Dragon Quest VII! Super Bomberman Collection! Cool Borders!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. And blimey, that Partner Showcase added a handful of new releases to the pot, too.
As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!
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Hey, everybody! Sid, Tim, Brett, and I are back this week to talk about the newest game announced this week, Horizon Hunters Gathering, take a look at what’s new in MLB The Show 26, and go down the rabbit hole of games based on 80s action.
Stuff We Talked About
Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE
Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE
Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE
Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
The director of Yakuza 3 Kiwami + Dark Ties has broken his silence on Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio’s controversial hiring of Teruyuki Kagawa to play Goh Hamazaki, saying they needed someone who would make audiences think, “This guy’s a creep.”
This comes from an interview with Horii conducted by Japanese outlet GAME Watch, and independently translated by IGN. In the interview, Horii is asked directly about the decision to recast certain characters in Kiwami from their original Japanese actors. His general response as to why he recast both Hamazaki and Rikiya Shimabukuro is that while it would “certainly be safer not to recast them and avoid online criticism,” the studio “felt there was no use being afraid.”
Horii goes on to say that they based their decision on who they most wanted to see perform. When asked directly about Kagawa playing Hamazaki, this is what Horii had to say:
Hamazaki is a sleazy, persistent, and militant yakuza, right? Since he isn’t an explosive character like Kanda, when we tried to think of someone who makes you go, “This guy’s a creep,” naturally it was Kagawa – that was the main factor. Kagawa’s acting is fun to watch. Even when he’s chopping a pig’s feet off with a chef’s knife, it has a slimy feel. That feeling permeates his performance, so it brings a freshness to the scene and made it feel really fun.
Kagawa’s casting as Hamazaki has been met with anger from Yakuza fans due to the actor having been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, with one woman coming forward with what seems to be photographic evidence of the incident. In 2022, Kagawa admitted to and apologized for one of the incidents, but another of his accusers has said she received no apology.
Following the announcement of Kagawa’s casting, Yakuza fans reacted in anger on social media, getting #REMOVEKAGAWA trending on multiple networks and creating a Change.org petition that at the time of this writing has nearly 10,000 signatures. Fans have accused RGG Studio of suppressing the #REMOVEKAGAWA hashtag and deleting comments referencing the issue on its official Instagram page. And a number of them have pointed out that Sega has recast actors for offenses in the past – Pierre Taki was recast in Judgment back in 2019 after he was arrested for cocaine possesssion.
Up to this point, neither RGG Studio nor Sega has offered official comment on Kagawa’s casting, nor the accusations – Horii’s answer is the first statement that’s been offered on the subject. However, Sega did publish a trailer on its official YouTube after the wave of criticism, which introduced the Japanese voice cast and opened on a longer clip of Hamazaki. IGN reached out to Sega for additional comment ahead of this story, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Mobile games have existed for decades, but the market has grown immensely in recent years. So we decided it’s time to figure out which mobile game you think is the best of all time with a March Madness–style bracket, presented by our friends at McDonald’s and their limited-time Hot Honey sauce, which will make your faves more perfect.
The bracket is made up of 32 entries divided into two categories. On one side are classics like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Doodle Jump, and Candy Crush. On the other are modern hits like Genshin Impact, Balatro, Fortnite, and Roblox. But which game deserves to be crowned as the GOAT? Only you can tell us that.
The bracket will pit games against each other 1v1, with the winner of each matchup moving on to the next round. All the matchups in each round will be done at the same time, with voting conducted through polls on the bottom of the page you’re currently on as well as IGN’s Instagram stories. If you come back to this page on the dates listed below, the polls will be updated to the latest round and you can vote again.
First Round: Feb. 6
Sweet 16: Feb. 10
Elite 8: Feb. 12
Final 4: Feb. 18
Championship: Feb. 20
Winner Announced: Feb. 24
This week saw the early access launch of turn-based tactics game Menace, created by the piss-swigging misanthropes behind Battle Brothers. Julian has been having a wonderful time playing it and learning about the importance of spare ammo and adequate reconnaissance. It could have been worse, Julian. Your antivirus software could have deleted some of the game’s files. This being one of the currently known issues listed in the patch notes for the game’s first proper update.
Starting the Switch 2 Edition in style.
Yesterday, Team Cherry surprised us all with the shadow drop release of Hollow Knight – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (at least, it would have been a surprise if its PEGI rating hadn’t cropped up online before), and the studio snuck out a new update to mark the occasion.
The ver. 1.5.12459 update isn’t packed with game-changing additions, but it’s always nice to see Team Cherry fine-tuning the experience. Alongside new screen resolution support for PC players, the patch also introduces “many under-the-hood improvements brought over from Hollow Knight: Silksong to the original game,” Team Cherry said in a blog post. And yes, this update is available on both Switch 1 and 2.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Last week, we asked you to slow things down and enjoy the rustic life using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s are this week’s highlights:
jobolts_ shares Atsu playing her shamisen at a camp with the Ainu tribe in Ghost of Yōtei.
WildmindVP shares Layla’s cabin in the present day of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
RhodWulfLeon shares a one-eyed owl in a tavern in Star Wars Outlaws.
RazinZamee shares Ellie and baby JJ sitting on a tractor in The Last of Us Part II.
call_me_xavii shares Aloy standing outside an encampment in Horizon Forbidden West.
FlamingHobo666 shares a wizard picnicking near a pumpkin patch in Hogwarts Legacy.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Romantic
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 11, 2026
Next week, show some love. Share romantic settings and characters from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
The development team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have been given the status of Knight under the French Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition of their significant contribution to the country’s art and culture.
French studio Sandfall Interactive revealed the news this week via a post on LinkedIn, which included photos of the proud team wearing medals bestowed upon them by the French Ministry of Culture.
While somewhat similar to a British knighthood, the French Order of Arts and Letters does not allow holders to add a “Sir” to their names. Still, it is prestigious form of recognition awarded to just 200 people worldwide each year, for their work creating something of outstanding cultural significance.
Since the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in April 2025, the game has received universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. It won a record nine of the (also record) 13 nominations it received at last year’s Game Awards. Here on IGN, meanwhile, we crowned it as our Game of 2025.
“From Expeditioners to Knights!” the team wrote in celebration of their latest prize. “We were received yesterday at the Ministry of Culture to celebrate our game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. As such, the members of Sandfall Interactive were awarded the Order of Arts and Letters.
“This distinction honors us, and our deepest thanks go especially to our team who shaped this world and to the millions of players who have brought it to life. We hope that our journey will inspire all those who wish to take the plunge and create their own work.”
Recognition by the French Ministry of Culture for work in the field of video games is rare, and for an entire studio of people to be recognized is completely unique.
The honor of Knight status was first bestowed upon a game creator back in 2006, when Rayman, Rabbids and Beyond Good & Evil designer Michel Ancel received the honor alongside Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto and Alone in the Dark creator Frederick Raynal. Nintendo’s veteran Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma was similarly honored in 2023, meanwhile.
“Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story,” IGN wrote in our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, dubbing it a “modern RPG classic.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Square Enix have announced Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse, a summery sequel to horror mystery visual novel Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. The original game earned itself a double thumbs-up from former RPS reviews editor Rachel Watts, shortly before she vanished while gathering blood-stained stones one moonlit night. (I am just joshing with you – Rachel is alive and well over at Thinky Games. Remember, there’s no such thing as ghosts and there definitely isn’t one hovering behind you right now.)
The Mermaid’s Curse should be good, then. It trades the first game’s gloomy streets for the coast of Japan, where young pearl diver Yuza Minakuchi discovers another version of himself at the bottom of the ocean. I routinely discover other versions of myself at the bottom of a bottle of Tuppersmith’s Old Peculiar, but nobody’s making any dang visual novels about me. Anyway, here’s a trailer.
Insomniac Games, the developer behind PlayStation’s beloved Spider-Man games and the upcoming Wolverine, just dropped a teasing hint at another Marvel hero who fans now think is likely to appear.
In a post on Twitter/X, Insomniac Games shared an image of Wolverine extending his claws and turning to face… someone, alongside the caption: “‘Claws?’ What’s that, some kind of fancy lawyer lingo?”
The line is a fun pun on Wolverine’s blades, and the kind of clause a lawyer might include in a legal contract — but which lawyer? Well, Marvel fans will know there’s only one legal representative who’d likely seek out Wolverine when he’s in another one of his moods.
“Claws”? What’s that, some kind of fancy lawyer lingo? #WolverinePS5 pic.twitter.com/vgw9Od8jHO
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) February 5, 2026
Of course, fans have immediately taken the tease to be a nod at the appearance of Daredevil, otherwise known as Matt Murdock, as played by Charlie Cox in the Daredevil TV series and a swathe of other projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fans have long been expecting Daredevil to make an appearance in one of Insomniac’s Marvel games, too, after numerous references to the character in the developer’s Spider-Man titles.
A sign outside Nelson & Murdock’s office appeared in Spider-Man 1, and was noted by fans as having been removed in Spider-Man 2 and replaced by an eviction notice. A post-launch Spider-Man 2 patch then re-added the Nelson & Murdock sign, hinting at some kind of story for the character being in the offing — something the game’s director Bryan Intihar even commented on in late 2023, teasing: “Stay tuned.”
Further references to the character have teased Murdock and Jennifer Walters apparently starting a legal firm together, and included other Daredevil-themed locations such as Josie’s Bar and Fogwell’s Gym. Clearly, the character has been on Insomniac’s mind for some time — perhaps Wolverine is where we’ll finally see him?
As you would expect, replies to Insomniac’s latest post have immediately picked up on the studio’s apparent Daredevil hint, and responded with numerous gifs of Charlie Cox in his iconic red suit. Well, why not.
Due for release this during the latter half of 2026, Marvel’s Wolverine remains somewhat under-wraps — though we finally got a decent look at the game during last September’s State of Play broadcast. In late 2023, leaked footage and other development details hit the internet following a high-profile hack of Insomniac data, which also included details of an array of future and canceled projects.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
