The patch coincides with a brief server maintenance period on March 11 at 9 PM PDT (March 12 at 4 AM GMT), expected to last approximately two hours. No balance changes or new content have been introduced in this update.

Street Fighter 6 Update 1.19 Patch Notes

Ranked Match

• Win Streak Bonus Introduced:
  • Players in Platinum and Diamond ranks will now earn a win streak bonus after securing ten or more consecutive victories.
  • This change is designed to encourage high-level competitive play and reward consistent performance.

Training Mode

• Character Color Fix:
  • Fixed an issue where certain character colors were not properly applied in Training Mode.

Capcom has confirmed that no battle content adjustments were made in this patch. Further gameplay or balance updates may be introduced in future patches.

Street Fighter 6, developed and published by Capcom, is the seventh main entry in the long-running Street Fighter franchise. Built on the RE Engine, the game features cross-platform play, rollback netcode, and real-time tournament-style commentary. Since its launch in 2023, Street Fighter 6 has received widespread critical acclaim, selling over 4.40 million units as of December 31, 2024.

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PC System Requirements for InZOI

Optimal Settings Explained

Since InZOI runs on Unreal Engine 5, adjusting graphical settings can significantly impact performance, even on systems with similar specifications. The developers have outlined how different factors such as resolution, storage type, and rendering techniques can influence gameplay.

Key Performance Factors:

• Resolution Impact:
  • 1920×1080 (FHD) = 2.07 million pixels
  • 2560×1440 (QHD) = 3.68 million pixels (1.77x more than FHD)
  • 3840×2160 (4K) = 8.29 million pixels (4x more than FHD)
  • Higher resolutions require more GPU power and VRAM, leading to lower frame rates.
• Storage Considerations:
  • SSDs improve loading times, texture streaming, and frame rate stability.
  • HDDs may lead to texture pop-in and slower loading times.

Preset Options for Optimal Performance

The game will feature eight preset configurations catering to different playstyles and system capabilities:

• Better Graphics: Maximizes visual fidelity but may result in lower frame rates and longer load times.
• Better Performance: Prioritizes smooth gameplay, reducing visual quality to maintain stability.

InZOI is an upcoming life simulation game developed by inZOI Studio and published by Krafton. The game will launch in early access for Windows on March 28, 2025, with a console release planned for a later date.

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No major balance changes have been implemented in this patch, as Bandai Namco has announced that significant character adjustments will arrive with Season 2, launching on April 1, 2025. More details will be shared in upcoming Tekken Talk Live broadcasts.

Tekken 8 Update 1.013 Patch Notes

Tekken Shop

• New Content:
  • Heihachi Costume 01 added as a revival outfit for Heihachi.
• Special Deals:
  • Limited-time discounts on selected items during the event period.

Tekken Fight Lounge

• New “Ghost vs. Ghost” Feature:

  • AI-learned player ghosts can now battle each other.
  • Players can initiate Ghost battles by selecting “Battle Ghosts” in the Lounge.
  • Three combat strategies added for AI behavior:
    • Aggressive: Focuses on offense.
    • Defensive: Focuses on defense.
    • Balance: A mix of offense and defense.
  • Additional updates planned:
    • May (v2.01): Ghost deletion, AI learning toggle, and “Tekken Ghost Showdown” mode.
    • June (v2.02): AI command input and ghost behavior refinement.

• Special Ghosts & Character Panels:

  • Five new special ghosts introduced.
  • Defeating a special ghost grants a unique character panel featuring Tekken Fandom Campaign fan art.
  • Special ghosts will be replaced in the next update on April 1.

• Player Information Display Option:

  • Players can now hide their information on avatars.
  • Toggle between Tekken 8 in-game name, platform account name, Tekken ID, or hide the display.

Playable Characters

• Move Fixes & Adjustments:
  • No balance adjustments in this update.
  • Season 2 will introduce major balance changes on April 1, 2025.
  • Further details to be revealed in upcoming Tekken Talk Live broadcasts.

Upcoming Events & Streams

• March: “Tekken Talk Live Season 2 & Anna Special”

  • YouTube: Watch Here
  • Twitch: Watch Here
  • Airing: March 24, 2025 (JST) / March 23, 2025 (PDT).

• February: “Tekken Talk Live Season 2 Special”

  • YouTube Archive: Watch Here

Tekken 8, developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika, launched on January 26, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It is the first main Tekken entry to debut on home consoles instead of arcades.

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Release Date and Pre-Orders

Pre-orders for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will begin on March 17, 2025, at 10 AM local time. Fans will have the option to choose between multiple editions, each offering exclusive bonuses and content.

Collector’s Edition

For dedicated fans, the Collector’s Edition is priced at $229.99 USD, €249.99, or ¥31,980, offering a premium package filled with both physical and digital collectibles. This edition includes:

• 48-hour early access to the game
• 15” Magellan Man Statue
• 3” Dollman figurine
• Exclusive art cards
• A personal letter from Hideo Kojima
• In-game items, including early weapon unlocks and gold-level skeletons
• Pre-order bonuses, such as a Quokka Hologram and silver-level skeletons

Digital Deluxe and Standard Editions

For those who prefer digital versions, Death Stranding 2 will be available in two additional editions:

• Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99 USD, €89.99, ¥9,980)

  • 48-hour early access
  • Gold-level skeletons and additional in-game items
  • Exclusive patches

• Digital Standard Edition ($69.99 USD, €79.99, ¥8,980)

  • Full game
  • Pre-order bonuses, including the Quokka Hologram and silver-level skeletons

“Stranding Harmony” Concert Series

In addition to the game’s release, Kojima Productions has announced a global concert tour, the “Stranding Harmony” Concert Series, featuring music from the Death Stranding franchise performed by a full orchestra. The tour will commence on November 8, 2025, at the Sydney Opera House, with more dates expected to be announced soon.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is currently slated to launch exclusively on the PS5 on June 26, 2025.

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According to the ESRB rating summary, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers will feature intense violence, blood and gore, suggestive themes, and strong language. Players will assume the role of Bai Wuchang, a female pirate navigating the war-torn and plague-ridden lands of Shu during the late Ming Dynasty. Combat will involve melee-based encounters using swords and axes, with enemies emitting significant blood splatter upon being struck. The game will also depict severed limbs, corpse piles, and grotesque mounds of flesh, reinforcing its dark and atmospheric setting.

In addition to its graphic violence, the game contains suggestive themes, including female characters designed with revealing outfits and physics-based movement of their clothing. The word “sh*t” is also present in the dialogue. Players will explore various locations such as mountain passes, ancient temples, and enemy strongholds while battling human bandits and supernatural creatures, including undead beings and mutated monsters.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a soulslike action RPG set in the chaotic late Ming Dynasty, specifically in the land of Shu, where warring factions and a mysterious illness have spawned monstrous creatures. Players assume the role of Wuchang, a skilled pirate warrior who suffers from amnesia and is afflicted by the terrifying Feathering disease. As Wuchang, you must uncover the truth about your past while battling grotesque abominations and navigating a perilous world.

The game is scheduled to launch in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S|X.

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Despite this upcoming update, Capcom has noted that not all known issues will be addressed in this version. A list of remaining problems, including network errors when firing an SOS flare and blunt weapon attacks from Palicos failing to inflict proper stun and exhaust damage, has also been provided.

Patch Notes for Monster Hunter Wilds Update 1.000.05.00

Issues Planned to Be Addressed:

• The Meal Invitation event at Azuz and Sild may not trigger under certain conditions.
• Equipment Loadout issues that cause:
  • Decorations to be removed from equipment.
  • Bowgun Customization to revert to default settings.
  • Kinsects to reset to their initial rarity.
• Severed monster parts incorrectly turning into parts from a different monster.
• Gravios failing to gain flinch resistance after its parts are broken.
• Certain situations causing crashes or unusual monster behavior.
• Some skills unintentionally activating under specific conditions.
• Some items and rewards can be obtained repeatedly under unintended conditions.
• Fish do not swim away when using a capture net.
• Some environmental elements, such as floating debris, can be activated multiple times.
• Progression block in Main Mission: Chapter 5-1 “Omens.”
• The Palico support move Attract Vigorwasps may cause hunters to become unresponsive.
• Scrolling through the quest list only displays the first 20 quests correctly.
• A game crash may occur when loading save data that previously encountered a forced quit.

Known Issues as of March 7, 2025:

• A network error occurs when firing an SOS flare immediately after a quest begins.
• Link Members are not given priority over other players in some locations, including Base Camps.
• Palico blunt weapon attacks do not properly inflict stun or exhaust damage.
• Editing the Hunter Profile may not function correctly on some occasions.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest entry in Capcom’s action RPG franchise and serves as the successor to Monster Hunter: World. The game launched on February 28, 2025, for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, featuring cross-platform play.

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Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the most ambitious entries in the series, and not just because of its visuals or demanding system requirements. While it’s known on PC for pushing even high-end hardware to its limits, it still represents a solid evolution over Monster Hunter World and its more streamlined successor, Monster Hunter Rise. Free from the limitations of older consoles and dated hardware, the developers have fully utilized the new RE Engine to deliver ray-traced visuals and smooth animations. However, this comes at the cost of hefty system requirements, much like Dragon’s Dogma 2. It’s clear by now that while the RE Engine is technically impressive, it struggles to optimize and scale well for open-world games.

Despite these flaws, the gameplay in Monster Hunter Wilds is some of the most complex in the franchise. With a wide variety of weapons to master and a massive arsenal of items and equipment to collect, there’s plenty to keep players engaged. The monsters are as fearsome as ever, animated with a lifelike ferocity that makes them both awe-inspiring and challenging to defeat.

This is definitely not a game to jump into if you’re new to the Monster Hunter franchise. While the developers have included tutorials at every step to explain the basic gameplay mechanics, the combat and the various elements of the progression system can still feel overwhelming for newcomers. The game doesn’t fully open up until you’re several hours into the story. The initial hunts are against standard monsters, but once the game introduces the larger, more fearsome beasts, that’s when the gameplay truly shines.

My first experience with the franchise was Monster Hunter World, as I never played the earlier games on PSP or 3DS. Monster Hunter World was ambitious for its time, but it featured segmented world maps with limited traversal. Monster Hunter Wilds takes things a step further, offering a more expansive and interconnected world map that makes you feel like you’re part of a much larger environment. The story follows familiar genre tropes, with you playing as a hunter tasked with venturing into the Forbidden Lands. This area has been untouched by humans for a long time until a group of hunters, including the main character, stumbles upon a young boy named Nata. He tells them about the Forbidden Lands and a monster called the “White Wraith” that attacked his people. The journey to the Forbidden Lands is supported by a cast of interesting NPCs, like Gemma, the blacksmith, and Anna, a seasoned hunter, who add depth and charm to the adventure. You also have your trusty Palico by your side, assisting not just in hunts but throughout your journey.

The game has a fairly accessible tutorial system, especially considering the 14 different weapons available. Hunters typically start with one main weapon, and a secondary weapon is unlocked after completing the initial quests. The game provides an easy-to-use interface to help you figure out which weapon suits your playstyle best. For me, it was the Gunlance, which offered a great balance of attack and defense, allowing me to get up close to monsters and take them down efficiently.

Each monster in the game is a masterpiece. The developers have put incredible effort into designing these creatures, giving them unique habitats, behaviors, and characteristics. The main story isn’t overly long, taking around 30 to 40 hours to complete if you focus on the main content. It’s not an extremely challenging game, and the developers have ensured that even solo players can summon AI hunters to assist during hunts, making it easier to tackle monsters without needing friends to join. Side activities like crafting, charms, and cooking also help make low-rank hunts more manageable, so the main story rarely feels too difficult.

Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t your typical action game. The weapons feel weighty and require precise strikes on the weak or damaged parts of monsters. The new Focus Mode mechanic makes this process easier by allowing you to target specific areas more effectively. Monsters can now become wounded if you repeatedly hit the same body part, exposing it and making it more vulnerable to further damage.

The story mode is highly cinematic, with plenty of cutscenes that detail every major event. These aren’t short clips either—many are lengthy, action-packed sequences that require minimal player input but keep you engaged. The game’s focus isn’t on fighting large groups of enemies but rather on taking down massive, fearsome beasts that can overwhelm you with a single attack. Quick shortcuts tied to trigger buttons let you summon hunters, use a whetstone, or heal on the fly, keeping the action smooth and intuitive.

The new gameplay additions include the ability to build traps to use against monsters. The environment plays a key role in this mechanic, allowing players to interact with specific parts of the map to set up traps or trigger them from a distance using the Slinger. You can choose to ignore these traps, but some hunts tie optional objectives to using them. Completing high-ranked hunts with these challenges leads to better rewards. Even just exploring the map to survey an area can result in unexpected encounters with wild monsters, some of which are more aggressive and short-tempered than others.

I tested the game on a PC with an RTX 3080, a mid-range CPU, and 32 GB of RAM, but even that setup struggled to maintain a stable 60 FPS. I had to tweak several settings, including turning off ray-tracing, to achieve the performance I wanted. After adjusting, most of my experience was smooth, though I did encounter traversal stutter while exploring the world on my 4K VRR display. That said, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the game. The developers are still working on optimizations, so it’s likely that future patches will improve performance further.

Monster Hunter Wilds Game Information

• Price: $69.99
• Publisher: Capcom
• Developer: Capcom
• Platform: PC (Reviewed)
• Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher

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The protagonist, Takeshi Kuranari, is an ordinary college student whose life takes a dramatic turn when he visits an underwater theme park called LeMU. During his trip, he becomes trapped in the park alongside a handful of other individuals, and together they must find a way to escape this underwater nightmare. If this setup reminds you of Uchikoshi’s more recent games, you’re not wrong to think so.

The remastered version features an improved art style that stays true to the original while looking more visually appealing than Never 7. Even though the game was originally released over two decades ago, the writing still holds up remarkably well. The best part is that you don’t need to play the other games in the series to enjoy this one—it works perfectly as a standalone story. There are only subtle thematic connections between Never 7 and Ever 17, so you can start with either game without missing much.

While it might sound like a thriller, Ever 17 has its fair share of slice-of-life moments. Between the tense and stressful scenes, there are long stretches of calm where the story takes its time to introduce the main cast. This, however, is also one of the game’s drawbacks—it takes a while to really get going. If you can push through the slower opening hours, the story does improve significantly. Like Never 7, the game features different character routes that depend on the choices you make early on.

Exploring these routes helps build the world’s lore and gives a deeper understanding of the story. While the narrative is stronger here, the English localization still has occasional issues, like typos, which make it feel like there wasn’t enough quality control. The new sci-fi setting adds a layer of mystery that was missing in Never 7. LeMU might seem like an exciting underwater theme park at first, but it hides dark secrets that create a sense of despair for the characters.

Another strength of the game is how Uchikoshi has put more effort into developing the cast. The characters feel more fleshed out, making it easier to connect with them. As mentioned earlier, the experience is more linear compared to the time loops in Never 7. While the different routes offer unique perspectives, they sometimes repeat the same scenarios, which can’t be skipped. Additionally, some scenes feel like filler and don’t contribute much to the story. Trimming these could have helped improve the pacing.

The different endings in the game offer a fresh perspective on the events, showing them through the eyes of different characters. Completing every route eventually leads to a final outcome that completely shifts how you see the world and its characters. While some twists can be figured out if you pay close attention to the in-game hints, I was still completely surprised as the mystery slowly unfolded. The game doesn’t lean too heavily on romance, keeping the focus firmly on LeMU and the mystery surrounding it.

Ever 17 – The Out of Infinity Game Information

• Price: $29.99
• Publisher: Spike Chunsoft
• Developer: MAGES
• Platform: Switch (Reviewed)
• Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher

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The Infinity series consists of three games, and the new ports focus on two of them: Never 7 and Ever 17. While they are part of the same series, there isn’t a strong connection between the two, so players can enjoy them in any order. The story of Never 7 follows Makoto Ishihara, who wakes up from a dream in which a girl dies right in front of him. The dream takes place on April 6, but the story then rewinds to April 1, where Makoto is preparing to attend a special university seminar.

Never 7 starts off feeling like a traditional visual novel, with a focus on romance and relationships between the characters. However, the sci-fi elements are subtly introduced through a loop mechanic. Players can make choices that lead to different outcomes, and if a tragedy occurs, they can go back in time and try again. This mechanic, while straightforward, was innovative at the time and has since influenced many other visual novels. That said, by today’s standards, the impact of the different routes feels less pronounced, and the game might not feel as groundbreaking as it did when it first released.

Makoto has the ability to sense events before they happen, like the strange dream of a death occurring on April 6. Through his memories, he pieces together that this death might be linked to the sound of a bell. The story introduces many characters, and while the opening sets up expectations for the ending, there are still plenty of unanswered questions left for players to uncover. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t handle its characters particularly well, and their introductions feel lacking. Additionally, there are occasional issues with the English localization, where the tone and nuance of conversations sometimes feel lost in translation.

The art style is plain and somewhat generic, with nothing particularly eye-catching. This is partly due to the game’s age, as it was released a long time ago. While the remaster attempts to clean up the visuals, the character designs remain unchanged. The updated character art can be hit or miss, often giving off a low-quality, generic anime vibe. The music isn’t a strong point either, so it doesn’t leave much of an impression. Combined with average writing and a rather disappointing ending, this visual novel is hard to recommend.

That said, the story does offer some interesting twists, even if much of the narrative sticks to predictable tropes. The ending leaves certain elements ambiguous, leaving players to interpret the outcome. While I didn’t connect with the characters much, I was surprised by the number of choices available and how they impact the story. Ultimately, Never 7 isn’t a visual novel that will blow fans away, but considering its original release, it might be worth exploring to see how the medium has evolved over time.

Never 7 – The End of Infinity Game Information

• Price: $19.99
• Publisher: Spike Chunsoft
• Developer: MAGES
• Platform: Switch (Reviewed)
• Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher

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Team Asobi was founded in 2012 as an internal division of Japan Studio, based in Tokyo, with Nicolas Doucet leading the team. The studio’s name, Asobi—which means “play” in Japanese—reflects its focus on creating innovative and interactive gaming experiences. Initially, the team developed technical demonstrations before launching The Playroom, a pre-installed augmented reality game for PlayStation 4 that showcased the capabilities of the PlayStation Camera and DualShock 4 controller. Leveraging their experience with Sony’s EyeToy technology, Doucet and his team expanded their work into virtual reality with The Playroom VR, designed to highlight the features of the PlayStation VR headset.

A significant milestone for the team was the creation of a small robotic character initially named “A5081,” whose visual design resembled the word “ASOBI.” This character eventually became Astro Bot, the central figure in the studio’s later titles. The studio went on to develop Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a well-received PlayStation VR title, followed by Astro’s Playroom, which was pre-installed on PlayStation 5 consoles and served as both a platforming experience and a showcase of the new hardware’s features. The most significant achievement came in 2024 with the release of Astro Bot, a fully realized 3D platformer that received widespread critical acclaim and multiple Game of the Year awards.

Between late 2020 and early 2021, Japan Studio underwent significant restructuring, resulting in the departure of many staff members who were not part of Team Asobi. Sony Interactive Entertainment announced in April 2021 that Japan Studio would be reorganized around Team Asobi, citing the success of Astro’s Playroom as a key factor in the decision. By June 2021, Team Asobi had officially become an independent studio under PlayStation Studios, with Doucet continuing to serve as both studio director and creative director. This restructuring allowed Team Asobi to focus entirely on its unique brand of platforming and innovation, further cementing its role as one of PlayStation’s premier development teams.

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