Street Fighter 6’s second DLC character in Year 4, following the release of Filipina Yasmine, is Arjun, who is now confirmed to release on October 13, 2026. Capcom revealed our first look at how the new character plays, with his concept revolving around breathing techniques.

Arjun is an Indian police officer, and his large frame initially made me think he’s mainly a grappler of sorts. It certainly looked that way at the beginning of the gameplay trailer with his heavy normals, but then he started doing his breathing techniques. He appears to have a decent projectile, armor properties, a command grab, and a variety of options to get in and apply pressure. He can also create stone pillars that can serve as combo extenders or even create mix-ups on wake up.

Just like Yasmine, Capcom’s team is doing an amazing job delivering unique character concepts for new characters as Arjun looks like a lot of fun, and possibly a pain to go against.

Here’s how Capcom describes his toolkit:

• Arm of Justice: a versatile winding punch that saps his opponent’s energy with variants for

  different attack strengths and an optional Follow-up

• Cruel Shoulder: a lunging forward shoulder tackle with different properties depending on the

  strength of the attack

• Breathing Ring: a ring of air made through body and spirit that he can follow up with Breathing

  Shockwave to send the ring forward as a projectile at various angles

• Divine Pillar: Arjun blows enough air into the ground to raise the ground into a pillar of earth,

  with the strength of the attack determining the distance and holding the button delays the

  pillar’s activation

• Justice Beyond: Using Cruel Shoulder to contact an active Divine Pillar allows Arjun to grab

  the pillar and swing it at his opponent in any direction

• Ghastly Interrogation: a command throw that only deals recoverable damage, but can deal

  normal damage if the opponent has already received recoverable damage

• Indomitable Defense: Arjun uses his yogic breathing to hyper oxygenate his muscles so he

  can turn any incoming melee strikes into counterattacks dealing recoverable damage

• Moral Breakdown: While Indominable Defense is engaged, Arjun throws both fists forward to

  deal recoverable damage on block or normal damage on hit

• Howling Destruction: Arjun’s Level 1 Super Art mows down foes with quick bursts of his

  breathing technique

• Instant Oblivion: Arjun’s Level 2 Super Art sends foes flying into the air and far away from

  him where he can set up a Divine Pillar

• Yaksha’s Order: Arjun’s Level 3 Super Art sees him disrupt his opponent’s inner ear before

  he performs a cinematic devastating attack

Arjun will be available to all Year 4 Character Pass and Ultimate Pass owners. He is the second DLC character coming to the game, with Year 4 still having two more characters planned: Final Fantasy VII’s Tifa and Bosch, the player’s rival in Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

It’s been a busy weekend of gaming. In between packing for a big move to a new home, I started both Onimusha: Way of the Sword and The Blood of Dawnwalker, both fantastic games in their own right. I also spent some time polishing my Marvel’s Wolverine review (out September 10, 2026).

But the one thing that was a thorn in my side during my gaming sessions was the open-world game that gives you witch powers during the day, then vampiric abilities at night. Capcom’s latest Onimusha game will have to wait for a bit as the bug and how time works needs to be mentioned first. Some thoughts.

A Single Movement Bug Bothered Me

I’m over 10 hours into The Blood of Dawnwalker so far, and i’m enjoying this Witcher-esque open world game. But there’s this one bug that I encounter every single time I try to sprint.

When starting from a standstill, trying to move Coen diagonally with a controller causes him to slowly move in that direction, as if i’m triggering a slow walk. It was so apparent and consistent that it made me question whether my DualSense controller was experiencing symptoms of stick drift.

Apparently, it’s a known issue and people have shared a workaround for PC players using certain controllers, but on console, there’s no true workaround that I know of. Rebel Wolves have also yet to officially fix the problem.

Hopefully, it gets fixed soon because you do a lot of running in this game.

Dawnwalker Uses Time as a Resource

But beyond the annoying bug, The Blood of Dawnwalker is starting strong, particularly because of its unusual 30-day time system. I love the decision to make time a resource rather than simply giving players another open-world checklist to work through.

The main objective is for protagonist Coen to save his family, and he has 30 days to do it. Any quest, upgrade you unlock, or activity you complete advances time. Exploring the world, shopping, traveling, or even getting into fights in the open world does not progress time, leaving players to decide what’s most important to them.

It works rather well, and I love that starting a quest is now something you have to consider. But this is also a completionist’s nightmare of a game. From where i’m standing, it feels relatively impossible to do everything in a single playthrough.

That could explain why, on PC, the most downloaded mod for the game in Nexus Mod is one that increases the amount of time you have to save Coen’s family. A good amount of people hate it, which is fair, but give the system the benefit of the doubt before you strip it from your game.

Altering how many days you have to complete the main quest undermines the whole design philosophy of the game. I’d consider using a mod like this on my second or third playthrough, but I highly recommend sucking it up and experiencing the game the way the developers intended it to be played.

It’s also confirmed that it’s not the end of the game if you happen to fail saving the family.

For some perspective, I’m now 12 hours into my save file and at level 18. I’ve completed a series of activities, upgraded perks, and finished a good amount of quests, and I still have 26 days to go.

Coen doesn’t sleep. During the day, he roams as a human with witch abilities. When night comes, you instantly turn into your vampire self and roam until the sun rises, at which point you become human again.

It feels like there’s enough time, but I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t add a bit of pressure to my decision-making.

I’ve had moments where I’ve come across a monster lair that progresses time by one segment of the day. I actually decided to pass on one because I wanted to complete a specific quest first. If I did the lair fight, it would end the night and I’d become human again. I wanted to tackle that quest as a vampire instead.

It’s those decisions that make The Blood of Dawnwalker so addicting to play for hours. I find myself mapping out how to maximize each day: do minor quests during the day and hit vendors to buy and sell equipment (most shops are closed at night, obviously), then tackle the harder quests at night, when my best gear currently favors my vampiric side.

This back-and-forth between day and night is one of the game’s biggest highlights, and the use of time actually complements both sides of Coen.

It’s not a problem for me so far. I’m more bothered by the movement bug, which I really hope goes away soon.

There’s more to talk about, as the combat is fun but has its fair share of issues dragging it down, especially when playing on a slightly higher difficulty.

I’ll talk more about it soon.

How was your weekend?

Respawn Monday #09: Palworld Tokon Fighting Souls Beta

Respawn Monday #10: Mistfall Hunter is an Extraction Soulslike Gem

Respawn Monday #11: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Street Fighter 6 Week

Respawn Monday #12: Why Beast of Reincarnation Felt Rough at the Start

Respawn Monday #13: Kingdome Come Deliverance 2 Long Weekend

Respawn Monday #14: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Beta and my Return to R6

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Developer Madfinger Games has announced that Gray Zone Warfare is transistioning from the pre-alpha to the alpha development stage with its major 0.5 update set to arrive this Fall.

"We’re incredibly excited to announce another major update that introduces game-changing features such as the hideout, crafting, drug smuggling, multiple playable characters, and incredible new locations," says Tomáš Nawar, spokesperson for MADFINGER Games. "The highly detailed design of these new locations will also significantly expand the game’s lore."

What to Expect From Update 0.5

Gray Zone Warfare’s 0.5 update will allow players to build their own hideout, giving them a place to invest resources earned from missions into various upgrades and advanced laboratories.

One example shared by the developers involved producing narcotics and then smuggling them off island. Successfully completing these runs will reward players with what Madfinger describes as “substantial rewards,” although the developer has yet to reveal exactly what these rewards will be.

The activity also comes with significant risks, as enemy factions will attempt to claim your contraband. As an extraction shooter, Gray Zone Warfare requires players to extract safely from missions, with death potentiall resulting in the loss of the gear brought into the mission.

Drug smuggling is just one example of what players can expect from the Hideout, with the developers pllanning to expand the feature further over time.

The update will also introduce major changes to the Lamang map, including several new locations designed to expand the game’s story and lore. These include a radar installation, a multi-level facility reportedly containing high-value loot, an asylum that explores the darker side of the island, and a military camp located on the edge of Ground Zero. The latter will feature tough enemies and secrets for players to uncover concerning the first expeditions into Ground Zero

Creating multiple characters

The 0.5 update will also introduce the ability to create up to four characters. This should give players more freedom to experience different factions or play alongside friends who have chosen a different faction for their main character.

Another major change is the separation of PVE and PVPVE progression. Players will no longer be able to farm equipment in PVE and then bring them into PVPVE mode, as both modes will now have their own progression systems and inventories.

Gray Zone Warfare remains in Steam Early Access and has now surpassed 1.7 million copies sold since its Early Access launch on April 30, 2024. The game will also be 30% off on Steam from now until September 15.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

[Last Updated: September 2, 2026]

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The game is getting a free remaster on September 29, 2026 for those who own the game, while the Songs of the Past expansion is coming in 2027 and The Witcher 4 is currently expented in 2028.

But if you’ve already spent hundreds of hours exploring the Continent and you’re looking for something new, what game can scratch that same itch?

Finding a game that delivers the same feeling as The Witcher 3 isn’t easy. It’s not just the open world. It’s the memorable characters, surprisingly great side quests, meaningful choices, exploration, the combat, and that feeling that there’s always something worth discovering around the next corner.

Thankfully, there are plenty of open-world RPGs that can somewhat fit the Witcher 3 bill. Here are the games I’d recommend if you’re looking for something to play while waiting for the next Witcher adventure from CD Projekt RED.

Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt RED’s next game after The Witcher 3 is a good starting point for this list, and is probably the easiest recommendation to make if you’re looking for something that can scratch the same itch.

The RPG had a horrendous launch, there’s no going around that as everyone knows that, but the studio stuck with it and accepted that they dropped the ball. After years of updates and the excellent Phantom Liberty expansion, Cyberpunk 2077 is no longer the joke it used to be on its first year. It has evolved into one of the best open-world RPGs of its generation.

Set in Night City, you play as V, a mercenary who becomes the unwilling host of Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rocker and anti corporate revolutionary whose personality has been preserved inside a digital construct implanted in V’s head.

With Keanu Reeves playing as Johnny, you’ll spend much of the game trying to figure out how to get him out of your head before his presence consumes you. Along the way, you’ll take on odd jobs for Night City’s various factions and characters, build V however you want, and decide whether you want to become a firearms specialist, a stealthy hacker, a cybernetic killing machine, or a combination of all three.

There’s no real timer in the game for V’s condition, so have the freedom to explore all that Night City has to offer.

It doesn’t have The Witcher 3 medieval high fantasy setting, and most of the game is set in one city, but it has the same attention to detail with its characters, side quests, and world building that make CD Projekt RED the best studio in the genre that it will be easy to get lost in this world.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Excellent characters, side quests, romances, major choices, and world building.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 isn’t as dark and filled with magic and fantastical creatures, it’s actually humorous and grounded but delivers that perfect atmosphere of getting lost in that particular world. You have various side quests scattered around the game, points of interests that lead to interesting encounters, treasure waiting to be found, and a storyline that is borderline comical half of the time. You have to manage your equipment, tend to your hunger, clean your clothes, and make sure you get a good amount of sleep and not be a nuisance to the population.

I started playing it a couple of weeks ago and has become my wind down game before going to bed.

It’s one of those games that when you start playing, you didi’t realize it’s been three hours, and all you were doing was making potions and hunting animals for food.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: World building, major decisions matter, scale, and excellent characters

Ghost of Yotei and Ghost of Tsushima

Another open world banger that takes you in through not only the combat but the world Sucker Punch has created. It’s the best way to experience the samurai era, and while it doesn’t have the RPG elements similar to The Witcher 3, it does a good job in delivering interesting stories, satisfying combat, and an open world that’s fun to slowly explore.

You can go either Ghost of Tsushima for a samurai going beyond his samurai ways to strike fear on the invading Mongolian army, or be the jack of all trades warrior in Ghost of Yotei, where Atsu’s journey of vengeance pushes her to learn a variety of different weapon types in order to succeed in her mission. Different flavors, same level of quality, storytelling, and scale.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Satisfying combat, the exploration and level of detail in the world,

The Blood of Dawnwalker

If you’re looking for the game on this list that wears its Witcher 3 influence the most proudly, it’s The Blood of the Dawnwalker.

Developed by Rebel Wolves, a studio founded by several former CD Projekt RED developers, Dawnwalker is a dark fantasy open world RPG set in a fictionalized version of 14th-century Europe. You play as Coen, a man who has been transformed into a half-vampire and has 30 days to save his family from a vampire lord.

The game’s biggest hook is its day and night cycle system. Coen is human during the day and will have access to unique abilities and magic only available when the sun is up. By night, his vampiric side takes over as you now have a completely different playstyle to use in order to approach not only combat but exploration and even completing certain quests.

The first wave of reviews have been mostly positive so far, an impressive feat considering it’s the studio’s first project.

Based on what many are saying, this feels like the closest you’ll get out of a spiritual successor of The Witcher 3.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Dark fantasy setting, branching quests, interesting characters, moral choices and a medieval European-inspired open world.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Of all the open world games, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is probably the best title that did a solid job embracing both the open world aspect, and the action RPG aspect due to how they changed how the gear system works and its abilities.

You’ll get The Witcher 3 scale but set in Ancient Greece. It’s not too overly stuffed like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla but long enough that you can go over 100 hours by exploring and doing each side activity available. If you can tolerate the Ubisoft open world formula, this is the best title to scratch that itch.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Open world RPG elements, exploration and scale, fun combat

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a no-brainer as it’s one of the titles that influenced the open world genre in terms of scale, the amount of content, and the various stories you can encounter by simply exploring.

The remastered was shadow-dropped earlier this year and it was amazing to play the game again after all these years. The same game, just with modernized visuals and systems. If you haven’t played Oblivion, you’re missing out as Bethesda did a good job at bringing back this classic to the spotlight once again.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: One of the games that inspired the open world formula, Interesting stories, densely populated world filled with stories and experiences.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a different beast all together, but it has two things it has in common with The Witcher 3, and that is exploration and atmosphere. Open world games shine when exploring aimlessly can lead you to unexpected content. You pick a direction and just go nuts. That’s one of the things I love about The Witcher 3, and Elden Ring captured that experience perfectly.

If you see a cave, you’ll come across a dungeon with unique rewards and a boss that might take you a few tries to beat. You might even come across an elevator that brings you to a massive underground region that is not talked about or hinted in the game.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Exploration, atmosphere, and rewarding discovery rarely seen in open world games

Outward Definitive Edition

The Witcher 3 is all about the adventure. Each region delivers a new experience as you go from one area to the next. Among all of the games mentioned in this list, Outward Definitive Edition is the one open world game that needs a bit of patience.

It’s not that visually appealing as other AAA titles, and it has decisions like not having a fast travel option to make it a difficult game to get into. This game requires a lot of patience and planning as you need to bring the right equipment and the right amount of items to survive not only the trip to your location but the return back.

The sense of discovery is satisfying as you are going in blind with a map that doesn’t show where you currently are. You need to recall how to go back, remember what the NPC told you when giving the directions to the dungeon, and survive the dangers waiting inside. It can be intense, sometimes frustrating, but the successful journeys give you this satisfying high not many games can deliver. It’s not for everyone, but it grows on you, and captures the beauty of open world RPGs.

Why it scratches the Witcher 3 itch: Exploration, the importance of preparation, and satisfying sense of going on an adventure

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Developer Moon Studios has delayed the 1.0 release of its action RPG No Rest for the Wicked to March 2027. The game was previously scheduled to leave Early Access in October 2026.

“We are not quite there yet,” said Thomas Mahler, game director for No Rest for the Wicked, while addressing the delay in the video shown above. The team wants to spend more time polishing the game an make sure the 1.0 release launches with as few issues as possible as they are currently in a mad dash to get all the systems and content ready for the full launch.

More Open Betas Planned for 2026

The delay doesn’t mean players will have to wait until 2027 for new content. Moon Studios is planning additional open betas throughout the rest of 2026, giving the community more opportunities to play upcoming content and builds to help shape the final 1.0 release.

The next open beta is planned sometime in December 2026.

For those looking to purchase the game on Steam before it’s release, anyone who picks up the game before January 1, 2027 will receive the game’s Founders pack, which contains the Sayer’s Vow skin, the Spirit Cavern hideout, a Founder’s Badge, and public beta test access.

The 1.0 version of No Rest of the Wicked will be available on PC, PS5. The Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 version is planned at a later date.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Rockfish Games has released the final technical update for its space action RPG Everspace 2, which not only improves the game’s performance across different platforms but also makes the game Steam Deck verified.

This final update brings over improvements the studio worked on while developing the game for Nintendo Switch 2. These include general performance optimizations, bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and minor new features. The developers also announced that the game’s performance on Xbox Series S has been improved thanks to the update.

New Everspace Game Coming

What’s interesting about this update is that despite being the final update for a game that has been in development for eight years, it looks like Rockfish Games isn’t done with the Everspace series just yet. The studio says it is “fully focused on the future of the Everspace series”, hinting that a new project is in the works and they plan to share more when the time is right.

Rockfish previously revealed that it received an eight million euro grant for their next project from the German government. While they haven’t officially announced what their next project will be, it is confirmed that it will be a new game within the Everspace franchise.

Everspace 2 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

It’s the second long weekend in a row for those of us in the Philippines, but it was another busy weekend of playing games. I’ve already started covering Marvel’s Wolverine (review out September 10, 2026), returned to Rainbow Six Siege, and tried the open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Some thoughts.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Is How I Expected It to Go

This weekend was very first-person shooter-focused. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 hosted an open beta on consoles and PC, so I gave it a shot and downloaded its 50+ GB beta.

The file size for a Call of Duty beta feels like a crime. But I carried on and submitted to the download needed to play the latest Call of Duty multiplayer offering. After spending around five hours with it, the verdict is about what I expected: I felt roughly the same way I have about every Call of Duty game I’ve played over the last five years.

It’s not bad, per se. It just isn’t getting me all that excited anymore both in engaging with the fast-paced gameplay or even the usual grind.

The feeling I had toward the franchise was different back then. Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 were the series at its peak for me. Memorable maps, straightforward gunplay, and none of the ultra-fast movement we see today. Just arcade-y Call of Duty multiplayer fun.

When I played my first hour of Modern Warfare 4, I was reminded that the core of the series continues to stay the same. What I felt playing Black Ops 6 is almost exactly what I felt playing Modern Warfare 4. Advanced Warfare, World War II, even when the settings and features change, they all give me a similar feeling.

The same tension. The same frantic engagements.

Every corner can be met with someone sliding into you, jumping around, or dropping into a crouch to throw off your aim. It’s all fair. It’s just that everyone is playing the game in roughly the same way.

I get it. That’s Call of Duty.

But as a yearly franchise, it increasingly feels like it struggles to get me excited again. The campaigns haven’t really hit the mark for me in recent years, although I still enjoy jumping into Zombies when available, then finding a group of friends willing to spend full price on another shooter.

On paper, Modern Warfare 4 is a perfectly decent Call of Duty multiplayer game. Avid players will find plenty to praise or criticize, but from the outside looking in, I see the same game with a different coat of paint.

It feels like a series rotating features and game modes to hopefully keep it fresh for the majority of its player base. Like McDonald’s bringing back Twister Fries for a limited time, only for them to disappear and return again months later as if they’re a brand-new idea.

Modern Warfare 4 will sell. Of course it will. But I do wonder how long the community can tolerate the yearly structure, especially in today’s video game market where I consider games to be a very expensive hobby.

All I needed was one night with the beta to tell me I didn’t miss its overall gameplay structure all too much, and the latest game doesn’t feel like it does enough to pull me in.

The Return of R6

The same goes for the other game I spent a significant amount of time with this weekend: Rainbow Six Siege.

I’ve been playing this shooter since it was released in 2015, but in 2023, I stopped keeping tabs on it and logging in regularly. I felt burnt out. I loved the game, but after spending more than 1,000 hours with it, I needed to step away for a while.

The hours spent might not sound like much compared to people who play Siege every day, but it’s the only shooter that has ever gotten me that invested for years.

So why return?

My friends who regularly play the game never quit. They would always remind me that I was free to return whenever I wanted. Last Thursday, I finally impulse-downloaded the game.

Within one night, everything I loved about Siege was clear and front and center again.

The sheer number of Operators and gadgets remains intimidating, but it’s also exciting to experiment with. Every engagement feels like it has some sort of plan behind it. When I win, there are usually a series of decisions and actions that led to the outcome. When I lose, my team can usually figure out where we went wrong.

That’s something I’ve always loved about Rainbow Six Siege. There’s a reason behind what happens, and every match can be won in multiple ways; you just have to take a step back and figure out how.

Playing with friends amplifies that feeling in a way no other shooter has really managed to replicate for me.

Of course, Siege is still heavily monetized, and looking through its Discord or social media will show plenty of complaints about the game’s current state. But the game is alive and well. Despite all the noise, there’s still optimism and appreciation that it’s still being supported over 10 years later.

Solid Snake is now in the game. Two new maps I’ve never experienced are in rotation. And because I played so much Siege years ago, my account had enough resources saved up that I could purchase all the new Operators without spending any real money on my return.

We’ll see if my love for the game continues, but I have a feeling it will.

I’m already eager to answer my friends’ call in our group chat to party up and play a few rounds of Ranked.

How was your weekend?

Respawn Monday #08: Palworld has taken over my life

Respawn Monday #09: Palworld Tokon Fighting Souls Beta

Respawn Monday #10: Mistfall Hunter is an Extraction Soulslike Gem

Respawn Monday #11: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Street Fighter 6 Week

Respawn Monday #12: Why Beast of Reincarnation Felt Rough at the Start

Respawn Monday #13: Kingdome Come Deliverance 2 Long Weekend

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

According to a recent interview by Polygon, the upcoming Fable remake will take around 15–20 hours to complete its main story, with side quests and exploration adding around 20 more hours.

Fable Remake Game Time

Fable associate game directors Will Kennedy and Craig Litter discussed the game’s length, while reiterating that there is plenty more to experience for players who want to explore every nook and cranny, including discovering the various NPCs and seeing how they were crafted and programmed, as Playground Games states that the game features over 1,000 fully handcrafted and fully voiced NPCs.

That’s a reasonable size for a Fable game, considering the first three games each took around 13-15 hours to complete their main stories. But those accustomed to modern open-world RPGs might find the remake relatively small, especially for a game that lets players build a life, get married, have children, and go on all sorts of adventures.

Expectations for RPG length have certainly changed as games have become increasingly massive and dense. Games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can take dozens of hours to complete, while JRPGs can be even longer. Atlus’ Persona series and Metaphor: ReFantazio, for example, can take well over 100 hours to complete the main story.

Game length doesn’t determine whether a game will be good or not, but it has become a major consideration for many RPG fans as games have grown longer over the years.

The Fable remake is no longer releasing in 2026, as the game has been delayed for further polish and development. It is now set to release on February 24, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Io Interactive has updated Hitman World of Assassination with a new Elusive Target, The Herbalist, featuring the likeness and voice of Snoop Dogg.

This is a free mission for a limited time from August 27 to September 26, 2026.

It’s great to see IO Interactive continuing to support Hitman World of Assassination with new Elusive Targets, especially ones with entertaining twists like this. Yes, you can pretty much assassinate Snoop Dogg in the game, and likely in more ways than one, too.

In The Herbalist, Agent 47 is tasked with eliminating Dr. Cyrus Cane, an eccentric entrepreneur preparing to launch his new cookie brand, Morsizzles. To stop the launch, Cane must be permanently removed and the product must disappear.

Cane is hosting a pre-launch party, giving Agent 47 the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the event and do what he does best.

This marks the first time Snoop Dogg has been featured in the Hitman franchise. He is also joined by his son, Cordell C. Broadus, who appears as a party guest in the game.

Season of the Herbalist Roadmap

Alongside the release of the new Elusive Target, IO Interactive revealed the game’s new roadmap for the Season of the Herbalist, which includes new and returning content.

The roadmap features two new challenges, new Featured Contracts, Twitch Drops, returning Elusive Targets such as The Undying Returns, and new IOI Account rewards.

Herbalist Pack

IO Interactive has also revealed The Herbalist Pack, a new DLC that adds these new in-game items themed under the new Elusive Target:

• Permanent Access to The Visionary - A Two-level Arcade contract featuring The Herbalist Elusive Target.   

• Permanent Access to The Herbalist Assignment - The Special Assignment contract featuring Snoop Dogg as Dr. Cyrus Cane

• The Entrepreneur Fur Coat

• The Hustler Tracksuit

• “The Smoke”

• Ryte LX2 Custom Mic

• Morsizzles Cookie

• Big Biz Briefcase

• A set of four Freelancer Safehouse cosmetics items, inspired by the Elusive Target mission 

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

During Gamescom 2026’s Opening Night Live event, Grinding Gear Games revealed that action RPG Path of Exile 2 will leave Early Access and launch its 1.0 version on December 11, 2026. The announcement also comes with the reveal of the Duelist class, which will be coming to the game.

Path of Exile 2 1.0 Release Adds Duelist and Full Campaign

When Path of Exile 2’s 1.0 version launches in December, it will be free-to-play on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and Epic Games Store. New and existing players can register for the game’s mailing list for updates, with milestone rewards being offered based on the number of players who sign up.

Path of Exile 2 is one of the most complex action RPGs out there, featuring twelve character classes paired to one of the most intimidating passive skill trees created in the genre. This is further complemented by a gem system featuring over 240 skill gems and 700 equipment base types, giving players a huge number of possible build combinations based on their chosen class and playstyle.

The 1.0 release also means the completion of the game’s lengthy campaign, which consists of six acts (Acts 4-6 added in full release). Once players complete the campaign, the real game begins, as Path of Exile 2 will feature a new endgame with 100 endgame maps, each featuring its own boss encounters. Grinding Gear Games plans to share more details about the endgame as we get closer to the full release.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

During Gamescom 2026, Capcom revealed the first gameplay trailer for Mega Man: Dual Override, the upcoming twelfth mainline entry in the long-running Mega Man series. The trailer not only shows off the classic side-scrolling platforming gameplay the series is known for, but also confirms that Proto Man will be in the game as a playable character.

The last time Proto Man was a playable character was back in Mega Man 10, which was released way back in 2010.

Mega Man: Dual Override Gameplay Trailer

Here a quick breakdown of what to expect from the game according to Capcom:

• Proto Man Joins the Fight! – Alongside the Blue Bomber, Proto Man is returning as a playable character. The wandering warrior possesses his own unique abilities, giving players more choice in how to tackle challenges with two distinct playstyles.

• Override Your Limits with a New Power-Up – The game's new Override system allows robots to temporarily unleash power beyond their normal capabilities. However, this boost in strength comes at a cost! When Override runs out, players will experience a temporary loss in performance, so learning exactly when to activate Override and how to wield its power will be key.

• Experiment with the Custom Chip System – Install Custom Chips with a brand-new personalization system! Players can enhance Mega Man and Proto Man with additional abilities to freely tailor their playstyles. Equip power-ups like rapid-fire, a protective shield bubble, hover, and more. Experiment with new chip combinations and discover strategies that are uniquely your own.

• Twinkle Girl Makes a Fiery Debut – One of eight new Robot Masters, the energetic Twinkle Girl bursts into the battle, setting the stage alight with dazzling firework-themed attacks. As always, players can look forward to analyzing and converting the abilities of defeated Robot Masters into powerful special weapons.

• An Abounding Arsenal – Special weapons pack a punch and offer other strategic advantages. However, each use also consumes energy, so they must be used wisely. The new trailer shares a sneak peek of one of these in action, which unleashes a devastating charge attack that also doubles as an aerial dash for added mobility.

• The Comeback of Classic Robot Masters? – In the trailer, a Robot Master longtime fans may recognize as Astro Man from Mega Man 8™ flew into frame! Will other classic Robot Masters return for this adventure? Stay tuned for more details!

It’s honestly good to see Capcom still willing to invest in franchises like Mega Man while sticking to the side-scrolling platforming gameplay fans know and love. It’s been roughly eight years since the release of Mega Man 11, and many were wondering if Capcom would ever deliver a new title. Thankfully, it finally has.

This is one of the classic series that I think needs to live on. These games are still charming and entertaining, and hopefully Mega Man: Dual Override can introduce a new generation of players to the Blue Bomber while encouraging them to look back at the series’ long history. Capcom may be known for a lot of franchises, but the Blue Bomber was one of the company’s foundational franchises that established them to be what they are today.

Mega Man: Dual Override is set to launch sometime in 2027 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, and PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store.

This isn’t the only thing Capcom announced at Gamescom 2026 as they revealed a new trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and also announced that the playable demo has been expanded with a new area.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Capcom announced that the playable demo for its upcoming game Onimusha: Way of the Sword has been expanded with new content and is now available on the Nintendo Switch 2 and Microsoft Store.

We also got two new trailers for the game, one showcasing several of its boss encounters, Musashi’s Oni Awakening form, and the other giving us a look at the new area included in the expanded demo.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Demo Adds New Area

The updated demo allows players to explore the Oni Refuge area, giving players another chance to get a feel for the game’s combat and parry mechanics. The new area ends with a confrontation against Daidara, one of the game’s many bosses.

I’ll be revisiting the demo myself, as I previously tried it out and gave my impressions when it first dropped in June.

The demo does a good job of showing how the game will play. This is important because it would be easy for someone unfamiliar with the series to assume that the game is another soulslike, as there are too many games like it nowadays. It isn’t. The combat is less methodical and punishing, while its areas are more mission-based, with the combat leaning heavily on parrying attacks. Overall, it feels much more aligned with how the previous games in the series played.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set to release on September 4, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store), and Switch 2.

Capcom also gave us our first look at Mega Man: Dual Override gameplay, revealing Proto Man’s return as a playable character.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Developer Remedy Entertainment revealed a new trailer for its upcoming sci-fi action RPG Control Resonant at Gamescom 2026’s Opening Night Live, giving us a good look at its insane, mind-bending landscape and combat.

The new trailer was also accompanied by a new collaboration with ZA/UM Atelier to create a five-piece, made-to-order collection inspired by the institutional wardrobe of the Federal Bureau of Control and the world of Control Resonant.

Control Resonantofficially went gold last week and also revealed that the physical release of the game would be delayed to October 15, 2026. But the digital release of the game remains set to launch worldwide on September 24 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, GeForce NOW and PC.

Control Resonant Pre-order Details and Prices

Control Resonant will be priced at $59.99 and will feature these pre-order bonuses:

• Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact

• Hiss Corruption Outfit for Dylan

• Occult Outfit for Dylan (PlayStation Exclusive)

Those who are interested in getting more from their digital purchase can opt for the Digital Deluxe edition ($69.99), a PlayStation exclusive offer that contains:

• Base game

• 48-hour Early Access

• AWE Mission Outfit for Dylan

• Exclusive Untapped Artifact (Wallet)

• Starter Resource Bundle

• Digital Artbook

The physical editions of the Control Resonant will have a standard edition and a SteelBook edition in October for both the PS5 and Xbox versions of the game. The standard edition is simply a copy of the game while the SteelBook edition contains:

• Base game

• SteelBook Case

• Fine Art Prints (x3)

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 had a series of big announcements, with Ubisoft revealing Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake, a remake of the classic turn-based strategy game set for release in 2027.

Built from the ground up using Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine, the remake features upgraded 3D visuals, modernized gameplay, enhanced audio, voice acting, and a fixed 2D isometric perspective combined with a highly detailed 3D world and free camera control.

The remake will also feature 4K visuals, dynamic lighting, real-time weather, and changing seasons.

The remake is being Developed by Ubisoft China studios in Chengdu and Shanghai.

At its core, Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake retains the same turn-based strategy gameplay that made the original so popular. Players build armies made up of different units, lead them with a Hero that grows stronger throughout the campaign, and battle rival Heroes and their armies while expanding their control across the campaign map.

A Faithful Remake with Modern Visuals

The remake will include the original game’s two expansions: Armageddon’s Blade and The Shadow of Death, alongside nine factions and the original campaigns.

Ubisoft says the original game’s story has now been “woven into a single continuous experience.” The remake will also feature a new introductory prologue campaign designed to introduce new players to its world and gameplay.

Online Multiplayer, Hot Seat, and Community Content

Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake can be played solo or with up to eight players online. Multiplayer will feature simultaneous turns and matchmaking, giving players the option to play through campaigns together without having to wait for every opponent to finish their turn.

The fan-favorite Hot Seat mode is also returning. The local multiplayer mode allows multiple players to share the same system and take turns when their Hero’s turn comes up. Hot Seat was a popular way to play Heroes of Might and Magic back when online multiplayer wasn’t nearly as common as it is today, letting friends gather around a single PC to play through campaigns together.

Another major addition is the remake’s effort to preserve compatibility with thousands of maps and campaigns created by the series’ community over the past 25 years. The remake will feature an updated map editor alongside a new in-game UGC hub, making it easier for players to create and play community-created content.

Heroes of Might and Magic franchise has been relatively quiet for years, and few modern strategy games have offered quite the same combination of turn-based combat, kingdom management, and exploration that defined the series.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake will launch in 2027 on PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, and PC.

Ubisoft also announced that Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete is now available on Steam, marking the first time the complete version of the original game has been available on the platform.

This isn’t the only strategy game Ubisoft announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live. The publisher also revealed Rainbow Six Tactics, which is simply a merge of XCOM and Rainbow Six Siege.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Ubisoft was present at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, where it revealed Rainbow Six Tactics, a new single-player, turn-based tactical game set in the Rainbow Six universe.

The game is essentially XCOM meets Rainbow Six Siege, with players taking control of a team of four R6 Siege Operators and carefully planning every move each turn. Players will need to take cover, flank enemies, breach rooms, and make use of each Operator’s unique gadget to complete each mission.

Alongside the turn-based gameplay, players will also manage their base of operations and take on a variety of missions. Rainbow Six Tactics will feature 15 Operators from Siege, giving players a range of different abilities and combinations to experiment with.

The game is being developed by Ubisoft Paris and will feature a narrative that unfolds alongside the ongoing Rainbow Six Siege timeline. A new global threat pushes Team Rainbow to operate on a broader scale as they take on the new threat.

Ubisoft has not announced a release date for Rainbow Six Tactics. The game is set to release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, GeForce NOW, and Blacknut.

This isn’t the only new strategy game announced by Ubisoft as they also revealed Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

CD Projekt RED made a big showing at Gamescom 2026 with the announcement of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, a free upgrade for existing owners that brings a wide range of visual, technical, and gameplay improvements.

The Remastered version includes upgraded visuals, enhanced combat, improved traversal and movement, new Witcher sign effects, revamped mount handling, enhanced monster behaviors, a revamped skill tree, transmogrification, an expanded photo mode, new finishers, and more.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is set to launch on September 29, 2026, and will be available as a free upgrade for existing owners on qualifying platforms. It will also launch natively on Switch 2 for the first time, alongside its debut on Battle.net.

Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine Expansion Now Free

The other big surprise is that CD Projekt RED is also making the open world RPG’s first two major expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, free for all existing The Witcher 3 owners.

The expansions are available starting today, giving players a chance to play the game’s latest content before the remaster launches in September.

Songs of the Past First Look

CD Projekt RED also showed the first look at Songs of the Past, the third major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, during Gamescom Opening Night Live.

The expansion will take Geralt to the new region of Letten, and will face new enemies and a dormant evil that he’ll have to face head-on.

Songs of the Past is being developed by CD Projekt RED alongside Fool’s Theory, a studio made up of veterans that have worked on the original game. The expansion is described as a full-fledged paid expansion coming on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2 in 2027.

The expansion is expected to be the final major content release for The Witcher 3, and serves as the perfect bridge before The Witcher 4, as CD Projekt RED is aiming for a 2028 release.

As for the Remastered version of The Witcher 3, it is being co-developed with Yigsoft, a team “with a proven track record working on the original game”, according to the studio.

The Witcher 3 is Coming to Battle.net

CD Projekt RED also announced a new partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, that brings The Witcher 3 and its upcoming expansion to Battle.net. Players who purchase the new expansion through Blizzard’s platform will be given a special Geralt-inspired skin for Diablo 4. More details about this collaboration will be shared during BlizzCon 2026 happening in September.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Side-scrolling co-op puzzle platformer Trine 6: Together in Time has been delayed to March 4, 2027, moving away from its previously planned September 17 release date. Developer Frozenbyte says the additional development time will be used to address feedback from the game’s recent Private Playtest and expand its puzzle design.

According to the recent development update, the Private Playtest showed that players responded well to the overall game. The studio also received recurring feedback regarding the game’s camera behavior, combat, onboarding, and online play.

The biggest focus for the additional development time will be introducing two puzzle modes across the entire game: Freestyle Mode and Classic Mode.

Trine 6 Adds Classic and Freestyle Puzzle Modes

Freestyle Mode will retain Trine 6’s current flexible approach to puzzles, allowing players to favor the heroes and abilities they enjoy using and find more open-ended solutions. Classic Mode, will have a more familiar approach as it will feature puzzles inspired by earlier Trine games, requiring the use of specific hero abilities and switching between the characters solo or rely on other players in co-op play.

Both modes will support both solo and 2-4 player local and online co-op, and players will be able to switch between them during an existing playthrough without losing their overall progress. The names of the two game modes could change during development.

As Frozenbyte aims to work on the feedback they’ve gathered, they do plan to host another Private Playtest in late October or early November to get feedback on the changes done to the game.

Trine 6: Together in Time will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. Thanks to the additional development time, the game will also launch on GOG alongside the other platforms mentioned.

For those interested in trying the latest entry can do so with the game’s playable demo available on Steam.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

It was a long weekend, so I took the chance to play a more relaxed game that doesn’t involve quick precision and fast reactions. I benched fighting games like Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls and Street Fighter 6 for something that transports me to another world and just get lost in it. I went for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Some thoughts.

This open world medieval RPG was one of 2025’s big Game of the Year contenders. I can’/t recall why I never jumped into it when it came out, but I do remember hesitating because I never played the first game. When it became available through PS Plus’s Game Catalog, I did a bit of research to see if missing the first game would hamper my experience with the sequel. Apparently, not so much, so I jumped in with little to no knowledge about the game.

Another RPG That Sucks You in and Doesn’t Let Go

I started Friday, and when Sunday hit, I was already over 20 hours into the game. It starts slow, but it hooks you in. The immersion is spot on, and I love the need to maintain my version of Henry. I need to manage my equipment, tend to his hunger, and make sure I stay clean and not covered in blood after a battle a few hours ago because NPCs around you actually react to your looks and smell.

Melee attacks feel heavy. Getting hit feels like a death sentence, and quests can go one way or another. It’s an RPG that lets me go nuts, from becoming an alchemy flower-picking nut to spending a few hours hunting game for meat to sell and eat.

After all these hours, I’m still working through what I believe is the first major quest. I need to get access to a wedding. I got access, but I never triggered it. Instead, I’m stuck finding new quests, from tracking down the protagonist’s loyal dog to crafting a weapon that is said to clear a curse affecting a community leader.

The writing doesn’t take the world all that seriously, and the voice acting sounds like the actors are having a blast performing these silly conversations and situations. Its story beats are a big reason why I feel compelled to grab every new quest because I have no idea what I’ll get. Most of them have been worth the time spent on them because they aren’t simply “kill this” or “find this”.

Fast travel in this game is also worth mentioning. It isn’t simply quick transportation to your next destination. It’s you skipping the actual travel while time passes, draining your stamina and hunger. You even have a chance of encountering fellow travelers who can give you interesting conversations, or simply bandits trying to rob you.

There’s so much to this game that I understand the impulse to mark Warhorse Studios’ latest epic as worthy of a Game of the Year nomination. It’s the perfect game for me to kick my feet up and just forget about my responsibilities for the weekend.

Playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also made me realize how Bethesda needs to take a few notes from this series. The elements found in this game feel like an evolution of what an open world RPG can be. There aren’t many games like it that attach so many grounded mechanics to the experience and make you feel like you’re actually living in the world.

A quest isn’t just something to check off a list. It’s an actual experience worth spending time on.

So I’ll take my time. It will become my wind-down game after a long day. Do a few quests, craft potions to make a quick profit, and hopefully move the story forward before I get distracted by another quest I stumble upon, because if a game like this successfully distracts you from the main path, you have a winner.

How was your weekend?

Respawn Monday #06: Diablo IV, Dead by Daylight Sweats, and Sony going Discless

Respawn Monday #07: Palworld 1.0, and the Black Flag Open Seas

Respawn Monday #08: Palworld has taken over my life

Respawn Monday #09: Palworld Tokon Fighting Souls Beta

Respawn Monday #10: Mistfall Hunter is an Extraction Soulslike Gem

Respawn Monday #11: Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Street Fighter 6 Week

Respawn Monday #12: Why Beast of Reincarnation Felt Rough at the Start

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Riot Games announced that their free-to-play fighting game 2XKO will end active development in December 2026. Simply put, Riot will finish the remaining content already in development, with characters like Lux and Samira still coming later this year. The game itself will remain playable.

Is 2XKO Shutting Down?

No,2XKO isn’t shutting down. The game will remain playable after 2026, but Riot will no longer actively develop new content for it after the remaining planned updates have been released.

Upcoming characters like Lux and Samira are still coming later this year. All champs will also be unlocked, while most cosmetic items will be bundled together.

Riot will also refund purchases made on or before August 20. These changes will take effect in September,b during patch 1.3.1 together with Lux’s release.

This decision to end active development ultimately comes down to the game’s sustainability.

“We saw no meaningful, sustained change in 2XKO’s trajectory; only a fraction of what it would take to trend toward sustainability. Over time it became clear it would be impossible for us to continue actively developing the game as we are today.” says Riot in their announcement.

2XKO was one of several projects Riot announced years ago as part of its efforts to expand the League of Legends brand. The fighting game was originally known as Project L before being rebranded as 2XKO in 2024.

The game entered closed beta on September 9, 2025, followed by early access on October 7, 2025, before its full launch on January 20, 2026.

This decision highlights just how difficult it is to sustain a free-to-play live service game. Fighting games are already a tough market, and despite having the backing of a company like Riot Games, 2XKO failed to find a sustainable path forward less than a year after its full launch.

It is another reminder that even the biggest publishers aren’t guaranteed to turn a live service game into a massive success, as we’ve seen in recent years.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

The reveal of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was a shock. We were getting a 4v4 tag team fighting game made by the Japanese studio Arc System Works, developers that I believe are one of the best in the genre. It’s a Marvel fighting game that has the potential to fill a void in the fighting game community, and based on what I played for days, it has all the right elements to do so, as this is the complete fighting game package for casual and avid fighting game enthusiasts. 

Anime Marvel

It’s a fighting game that doesn’t feel all that intimidating at face value, one paired with an art style that gives us a unique anime-style look at iconic characters like Iron Man and Captain America. Marvel fans can simply show up, press some buttons, and feel like a force of nature dishing out cool moves and combinations. And if  the competitive spirit in them feels eager to get better at the game, there’s room to do that, as when I was playing Tokon on a daily basis, I felt myself learning something new about Tokon’s fighting system each time I booted up the game, worked to apply the new knowledge to my preferred team composition, and felt the growth as more time was spent on the game.

Everything you need to learn about Tokon and how to get better is all packaged and ready to go at launch. After the introduction tutorial that teaches you the very basics, I hit the training mode to slowly compose my main team, and what I learned is that the training mode is so complex that you can practice for just about any kind of scenario.

The Perfect Training Ground

You can record moves, allow dummies to randomly jump, only block lows, or record your foe’s moves or combos to have them dish out on you. Players have access to the game’s frame data, you can set up to practice your anti-airs, or gain that muscle memory for that confusing mixup to open up a very defensive player. It’s a joy to be in Tokon’s training room, as the systems placed into this game mode clearly show that the game was built by developers that are well-experienced in the genre.

When you get slightly better, there are even combo challenges for each character. While the challenge is nice, I realized that the combos in each of these challenges feel like hints of what’s possible with each character. These challenges made me realize how Captain America’s shield thrown in the air can extend a juggle when done right, or how Spider-Man’s web swing can also be both a combo extender or used as a hit confirm to trigger an assist to further extend a combo. It’s a teaser of what is possible, as each of the 20 characters at launch all have unique traits and abilities that will feel different depending on the three other characters assisting them.

I started with Captain America as my first character to learn, as I thought focusing on one first then slowly learning others seems like a reasonable approach for a game like this, and I realized that many online had the same idea, because the first weekend with the game felt like a 1v1 game with assists, as barely anyone online was tagging out different characters during a match. 

They were doing crazy combos, extending by calling assists, smashing them into walls, and doing so much damage that almost half of my life was deleted after one contact. It was crazy to see this many players learning so much in such little time, and I thought that the weekend would be probably all the time everyone needed to fully understand the game, but I was completely wrong.

Simplicity Molded with Complexity

As I read up online and continued to play, improving my execution in training mode, I started to realize the importance of defense, the use of assists, stage transitions, and how effective it is to switch between one character to another during a round, and mid-combo. I started to realize this game has a routine to properly execute a combo from ground, to juggling in the air, then bringing them down to continue the beatdown back on the ground, ending with a super. There’s more to Tokon’s fighting game system as the days go by, combos started looking complex online, and 1v1 matches started to feel like Marvel vs Capcom 2 bouts with so many characters on the screen at once. 

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has depth despite being inviting to newcomers of the genre. You can do a character’s move with the quick skill button without the need to do the motion to trigger a specific move. The only difference is that one does more damage than the other. It’s not significantly bigger in terms of damage, but enough to give room to reward players that go for the more complex route. I love this about Tokon, how one who can grip the basics has a fighting chance, while the experienced fighting game player is rewarded for more demanding executions. 

The core roster is fairly balanced in terms of variety. You have straightforward characters like Captain America or Magik, and there’s more challenging characters to pilot, like Storm or Loki. But even the simplest of characters on paper have room for complexity. It’s all thanks to each character having a unique skill that makes them stand out. For example, Storm can control wind, which allows her to manipulate an object’s and your enemy’s movements, as you can pull them in, push them away, or bring them up or down. Magik can teleport and come out in different ways, giving her a confusing mix up game. Star-Lord can load different elemental weapon types, giving him different defensive or offensive options depending on what rounds are loaded to fire.

Each character has a small toolset of skills, but rightfully so, as this is still a 4v4 game. If you look at the game as a 1v1, it feels one-dimensional, but when you start mixing Ghost Rider’s abilities with Magneto’s ranged attacks, then factor in Spider-Man’s mobility, it can get crazy fast.

Story Mode for the Sake of Having One

After all the training and online battles, I finally gave the game’s story mode a try. At this point, I’d spent over 40 hours on the game, thanks to training and online matches. This section is Tokon’s weakest, and understandably so, as the game’s Episodes cover perspectives of each of the game’s main teams, as select characters are chosen to fight in teams to see who will be worthy to face The Champion (an Arc Systems Works original) threatening the planet’s existence, as he’s simply looking for a challenging fight. 

Each of the six teams have their own respective Episode providing essentially the same version of the game’s story, with the only change being that each episode provides the perspective of what would happen if that particular team won the competition and fought the big bad at the end. Each episode is told in comic book panel style, each is fully voiced, and each and every one has the most awkward writing. It’s campy at best during each interaction, as the formation of each team feels forced. It’s as if the writers had to create a story as to why these specific characters banded together to join The Champion’s competition. For example, Star-

Lord joins Spider-Man as he teleports him and Ms. Marvel to him, then thanks to an issue when teleporting back, Peni Parker from another universe just shows up, and there you have it, Spidey’s team. It felt like they had to make a story for the sake of making a story as to why these characters are fighting. It's rare to have any good story mode in a fighting game, as it’s expected to have a rather lackluster game mode. But we got one, and that’s honestly a win in today’s world. I just wished it had a more entertaining story behind all of it.

A Rough Online Beginning

Online matches were relatively smooth overall. It was just that initial weekend after launch, as the PC port is notoriously not performing well both technically and in network matches. Latency issues and rollback netcode can be inaccurate at times, but I quickly discovered that network issues were mostly found when connecting to a player from a different platform. PS5 to PC online matches for some reason were unplayable, but PS5 to PS5 worked wonderfully. 

This issue was short-lived, at least for me. A week later, it felt like things have improved when matching with PC players, as I started to barely see lag or random disconnects. It’s not completely fixed, but I can feel the developers are on top of it. For the most part, technical issues are non-existent on the PS5 version, but PC is reported to have a completely different story.

When online works, it’s a lot of fun. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has this player hub that allows players to roam around, sit on arcade stations, and wait for players to come and join them for either endless rounds, best-of-3, or single matches. It’s also a cute and detailed hub with the game’s launch characters and other Marvel characters, all in chibi-like form, just chilling in the area. 

If the hub isn’t your thing, casual and ranked play can be done through the game’s menu screen, and players can create custom lobbies for private online sessions. Local LAN play is also working as you’d expect, so it’s a complete experience, which is good to see right out of the box.

A Marvelous package

Fighting games can be intimidating most of the time, as it’s hard for newcomers to just sit down, pick characters they like, and just press buttons and be in awe with what’s happening on the screen. Tokon can be fun without knowing frame data or how to properly do a combo. Each super is a spectacle, from Ghost Rider ramming his opponent with his car to Dr. Doom summoning his Doombots to finish the job. The screen can be busy when each player has their team fully assembled, but that’s how I want it to be as that’s what tag team fighting games are all about: finding ways to squeeze a win during all the chaos.

Arc System Works nailed Tokon and showed once again why they are one of the best in the genre. While it’s too soon to know if this game will perfectly fill the tag team Marvel void in the fighting game community, it launched with a respectable package perfect for everyone.

Verdict: 4.5 / 5 (Near Exceptional)

PROS

• The full fighting game package with story, challenges, local and online multiplayer

• An inviting fighting game system with deep layers for players to uncover and improve

• Light-hearted art style that delivers a unique approach to iconic Marvel characters

CONS

• Network connection can be spotty

• Story mode felt forced, as if they crafted something based on the core roster

What I’ve Played 

• Completed most episodes in the story mode

• Spent over 50 hours through lan, online, and training mode

• Did a good number of challenges for more than five characters and completed some Arena and Survival runs

*This review is based on a PS5 review copy provided to the reviewer

About the Author - Joseph Choi

Filipino-American gamer, professional shepherd and farmer, author, and filmmaker/videographer living in Central California. First consoles were the Game Boy and Sega Genesis, and I've been gaming since then, with a focus on Nintendo and Sony consoles.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.