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Happy Friday, Game Informer audience! You made it to the end of the week, and I hope some of the stories we published this week made doing so just a little bit easier. It was a slow week for reviews, previews, and the like – a very quiet January so far before the storm of releases that is February, which includes some big games – but a big one for news. We also completed a ton of magazine proofing and editing this week, and we're putting the final touches on the next issue, featuring [REDACTED] on the cover, as we speak. Speaking of, we'll be revealing said cover next week, so keep an eye out on Game Informer's social channels for exact details on when. You don't want to miss it! I started This Week On GI as a formal article last week to detail weekly Game Informer housekeeping updates AND to neatly and concisely organize all the content we published on the site that week. Below, you'll find the general Game Informer housekeeping section followed by an article round-up underneath it: Game Informer Housekeeping Overall, it's a quieter week on the housekeeping front. The latest magazine issue, which features World of Warcraft: Midnight on the cover, continues to ship to mailboxes. We're aware that prior issues – mostly the The Outer Worlds 2 and, to a lesser extent, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined editions – had some shipping issues; it was the result of post service errors and shipping delays as a result of last year's government shutdown and while that was out of our hands, we take full responsibility and continue to try to make things right for those who are still waiting on magazines. That said, it seems like the majority of shipping problems are behind us, and the World of Warcraft: Midnight issue is reaching mailboxes in a timely and expected manner. Nonetheless, thank you all for your patience as we work with our shipping partners to get everything back on track. We're looking forward to delivering some excellent physical magazine goodness to your mailboxes this year, and our next issue is a very exciting one, so get stoked! If you aren't already a Game Informer subscriber, there's still time to become one and receive that issue – you can subscribe here. Story Round-UpBelow, I've divided up the various sections of Game Informer's published stories, hopefully making it easy to check out the articles you might have missed. News Resident Evil Requiem Showcase Breakdown – Leon Kennedy Can Finally Use A ChainsawLife Is Strange Livestream Will Reveal A New Game Launching This YearHere's What Sophie Turner Will Look Like As Lara Croft In Amazon Prime's Upcoming SeriesThor Actor From God Of War Ragnarök Cast As Kratos In Live-Action SeriesMeta Closes Twisted Pixel, Sanzaru Games, And Armature StudioAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 Is Live Early – Here's How To Download It NowDeadpool Officially Joins Marvel Rivals Season 6 As A Duelist. And A Strategist. And A Vanguard.Ubisoft Proposes To Lay Off 55 Employees At Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Developer Massive EntertainmentCapcom Sets Resident Evil Requiem Showcase For ThursdayPeter Molyneux's Final Game, Masters Of Albion, Gets April Release DateBaldur's Gate 3 Won't Be Ported To Switch 2, Though Developer Larian Studios 'Would Have Loved To'The First-Ever Pokémon Lego Sets Have Been Revealed And They Look AmazingVideo Is Big Hops The Indie Super Mario Odyssey? – New Gameplay TodayDrafting Our Most Anticipated Games Of 2026 – The Game Informer ShowAnd that's what happened... This Week On GI! If you have thoughts, suggestions, or anything else you want to share about This Week On GI, please do drop a comment below! View the full article

We're still living in that rare window (for Game Informer writers anyway) where we can basically play what we want. New releases are absolutely on the horizon and we're excited to play them, but for the moment we're playing the latest live-service game updates, some classics and not-so-classics, finally knocking out 2025 games, and getting around to that demo we've been meaning to check out. It's Friday and it's time for the weekend and our usual recommendation of games and things you should check out! But before that, here's a recap of the biggest stories of the week: Meta Closes Twisted Pixel, Sanzaru Games, And Armature StudioLeon Kennedy Can Finally Use A Chainsaw In Resident Evil RequiemHere's What Sophie Turner Will Look Like As Lara Croft In Amazon Prime's Upcoming SeriesThor Actor From God Of War Ragnarök Cast As Kratos In Live Action SeriesAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 Is Live Now, A Day EarlyPeter Molyneux’s Final Game, Masters Of Albion, Gets April Release DateThe Games You Should Check Out This Weekend Marvel Rivals Matt Miller The new season of Marvel Rivals offers some strong reasons to hop back in if you've been away, or even to try it for the first time if you've yet to give it a shot. Playable Deadpool has been teased for weeks now. Given the character's reputation, it should come as no surprise that he's a weird one. Capable of playing any of the three roles in battle (Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist), he's one of the most complex characters that NetEase has introduced, but well worth trying out. For longtime players, one of the coolest new additions this season is the overhaul of character progression systems, finally offering a reason to continue advancing your characters past that vaunted "Lord" designation. Alongside the expected additions of new cosmetics, season pass content, and other additions, there's a lot of new content to explore, all starting today. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Wesley LeBlanc I beat Death Stranding 2: On The Beach at the top of the month and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I’m not here to gush about why. Instead, I’m here to encourage you to jump back into the game today if you enjoyed it because it’s likely Australia is looking a lot more different than the last time you played it. The Strand element of this series, in which players can interact and build within not just their world but the worlds of various others, means this game world is constantly changing. It’s fascinating! I put about 15 hours into the game at launch, but soon had to switch over to a different game for work. Though I had wanted to get back to Death Stranding 2 sooner, I didn’t actually make it happen until December and early January, putting in another 50 or so hours into it to reach credits and reconnect Australia. The Australia I was exploring in June was vastly different from the continent I was trekking across in December. Of course, I was dutifully putting in the resources to help build out the Chiral network myself, but off the rip, Australia had all kinds of new structures to interact with, like ramps, private bunkers, teleporters, and more. Plus, porters around the world helped create a more connected and accessible network of highways and monorails, too. Even in the two or so weeks I played Death Stranding 2 to roll credits on it, changes continued to happen daily because of the work of myself and other porters – it’s one of the best facets of Death Stranding 2’s connected worlds, and I highly recommend hopping back into your save to see what’s changed in Australia. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Charles Harte As a relatively new Fire Emblem player (I started with Awakening on the 3DS), I've always known there were great games in the series' history, especially on the GameCube, but they've always been difficult to track down. So once Path of Radiance joined Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, I downloaded it immediately, and about nine hours in, I'm absolutely loving it. I spoke about it on this week's episode of The Game Informer Show and incorrectly mentioned that I thought the lack of support conversations was interesting, but I actually hadn't unlocked them yet. In general, the game's pacing is slow, with new mechanics introduced very gradually – the convoy and shop are not even available until chapter 8 or 9. Still, I'm surprisingly invested in the story, especially Ike's earnest leadership, and I've always loved the Fire Emblem gameplay loop, so I don't mind. It's especially great on a handheld device. After all, my introduction to the series was on the 3DS, so it's the method of play I've grown accustomed to. Sonic and the Black Knight Charles Harte This is, and always has been, my "hear me out" game. It's often called one of Sonic's worst games, but I've always had nostalgia for it, and after replaying a good amount of it for Super Replay, I honestly think it holds up. Sonic is whisked away into the world of King Arthur (who's evil now) by a wizard named Merlina, and armed with the talking sword Caliburn, he has to mow down foes to save the kingdom from its corrupt ruler. The controls are not great, and I wouldn't say its storytelling is particularly novel or nuanced, but I don't think that matters. I don't like the game because it's good – I like the game because it's fun. It's fun to see alternate versions of Sonic's friends cast as characters in a classic storybook setting. It almost feels like they're all putting on a play together. It's fun to frantically flail the Wii Remote around to slash enemies while running at top speed. Very little strategy is actually required to make it through a level, and I look ridiculous doing so. And it's especially fun to laugh at the absurdity of it all. I can't believe this is a real game, and I especially can't believe how seldom it's talked about. It's the series at its campiest, with little regard for being taken seriously. This, to me, is peak Sonic. He's talking hedgehog with super speed that makes chili dogs look cool. Of course he's silly! They gave Sonic the Hedgehog a sword, and I will never get over it. Big Hops Charles Harte The thing I care about in a 3D platformer above all else is how it feels to move around, and Big Hops plays like a dream. With longer rolling jumps, higher crouch jumps, a mid-air dive, and a Breath of the Wild-style stamina meter for climbing, the base mechanics here are great. On top of that, you'll find a variety of magic veggies that assist your platforming in various ways, like creating a rope bridge, growing like a beanstalk, or creating a floating platform you can use your long tongue to grapple to and bounce off of. Oh, you also play as a frog – did I forget to mention that? The story is charming, the art is vibrant, and the whole game accomplishes a mission many indie games strive for – recreating the nostalgic spirit of a game that could have existed on an older console (in this case, the GameCube) with modern game design and quality of life features. It's a delight! You can check out our most recent episode of New Gameplay Today to see it for yourself and hear more of my thoughts. Reanimal (Demo) Kyle Hilliard Tarsier Studios' Little Nightmares series is a favorite of mine and my daughter's. We played the first two games together, read the comics, and played the spin-off mobile game, as well. It's a horrifying, but inviting universe. Little Nightmares III was not developed by Tarsier, but seems solid and my kid and I plan to get around to it at some point. But without a doubt, Reanimal is the next "Little Nightmares" game that I very excited for and though its public demo has been available for some time, I only played through it this week. I was shocked to discover it had spoken dialogue, but I was not surprised at how creepy and dripping with mood it is. It is very close to Little Nightmares. Feels like a real Demon's Souls to Dark Souls situation. I don't know the business decision behind it, but I suspect Tarsier wanted to use its endangering children horror chops to make a new game that it could fully claim ownership over. Bandai Namco, after all, owns Little Nightmares. With that said, however, it does have it's own vibe and it is not a 2.5 puzzle/action game. You explore fully 3D environments and I was very sad for the demo to come to an end. I want to see more and am looking forward to its February 13 release date. View the full article

It's a feature-length episode of The Game Informer Show this week. Marcus, Charles, and Eric gather together to discuss the games they've been playing lately, including the charming new 3D platformer Big Hops and return visits to games like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. Then, the trio get into a discussion about the subscription services in gaming that they still do, or don't, use. From Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus to various battle passes and MMO monthly subs, there are a lot of expenses that can easily add up. Are they all still worth it, or are we cutting some as part of our New Year's resolutions? The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about your favorite titles – past and present – alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Watch the video version: Listen to "The State Of Gaming Subscriptions In 2026" on Spreaker.Follow our hosts on social media:Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)Eric Van Allen (@seamoosi)Jump ahead to a specific segment:00:00 - Intro05:37 - Big Hops14:07 - Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater33:50 - Dragon Age: The Veilguard46:44 - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance1:06:18 - The State of Gaming Subscriptions in 2026 View the full article

New World: Aeternum will be taken offline in roughly one year, Amazon Games has announced. The MMO was delisted from stores yesterday, January 15, but existing owners can still play the game until it’s shut down for good. In a blog post on New World’s official website, the developer explains that New World: Aeternum’s official shutdown date will be January 31, 2027. An FAQ states that although the game has been removed from sale, owners can still install the game from their library. In October, Amazon Games announced the game would stop receiving new content, but it will continue to monitor bugs and performance for the remainder of the game’s lifetime. Additionally, players can purchase New World's in-game currency, Marks of Fortune, until July 20. However, purchased currency cannot be refunded. Those who recently bought the game will need to contact customer support for their respective platform's storefronts to seek a potential refund. “We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion,” reads the blog post. “We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.” New World: Aeternum originally launched as simply New World for PC in 2021. The game centers on players inhabiting and surviving on a fantasy island, Aeternum, amid the 17th century during the Age of Exploration. It came to consoles in 2024 with the Aeternum subtitle, along with major updates to the experience. The game was also featured in an episode of Amazon Prime’s Secret Level anthology series. This news comes only a few months after Amazon laid off over 14,000 employees across its various divisions, including its gaming division. According to Amazon, the layoffs were made to streamline the company's workflow and management layers to ensure increased investment in its "biggest bets" as part of its push to embrace AI, which it called "the most transformative technology we've seen since the internet" at the time of the layoffs. Today's news about New World: Aeternum's impending closure comes in the same week that BioWare's Anthem was shut down for good. View the full article

Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercat (AGCM), the Italian Competition Authority, has launched an investigation into Activision Blizzard over how the company has monetised both Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. Read more View the full article

PC giant Valve has said that developers will have "fewer constraints" when it comes to platform verification than the Steam Deck. Read more View the full article

Amazon Games is shutting down New World: Aeternum, announcing that the MMO will go offline on January 31, 2027. Read more View the full article

Julian Gerighty, face of The Division franchise at Massive Entertainment, has announced his departure from the Swedish developer in a social media post. Read more View the full article

Korean games firm Krafton has said that it is still on the path to securing what it calls a "big franchise IP". Read more View the full article

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund is moving billions of dollars of stock in game companies to its own Savvy Games Group. Read more View the full article

The managing director of PC platform GOG, Maciej Gołębiewski, has warned that developers and publishers might make fewer new games if they know they need to keep these titles online forever. Read more View the full article

Amazon MGM Studios has greenlit a reality competition series inspired by Fallout on Prime Video. Read more View the full article

The 26th annual Game Developer Choice Awards has announced its finalists, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receiving eight nominations across nine categories. Read more View the full article

Resident Evil Requiem comes out next month, and fans have been frothing at the mouth for more news about it, especially since seeing the Game Awards trailer that confirmed Leon's playability. Today's Resident Evil Showcase gave us exactly that, with director Koshi Nakanishi breaking down the gameplay styles of both protagonists, Leon and Grace, amidst other tidbits of information about the game. Capcom wanted to bring Leon back into the main series, especially after the success of the Resident Evil 4 Remake, but Leon's inherent combat skills and action hero vibe make him ill-suited for a full-on horror game. Grace Ashcroft is the solution to that, as her relative lack of experience makes her much more vulnerable and afraid of her encounters with zombies. Her sections play more like Resident Evil 2 or 7, Nakanishi says, while Leon's gameplay is very reminiscent of the remake of 4. For example, Leon can parry again, but instead of his trusty combat knife, he now has a hatchet. Mechanically, it looks identical, and can be sharpened to maintain its durability. Leon can also take weapons from fallen foes – the showcase shows him parrying a massive chainsaw, shooting its wielder, and then grabbing it for himself. The footage also gives extra focus to how shooting specific body parts can be strategically helpful, like blasting out a zombie's kneecaps to stun them for a hatchet swing. Meanwhile, Grace has much slower gameplay. We see her explore some kind of mansion, and while she has a weapon, ammo is much more scarce, so combat is worth avoiding if possible. That weapon, a large caliber assault revolver, is called "Requiem", which explains the game's title. Grace also shows off a new crafting system that requires zombie blood, so while fighting is especially deadly, the rewards might be worth it. One concoction is later injected into a zombie's neck, causing it to explode in a splatter of blood. Gross! After showing some gameplay, the showcase moves on to remind players that either Grace or Leon's journeys can be played in first- or third-person, though footage typically shows Grace's camera perspective as the former and Leon's as the latter. There will also be a Casual difficulty option, which includes heavy aim assist, and a Classic option, which requires the player to find ink ribbons to save the game while playing as Grace. The back half of the showcase is less gameplay-focused, explaining the game's collaboration with Porsche and watchmaker Hamilton, giving slightly more details about the deluxe edition, detailing the game's compatibility with GeForce NOW, announcing an upcoming worldwide concert series, and showing off some figurines of the protagonists. You can watch the full showcase for yourself right here. Resident Evil Requiem launches February 27 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. For more Requiem, check out our hands-on impressions and our interview with director Koshi Nakanishi and producer Masato Kumazawa. View the full article

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot sells 10m units | News-in-BriefView the full article

Scopely's Monopoly Go has topped $6 billion revenue, making it the fastest mobile game in history to do so. Read more View the full article

Sony has reportedly removed hundreds of ThiGames games from its PlayStation Store. Read more View the full article

The founders of Spry Fox, the developer behind mobile hits Alphabear and Triple Town, have confirmed their exit from Netflix and shared details on the studio's new structure and release plans for their next game Spirit Crossing. Read more View the full article

A special broadcast revealing the next Life is Strange game is set to air next week. While we don’t know much more than that, the video does reveal that this new entry will launch in 2026. The reveal stream will air on Tuesday, January 20, beginning at 12:30 pm ET. The stream’s cryptic video description reads “Separate the real from the rumor... Join us for the exclusive reveal of the next Life is Strange game,” so there’s little indication of what this next entry entails. Will the next game be a follow-up to 2024’s Life is Strange: Double Exposure or something different entirely? It will also be interesting to see if the original Life is Strange developer Don't Nod will return to the franchise or if Deck Nine, which developed Double Exposure along with Life is Strange: True Colors and Life is Strange: Before the Storm, will continue to shepherd the franchise. The latter seems likely, as we know Don't Nod is busy working on Aphelion, which is also slated to launch this year. What do you think (or hope) this new Life is Strange will be? Let us know in the comments. View the full article

It's a big week for Amazon Prime's slate of video game adaptations. First, we got a new episode of the Fallout series. Then, we learned which actor will play Kratos in the live-action God of War series. And now there's news on the Tomb Raider front – we got our first look at Sophie Turner's portrayal of Lara Croft. See it for yourself below. Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. The image was originally uploaded to Amazon Prime Video's social media with the caption "Get your artifacts out. Lara's on her way… #TombRaider #WardrobeTest" It's a relatively classic take on the character, as opposed to the recent reboots (known as the survivor trilogy). Turner wears shorts, pistol holsters on each hip, a teal tank top, and even Lara Croft's sunglasses (which appear on the cover of Tomb Raider III), complete with red, circular lenses. As is often the case with live-action adaptations, Turner's initial casting as the character was met with skepticism from some, but now that she's in the wardrobe, you can't deny she looks the part. We'll just have to wait and see if her performance holds up as well. The Tomb Raider series is created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (known for Fleabag and Solo), who serves as both showrunner and writer. The show's cast also includes Martin Bobb-Semple, Sigourney Weaver, and Jason Issacs (who Game Informer readers might know as Gortash in Baldur's Gate 3). The show is currently in production. This shift back towards the classic Lara Croft look is a move the entire brand is making in 2026, which is the 30th anniversary of the first game's launch. This year, we can expect to see Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a reboot of the original game, while 2027 will bring Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a wholly new adventure. For more Tomb Raider, read about how the developers break down the new timeline and Lara Croft's new voice actor. View the full article

Styx: Shards of Darkness - Deluxe Edition is free this week on Epic Games Store! Styx: Shards of Darkness - ... View the full article

Styx: Master of Shadows is free this week on Epic Games Store! Styx: Master of Shadows is a dark fantasy ... View the full article

Playtika will reduce its headcount by 15% as part of restructuring plans projected to cost between $12 million to $15 million. Read more View the full article

Some of the evidence submitted by Rockstar to warrant the dismissal of 34 employees for gross misconduct has been revealed following a preliminary UK employment tribunal hearing. Read more View the full article

The German games industry "grew strongly" between 2018 and 2024, resulting in the number of games companies increasing by 81%. Read more View the full article