Code Vein 2 is right around the corner, and it's poised to deliver both a mechanical evolution and a narrative reset for the anime RPG. Bandai Namco's latest keeps the fundamentals that made its predecessor a cult favorite, and transports them into a completely new world and story. Ahead of its release, I sat down with Code Vein 2 producer Keita Iizuka to discuss the new game's approach, why the developer is staying clear of gen-AI tools, and placing a greater focus on up-front story and characters, rather than leaning purely on the challenge of combat.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Code Vein 2 doesn't use generative AI because its dev values "art style" and the "cohesiveness" of its world

If you took the intense, brutal conflicts of Battlefield 1 and fused them into the combat simulation of TABS, you'd probably end up with something a lot like Rising Front. The sandbox war game is primarily focused on World War I, but also features scenarios for the American Revolutionary War and the Franco-Prussian War to mix up your play. It lets you simulate massive battles featuring all manner of infantry, ground vehicles, and planes, allowing you to command your army from an aerial strategic view or drop into the action to take control in first-person. And now it's finally out of early access, complete with a huge upgrade.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Blending Battlefield and TABS, WW1 sandbox Rising Front just hit version 1.0 with the addition of playable tanks and cavalry

The Destiny 2 Portal was one of Bungie's biggest recent gambles, and so far it's largely been a pretty disappointing one. Introduced as an overhaul to the iconic 'Director,' it aimed to wrestle the FPS game's increasingly cluttered and unwieldy map of destinations into a more streamlined progression system. The pitch was to offer "quick and clean access to a wider offering of activities with updated rewards," and while it does do that to some extent, it feels like it's lost a lot of its soul. Now, players are pointing back to an old Bungie GDC presentation that suggests the team had already considered something similar back during the early days of development, only to write it off.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: The Destiny 2 Portal is a disaster, and a 2016 GDC talk shows that Bungie already wrote off a similar idea a decade ago

When it comes to the best games like Diablo, there are plenty of real heavy hitters. While Path of Exile is still held up as the gold standard by most, I'll always make time for a new Torchlight Infinite season. XD's free-to-play ARPG is probably the fastest-moving around, and it packs so many additions into each major update that it rivals even the busiest patches Grinding Gear Games has to offer. The new Torchlight Infinite 'Vorax' update has just been revealed, and community manager Andre calls it "one of the most extensive" yet.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: New Torchlight Infinite update adds its fastest hero ever, and a crafting system that totally breaks the Diablo rival's build restrictions

The end of this week spells the final gasp for BioWare's Anthem. I suspect most people won't think too much about it - that's why, almost seven years after it first launched and five since EA pulled the plug on development, the Anthem servers are due to be shut off on Monday January 12. But I can't help feeling a real pang of sadness; Anthem as it launched wasn't the game it needed to be, and ultimately it never got there. But for me, it was so close that I could taste it - and now all that's left are the bitter memories of my favorite mech RPG that never quite was.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: As Anthem breathes its last, I still find myself mourning just how close it came to being the BioWare game of my dreams

The Final Fantasy 14 team at Square Enix has just done the smartest thing possible right now by capitalizing on the hugely positive response to patch 7.4 with the return of the FF14 free login campaign. The special event allows lapsed players to come back and check out the latest additions, from the new story content to the final act of Dawntrail's Arcadion raid series, along with all of the quality-of-life tools that have just been rolled out. With player sentiment at its highest since Endwalker wrapped up, it's a good time to find out why.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: The FF14 free login campaign is back, right as Square Enix finds the spark it was missing

Cry "Rock and Stone" and let slip the dwarves of war - Deep Rock Galactic is ready to reclaim its crown as one of the best co-op games on PC. The past year has been an incredible year for games designed to play with pals, and whether you love or hate the 'friendslop' term, your crew probably found a favorite or two among the likes of Peak, Repo, and Schedule 1. As we kick off 2026, however, I'm here to tell you that Deep Rock Galactic Season 6 is the perfect time to rediscover why it's still a serious contender for the title nearly six years on.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: The Deep Rock Galactic Season 6 release date is set, and the chaotic co-op champion is ready to return to its throne

What does 2026 hold for The Sims 4 and long-teased spinoff Project Rene? Developer Maxis and publisher EA are seemingly cooking up some big plans for the coming months and years, and there's probably some good and bad news depending on what brings you to the series. Personally, confirmation that Project Rene has now "evolved" into a social-focused, mobile-first game gets away from what I'm after. But the team says it's "committed to single-player life simulation experiences," and that's where we'll see the "next evolution" of The Sims.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: The Sims Project Rene just dropped down my wanted list, but EA's "next evolution" promises to take its place

After several rounds of initial testing, Epic has opened the door to "in-island transactions" in Fortnite, giving developers a way to sell items in their maps and experiences for V-Bucks. You'll want to be careful what you buy, however, because anything you get is limited to the island where you purchase it, and you typically won't be able to get a refund if the game in question goes away.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Fortnite now lets you buy in-island items directly from creators, but be careful if you do

The Overwatch 2 mid-season update has arrived, and I can feel the call of my heyday with its predecessor, beckoning me back like a siren song. That's because the new Overwatch 2 patch notes for Season 20 have dug the multiplayer game's Assault maps out of cold storage for a fresh round of Quick Play Hacked. As if that wasn't enough to put a smile on my face, Blizzard has given its excellent Spirit Showdown limited-time mode a spicy shakeup, and even delivered a Vendetta nerf among its many hero balance changes.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Overwatch 2 Hacked brings back some long-lost maps, and its best limited-time mode just got a chaotic buff

Larian Studios has emphasized that the upcoming Divinity will not use any art created by generative-AI tools, and that it will be refraining from using them in the concept art stage "to ensure there is no room for doubt." The next RPG from the creators of the world-beating Baldur's Gate 3 made its gruesome first splash at The Game Awards, but comments from game director Swen Vincke that the developer had been exploring the use of gen-AI led to intense community blowback. Naturally, the topic came up frequently throughout a new Divinity AMA, and the team seems eager to put the controversy to bed, although it notes that it believes such tools can be useful in the development process.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Larian says "there is not going to be any gen-AI art in Divinity," and it's even booted it out of the concept art stage after backlash

If you ask me to name the game I'm most excited for this year, there's a 50/50 chance I'll say either Slay the Spire 2 or Crimson Desert. I've had the opportunity to play the stunning new open-world action RPG from Pearl Abyss several times now, and have always come away desperate for more time to wrap my head around its combat nuances. It's a big project, feeling rather like The Witcher 3 but with way more high-octane combat. During the New Game+ showcase, director of PR Will Powers from Pearl Abyss revealed just how large its world is, and what we can expect to find.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: High-octane RPG Crimson Desert has a world twice as big as Skyrim, yet its developer insists that "size doesn't matter"

Where Winds Meet update 1.2 has just dropped, and there's a whole lot to look forward to in what ended up becoming one of last year's breakout open-world games. From a gorgeous new boss encounter to events including Guild Battles and granny-carrying in the First Jianghu Martial Games, you'll be finding fresh things to do across the map. There's so much that's been introduced, in fact, that some of the changes I'm most excited for didn't even make the cut in developer Everstone Studio's latest patch notes, including the ability to properly analyze your DPS and see exactly what's working and what isn't in your build.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: A huge new Where Winds Meet update adds a stunning boss, granny-carrying races, and the buildcrafting tool I wanted most

With Baldur's Gate 3 proving more than ever that the CRPG is very much alive and well, bringing a whole new audience into the world of digital D&D, I'm excited to see more games able to capitalize on that with all manner of new settings. Starfinder: Afterlight is already high on my 2026 wishlist, combining plenty of agonizing decision-making with a tactical battle system. It also boasts an impressive cast, and its first gameplay reveal during the New Game Plus showcase gives us a taste of the combat along with a glimpse of narrator Roger Clark at work.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: New tactical RPG Starfinder Afterlight is the sci-fi D&D adventure I wanted, and RDR 2's Arthur Morgan as its drawling narrator is the cherry on top

Riot has just dropped the full details for League of Legends 2026 Season One upon us, and there's plenty to be excited for. The new 'For Demacia' update is here, and alongside the much-anticipated Shyvana rework, there's confirmation that ARAM Mayhem will be extended for at least a while longer, and a look at exactly what we'll be doing in the Demacia Rising event. If Riot is able to deliver on everything it's been teasing, then 2026 is shaping up to be a pretty transformative year for the long-running MOBA.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: League of Legends ARAM Mayhem is here to stay, as Riot reveals the Shyvana rework, a city-building minigame, and new anti-griefing tools

City builders and colony sims thrive on the satisfaction of the moment when you can finally watch your happy, healthy citizens buzzing about their daily tasks after days, weeks, and months of struggle. But the best games like Rimworld often have a darker side, and Architect of Ruin embraces that to its fullest. Putting you in charge of a growing cult, it's up to you to lead your followers to glory as they rebuild and revive an ancient temple under the watchful eye of a wrathful god, and it's already found a spot on my wishlist.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: New colony sim Architect of Ruin is basically Rimworld but you're building an evil cult to a vengeful god

It was only a matter of time before Fortnite and South Park came together. Epic's free-to-play battle royale game has already teamed up with The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, and plenty more, and now it's finally the turn of Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and friends. What's got me most hyped for the new Fortnite update, however, is the introduction of the long-rumored Quints playlist, which will finally allow us to team up in five-player squads.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: You'll need more friends than ever for the new South Park Fortnite event, and it's going to be chaos

After a 2025 that was largely quiet on the Manor Lords front until the very end of the year, developer Slavic Magic and publisher Hooded Horse are intent that 2026 will see more regular updates for the breakout, million-selling medieval city-building game. As part of that new-look process, Hooded Horse is now handling its developer diaries, and CEO Tim Bender is back to give us a fresh look at what the team is currently hammering away at in the workshop. On the table for the next Manor Lords update are improvements to the progression for housing and workshops, and a deeper trade system that opens the door to more economic competition between rivals.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Manor Lords' experimental trade rework is going to completely transform the medieval city builder's fight for resources

I often think about what XCOM 3 might look like, and ponder if we'll ever actually see it. At least there have been plenty of other excellent strategy games inspired by the iconic alien-battling series to fill that void, and another I've been eagerly awaiting the full release of is the ambitious Terra Invicta. While developer Pavonis Interactive is most well-known for making the beloved XCOM Long War mod, its new game escalates proceedings out of the realm of individual skirmishes and launches it into the stars in true grand strategy fashion.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: If XCOM kept getting bigger, it'd become this colossal, intergalactic strategy game that's finally out of early access

The FF14 race to world first has come to its conclusion, and this time there's nothing close about it, although continued DDOS frustrations certainly managed to put a dampener on the event. Rounding out a trilogy of wins across the entire Dawntrail raid series, Japanese team Lucrezia managed to take home the victory once again, and did so with well over an hour gap ahead of second place, making it tough to argue with the result despite repeated disruptions for several North American teams.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: The FF14 race to world first is over as Dawntrail's final savage raid falls, and despite DDOS drama the winner is clear