Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards wrapped up on December 11, 2025, with a strange "one more thing" announcement: Highguard, the free-to-play PvP raid shooter that launches in just a few days. It has been six weeks since then, though, and developer Wildlight Entertainment went radio silent ... until now. The studio finally posted on social media on January 23, revealing that a livestream will fully detail the game on January 26, the same day Highguard arrives on consoles and PC.

As the studio announced on X, the launch showcase will go live on Monday, January 26, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. During the livestream, Wildlight Entertainment will share "an in-depth look at Highguard" with a full gameplay deep dive, a look at year-one plans, and more. You can catch the broadcast on Highguard's YouTube channel.

Highguard Goes Missing

And ... that's it, for now. Wildlight Entertainment hasn't said anything else and hasn't responded to any replies to its X post as of this writing, so we'll all have to wait until January 26 to hear more about this bizarre TGA closer. Again, in case you weren't paying attention, that's the same day that Highguard comes out. Strange marketing.

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Halo: Flashpoint - ODST Feet First Into Hell

$94 (was $122.76)

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Halo: Flashpoint was released back in 2024, adapting the tense gunfights the Halo series is known for into a competitive, turn-based tabletop skirmish game where players control Spartans, UNSC Marines, and Banished in head-to-head matches. It's essentially Warhammer 40,000 meets Halo, even down to the detailed sculpted minis--though, thankfully, Halo: Flashpoint is much easier to get into. Part of that is because the game offers multiple starter sets that are all relatively affordable, including the recent Feet First Into Hell set, which is themed after the Halo series' ODST soldiers. The set launched back in October of 2025 and is currently on sale on Amazon for just $94 (was $122.76).

Halo: Flashpoint - ODST Feet First Into Hell $94 (was $122.76)

Mantic Games' officially licensed Halo: Flashpoint is an easy to learn and quick-to-set-up strategic multiplayer tabletop game, and the ODST Feet First Into Hell set is packed with everything you need to start playing, including enough minis and gameplay materials for up to two players to field squads of ODST soldiers--two of which are Limited Edition resin sculpt figures. Here's a look at the full contents:

• Limited Edition MasterCraft Resin Sculpt of Gunnery Sergeant Buck
• Limited Edition MasterCraft Resin Sculpt of Captain Veronica Dare
• 2x ODST Captains
• 2x ODST 2nd Lieutenants
• 4x ODST Special Purpose Troopers
• 4x ODST Air Assault Bullfrog
• 4x ODST Firebreak
• ODST Faction Order Dice
• ODST Faction D8
• New Mombasa Card Stock Playmat
• New Mombasa Card Terrain Pack
• ODST Desperate Measures Expansion Booklet
• Tokens and Weapons Cards
• Unit Cards and Special Orders Cards

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Many fans' favorite aspect of playing tabletop games is painting miniatures, and Halo: Flashpoint is no different. Feet First Into Hell includes 16 new ODST minis, each with a different pose and loadout. These come unpainted--though it's worth noting that each piece is preassembled, so you can start playing right out of the box if you want to skip the painting step.

ODST Feet First Into Hell is one of multiple Halo: Flashpoint starter sets available, each of which is focused on a different playable faction. These include the Spartan, Recon, and Banished starter sets, each of which is on sale at Amazon as well. Like the new ODST set, these kits include enough minis for up to two players, plus all the rulebooks and gameplay materials you need. They're also fully compatible with each other, so you field multiple factions and play out your own narrative campaigns.

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Later this month, Bandai Namco will send players on a time-traveling Revenant-fighting adventure in Code Vein 2. But if you want to get an early jump into the game's first steps, the Code Vein 2 Character Creator Demo is now live. Players can use it ahead of time to craft their Revenant Hunter, and all of their creations can be imported to the game when it launches.

As you can see in the video above, there are a ton of options to choose from, including a costume that looks a lot the King of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy. Experienced character creators may get more out of this than the average player, but these are the tools that let fans really put their own stamp on the game's main character.

While the Character Creator Demo doesn't let fans experience the game's combat, it does allow players to explore the MagMell Institute and use their newfound Revenant Hunter designs in Photo Mode.

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During the Xbox Developer Direct on Thursday, January 22, we learned the approximate time when Fable finally returns. There's no official release date yet, but you can at least mark your calendar for Q3 of this year, and that's by design, as a new report suggests that Microsoft will keep a game's release date under wraps for much longer.

Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden posted a story on Fable's reveal on January 22, revealing that he's "heard" the days of Microsoft unveiling a game way before it comes out are "absolutely over." As he was "told"--by whom, he doesn't specify--we probably won't see games like Contraband or Perfect Dark announced until their release dates are actually close. That way, Microsoft can avoid disappointing fans should projects not go as planned.

This is a sound strategy, especially considering the slew of games Microsoft has announced and then canceled over the last few years. The aforementioned Perfect Dark was one of them, as well as Fable Legends, the Phantom Dust remake, and Stormlands. The one that probably stings the most, though (or, at least, the one that hurt my feelings the most), has to be Scalebound, the awesome-looking, dinosaur-wielding action-RPG that was in development at Platinum Games for PC and Xbox One before getting guillotined. Never say never, as it may be revived someday, but it's certainly dead for now.

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Those looking for a job at Palworld developer Pocketpair will need to have some serious play history on Steam, while those with none won't be considered at all.

In a post on X (translated via Automaton), Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe shared some insights into how the studio behind the hit monster-catching survival game hires new developers. He revealed that those looking to join the team are essentially required to play games on Steam.

ポケットペアはプランナーにはSteamのゲームのプレイ履歴のスクリーンショットを提出して貰っています。（そもそもSteam未プレイの人は書類選考通過しない）… https://t.co/maBTOxwS7s

— Takuro Mizobe | Palworld (@urokuta_ja) January 23, 2026

"In fact, if you don't play games on Steam at all, you won't make it past the resume screening stage," Mizobe said.

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The Animal Crossing design world is buzzing after the recent New Horizons 3.0 update. After many players assumed Nintendo was done adding content to its charming island villages, a surprise addition--a hotel perched at the end of one island dock--brought new life to the game’s design scene.

Much like the Happy Home Paradise DLC, the hotel gives players prompts to design rooms that visiting villagers can enjoy. Some designers stick closely to these prompts, while others take a more experimental approach, creating spaces that push the boundaries of what a hotel room should be. Here are some of the most memorable designs that have popped up in the short time since the update went live.

The shoddy wall fan and old TV really sell this motel's vibe. Credit: accidentalnipples

One standout creation leans into chaos rather than comfort. User accidentalnipples designed a motel room with bulky electronics, outdated appliances, and a smattering of cockroaches. Leilani, the hotel operator, perfectly sums up the experience: She calls this room “memorable” for its guests. It’s the kind of design that makes makes you laugh--a testament to the playful freedom the update encourages. No one will actually want to stay here, but it's not like the game gives them a choice.

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The ability to have a canine companion in Playground Games' upcoming Fable reboot was left on the cutting room floor, a decision the game's director said a "substantial" number of people on the development team have yet to forgive him about.

Fans finally got an in-depth look at Fable as part of the recent Xbox Developer Direct showcase, and one feature was notably absent--there was no dog. Fable 2, released in 2008, revolved around players and their dog, with the animal companion playing a major role in combat and the game's story. Fable 3 also featured a dog, though in a less pronounced way than its predecessor.

With all that in mind, the choice for the reboot to not include one definitely raised some eyebrows. In an interview with IGN, Fable game director Ralph Fulton said the dog was going to be in the game, but he made the choice to "cut it a while back" for "development reasons."

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If you're a dedicated The Sims player, you've likely heard of one of the game's most taboo but oh-so popular mods: Wicked Whims. First released nearly a decade ago, the adult-oriented mod adds some seriously spicy content to the game--full nudity, a lot of creative WooHoo positions, and the capacity for group ... activities, to name a few. However, it's also worth noting the mod also adds next-level physiological immersion too, as it includes menstrual cycles, fertility tracking, birth control, and STIs in addition to its erotic offerings. As someone who has dabbled with the mod on more than a few occasions, I can attest to it being a wildly impressive mod that completely alters how The Sims 4 plays. And according to its developer, a lot of the game's players are taking advantage of that.

In a recent interview with German news site Taz (which was later reported on by PC Gamer), Wicked Whims creator Turbodriver shared a staggering statistic regarding how often his mod is launched. According to Turbodriver, Wicked Whims is used around 400,000 times per day. "That's how often my server is pinged, at least," Turbodriver told Taz. He noted that the server is pinged whenever someone starts the game and with the mod installed; with that in mind, that number doesn't directly equate to the amount of players but rather reflects how often Wicked Whims users boot up The Sims 4.

Regardless, Wicked Whims being booted up 400,000 is an astounding accomplishment, particularly for a mod. To put things into perspective, multiple data collection sites report that Fortnite sees anywhere from 700,000 to 1.5 millions players daily. Though not a direct comparison, it's still emphasizes just how popular Wicked Whims is.

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2025 was a big year for Arc Raiders, but Embark Studios is hoping 2026 will be even bigger. The team has revealed its 2026 roadmap, or at least part of it. Plans for the first four months of the year have officially been revealed, with the team adding new projects (limited-time events), multiple new enemies, and its first new map since last year's claustrophobic Stella Montis joined the world of Arc Raiders. Below we go over everything players can expect to hit the game each month between January and April.

Arc Raiders update - January 2026

The month is almost over, but a big update is still on the way before the calendar turns to February. The team is adding a new matchmaking option that's reserved for players 40 or higher, a new minor map condition, and a new player project, which has typically meant a limited-time event with free cosmetics. Collectively, this will be called the Headwinds update.

Arc Raiders 2026 roadmap

One thing the team isn't yet ready to do, for this month and all others listed in this article, is go into specifics. For example, we know of the new map condition coming, but not what it is exactly.

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The use of AI tools in game development has been a controversial topic, as more developers have begun using the toolset, including Final Fantasy Remake Part 3 publisher Square Enix. Speaking to GameSpot, game director Naoki Hamaguchi said he and his colleagues use AI to handle the more menial aspects of game development, while the creative side remains in human hands.

"My stance hasn't changed on depending on AI to produce something or to create something," Hamaguchi said. " I don't rely on AI to come up with ideas and things like that. That said, AI is a tool that I and other colleagues would utilize so that our tasks would become much smoother, or some of the menial tasks are taken care of by AI.  I think it's becoming more and more necessary. I think the purpose of utilizing these tools is so that creators will have a better environment so that they can work more efficiently and they can explore more creative options."

Checking in-development video games for bugs and other issues can be a thankless--and repetitive task--and this is where AI came in handy, Hamaguchi said. By shifting this inglorious part of the development process to automated AI, it also helped "reduce the stress" on the person responsible for that task, Hamaguchi claimed.

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The "Remake" in Final Fantasy VII Remake refers to much more than just the technical aspects of the original 1997 game being remade. The remaking of fate is a core concept of the title that adds additional layers to its story. Remake’s sequel, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, continues that trend by exploring a world reborn by the machinations of the game’s antagonist Sephiroth.

As such, it stands to reason that the final game in the trilogy will use a similar naming convention that ties into the reimagining’s meta narrative. And, according to that game’s director Naoki Hamaguchi, the third and final installment’s title has been decided by the trilogy’s creative director Tetsuya Nomura. "I remember an interview I did at Paris Games Week about how we’d narrowed it down to two [names]," says Hamaguchi. "It was up to Mr. Nomura to decide which it is. And yes, after returning from Paris Games Week, he did choose one, so I can say the title has been locked."

Hamaguchi is in New York City to promote the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2, giving us the opportunity to speak with him about the franchise. Regarding the game’s performance on the device--which has been received positively by even the most diehard of pixel peepers--Hamaguchi says that while it was relatively smooth getting the game running on the hardware, the team spent a lot of time trying to achieve a stable frame rate.

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Although Square Enix has already decided when to announce Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, that time hasn't come just yet. But while promoting the newly released Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 ports of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed that the third game in the trilogy will bring back the popular Queen's Blood card game as well as Cloud's snowboarding sequence from the original game.

"Queen's Blood is a very popular and beloved minigame, and I believe a lot of people are still wanting something like that," said Hamaguchi during an interview with Polygon. "I want to expand on Queen's Blood so that we are enhancing it, and giving you a more powered-up version of it when you see that third installment … Queen's Blood is still going to be available in the third installment. We just want to expand on it."

Hamaguchi declined to share many specific details about the snowboarding sequence, but he did say it won't simply be a minigame as it was in the original Final Fantasy 7. Instead, his team wants "to make sure that it's incorporated into the story to have that sort of connection with the theming of it."

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Extraction shooters are currently taking the world by storm, and Bungie is eager to make its mark on the genre with its fast-paced first-person shooter Marathon. Much like Arc Raiders--another popular entry in the world of extraction shooters--Marathon is a much more accessible experience compared to more hardcore titles in the genre, but it still comes packing plenty of danger around every corner. As such, you'll want to have a team to watch your back--meaning you'll need to bring along some friends you can trust.

If you're diving into Marathon and looking to link up with your pals, you'll probably be asking whether the game features cross-play support. Below, we'll answer that question, as well as share information about Marathon's cross-progression options so that you can know what to expect before you even boot up the game.

Does Marathon have cross-play?

If you're hoping to play Marathon with your friends on different platforms, you'll be thrilled to hear that Marathon features cross-play. This means that you can team up with players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or PC, regardless of where you choose to play.

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Team Ninja's super-hard souls-like Nioh 3 lands on February 6 for PC and PlayStation 5, and ahead of its imminent launch, the studio dropped a 17-minute gameplay overview showing off everything you'll do in the action-RPG--from battling historical figures and giant monsters to purifying areas and becoming Shogun.

The gameplay overview takes you on a whirlwind of excursions, revealing that you're a time-jumping ninja-samurai on a quest to understand why your brother stole the title of Shogun--the military leader and de facto ruler of Japan--and betrayed his countrymen. (Probably for power, as is always the case.) You'll go from the Edo period (approximately 1601 to 1868) back to the Heian period (roughly 794 to 1185) through to the Sengoku (1467 to 1615) and Bakumatsu eras (1853 to 1868) to uncover the truth behind the Crucible's emergence.

To do all of that, you'll equip yourself with all sorts of weapons--from claws, fists, and odachis to scythes, katanas, and kusarigamas--to slay or get slain as you battle well-trained samurai and freakishly huge monsters on your path toward cleansing the lands of evil. The Crucible, a horrifying realm spawning and enhancing the monstrous creatures overwhelming Japan, is the source, and Nioh 3 will test your patience and resolve to survive long enough to kill everyone and save everything else.

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The "one-person, one-dog action-RPG" Beast of Reincarnation looks like a larger endeavor than developer Game Freak's previous titles--large enough to require support from outside partners to bring the studio's vision to life.

Speaking to IGN, game director Kota Furushima said that Game Freak's team is "quite large," but the studio "managed to seek out a lot of partner companies" and was "lucky to have a lot of people working on it externally as well." A PR representative clarified with IGN that Game Freak's internal team for Beast of Reincarnation is "relatively small" and is still leading the project in a core role.

Neither Furushima nor the PR spokesperson gave any numbers for how large or small Game Freak's team is. Working with external partners isn't unusual for a AAA video game--the credits for Game Freak's Pokemon Legends: Z-A list around 30 partner companies that worked on the project.

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Nintendo has announced a new Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct, and it's not being held on a weekday. Nintendo fans can get an "exclusive look" at the sequel to the Super Mario Bros. Movie on Sunday, January 25, at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.

Beyond that, Nintendo is staying tight-lipped about what else you can expect or how long the Direct will run. This will be focused purely on the animated movie, which sees the return of Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. New additions to the cast include Brie Larson as Rosalina and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.

Join us on Sunday, Jan 25, at 6am PT for the #NintendoDirect featuring an exclusive look at The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Please note that no game information will be included in this presentation.
Watch here: https://t.co/gTC114mMLz pic.twitter.com/4DOoFU1fFJ

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 23, 2026

The first trailer for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie was officially shown off last year, and was followed up by a brief scene where Mario and Luigi chat with Bowser, who is still imprisoned in Princess Peach's castle after he was shrunk down from his monstrous size. The scene ended with the appearance of Bowser Jr., who is aiming to break his dad out of his makeshift prison.

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While Microsoft has stated an intention to bring its games to Nintendo Switch 2, Fable won't be one of them--at least, not immediately. According to Windows Central's Jez Corden, a port is "under consideration for the future."

Corden claimed in an X post that a version of Playground Games's reboot of Fable for Switch 2 "isn't 100% definite for now." In a follow-up post, Corden stated that a port is not currently in development because of "purely logistics," but he expressed belief that it'll eventually happen.

Putting Fable on Switch 2 would fit with Xbox's multiplatform strategy--it's coming to PlayStation 5, after all. While the rollout of Microsoft-owned titles on Nintendo's new machine has been slow so far, both Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and South of Midnight are slated to release on Switch 2 this year.

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A romanticized slice of Japan is the playground that Forza Horizon 6 takes place in, but if this week's Developer Direct livestream is any indicator, the game looks like it'll have plenty of anime inspiration under its hood. One such example was seen in Forza Horizon 6's Touge Battle mode, which looks like it was pulled straight from the cult-classic street-racing manga and anime series Initial D.

The Touge Battle mode was briefly described by developer Playground Games as a series of nighttime races down Japanese mountain passes, and to hammer home the Initial D influence, the gameplay footage showed a Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 drifting through tight corners. The same car used by the manga's protagonist--and which has become an icon of street racing over the years--the tribute to the series was joined by a very brief glimpse of what appeared to be a full-sized Gundam.

If previous games with their showcase races are any indicator, don't be too surprised if you're tasked with racing a skyscraper-sized robot in Forza Horizon 6.

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Cult of the Lamb's massive new paid expansion Woolhaven is out today, marking the biggest influx of new content since the game released in 2022. The $17 expansion takes the cult and its followers to the wintry new region of Woolhaven, the ancestral home of the Lambs.

Devolver Digital and developer Massive Monster celebrated Woolhaven's release with an animated trailer showing the spirits of Lambs past helping the Lamb face off against new enemies in the snowy mountains. Devolver also hosted a live stream where players could watch a Lamb ice sculpture slowly melting--with just a tiny bit of help from a blowtorch.

Players hoping to get stuck into Woolhaven will need to have played the base game to near completion, as the DLC picks up after the end of the game. Continuing the main story of the Lamb and their growing cult, Woolhaven explores the history of lambkind, tasking the player with restoring an abandoned village to its former glory and restoring the power of Yngya, the forgotten god of the Lambs.

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One of the biggest stories to emerge out of this week's Xbox Developer Direct was the long-awaited update about the new Fable reboot. It's been 15 years since Fable 3 wrapped up the original trilogy, but one of the franchise's key features won't be returning in the new game.

In the first three Fable games, the physical appearance of player characters changed depending on their moral alignment. This was called "morphing," and players who were particularly bad took on a devilish appearance complete with horns. According to Fable general manager and director Ralph Fulton, that won't be the case in the new game.

"That sort of character morphing feature--obviously a really central part of the original games--it's not in ours," Fulton told IGN. "There is no objective good and evil. And the original games were predicated on there being an objective good and an objective evil, and you were somewhere along that scale, and that's what determined how your appearance changed. But for us, that doesn't really work. The way I've described our morality system working, you're never that thing, absolutely. You're different things to different people based on what they like or what they choose to value. So, that's one reason that it didn't work."

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