One of the first scenes of Yakuza Kiwami 3 sees protagonist Kazuma Kiryu paying respects at a cemetery. Interact with any of the tombstones lined up in a row, and you'll witness a moment of remembrance. Kiryu, in his thoughts, recalls the deceased's deeds, their shared bond, and how much they meant to him. In turn, you're given the option to watch a story recap of the Yakuza entry in which the character was featured. While the original Yakuza 3 also had this option, the scene as a whole takes on a different meaning in Kiwami 3, showing footage of the previous Kiwami games. In a way, this retelling makes it clear that these remake treatments are now the intended story. The problem is that the array of narrative, mechanical, and stylistic changes that came with these iterations, which are handled more bluntly in the latest entry, are altering what made the originals stand out in the first place.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties gives yet another main entry in the action-adventure series the remake treatment, while also including a new, separate experience featuring a different protagonist, similarly to the Majima Saga portion in Kiwami 2. It is perhaps the most important remake of the first five games. Technically speaking, Yakuza 3 saw developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio experimenting with a new engine after its two predecessors, which, despite an effort to iron it out with a remaster in 2019, hasn't aged gracefully. In addition, it is a key entry in the series, marking a crucial moment in Kiryu's characterization as he tries, and ultimately fails, to escape the trappings of the underworld to run an orphanage on the picturesque beaches of Okinawa. His past ultimately comes back to haunt him once more, reminding him that there's no reprieve from his phantoms.

For the most part, the broader strokes of Kiryu's story remain untouched. Yet, the considerable technology jump does affect the overall ambiance. This is due to Ryu Ga Gotoku recreating environments and characters with modern renditions rooted in the engine used for recent entries in the Yakuza and the larger Like a Dragon ecosystem. The result is a bit too cleaned and polished, dimming the grit of the main locations--Kamurocho and Okinawa--as well as the contrast between them. The stylistic choices, especially around lightning, make them feel like an extension of each other rather than separate areas with distinct thematic purposes. This extension also applies to the Kiwami games as a whole. Considering this is the third remake of its type, the art style is beginning to feel homogenized, losing the charm of each original entry having a specific mood reflecting the story.

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Between the construction of a Not-A-Death-Star and the subsequent theft of plans for this symbol of planetary destruction/peace, things have been busy in Helldivers 2 as players prepare for the invasion of Cyberstan starting February 10. The homeworld of the Automatons has also been preparing for the arrival of Super Earth's finest, and when the Helldivers touch down, they can expect to be met with an old foe: Cyborgs fueled by "rage and socialism" as they march on troops.

Arrowhead Games revealed that players will have three new classes of enemies to take on when they land on Cyberstan: The Agitator, the Radicals, and the Vox Engine. The Agitator is equipped with heavy armor and will take control of Automaton units, effectively coordinating their movements. The Radical is an engine of destruction, hellbent on closing the gap and delivering a roundhouse kick to your Helldiver. Meanwhile, the Vox Engine is a weaponized mobile propaganda platform armed with lasers, rockets, and programmed to spread undemocratic lies on the battlefield.

Cyborgs were introduced in the first Helldivers game--portrayed as anti-democratic dissidents who illegally left Super Earth--and Helldivers 2's Automatons are seen as their successors. Naturally, Super Earth's current war on every non-human intelligent species has left the Cyborgs feeling a bit miffed. The return of the Cyborg legions was first teased on Arrowhead's social media, after the studio was "hacked" to broadcast a message by the Automatons. Uploaded in binary, the video message reads:

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Starting in March, all Discord users will be switched to a "teen-appropriate experience" unless they can verify that they're an adult. The social platform is implementing age verification protocols that may ask users for facial scans or identification documents, a policy tested in the United Kingdom and Australia beginning last year.

A press release from Discord explains that the age verification process may be required to "change certain settings or access sensitive content," including "age-restricted channels, servers, or commands and select message requests." The global rollout of this protocol will arrive months after a hack affected millions of Discord users and exposed age verification-related data. Discord said that it partnered with a different third-party vendor for age verification after the data breach.

Discord will soon be expanding teen safety protections worldwide including teen-by-default settings and age assurance designed to create safer experiences for teens.
We’re also launching recruitment for Discord's first Teen Council, creating a space for teen voices to help shape… pic.twitter.com/CW7G4sO38R

— Discord Support (@discord_support) February 9, 2026copy

On Discord's end, the company promises that its "age assurance" approaches will protect user privacy, saying that video selfies, which AI will use to estimate a user's age, will never leave their device, and that any identity documents users submit will be deleted immediately after their age is confirmed.

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The Walt Disney Company recently named a new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, and now it's been reported that the months-long search to find a new top executive disrupted plans for gaming.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the plans for leadership change at Disney "made it difficult to make consequential decisions about Disney's future." This apparently impacted Disney's gaming plans specifically.

"In recent months, executives have discussed potential partnerships with game companies, but shelved the topic until a new CEO started," the WSJ reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

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After some rumors in the past couple of weeks that it was in the works, the first PlayStation State of Play of 2026 has been confirmed for February 12 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET.

Official PlayStation social media accounts have confirmed not only the date and timing of the event, but also that it will include "60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe." No word on what that 60+ minutes will include has been confirmed by Sony nor by any third-party developers.

A new State of Play airs February 12.
Tune in for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe: https://t.co/wz6dklBvoa pic.twitter.com/VRStSNZ6RM

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 9, 2026

PlayStation's first-party portfolio for 2026 already includes MLB The Show 26, Saros from Housemarque, and two Marvel projects in Insomniac's Wolverine and Arc System Works's Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Last week, Guerrilla Games also announced Horizon Hunters Gathering, a co-op multiplayer project set in the Horizon universe.

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Overwatch is dropping the "2" from its name and rebooting for a new era of story-driven gameplay, and already the refresh seems to be drawing players back. Overwatch hit a peak of almost 70,000 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, the highest the sequel has seen since its all-time peak on its Steam launch day.

According to Steam charts, Overwatch (which still retains the 2 on Steam for the time being) hit a peak of 69,881 concurrent players over the weekend--shockingly close to its launch day high of 75,608, and higher than it has been in the two and a half years since. The peak in players even saw Overwatch creep past Call of Duty and Battlefield 6--though neither of them are particularly dominant on Steam.

Overwatch has not had a great history with Steam, where its lifetime reviews are only around 27% positive, and concurrent players quickly dropped off after peaking on release day. It's a surprise to many to see player numbers picking up on the platform, when the game's first rebooted season hasn't even launched yet--though a limited-time trial for new hero Anran is currently active.

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Monday Syndrome is a singleplayer action roguelike where you play as an intern that's trapped in a hellish office. Descend into a satirical corporate hell, battling demonic coworkers with absurd office supply weapons in an endless, procedurally generated tower. Can you survive the eternal 9-to-5?

Fifteen years after Avyanna freed Nevendaar from the tyrannical grip of the gods, Disciples: Domination returns you to a realm hanging in the balance. In this dark fantasy strategy RPG with turn-based combat, take your place on Queen Avyanna’s throne - and attempt to hold together a crumbling kingdom. The fire of doubt burns scorching within her, sparked by the crushing weight of the throne in Yllian and stoked by twisted dreams of becoming one of the very monsters she once defied - and destroyed. Paralyzed by fear and haunted by her own power, Avyanna’s rule begins to crack. Allies disappear and abandon her. An unknown force spreads strife and madness through her realm. The choice is yours - shape the future, for salvation or ruin. As you chase the truths behind the ceaseless conflicts, dark magic and lurking conspiracies infecting your rotting empire, you’ll face betrayal, strife, and shadowy schemes.

Goblin Sushi mixes roguelike elements with restaurant simulation madness; and of course you are a goblin - rolling up Sushi - for goblins. Roll a huge selection of delicious looking sushi. Made from everyday goblin cave ingredients: caterpillars, slugs, chicken heads, and freshly blended toads. Improve your restaurant, the menu, and above all, your cash flow! Tinker with powerful sushi combos, turbocharge your rice cooker, or just screw everything and serve exquisite poop. Even as a goblin entrepreneur, your biggest enemy is your landlord. Tenant protection was never invented, so rent is due every two minutes and rises at an inflationary rate. Pay off your landlord. Until the very end...