The countdown is officially on! With just 30 days until launch, REANIMAL is charging into its final month on a high note: the game has now surpassed 1 million demo downloads and has earned widespread recognition as one of the most anticipated games of 2026. Today, THQ Nordic and Tarsier welcome a whole new audience into the REANIMAL demo on Nintendo Switch 2.
REANIMAL has now been featured on multiple “Most Anticipated Games of 2026” lists, earning recognition from top-tier outlets and finding itself in very good company. Among those calling it out as one to watch are IGN, The Guardian, Rock Paper Shotgun, Screen Rant, Wccftech, GamingBible, The Sixth Axis, and ComicBook.com, cementing REANIMAL as one of the games players are most excited about this year.
“I am really thrilled to have so many people playing the demo and hearing all the reactions so far! We pour a lot of heart and soul into the games we make, so to see all these people loving what we do is a great feeling for all of us!”, says Oliver Merlöv, CEO of Tarsier “We are now gearing up for the release of REANIMAL on Feb 13th and after all this hard work, we can’t wait for people to get their hands on it!”
Daedalic Entertainment and developer gameXcite announce that Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown will launch on February 18, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. With this announcement, the teams also confirm that Nintendo Switch 2 joins PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for a simultaneous release across all platforms.
At the same time, preorders open today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, accompanied by the reveal of the Deluxe Edition.
Alongside the start of the preorder of the standard and digital deluxe versions, a free demo is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, incorporating the extensive feedback gathered from the community. The new version features improved UI clarity, enhanced ship-control feedback, refined combat pacing, and additional guidance in key decision-making moments, ensuring new captains can step onto the bridge with confidence. A demo for Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to follow soon as well as the updated version for the Steam PC demo.
In the demo, captains will navigate a sector inspired by the legendary pilot episode “The Caretaker”. The demo includes a guided tutorial and approximately an hour of gameplay, challenging players to keep their starship intact, their crew alive, and their heading true as they begin an epic journey back to the Alpha Quadrant.
In the tradition of Starfleet’s finest, the Deluxe Edition brings captains deeper into the unknown, adding new missions, new recruitable heroes, and powerful technologies drawn from pivotal alien encounters in the Delta Quadrant. This expanded content integrates directly into the campaign, offering fresh tactical options and new narrative possibilities for returning and first-time players alike.
As part of today’s announcement, Daedalic Entertainment and gameXcite also release a new video – the Combat Deep Dive – showcasing one of the core systems of Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown and how the team brought Star Trek–authentic decision-making to life on the bridge of the U.S.S. Voyager. In Voyager-style combat, you don’t fly the ship like Tom Paris and you don’t manually fire weapons like Tuvok. You make captain’s calls: directing targets and subsystems, adjusting positioning and energy levels, deciding when to launch torpedoes, and more. These decisions shape authentic, tactical Star Trek combat.
Baltoro Games, the console developers behind titles such as Pixel Cafe and Urban Flow, is excited to announce their next vibrant project, Moto Rush Reborn! Slice through heavy traffic on an overpowered motorcycle and dominate tracks filled with obstacles on a mission to overcome demonic possession. A demo for the game will be coming to Steam soon, and the full game will be available on Steam, Xbox Series X | S, and Switch!
WHIPLASH INDUCING SPEEDS
After totaling your bike in a race, you stumble upon a demon-possessed engine in a junkyard that offers speeds and power you can’t refuse. Take on the shining streets of Neo-Tokyo and hit uniquely challenging tracks, each offering its own variety of obstacles. Immerse yourself in an intense world of motorcycle racing to clear levels at breakneck speeds and avoid hitting innocent commuters. Battle for freedom from possession and overcome the darkness!
Moto Rush Reborn is the indirect sequel to the 2019 console hit Moto Rush GT, which sold over a million copies. This new entry reinvents the classic Moto Rush experience with bold new aesthetics and delivers a completely original storyline.
Terror surfaces as deception incarnate reveals itself in the latest trailer for Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5. The footage brings audiences closer than ever to the series’ central threat: Experiment 1006, known as The Prototype. Alongside the trailer, Mob Entertainment officially announces the PC release date for Chapter 5: Wednesday, February 18, 2026. A full console release will follow in the months ahead.
Deep within the vacant halls of the Playtime Co. lab, The Prototype stalks its unfinished work…the tattered, lifeless remains of toys that once were. Broken things.
This closer look, and official “Broken Things” subtitle reveal, follows the Chapter 5 announcement teaser, which revealed the aftermath of the Chapter 4 finale—the gruesome handiwork of The Prototype—alongside a cryptic message suggesting its intentions are all but understood. In the “Welcome Home” trailer, Poppy narrowly escapes with her life, only to find herself facing yet another unexpected, yet ominously charming, threat.
“You don’t know anything…not yet…”
In Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 — “Broken Things,” players must prepare to face off against the deadly puppetmaster behind the horrifying events of Playtime Co’s dark past. Solve devious puzzles and overcome dangerous obstacles as the true rotten heart at the center of Playtime Co. draws nearer. Traverse this new realm of shadows in a fight for survival (and the truth) with Playtime’s security system, Huggy Wuggy, in hot pursuit and separated from your only allies. Will you finally end this nightmare, or fall victim to the puppet master’s twisted madness?
Wargaming, the developer and publisher of the leading historically accurate naval multiplayer game World of Warships, is ringing in the new year with another jam-packed update bringing new Commanders, ships, events, and more. Players can look forward to a host of new European battleships as they drop anchor into Early Access, French submarine Surcouf arriving as part of the newest “Salvage for Victory” event and a new Commander in collaboration with the YouTuber martincitopants. Beyond the game, World of Warships is launching the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 Calendar, its newest heritage project in collaboration with 12 renowned U.S. ship museums, anchored by a collectible wall calendar and supported by a series of free combat missions.
European Battleships Sail into Early Access
Kicking off the new year are new battleships sailing into Early Access. Players will be able to get hands on with seven brand new Pan-European battleships across increasing tiers: Yavuz Sultan Selim, Tegetthoff, Laudon, Chios, Enigheten, Gustav den Store, and Thor. Each ship comes equipped with long range torpedoes to deal significant damage, the strength of which scales as ship tiers progress, as well as good concealments for battleships. From Tier V, these ships also come equipped with a time-based Emergency Engine Power consumable for quick repositioning, and ships from Tier VIII upwards also feature the Surveillance Radar consumable.
A new Event Pass arrives to celebrate these additions, offering two progression lines and packed with rewards, including camouflages, two of the new European vessels, and containers for the “Honor, Integrity, Virtue” Collection. This 60-piece collection is themed around Royal Australian Navy Vice-Admiral John Augustine Collins, and players who complete the collection will receive Collins as a Commander, marking the first Commonwealth Unique Commander in the game with unique talents and improved skills.
Legendary French Submarine Surcouf Headlines new “Salvage for Victory” Event
Starting from 5 February in the final week of the update, players will have the chance to dive into a new “Salvage for Victory” event. By combining and trading resources, they’ll unlock enviable rewards, amongst which include Tier VIII Premium Pan-Asian cruiser Narai, Tier VIII Italian Premium battleship Marcantonio Colonna and Soviet Tier IX Premium battleship Zarya Svobody.
Headlining these prizes is Legendary French submarine Surcouf, a historic ship armed with four forward torpedo tubes, two stern-based triple launchers, a turret equipped with two 203mm cannons, as well as anti-submarine warfare airstrike capabilities. The tier X Surcouf has depth restrictions on its tools, and no sonar or acoustic torpedoes for enemy submarine engagements, making it most optimal as a surface vessel with diving reserved for stealthy repositioning.
Martincitopants Leaps into World of Warships
Naughtical nonsense is coming to the high seas, as YouTuber martincitopants joins the game as Commander Captain Mart, and with him a martincitopants special permanent camouflage. Players can unlock Captain Mart and additional goodies from a special mission, unlocked via a code that will be revealed on social media in the near future. A custom Captain Mart flag will also be available to unlock in the Armory.
New Naval Museum Atlas Calendar Celebrates 12 months of U.S. Maritime History
Finally, bringing World of Warships into the new year, is the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 calendar. Developed in close collaboration with 12 renowned U.S. ship museums, the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 Calendar celebrates iconic vessels that shaped America’s maritime legacy. The project includes a collectible wall calendar available for purchase at: merch.worldofwarships.com, as well as a free online calendar open to all players starting in January.
Through in-game combat missions tied to the online calendar, players can explore the stories of participating museum ships and experience them directly for a limited-time. As part of the initiative, World of Warships will donate its share of the wall calendar’s profits to support the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) and its ongoing work to preserve historic naval vessels.
Drakong™, a leading L.A. based gaming hardware company, dedicated to creating next-generation peripherals that offer players a deeper, more immersive connection to their games, announced today that their highly anticipated InfinaKore ‘Telecaster® Edition’ Guitar Controller, will be taking center stage in Las Vegas from January 6-9, 2026!
The opportunity to rock out on the InfinaKore for the first time anywhere in the world isn’t the only headline news for Drakong however, as the company announced today an exciting collaboration with Sound System™, a new rhythm music game from Echo Foundry Interactive, a fresh studio, founded by Marcus Henderson and Lennon Lange, veterans of the Guitar Hero™, DJ Hero™ and Band Hero™ games.
Sound System is a next-generation rhythm game that brings guitar gaming back to its classic arcade roots while introducing an entirely new platform built around free music, streamers, and community-driven gameplay. Players can shred guitar, sing vocals, and build their own note charts for any tune anytime, unlocking a new era of music gaming. Sound System is scheduled for release first on PC, due Spring 2026, with PlayStation®, Nintendo® Switch™ and Xbox versions also in development.
As part of the collaboration, Sound System will be fully optimized for the InfinaKore ‘Telecaster® Edition’ Guitar Controller, an ideal rock partnership providing premium performance for the avid enthusiast and working together perfectly from track one. Sound System will feature a dedicated Pro Mode, with competitive DDR style scoring and missed note penalties. When playing at such a high level, gamers will need a Guitar Controller that they can rely on, and the InfinaKore aims to prove the perfect controller to keep gamers at the top of the leaderboard.
First announced in June 2025, the InfinaKore ‘Telecaster® Edition’, is a revolutionary modular Guitar Controller, featuring unrivaled customization opportunities. With the new controller scheduled for release in 2026, key features include:
Fully Modular Design – Customizable components including body, fret buttons, tuner head, whammy bar, and strum bar. 3D print files will be made available to the public on day one of release.
Accessibility-First – The world’s first rhythm game guitar designed with accessibility in mind. Open-source mods will be provided to empower players of all abilities.
New Gameplay Mechanic – Introducing the Fret-Tapping D-Pad, a brand-new control system that challenges both players of old and new.
Versatile Connectivity – Wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth support. (Platform compatibility varies; see product details for specifics.)
Broad Platform Support
Xbox® Edition: Officially licensed for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, handheld PCs, smartphones, smart TVs, and more.
Multi-Platform Edition: Compatible for Nintendo Switch, PC, handheld PCs, smartphones, smart TVs, and more.
With the Telecaster® celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026, the popularity of Fender® is as strong as ever, and Drakong is proud to be working with one of the most iconic music names in the world, to bring the legendary Telecaster design to modern gamers via the InfinaKore ‘Telecaster® Edition’ Guitar Controller.
The InfinaKore ‘Telecaster® Edition’ Guitar Controller will not only be optimized for use with Sound System but will also prove ideal when used with Fortnite® Festival, a game enjoyed on average by 2.2 million gamers daily. In addition, the InfiaKore will also play perfectly with popular community games such as Clone Hero, a title with 75,000 active monthly players.
Today, after 1.3 million wishlists and 2 million demo plays, the checkpoint finally opens. Developed by Brigada Games and published by Devolver Digital, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is an apocalyptic admin simulator set against the backdrop of a zombie outbreak, available now for $19.99: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3419520/Quarantine_Zone_The_Last_Check/
Take on the role of a government agent stationed at a critical checkpoint in the midst of the chaos, screening survivors, managing scarce resources and making impossible moral decisions that determine who gets in – and who doesn’t.
Between juggling food, fuel and defense systems, fending off the zombie hordes (by deploying an armed drone to take them out safely from afar or getting up close and personal with your sidearm) you’ll also face the human side of survival: trust, desperation and the haunting consequences of every call you make.
Played the demo to death? Don’t worry, the full version of Quarantine Zone: The Last Check includes a whole host of infectious new features including:
Use the new portable X-ray to scan a person’s internal organs for signs of infection, or check whether they’re hiding contraband where the sun don’t shine
With the new metiascope you can inspect peoples’ eyes for signs of the virus, or test if they have healthy reflexes with the new medical reflex hammer
Examine survivors with unknown symptoms in the laboratory to discover dangerous new signs of the virus
Send zombies to a cage and feed them corpses. Not just for the fun of it: the government will pay handsomely for them
With the new base management interface, oversee things from a bird’s eye perspective
And many other improvements to defense and the overall experience
Since its reveal last year, Brigada’s zombie checkpoint sim has become one of the most anticipated games on PC – and the wait is finally over.
Confidential Killings – A Detective Game, a gritty thriller set in Hollywood’s twisted world of stars from developers BRANE and Lorenzo Boni, as well as publisher Surefire.Games, tells a tense tale brimming with sinister secrets on PC via Steam today.
True Detective Work – Unlike standard hidden object games, Confidential Killings demands expert deduction skills. Sleuths will:
Build the String Board: Analyze every piece of evidence and add elements to a string board to make connections and drive the narrative forward.
Employ True Deduction: Interrogate witnesses and suspects in dressing rooms and crime scenes. Use your deduction skills to identify inconsistencies and catch them in their lies.
Analyze Multiple Cases, Discover One Truth: Connect the dots between seemingly unrelated killings to uncover what’s really happening behind the glamour.
Enjoy a Noir Graphic-Novel Presentation: A striking noir art style paired with a dark, thematic soundtrack pulls you into Hollywood’s underbelly.
“Confidential Killings presents a chilling and captivating narrative wrapped in a beautiful graphic novel style,” said Henry Zeng, Director, Surefire.Games. “The developers did a great job crafting an immersive experience, and aspiring detectives will need to activate their best deduction skills to uncover the unexpected secrets hidden within this thrilling story!”
Confidential Killings – A Detective Game is now available on PC via Steam for $14.99, with support for English, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian, Korean, and Japanese.
The “Must-Play” Detective Bundle: To celebrate the launch, the game is available in a special Steam bundle featuring notable genre contemporaries. Players can pick up Confidential Killings alongside the critically acclaimed The Rise of the Golden Idol and The Roottrees are Dead.
To learn more, follow the game’s official X account and developer BRANE. Join the community on Discord and search #confidentialkillings on social media for the latest information.
At CES Unveiled 2026, Shure announced the launch of the MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone, a compact and portable solution designed to instantly record professional-grade audio for mobile content creators. Revamping the original MV88, the new MV88 USB-C reimagines the classic stereo condenser mic with a USB-C connector that plugs straight into your phone or tablet—whether Android or iOS—delivering powerful audio processing in a pocket-sized design.
Trusted by boundary-pushing creators and mobile journalists, Shure’s MV88 microphone family, including the MV88+ Video Kit and MoveMic 88+ Wireless Stereo Microphone, has become the go-to solution for capturing high-quality audio on-the-move.
“The original MV88 earned a loyal following for its simplicity and sound quality,” said Eduardo Valdes, Associate Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management at Shure. “With the new MV88 USB-C, we’ve elevated reliable, professional audio. Just connect, and you’re ready to record on the go. There’s no need to worry about pairing, range, dropouts, or battery life—the MV88 USB-C delivers straightforward connectivity paired with the high-powered, simple-to-customize audio processing found in our acclaimed MV7+ and MV6 microphones. Creators can focus on their craft and leave the audio excellence to us.”
Pro Audio Made Effortless—Right to Your Phone
Forget fiddling with levels or worrying about background noise. The MV88 USB-C takes the hard work out of recording so you can focus on creating. With Auto Level Mode, the MV88 continuously adjusts gain in real time to ensure audio is never too loud or too quiet. There’s no need to set levels manually unless you prefer to; the microphone does it for you. Pair that with Real-time Denoiser, which intelligently removes unwanted background noise for clean, professional sound in any environment. Just plug in, enable these features, and start recording with confidence.
Confidence to Create Anywhere
Whether filming a travel vlog, capturing a rehearsal, recording a quick interview, or documenting a live event, the MV88 USB-C empowers creators to record with confidence—no setup, no extra gear, just plug in and go. Paired with four selectable polar patterns—adjustable stereo, mono cardioid, mono bi-directional, and raw mid-side—users can configure the mic to suit any recording scenario.
Custom Sound, Made Simple
Looking for more customization? The MV88 USB-C gives creators the flexibility to shape their sound with ease. Choose from five quick-start presets or dive deeper with advanced controls like microphone gain, five-band EQ, limiter, compression, and a high-pass filter, all accessible through the MOTIV Video and MOTIV Audio mobile apps, as well as MOTIV Mix™ on desktop. The apps offer quick-start presets tailored for different recording scenarios, plus advanced tools like EQ, compression, stereo width adjustment, and real-time noise reduction.
The MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone represents another step forward in Shure’s commitment to building a diverse, mobile-first ecosystem for creators, integrating studio-quality features into a portable design that fits seamlessly into any workflow.
Pricing and Availability
Shure is showcasing the MV88 USB-C for the first time at CES Unveiled in Las Vegas. The MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphoneis available now for $159, £145 RRP, and €169 RRP and includes a foam windscreen, protective carry case, quick-start guide, and product safety documentation.
Today, Nine Dots proudly revealed new Outward 2 details about the game’s development and features to come, influenced by learnings from its predecessor, during the New Game Plus Showcase: a creator-led, highly curated digital showcase that aims to highlight some of the most anticipated games coming soon. Outward 2, the upcoming sequel to Outward—which launched in 2019 and recently surpassed 3 million players—is an open-world fantasy RPG that continues to defy typical expectations of the genre and promises to deliver the definitive adventure simulator. Outward 2 will launch in early access for Windows PC later this summer.
In the feature video, Nine Dots CEO, Founder, and Creative Director Guillaume Boucher-Vidal explains that the player will once again embody a regular adventurer stepping into the unforgiving lands of Aurai. The adventure will require patience, tactical thinking, practice, and tenacity. Several learnings from Outward’s development factored into the new directions for the sequel, including (but not limited to) shifts in seasons affecting resources and wildlife, roaming NPCs, dual wielding, and more. Mimicking some of real life’s challenges, it’s when you get complacent that “life snaps back at you,” Guillaume warns. Players will have many more tools to face these challenges, such as control over their starting location and a plethora of player customization options like appearance, abilities, and skill tree progression, which evolves based on specific playstyles.
Outward 2 Key Features
An Average Joe On A Remarkable Journey — You’re not a hero of legend. Shape your modest and meager beginnings through three distinct starting scenarios and eleven backgrounds, which will determine where to start in this brutal world. Whether you’re a devout worshipper of Elatt trying to strike it rich as a miner or a vagrant deadbeat in Simeon’s Bastion, the world of Aurai will not be kind… not even in defeat. If you’re knocked out, your journey continues, and you must live with the consequences. You could be robbed and left to rot, be saved by a kind passerby, wake up in town badly injured, or… worse.
A Living, Evolving World — A full-year seasonal cycle transforms the world of Aurai. Merchants and other NPCs relocate, frozen rivers become traversable in winter, and more. Comprising of four distinct areas, regions will feature their own biomes, seasons, and specific gameplay. From the blizzards of the Gilded Mountains to the acid rains in the Gathes of Catharsis, players will find a renewed challenge every time they travel.
Growth Through Mastery — Every factor in Outward 2 molds your playstyle. Your tactical choices as a player, from the weight and material of your armor to particular weapons you use, are reinforced by the new Exercise system, where passive skills will spark and grow based on how you play. Seek out special trainers scattered around Aurai, who will teach you how to survive the most brutal encounters for a fee.
Ritual Spellcasting & Tactical Combat — Wielding magic in Outward 2 is no mere button press. Cast spells through rituals, like sending a fire stone into the air to create a ring around you that allows you to empower your skills with deadly flames. Challenging combat, where every weapon has its own distinct moveset, is further enhanced in the sequel with a larger variety of tools and weapon combinations, along with animations that bring more fluidity and control to players. Major combat improvements were cultivated based on extensive player feedback from the original.
Intentional Inventory Management — Your backpack is your lifeline, and every space within is worth its weight in gold. Pack provisions, potions, weapons, and camping gear for an expedition, but manage it carefully as you gather more along the way. Some discoveries won’t be worth the precious space. In a fight, you may want to drop your backpack to attack and evade more deftly. The sequel adds a mule you may earn to carry your wares throughout your journey, but its vulnerability may influence your path as well. Weigh each decision carefully.
Two-Player Split Screen & Online Co-op — Aurai is a grueling place, but you mustn’t go alone. Plan and prepare alongside a friend, covering each other’s weaknesses and marrying your strengths. Teamwork expands the opportunities and options for tackling the many challenges you will face in Outward 2.
