing on Steam. Now, director Naoki Yoshida has addressed the mod controversy with an appeal to players.

Yoshida's complete remarks were posted on FF14's official site, and he requested that excerpts from his statement not be used by media outlets. But since his response was nearly 2,000 words, a concise recap is unavoidable. The issue started when Square Enix's lawyers sent a letter to modder DarkArchon regarding Mare Synchronos, a mod that allowed players' customized avatars to be visible outside of their own game. Once Mare Synchronos was removed at Square Enix's request, some fans shared their fury in the form of negative Steam reviews.

Although Yoshida notes that he tolerates mods and has admiration for some fan-made creations, he's against mods that violate the game's intent or design in a negative manner. As a potential example, Yoshida noted that Square Enix could face legal consequences in some countries over nude character mods on display in the game. He also cited customized appearances that mimic paid content from from the game as an example of devaluing the services and collectibles that Square Enix sells to provide the revenue the game needs to remain financially viable.

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Nintendo has a friendly public image thanks to its line of family-friendly games, but Cronos: The New Dawn developer Bloober Team wants to start a second golden age of horror on Switch 2. During the GameCube era, Nintendo's console was home to numerous cult-classic horror games, and Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno wants to see more spine-tingling games released for Nintendo hardware.

"I'm trying to make my personal dreams come true," Babieno said to The Game Business. "I am a huge Nintendo fan. I grew up with Nintendo consoles. The most important horrors, like Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 4--were available on Nintendo GameCube. It was a golden time for Nintendo fans. In some ways, we would like to be the ones to open a new chapter for Nintendo right now. We have some plans. We are not able to share our vision for the future yet. But definitely Nintendo fans could take a look at Bloober Team."

Babieno added that Luigi's Mansion could be a good indicator of what fans can expect from the studio, as it gave players a cozy horror experience. The CEO says that there is a "huge possibility to repeat such an idea" in the future.

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Madden NFL 26 has only been out for two weeks, but EA has already prepared the first update for this year's edition. Most of the changes address bugs or other issues that have come up since the game officially launched on August 14. It's also introducing Nike Rivalries, a new feature that will bring "community pride" to some of the most famous rivalries in the league.

According to EA, Nike Rivalries is part of a new four-year deal between Nike and the NFL that will "celebrate football's most storied rivalries" with customized uniforms that represent their respective cities. Each iteration of Nike Rivalries will focus on teams from two different divisions, and this year's subjects are the AFC East and NFC West.

Players from the NFC West and AFC East show off their custom looks in Nike Rivalries.

EA also announced that the Madden NFL 26 update will introduce a customized playbook that was created in collaboration with retired quarterback Kurt Benkert. The playbook is called Benkert's Dimes, and it's available in Play Now when selecting playbooks.

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Earlier in 2025, Square Enix executives shared their desire to "reboot" the company over the next three years. However, not every game will make it out to the other side of that time frame. Two mobile games from Square Enix's top franchises are set to be shut down in Japan at the end of October.

The impending ends of Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius and Dragon Quest of the Stars were confirmed in Square Enix's social media posts (via GamesIndustry.Biz). Both titles originally launched in 2015, although Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius was shut down outside of Japan last year and Dragon Quest of the Stars was closed internationally in 2021. Now, both games are getting delisted on October 31. In-app purchases for each title have also been suspended.

Before the final shutdown goes into effect, Dragon Quest of the Stars will reach its 10th anniversary on October 15, followed by Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius on October 22.

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A Lost Soul Aside demo has been released alongside the Final Fantasy-inspired action game's launch today, allowing curious players to get a taste of the gameplay before committing to purchase.

According to its listing on the PlayStation store, the free demo will include two of the game's boss battles. Both battles appear to be from different parts of the game, allowing you to try out both basic and advanced abilities. The first fight is against the Rose Queen, a quick enemy who deals out "flurries of rapid strikes." You can try out some late-game abilities and a two-handed greatsword in the second boss battle against Holy Knight Commander Victor and the Ancient Mecha. Keep in mind that your progress in the demo will not transfer to the full game.

Lost Soul Aside started as the solo project of Chinese developer Yang Bing, who started building it from Unreal Engine assets back in 2016. The project gained visibility and traction through trailers. Eventually, thanks to the Sony program China Hero Project, a full dev team joined Bing, founding the studio UltiZero Games.

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Run the gauntlet of formidable enemies and colossal bosses in this breathtakingly stylish single player action-adventure RPG; chaining weapon and spectacular attack combos in high-octane, dynamic combat. Adapt your fighting style, solve puzzles, and evolve incredible abilities on a truly heroic quest.