Silent Hill f only launched in ‘advanced access’ on September 23, but modders are already at work, with one stripping out the series’ signature fog completely.
The horror adventure released yesterday for those who bought the more expensive digital deluxe version, but for everyone else, it goes live tomorrow, September 25 (check out the Silent Hill f global release times for more).
While you may be wondering why someone would remove such a key part of all Silent Hill games’ atmosphere, toning down the fog effect gives you a much better look at Ebisugaoka’s gorgeous environments (thanks, GR+).
You may recall a similar mod for Silent Hill 2 Remake and, like this one, gave us a better look at the titular town and its interior and exterior spaces.
Silent Hill f takes us to 1960s Japan, where we follow Hinako Shimizu, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. It’s official release date is tomorrow (September 25) across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S.
IGN’s Silent Hill f review returned a 7/10. We said: “Silent Hill f presents a fresh new setting to explore and a fascinatingly dark story to unravel, but its melee-focussed combat takes a big swing that doesn’t quite land.”
In case you’re wondering, no, Silent Hill f is not a sequel to any of the existing Silent Hill games, so you can play it even if you’ve never jumped into a Silent Hill game before. Instead, it offers a standalone story “independent from the series.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
It looks like we have one announcement set for Sony’s State of Play in already: the release date of Nioh 3.
As reported by Gematsu, listings on Amazon Japan revealed a February 6, 2026 release date for Nioh 3 on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The listings, now removed, relate to the standard and Treasure Box editions of the game, and included box art.
The Treasure Box edition includes a B5-size official art book, a selection soundtrack CD, an original desk mat, and an Sunekosuri fur ball key chain.
PS5『仁王３』
2026年2月6日発売とAmazonが掲載してしまう。 「State of Play」で発表なのでは？
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
My first game of Lost In The Open came to a sticky end in the borderlands, when my ragtag group of dog-eared bodyguards and hastily-recruited vagrants encountered the full flower of the Strathian military. Outnumbered, underlevelled and already bloodied, my warriors struggled to make a dent on the gleaming Strathian plate, and were swiftly surrounded and slaughtered.
It was at this point that I realised I had fled too efficiently through the mountains and forests. I should have spent more time grinding bandits, looting old forges, and putting aside resources for the inevitable midboss encounter. I’m not sure I can be blamed for my haste, though. After all, I am a nearly-dead king, the survivor of an assassination attempt during a diplomatic dinner, and there is a whole army sweeping over the countryside behind me.
Overnight, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director and executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama introduced RGG Direct 2025, a livestream chiefly dedicated to a remake of the previously leakedYakuza 3, which will be released alongside the spin-off game, Dark Ties.
Yakuza 3 was released in 2009 — that’s over 15(!) years ago now — and Yokoyama said this remake “is the best iteration of the original game, Yakuza Kiwami 3.” Dark Ties, however, is a “new, never-before-seen story,” which means this essentially bundles two games in one package.
“Like a Dragon & Yakuza series will celebrate its 20th anniversary on December 8 of this year,” the team said. “We sincerely appreciate your continued support of RGG Studio.”
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties
“We’re developing [Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties] based on the concept ‘a legend is reborn and a new legacy begins,'” Yokoyama added, after which chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto said that both Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 “directly link to this title.” Producer/director Ryosuke Horii introduced details about the upcoming game, which is out in February 2026.
“[Kiwami 3] is a total remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3,” he explained. “We’ve rebuilt it from the ground up using the latest technology developed by our talented staff. The game has evolved enormously with loads of new cutscenes and newly added game elements. I can proudly say that we’re delivering a game worthy of the Kiwami title.”
We had a good time with the original, awarding it 8.5/10 back in 2010, but while the remake follows Yakuza 3’s story, RGG has added cutscenes “that we weren’t able to fully deliver before.”
“Whether it’s Kiryu and his pal Rikiya Shimabukuro, or enemies like Mine, Kanda, and Hamazaki, we’ve further detailed their thoughts and actions to better depict the human condition and connection,” Horii added.
Additional scenes are not the only new things coming to the game, either. Players can expect re-recorded voice lines as well as brand new ones, and “overhauled” animations, with some scenes “changed drastically with different developments and outcomes.”
“In order to greatly outdo ourselves and make a game that everyone will love, we didn’t take the safe, defensive route by glorifying the past with a simple remake, but instead took a more aggressive approach to make Yakuza Kiwami 3,” Horii said.
🐉A LEGEND IS REBORN AND A NEW LEGACY BEGINS🐉 Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties releases Feb 12, 2026 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™ 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). 👉Digital pre-orders now live (link in bio)! Physical to follow in coming days.#YakuzaKiwami3… pic.twitter.com/hhIei4IUYv
— RGG Studio | Like a Dragon & Yakuza Series (@RGGStudio) September 24, 2025
The battle system has also been reworked so you can expect two kinds of battle style, Dragon of the Dojima: Kiwami and a brand new battle style, Ryukyu, which is inspired by generational Okinawan martial arts.
“For beyond a remake, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a brand new title, vastly evolved from the original,” Horii added, after which Sakamoto explained the new Dark Ties story sees Yoshitaka Mine — chairman of the Hakuho Clan and a “popular character from the series” — as protagonist for the first time, joining the yakuza to “pursue unwavering bonds.”
Essentially a spinoff, Dark Ties is an action-adventure game that depicts the events leading up to Yakuza 3. It’s a story of the “gritty reality of human relationships in the criminal underworld,” with a “refined but cool” combat style centered around boxing.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are out on February 12, 2026. You can pre-order now.
Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2
Meanwhile, both Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, with both physical and digital editions available, on November 13, 2025.
They’re also coming to PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S, albeit a little later on December 8, 2025.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is already available on Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s now also coming to PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S on December 8, 2025. Again, it’ll available both digitally and physically.
Live-action Yakuza 3
Details were slim here, admittedly, but a live-action production featuring Kazuma Kiryu is also on the way. The team working on this previously worked on one of Japan’s most popular crime series, Nihon Touitsu.
“Through the collaboration of the game and the live-action drama themed around the underworld, we’re creating a work to make Yakuza even more accessible to those unfamiliar with the series,” Yokoyama explained, adding that multilingual localization will also be available “to make this more accessible for those of you around the world.”
Stranger Than Heaven
To close out the livestream, fans were treated to a brief behind-the-scenes snippet of Stranger Than Heaven, which is also in development. We don’t get to see much, unfortunately — the video is only a couple of minutes long — but the team is making good progress, as showcased by a BTS peek at programming, mocapping, and more.
New Virtua Fighter Project
I’m afraid I have nothing additional to report here other than to reiterate that Yokoyama said a “new Virtua Fighter project” was on the way. Watch this space…
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Whoops, actionRPGNioh 3‘s release date has reportedly leaked via some swiftly pulled Amazon Japan listings. The apparent leak, which precedes a PlayStation State of Play showcase set for later today (September 24th), has also laid bare some deets as to what the game’s swankier Treasure Box Edition includes.
Accessory manufacturer HORI has lifted the lid on its latest licensed Switch 2 controller, the Wireless HORIPAD Turbo. It’s a colourful affair, with an overall design that looks uncannily close to Nintendo’s official offering, but there are a couple of caveats that stop it from quite toppling the mighty Pro Controller.
But let’s start with the positives. The Wireless HORIPAD Turbo boasts TMR sticks to reduce chances of the dreaded drift, full gyro control, mappable face and back buttons, a C Button, and a neat ‘Button Lock’ function to prevent you from accidentally hitting any of the middle buttons (+, -, Home and Screenshot) during particularly sweaty online matches. It also comes with its own HORI Button in the middle, which can be used for rapid inputs and setting up profile preferences.
Tokyo Game Show promotion comes to PlayStation Store on 24 September*! Enjoy up to 75% off on a huge range of incredible games until 8 October. Highlighted titles include DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Metaphor: ReFantazio and ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™.
Head to PlayStation Store to enjoy savings now!
PlayStation Plus
Players who join PlayStation Plus during 24 September to 8 October can save up to 33% on a PS Plus 12-month membership!
Current PlayStation Plus members can save up to 33% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading a current plan to PlayStation Plus Extra or Deluxe.**
With PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe, get access to monthly games, exclusive discounts, online multiplayer, and hundreds of games through the Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, including hit titles like Ghost of Tsushima, Cyberpunk 2077 and many more. Explore the Classics Catalog with PlayStation Plus Deluxe, try select games like the epic DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH with Game Trials, and more.**
*Tokyo Game Show Promotion starts on 24 September 00:00 JST and concludes on 8 October 23:59 JST. Each title may have different sale periods. Please refer to the information in the title details page. Games featured in this promotion may not be part of this year’s Tokyo Game Show.
**Availability of Classics and Game Catalog varies over time, region/country, and plan. See https://www.playstation.com/Plus for details and updates on PlayStation Plus offerings. PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then-current PS Store price) at the frequency you choose at purchase until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms
Like A Dragon/Yakuza devs RGG Studio have revealed Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, a remake of Yakuza 3 paired with a fresh spin-off adventure starring the beat-em-up’s baddie Yoshitaka Mine. They’ll be released as one package on February 12th, 2026, as announced at the latest RGG Summit showcase.
The showcase also saw the studio announce that Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, originally released as a Switch 2 launch title, will arrive on PC December 8th. That revamp of the most 80s entry in the series offers some extra cutscenes and a Red Light Raid multiplayer mode all about battling hordes of goons.
A fresh update for Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World has once again improved the frequency of lap-based courses, meaning fewer tracks that require you to drive for miles through the game’s open world in order to get started.
There are some welcome adjustments to racing generally, too, with slightly more time spent invincible after spinning or crashing out during a race — so you have a fairer chance at getting back on track. Item boxes will now take slightly less time to refresh, also.
For those who do enjoy the game’s open world, improvements have been made there, too. Nintendo has added the locations of previously-found P Switches and Peach Medallions to the map for easier tracking, and you can now warp to P Switches if you want to go replay them.
Other tweaks include the ability to join friends in Knockout Tour, and encounter UFOs more easily in Free Roam. Nintendo’s full patch notes for the update, which brings the game to version 1.3.0, lie below:
Mario Kart World Ver. 1.3.0 patch notes:
General
You can now join friends playing “Knockout Tour” by selecting “Friends” from “Online Play” “1p.”
Up to 2 players can now play “Free Roam” while waiting if the game was full when trying to join friends playing “Race,” “Knockout Tour” or “Battle” in “Online Play.”
The “Free Roam” map now displays the locations of P Switches you’ve run over and Peach Medallions you’ve obtained.
You can now select a P Switch from the map and move to a location near the P Switch.
In “Free Roam”, you can now transform into the character pulled into the UFO.
If “Dash Food” in “Settings/Controller” is set to “Doesn’t transform” then you will not transform.
It is now easier to encounter UFOs in “Free Roam.”
The conditions for the appearance of some Peach Medallions in “Free Roam” have been adjusted.
When spectating in “Knockout Tour” or “Balloon Battle” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”, you can now choose who to watch, even if you are holding the Joy-Con 2 or Joy-Con horizontally.
Decreased the time between when an item box is taken by someone and the next time it is revived.
Increased the invincible time after spinning or crashing during a race.
Reduced the force of jumps when landing on a rival from above.
Decreased the amount of time between when you finish and when spectating begins in “Knockout Tour” or “Balloon Battle” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play.”
Decreased the amount of time between passing through the checkpoint and when the ranking is displayed in “Knockout Tour” in “Wireless Play” and “LAN Play.”
Further increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing in the selection when choosing the next course in “VS Race” and wireless races.
Fixed Issues
Fixed an issue in “Online Play” and “Wireless Play” where the ranking would sometimes become incorrect if a player went off course at the same time as reaching the finish line.
Fixed an issue in “Grand Prix”, “Knockout Tour”, and “VS Race”, where the CPU’s ranking would sometimes drop after reaching the finish line.
Fixed an issue in “Knockout Tour” in “Online Play” where other players’ ratings would sometimes appear as “0” on the results screen.
Fixed an issue where a Spiny Shell would sometimes pass the first place player in “Wireless Play” or “Online Play.”
Fixed an issue where players would sometimes be sent flying backwards a great distance when hit by a Spiny Shell.
Fixed an issue where the second item in an item slot would sometimes not disappear when hit by Lightning.
Fixed an issue where hitting the base of a pillar in mid-air would sometimes cause a large jump.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused movement to become unstable when doing a wall ride on water.
Fixed an issue where players would sometimes be swept away strongly after landing when doing a mini jump while going up a river.
Fixed an issue where players would sometimes pass through the ground when hit by a car driving on the road.
Fixed an issue in “Free Roam” where players would sometimes be unable to enter pipes correctly after exiting a trailer.
Fixed an issue where the results screen would sometimes become distorted after spectating “Balloon Battle” in “Online Play.”
Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes not proceed to the course selection screen after exiting a pipe during “Free Roam” in “Online Play.”
Fixed an issue where Bullet Bill would sometimes slip through walls when used in “Sky-High Sundae.”
Fixed an issue where players would sometimes get stuck on a wall at the start of the race heading from “Airship Fortress” to “Shy Guy Bazaar.”
Fixed an issue where players would sometimes get stuck in walls when using a Bullet Bill in “Bowser’s Castle.”
Fixed an issue in “Cheep Cheep Falls” where item boxes were sometimes difficult to pick up when Smart Steering was turned on.
Fixed an issue in “Knockout Tour” “Spiny Rally” where sometimes there was an item box buried in the ground.
Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Popular Grand Theft Auto 5 roleplay server nopixel is collaborating with Rockstar Games for an official “evolution” of the RP service called nopixel V.
The nopixel X/Twitter account confirmed the news today with a trailer teasing Rockstar-backed roleplay support for GTA 5. With Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon, Rockstar’s continued interest in the RP community has fans hoping for nopixel servers on console versions of past and future GTA games.
We’re excited to support the nopixel team as they create the future of GTA RP. https://t.co/pyb9SzfrfZ
Nopixel 1.0 launched in 2016, three years after GTA 5’s original release date, as a PC server where players can immerse themselves within the world of Los Santos by roleplaying as everything from taxi drivers and EMS to police officers. Various updates have arrived for the massively popular roleplay offshoot in the years since, but nopixel V marks the team’s first official collaboration with Rockstar.
It’s not quite clear what exactly nopixel V is. The announcement itself promises to bring its updated take on GTA 5 RP to the Rockstar Games Launcher and other PC platforms “soon,” pointing fans to its website for more news and to sign up for invitations.
A roster of content creators confirmed to be involved in nopixel V is also available on its website and includes names like Valkyrae and Pokimane. More names will be unveiled in the near future, with the next announcement tied to a countdown that ends in one week. While there’s still much about nopixel V to be revealed, official presence on the Rockstar Games Launcher and other PC platforms is still a significant change.
“I used to be on nopixel, then I started working on GTA 6, and they told me I couldn’t do RP anymore because it kind of goes against… they had this whole speech, like, ‘What if somebody took your album and re-recorded it, and more people were listening to that,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, I kind of get that, but I was having a good time. Alright that’s fine,'” T-Pain said at the time.
Now, with Rockstar doubling down on its support for fan-driven RP servers, some believe it’s only a matter of time before the company announces roleplay support in GTA 5 on consoles, or even for GTA 6. However, Rockstar has yet to announce plans for this kind of support.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
