Troy Baker, one of the most well known actors working in video games, believes generative AI could have a positive effect overall on performing arts. Baker thinks it'll cause a reaction whereby people will seek out "authentic" experiences more - live shows, live theatre - and turn away from "gruel that gets distilled to me through a black mirror".
Even a Replica can Fall in Love is a essentially a manga about a doppleganger or tulpa situation, pairing existential questioning with romantic connotations. While happy, perhaps even joyful and loving, moments can appear, they’re always tinged with trauma and the specter of what could happen if an individual disappears. As a result, it can feel like the situations involving Sunao Aikawa, her replica Second (that eventually goes by Nao), and their classmate Shuuya Sanada are always a moment away from tearing at your heartstrings in the first volume of this series.
Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for the first volume of the Even a Replica can Fall in Love manga below.
The story begins with a brief explanation and refresher. Sunao has been able to summon up a replica of herself since she was a child, ever since she first did so this tulpa could make up with her friend Ritsuko for her after a fight. When she does, that entity has all of her memories up to that moment. Sunao only calls her “Second” and does nothing for her quality of life or benefit despite the double needing to eat and sleep. She even doesn’t believe Second has feelings. And so her replica doesn’t get to sleep in a bed, have breakfast, keep any money, or basically own anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1viqJ1Bevc
This replica eventually refers to herself as Nao, and she considers her whole life to be in service to the person who spawned her. While Sunao’s actions suggest she’s nothing and Nao seems to have internalized that, she clearly is her own individual with her own personality. But even though she may want to do things, like create her own novels or enjoy certain activities, she feels she isn’t able to. Especially since Sunao could decide to be rid of her and make her not exist with no notice. So right away, it’s really sad to see this vivacious young woman who does enjoy life and have her own sense of self consider herself to be… nothing.
Things start to change when a classmate named Shuuya Sanada returns after an injury kept him out of school for a while recovering. He shows an interest in Nao on the days when she’s filling in for Sunao. He even joins the literature club she’s in, becoming its third member. She’s clearly fascinated with him and even feels bad that she never visited him in the hospital. So much so that we see she’s starting to want to see him and get excited about the prospect.
That, of course, is in jeopardy after Sunao returns to school. She criticizes Nao for her actions toward Shuuya and tells her to watch out. To the point where Nao tries to pass it off to him as her being temperamental some days and saying he should only talk to her when she has her hair up. And after a critical couple events in the volume, we see Sunao isn’t above “punishing” her replica by sending her away. So just when we see Nao getting to live and enjoy things a bit, she’s reminded of her nature.
But there are hints of another side to it all too. The fact that Sunao is so readily and often relying on a replica is a serious sign of depression. She’s avoiding life and staying in her room, in bed, instead of getting out and facing things. During one of her altercations with her second, we get hints that this sort of life is damaging to her and not making her mental health situation any better.
Even a Replica can Fall in Love feels like a manga and series designed to constantly make you feel sorry for its characters and hope for the best for them. Nao is a second and replica, and it seems her self esteem is so low that she can’t even dare to imagine actually living her own life. Sunao seems incredibly depressed, and she’s using her double and even abusing her to avoid life. Shuuya seems perplexed and interested in Nao, but perhaps like he’s treated poorly by Sunao on days when she actually shows up. It’s the start of a potentially tragic love story.
Volume 1 of Even a Replica can Fall in Love is available via Yen Press, and volume 2 of the manga will appear on June 23, 2026. The company also handles the original light novel adaptation. An anime version is in development and expected to debut in 2026.
We enjoyed Fairy Tail: Dungeons when the roguelike launched on the PC in 2024, but somehow the deckbuilder game is even better on the Switch in 2026. Part of this is a universal thing. Ginolabo kept working on the manga and anime-inspired adventure. The new update is massive, free, and everywhere. But the console accessibility combined with Switch 2 compatibility somehow helps make it even more appealing.
As a refresher, Fairy Tail: Dungeons features an original story. Gates to an underground labyrinth are appearing below guild halls, with people falling into them and disappearing. In the case of Fairy Tail, it’s Gildarts Clive is gone, and Natsu and Happy get sucked in when they’re investigating. They meet Labi, who appears to be another cat-shaped Exceed and is looking for his missing friend Arthur. Arthur is attempting to seal a dragon to protect everyone. So Natsu and other members of the guild will need to survive the ever-changing labyrinth and its dangers while holding Tome of Remembrance pieces to find out what’s going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDwsYXzZW6E
Part of the nature of the labyrinth is that characters lose their abilities when they enter and must regain magic via collecting cards, with Cana Alberona retaining her Magic Card ability and helping with that. You also pick Amulets when you go in, and can collect items to use in (or rarely out of) battles. Labi’s lantern can protect players for X number of moves on a floor so they can gather Lacrima to power up abilities in the skill tree, explore spaces, face enemies, buy from merchants, rest to do things like regain health or enchant cards, and prepare for the boss fight when turns expire. Once you get past the base labyrinth, you unlock the labyrinth deaths with stricter requirements, Tomes are collected, and you need to prioritize character synergies with their different movesets.
So first of all, Fairy Tail: Dungeons works flawlessly on the Switch. The sprite-based character designs really stand out on the screen and become the focus. The UI’s always been designed in such a way that it works and looks fine on a smaller screen. It’s also an ideal pick-up-and-play game for a quick run or two, which helps. It suits the nature of the system in every respect, which is appreciated. But most importantly is the fact that it is appearing alongside the major January 2026 update that added content both in the main campaign and post-game.
Images via Kodansha
Said major element is huge. People who are just getting the game or didn’t beat it yet could choose a Casual Mode to ease into it if they’re having trouble and unlock Gildarts, Laxus, and Mirajane for the party and runs. There are over 170 Magic Cards for new strategies, so you can build on what you’re doing, and can enhance ones if you keep getting doubles beyond the existing Enhancements at campsites. For more experienced players, there are Labyrinth and Grand Clash new difficulties and Gajeel and Juvia in the post-game. There are more references to the original manga and anime via new bosses and Hiro Mashima’s past works like Rave Master. (I happened upon the August battle form addition myself.)It’s a lot in a good way. The pixel art is especially impeccable for the new characters and opponents.
It’s a situation in which Fairy Tail: Dungeons started out as a solid roguelike when it launched, and the Switch port appearing alongside and with all the additions in the free update makes the game even better. Pretty much every major character we could want is playable now. There’s even more endgame content, for those of us who are near the end or almost through it. People just getting started have new elements that will bolster what was already there. Plus it fits so well on Nintendo’s system. It’s just great.
Fairy Tail: Dungeons is available for the Switch and PC.
Back when the Switch 2 came out, I looked at some Snakebyte accessories that appeared at launch. They were fine. You know, standard bags and extra charging options. They weren’t exciting or colorful, but they were practical items for a system at an affordable price. Now that we’re a bit more into the thick of things, I’ve been using the Snakebyte Switch 2 Ergo Grip S2 for the Joy-Con 2 controllers and Gamepad Pro S2 controller and they’re a bit more exciting. Especially since I hit a point at which there are more multiplayer options or situations when I will play for hours at a time.
Both of these items are docked Switch 2 sorts of controller options. So if you’re playing in handheld mode primarily, these probably aren’t for you. That’s totally fine! I could see the Ergo Grip S2 maybe being helpful if you switch to tabletop mode for a while and want to use the Joy-Con 2 controllers like that instead of separated whiel playing the Switch 2.
Photos by Siliconera
Speaking of which, the Ergo Grip S2 is the Snakebyte Switch 2 accessory I played with the most, since I always have my Joy-Con 2 controllers on-hand. But that’s primarily because of its usefulness for certain situations. It’s handy for if you’re going to play away from home and perhaps are taking the dock or plan to go with tabletop mode. It relies on the same sort of magnet system as the console to quickly pop them onto the grip. It has an over six foot long cable for charging purposes, in case you want to play while it is connected to a dock or charging cable. There are also gaps so you can see battery life indicator lights while using the grip, so you can tell if charging is needed. It’s comfortable and I sort of feel like a budget version of the $40 official Nintendo option, considering Snakebyte is selling it for $20.
Like that being Snakebyte’s budget option approach to one Nintendo Switch 2 peripheral, I kind of feel like the Gamepad Pro RGB S2 is a budget alternative in some ways for the official Pro Controller. That’s $89.99 after all, and this is $50. It isn’t an exact double, of course. There’s no HD Rumble 2 as an example, and it requires a Bluetooth dongle. It does feature two additional programmable back buttons, and there are locks on M1 and M2 to keep them from being triggered accidentally. Similar locks are present on the triggers. The RGB lighting is there, for those who like that type of thing. But I think the most valuable parts are the Hall Effect sensors on the joysticks and the fact it has its own firmware. Considering we saw third-party docks stop working on the Switch 2 after a firmware update, it’s reassuring.
Photos by Siliconera
Basically, both the Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2 and Gamepad Pro RGB S2 are something of economy options for folks who might not want to pay for the official Nintendo Joy-Con 2 grip or Pro Controller. They might not have all the same features, especially in the case of the controller. But what is here is stable and strong, especially when they’re at least $20 cheaper.
The Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2 and Gamepad Pro RGB S2 are available now.
While major Splatoon 3 updates are done, Splatfest events are still happening, and the recurring Frosty Fest one begins at 4pm PT/7pm ET on January 9, 2026. It will end on January 11, 2026. This marks the third Frosty Fest since the game’s debut in September 2022.
While Splatoon 3 launched in 2022, the Frosty Fest Splatfest events didn’t start in game until the one that took place in January 2024. Each one features winter themes in Inkopolis and Splatsville, special decorations, holiday mysic, and different outfits for Shiver, Frye, Big Man, Callie, and Marie. The theme for the first one was “who do you spend the holidays with,” and the options were Friends (Shiver), Family (Frye), and Solo (Big man), with Team Solo winning. The 2025 event asked “what would make you happiest,” with the teams being Money (Shiver), Experiences (Frye), and Presents (Big Man). Team Presents won that year.
The 2026 Frosty Fest is basically a rerun. The theme is “Who do you spend the holidays with” again. The teams are the same too. So you can choose Team Friends (Shiver), Team Family (Frye), and Team Solo (Big Man).
Here's the official image for it:
Splatoon 3 is available for the Switch, with a Switch 2 update available, and the Frosty Fest Splatfest runs January 9-11, 2026. The next game in the series will be the Splatoon Raiders spin-off with the members of Deep Cut Shiver, Frye, and Big Man.
Square Enix announced that the Final Fantasy XIV Online Store is now selling a replica of the costume Garnet, aka Dagger, wears in FFIX for FFXIV avatars called Humble Attire. You will need to pay real cash to get it, and it costs $12. It is available for any player character regardless of species or gender.
The Humble Attire bundle gives a player three pieces of clothing to use in-game. The Humble Overalls is a one-piece outfit with orange overalls over a white top. There are also red Humble Gloves and Humble Boots. These items can be dyed, and the official screenshots show how it looks in three different colors on a male Viera, female Lalafell, and female Miqote. As there is no hat or hood included, there are no issues with species races with large ears or manes like the Viera or Hrothgar.
Here’s how the Humble Attire set looks in-game.
Images via Square Enix
This comes after Toshiyuki Itahana said the costumes that Sphene wears in the FFXIV Dawntrail expansion are based on the outfits Garnet wears in FFIX. The artist noted the two the character wears are both based on the Dagger “white mage” style outfit and her standard look.
It isn't uncommon for costumes based on other Final Fantasy games to show up in the FFXIV Online Store for Warriors of Light. In the past, ones based on FFXand FFXIII leads showed up. Fantasian crossover costumes most recently appeared.
Final Fantasy XIV and Dawntrail are available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the FFIX Humble Attire Garnet costume is in the FFXIV Online Store now.
Dreams, the company behind collectibles like Sonny Angel and Smiski, announced it is teaming with Sanrio for a Hello Kitty and Friends Hippers peeking character figure line. These are items with an adhesive on their stomach that can be attached to electronics or household items to make the mascot look like they are peeking over the edge at a person. They will be sold in blind boxes for ¥1,430 (~$9) each, and they will appear in Japan on January 23, 2026. As other figures in the line from the company are sold worldwide via stores like Amazon, Kinokuniya, Miniso, or Teso, we should eventually see these everywhere.
There are seven characters in the Hippers Hello Kitty and Friends figure collection. As is common with blind boxes, with a purple version of Kuromi as a secret with lower rates of being acquired. (The odds of getting her weren’t announced ahead of launch.) Based on past Hippers releases, each one will be about two inches tall and feature sticky tape on their stomach that is pressed against a surface.
Here’s a list of every character in this collection:
Cinnamoroll
Hello Kitty
Kuromi (standard with black hood)
Kuromi (secret with purple hood)
My Melody
Pochacco
Pompompurin
Dreams and Sanrio also released a number of photos showing off each of the figures. Some of these show what the characters would look like in-use peeking at people on objects like picture frames or cell phones. There is also a photo showing what the adhesive looks like on the Hello Kitty version of the figure. The photo showing the box art and display also highlights what to expect when they appear in stores.
Images via Sanrio and Dreams
The Dreams Hello Kitty and Friends Hippers figures of six Sanrio characters will launch in Japan on January 23, 2026, and we should see them worldwide after.
Twitch and Cover announced on social media it is now possible for everyone to use an emote based on the CEO of the Hololive and Holostars Vtuber company Motoaki “Yagoo” Tanigo. Access appeared the evening of January 8, 2026 worldwide. It is now possible for anyone logged into the platform to use it in chat.
The Yagoo Twitch emote release first happened as a Hololive and Holostars Holoday Vtuber event on Twitch on November 20, 2025. That was the day a number of Cover performers from the English and Indonesian branches joined and all began streaming on Twitch. People who watched streams for set periods of time could earn three special emotes.
Only one of the three Yagoo Twitch emotes from the Hololive and Holostars event is now available for everyone. It’s the “Kingoo” design that features Motoaki Tanigo’s gold, smiling face. When the event happened, that was known as the “Kingoo” one. The other two were copper “Yagoo” and silver “Sadgoo” styles. To use the one now available, input :yagoo:.
Here's how it looks:
Image via Cover and Twitch
The Yagoo Twitch emote is now live for everyone on the platform, but the other two Holoday ones still are exclusive to people who earned them during the November 2025 event.
On January 9, 2026, Cygames announced that it established Cygames AI Studio, a subsidiary that will develop and provide generative AI-based tools and services. The website for Cygames AI Studio is available in both English and Japanese.
The announcement on Cygames's official website provided background on why it set up the subsidiary. The company statement claimed generative AI is an important technology that has the power to use accumulated ideas to power the creation of new ones. Cygames AI Studio will use the company's game development experience to build generative AI tools that "creators" could use "safely and securely." It also said that it will research and develop its own model, as well as provide generative AI services and tools for game developers. The announcement also claimed a goal is to "build a unique creative cycle to expand on the creators' creativity."
Cygames is currently recruiting for its AI Studio. Openings include engineers for language models and picture generation. These are full-time jobs that would require the person to live in or move to Japan.
Reactions to the announcement on Twitter have been largely negative. English replies and QRTs call Cygames out of touch, as well as point out established issues with generative AI like art theft. Japanese users are also against this. There has been more and more backlash against generative AI since 2025. In December 2025, the Indie Game Awards stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its GOTY wins after it came out that the studio had used generative AI in development and launched with those genAI assets until they were patched out.
Cygames had a good reputation in 2025 with the global release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, which also won Best Mobile Game at the Game Awards 2025.
We’re in the midst of the Street Fighter 6 Year 3 Character Pass DLC rollout, with Alex returning to the roster as the next add-on, and now we got a better look at him. Ahead of his “early Spring 2026” debut, Capcom shared a minute-and-a-half long trailer for him. This one is more about setting up his personality and showing his character design in the fighting game than highlighting gameplay, but it helps establish what to expect.
Like Luke, Alex is a character who was set up in sort of a “protagonist” role when he appeared in the Street Fighter series. He showed up in February 1997 in Street Fighter III. He’s known as a wrestler from America, and we see him in the midst of a match where he’s acting as the heel.
Here’s the full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaGvmRTUUvU
Alex is the third of four Year 3 Character Pass add-ons for Street Fighter 6, with the fourth piece being Ingrid in “late Spring 2026.” This season pass focused on bringing older characters back into the fold. He follows Sagat, who started this latest run back in August 2025, and C. Viper in October 2025.
Street Fighter 6 is available for the Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and Alex will appear as DLC in early Spring 2026.
Nintendo added Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack GameCube app library for Switch 2 owners, and its soundtrack is now on the Nintendo Music app included with that higher tier of the subscription service. This is the first of the two Tellius games, as the second continued the story on the Wii in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the sole GameCube entry in the series. It follows Ike and Soren of the Greil Mercenaries as the two work within Crimea, but King Ashnard of Daein invading the country, leaving its Princess Elincia as a fugitive attempting to get to Gallia. Upon the mercenary company encountering her, they get pulled into and lead the charge to unite people against Ashnard’s forces and restore peace. It’s notable for being the first game in the series with Laguz characters. Two versions are in the NSO app, with the US one altering some classes and having different difficulty.
Here’s the Japanese trailer showing what you can expect from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance when playing it on a Switch 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygx6y2FzNgk
With the original Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn appeared, it would be possible to bring your GameCube save file over to the Wii. This would allow things like stats and relationships to transfer over.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is on the GameCube and is now available on the Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers. Other additions to that library included Chibi Robo.
When Polytron Corporation released Fez, we’d never really seen anything like it. A game that uses perspective to solve puzzles and make progress and shifting between 2D and 3D? Later, we’d see Superliminal and Viewfinder play with how we see things changing how the world works. Cassette Boy is a game in that same vein, only blinding The Legend of Zelda style action-RPG elements as we rotate our viewpoint to change the rules of the world. It’s also just as clever as many of these other games I’ve mentioned, and I hope this indie gets the attention it deserves.
Cassette Boy begins with our avatar being addressed by a sparkling entity. It cryptically explains that the moon is gone because our character wasn’t looking at it. This being explains that perspective is everything, and illustrates examples showing that objects, entities, and buttons can disappear if you can’t see them. As such, it’s now up to you to recover the Moon Fragments to restore them to the sky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic71W0L8SMo
While Cassette Boy is a The Legend of Zelda-like in some ways, it really prioritizes puzzles and experimenting with our view of the world in a way I appreciated. After the opening introduction and acquiring a sword, we’re given the ability to use the shoulder buttons to rotate the world. In town, it means getting access to houses where you couldn’t previously see doors. More importantly, it means opportunities to start “hiding” enemies, switches, and blockades to make progress to different areas or turning the world fast enough to cause squares to pop up to provide opportunities to reach higher areas or damage foes. So as some of the earliest examples, there’ll be a situation where you rotate 90 degrees to completely hide a huge slime you couldn’t otherwise defeat at that point to slip past to the next area in a forest. For one boss, you rotate the world 360 degrees as quickly at the switches that will make a piece of ground pop up when the opponent is about to get near to damage it five times to win. You stand on a switch to open a door, then rotate the world to block it so you can then move and safely go through the doorway. In one situation, you move a box to a point where you need to rotate 360 degrees to lift yourself and the box up so you can jump.
Keep in mind, these are the earliest kinds of progression. In a true The Legend of Zelda and even Metroidvania type of fashion, Cassette Boy also eventually encourages returning to past areas or temporarily blocks off access to certain spots by hiding them behind a type of “trick” you haven’t learned yet. So you might see a shrine in the first forest you can’t reach yet or an area of town blocked off, but need to wait until you can see things the right way to get to that new place. These come in the forms of cassettes for the headphones you acquire early on that help you "focus" to change the way you see the world.
Image via Wonderland Kazakiri and Pocketpair
Yes, I mentioned a shrine. Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, there are portals to brief shrines in Cassette Boy. If you gain access to one of these optional spots, you’ll be posed with additional logic puzzles. I’ve never seen any combat-related ones in my time with the game. Each one I encountered seemed to build upon my knowledge of my abilities in ways that sometimes challenged me a bit more than the typical puzzles encountered when searching for bosses holding Moon Fragments. Which is good because, while the combat isn’t terrible, it does feel like closer to the earlier The Legend of Zelda NES and Game Boy games. The melee attacks with the sword didn’t have the sort of responsiveness and combos as some contemporaries, and aiming with the bow and arrow can be a pain even after you get used to knowing how long to hold it to shoot it proper distances.
Another thing I appreciate about Cassette Boy is that it is a really minimalistic game. It relies about the same Game Boy style greenscale palette. While there are a few indoor area tile situations where this can be a lot when multiple designs are combined, it generally is really effective and eye-catching, while still making visual distinctions quite clear. Which is important since you do need to be very precise about positioning to solve puzzles. That’s a little frustrating sometimes, especially when it involves ensuring a dangerous enemy is blocked or that a blockade is 100% hidden. But the design philosophy really adds to the experience.
Image via Wonderland Kazakiri and Pocketpair
Likewise, that comes a bit with the script. This is a rather simple game and doesn’t feature a super intense narrative. There are some occasionally clever lines, though! And again, there is a minimalistic approach to it. For example, while there’s not a lot of dialogue for NPCs, we will see reactions to certain events. This happens with our avatar’s neighbor, Nell. Our protagonist themselves will also occasionally think about things happening, and those asides can be entertaining.
Cassette Boy is at its best when challenging you to rethink your perspective to solve puzzles in this The Legend of Zelda and Fez style adventure. There are times when it can really test you and make you think! The minimalistic design direction is also a highlight. However, some combat elements can occasionally feel finicky, especially when the bow is involved. It definitely can be quite clever, and it’s well worth at the very least trying the demo if you also enjoyed games like Fez.
Cassette Boy will come to PCs via Steam on January 15, 2026, and a demo is available. It will also eventually appear on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Gift issued an apology in both English and Japanese for selling Umamusume: Pretty Derby plush toys of the character Vivlos in which she has human ears in addition to her normal horse ones. This happened at Comic Market 107 in December 2025, as well as the AmiAmi Akihabara Radio Kaikan Store. It confirmed refunds and exchanges are available until March 31st, 2026. The correct version of the plush will be released in May 2026.
Of course, Gift shared photos of the Vivlos Umamusume: Pretty Derby plush of her with human ears. The photo is a close-up, however. So we don’t get to see what she looks like officially with both human ears and horse ears. The company also circled the ears on the photo, to show what shouldn’t have been.
You can see a picture of the full plush as it should have appeared alongside the close-up of her with human ears below.
Images via Gift and Cygames
As for the return process, people who don’t want an Umamusume Vivlos plush of her with extra human ears can choose either a refund or a replacement by emailing the official address at support@oh-ami.com. If someone isn’t in Japan and had purchased the doll, they can only choose the exchange option. If someone gets a refund, they get 6,500円 back. With the exchange, the defective plush is returned and the new one will ship in May 2026.
Vivlos is pretty popular when it comes to Umamusume merchandise in Japan. Her and her sisters Cheval Grand and Verxina appeared as Sega crane game plush in August 2025.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for PCs and mobile devices, and the replacement Vivlos Gift plush will appear in May 2026.
The Love Love Series 15th Anniversary Tribute Album CD filled with songs from the anime by other artists debuts on January 14, 2026 in Japan, and the Hatsune Miku and Umamusume covers are already online. Four tracks showed up on Spotify ahead of the launch, with Cygames even promoting one of them. That will cost 4,000円 (~$26), with CD Japan selling it for $25.49. While these first four are on Amazon Music Japan already, it isn't on the worldwide branches yet.
The full track list for the album isn’t available yet. As such, the only confirmed songs we know are the ones that showed up already online. The cover does show Ado, Haruka Amami from The Idolmaster 765Pro All Stars, Konata Izumi from Lucky Star, Vtuber Ui Shigure, and You and Idol Pretty Cure Cure Idol Uta Sakura, who are also going to appear. So the known tracks are the Aikatsu, BanG Dream Poppin'Party, Hatsune Miku, and Umamusume ones.
Here’s the full list of tracks with links to listen to them:
Sanrio and Sunblink confirmed the next mascot who will join Hello Kitty Island Adventure as a permanent character, and it is Moppu from Marumofubiyori. He is in the mobile version of the game on Apple Arcade via update 2.12. He will show up in the console and PC version too, though there’s no release window for him yet there. However, all platforms will feature the Frosty Fashion Frenzy login event between January 15-26, 2026.
Moppu follows Cogimyun, who showed up in the Wheatflower Wonderland paid expansion, and he’s a new free friend. You will need to have unlocked the Icy Peak area and completed certain story missions as a result to reach him. There seem to be new cabins in the area, and visiting him at his home will let you play a brick-breaking arcade minigame called Ice Breaker. There’s a new cooking station for making snacks. We’ll also be able to change our avatar appearance to look like bears. More furniture sets will appear in the patch, with those being called the Gamer Set and Moppu Cozy Set.
Here’s the full Hello Kitty Island Adventuretrailer showing what Moppu looks like in his Icy Peak home and the other new additions there, though it doesn’t confirm appearances of the other Marumofubiyori characters Gyoniku or Kanikama yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVhjGqaDqmY
There are also some initial screenshots showing him off.
Images via Sanrio and Sunblink
As for Frosty Fashion Frenzy, this will be the third year the event will run in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Each time, winter-themed clothing is doled out for free. These are Daily Rewards, so all you need to do is log in to get the extra items.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available for the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, PC, and Apple iOS devices via Apple Arcade, and the Marumofubiyori update with Moppu is live on mobile now and coming to other platforms.
As UNILAD reported, Vice President JD Vance delivered a pointed warning to European leaders over Greenland, suggesting the United States may act if security concerns are not addressed. The comments were made during a White House briefing.
Vance said European governments should take President Donald Trump’s long-standing interest in Greenland seriously, dismissing claims that the administration’s position has been overstated. His remarks align with broader signals from the White House that traditional diplomatic norms are no longer being treated as fixed, a shift previously highlighted in reporting on how the president has ripped up decades of foreign policy toward China and Taiwan.
The vice president emphasized that the administration expects Europe to increase its focus on the autonomous Danish territory. Further warning that inaction could force the United States to step in.
The warning was direct and left little room for interpretation
Vance said Greenland is strategically critical, describing it as essential to both the US and global missile defense. He added that hostile foreign actors have shown growing interest in the region, increasing the need for heightened security.
Journalist: Do you have a message for European leaders regarding Greenland?
He then warned that if European leaders fail to take responsibility for Greenland’s defense, the United States may intervene. Vance did not specify what form that intervention could take, saying any decision would ultimately rest with the president as diplomatic engagement continues.
Greenland’s leadership has pushed back strongly against the rhetoric. Premier Jens Frederik Nielsen said threats or talk of annexation are unacceptable between allies and do not reflect how Greenland expects to be treated.
Public opposition within Greenland has also been clear, with residents reiterating that the territory is not something that can be bought or traded. The comments have reinforced longstanding concerns over sovereignty and self-determination.
The United States has expressed interest in Greenland before. During World War II, US forces occupied the territory after Germany took control of Denmark, and the US later offered to purchase Greenland in 1947.
President Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of acquiring Greenland in recent years, describing it as a strategic priority. Reports have indicated the administration has paired diplomatic discussions with firm pressure.
Holo ADV: SakuraSingularity.exe, a horror game that is the latest indie game starring Hololive Vtubers, is now available on Steam. It is $16.99, though a launch sale dropped the price to $15.29 until December 10, 2025. A demo is also available.
As the name suggests, Sakura Miko is the star of this adventure. As the horror game begins, her and other Hololive Vtubers find themselves dragged into the future and trapped in Cover’s offices. However, it isn’t a peaceful one. In order to survive and perhaps escape back to their rightful time and place, she’ll need to reunite and share special moments with folks like Oozora Subaru and Shirogane Noel, as well as deal with boss fights and actual boss challenges.
Here’s a trailer that offers a better idea of what to expect from the adventure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIwVc6KQ14Y
While this is Lexilia Games’ first holo indie title on Steam, we have seen Hololive Vtuber horror games show up there before. Holo8 is one in the style of The Exit 8. Evil God Korone is also available on both the Switch and PC and is a Tsugunohi entry.
Holo ADV: SakuraSingularity.exe is available for PCs via Steam and a demo is available.
Good Smile Company used social media to reveal a number of new Blue Archive figures, with three of them being Nendoroids. Kanna Ogata, Shiroko Terror, and Kisaki Ryuuge are all the inspirations for the new merchandise, with Kisaki appearing both as a scale figure and Nendoroid. There are no release windows for any of them yet, but they’ll follow items based on characters like Asuna Ichinose, Mari Iochi, and Plana.
It looks like we might end up seeing some of the Blue Archive Nendoroids first. That’s because the Kanna and Shiroko ones already appeared as painted prototypes. When that happens, Good Smile Company typically opens pre-orders for the products a few days or weeks later. The Kisaki one only showed up as an unpainted prototype. Each example photo showed one face plate and possible pose, with the Kanna one including a coffee mug accessory and both Shiroko and Kisaki holding guns.
Here’s how those three look:
Images via Good Smile Company and Nexon
The scale figure of Kisaki also appeared as an unpainted prototype. That will feature the character in the same outfit as the Nendoroid. In the pose, she’ll be sitting in an armchair with her gloves on one arm and a jacket on the back.
You can see that first photo below:
Image via Good Smile Company and Nexon
The Blue Archive Kanna Ogata, Shiroko Terror, and Kisaki Ryuuge Nendoroids and Kisaki figure are in development. The game is available on mobile devices and PCs.
Final Fantasy XI Director and Producer Yoji Fujito shared details about the 2025 December Version Update, and it will add Ultima and Omega-inspired Limbus Monsters and a Gobbie Mystery Box Festival Dial during the FFXI Starlight Celebration. Both additions will become regular fixtures, though the dial will only show up during events.
Only initial details about how the Gobbie Mystery Box Festival Dial will work in FFXI appeared, as well as the confirmation that the Starlight Celebration will mark its first appearance. As we go through the MMORPG, we’ll be able to get #FES Dial Key items. Those can then be taken to a Goblin just like other Dial Keys. When redeemed, you can get various rewards in return. Fujito also noted that all Dial Keys will will be traded in at once, rather than one at a time, as a new quality of life feature in the update.
With Limbus, there are going to be the Ultima and Omega-inspired encounters and new items as a result in FFXI. The exact names weren’t mentioned, and we don’t know how they will differ from the existing opponents. They will show up in December 2025. The new equipment can be made with the treasure chest rewards from facing them.
The full update also went over some addition additions. Dynamis - Divergence will change based on player feedback. AOE damage will be rebalanced, specifically when it comes to opponents surrounding the main target. There will be safer starting locations after the first wave. Boss HP will be more clear. Also, in January 2026 EXP loss in shared areas will be removed. The December 2025 Ambuscade will also get Soulflayers in Volume 1 and Flans in Volume 2.
Final Fantasy XI is available for PCs, and the December 2025 update will arrive soon. The Jeuno, Back in the Spotlight Kam'lanaut event is also live until December 9, 2025.
Taito and Square Enix announced the next piece of merchandise heading to Japanese arcades, and it will be a The Great White Tsuchinoko plush based on the FFXIV Heavensturn New Year’s event. This will show up at the end of December 2025, perhaps just ahead of New Year’s Eve and day. Only one store that ships worldwide is taking orders, and that is Aitai Kuji. It is selling it for ¥4,500 (~$29).
The Great White Tsuchinoko appeared as a minion reward in the 2025 FFXIV Heavensturn celebration. It is designed to resemble both The Great Serpent of Ronka and Japanese New Year kagami mochi rice cakes with an orange on top. This plush will be almost 10 inches tall (25cm). It will be posed with the character sitting up, so the pose will look even more like kagami mochi. The preview image for it also shows someone pulling at the surface, to highlight it will be stretchy like mochi.
Here’s the first photo of it:
Image via Square Enix and Taito
This is the second recent item from the game to appear in arcades. Taito revealed a piggy bank that resembles a Fat Cat in November 2025.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the FFXIV Great White Tsuchinoko plush will show up in arcades in Japan at the end of December 2025.
