Visual Novel News:
Visual Arts recently announced that a free content patch will be coming for the Steam version of Summer Pockets Reflection Blue which restores the event CGs, opening, and scenario to the original version’s content due to the Steam version needing to censor content. This patch has now been made available.
The initial patch which was released contained some bugs, so please ensure you use the updated version of the patch if you wish to install it.
While not a visual novel itself, fans of the medium will likely be excited to know that Shiravune has announced Wayblazer Dämmerung (Hyakusen no Jou ni Kawatareshi Toki) by Eushully. This JRPG is their first officially localized work. Eushully titles have been demanded by visual novel fans who enjoy similar media such as Alicesoft titles for quite some time.
A quiet flame is smoldering in the kingdom of Mickelthy. Situated in the south of the vast continent of Raulbhach, amid the rich abundance of the Setetory region, Mickelthy has in the sixty years since its founding become a hub of skilled artisans who leverage its natural resources to the fullest. The love shared between the land’s people and its king, and the smiles to be found on every face, have become a legend in their own time. And yet, in recent days, a number of problems have risen to the surface. Royals and nobles alike have begun to make unreasonable demands, monopolizing the fruits of the common folk’s labor and ruining their livelihoods, and the unrest this has engendered has been suppressed by force of arms. The citizenry struggle to survive, avoiding the attention of the authorities and eking out a new, more humble existence in which nary a smile is seen. One such struggling citizen is Mark, a forager who harvests the fruits of nature and brings them to the crafters whose artifice transforms them to the fruits of industry—and one day, as he returns to his hometown of Kothaerill, Mark learns that something has gone terribly wrong… The knights of the kingdom—those very men whose charge is to defend the people—rode into town, seized necessities and foodstuffs, and rode off, striking down anyone who disobeyed. Righteously aggrieved by this honorless conduct, Mark and his friends set out to take back the peace that their kingdom has lost. Together, they’ll take back their people’s hope for tomorrow, and bring back the smiles that once graced every face.
Black Lily’s Tale (Hayasaki no Kuroyuri) has been released in English, but in a rather unusual way. While an English Steam release for this yuri coming-of-age title is expected later, it has released on mobile with English support ahead of this exclusively via the Crunchyroll Game Vault. This means it is currently only accessible to those with Crunchyroll Mega and Ultimate Fan Memberships, a step above the basic single-user membership tier.
“Maybe that was the early-blooming black lily’s curse…” Eighteen years have passed since the containment of the threatening virus CLII, which decimated over half of the minors in the population. Although people have returned to their normal lives, a mark was left on society. Hana Sasamori is a third-year student at the Naeshiro Private High School in Sapporo. She is a rather quiet girl, but inside, she feels restless. Just before graduation, Hana finds herself reliving the same day over and over. “That’s right… I’m in love with her.” More than anything, Hana wishes for the happiness of Itsuki, who came to her help in the past. There is little she wouldn’t do for her. Hana thinks… “She probably doesn’t want me to hold onto such a feeling…” Being an adolescent, she thought it was just a phase that deserved to be suppressed. Nevertheless, together with that realization came a curse. This is a story of love and malediction, of persistence and sorrow, a story set in the meandering space between two people looking for each other.
Gaming News:
IO Interactive’s big game about film’s most famous spy got a ton of updates! 007 First Light got a huge gameplay showcase that revealed how the game will play. As expected, there are some stealth and infiltration mechanics, but you’ll also be driving in thrilling car chases and getting into dynamic action segments with a mix of hand-to-hand combat and gunplay. Alongside announcing the full release date, other editions for the game were revealed, including a Legacy Edition that includes a replica of the franchise’s iconic golden gun.
007 First Light launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on March 27th, 2026.
Watch the gameplay showcase for 007 First Light
During a live-stream celebrating the second anniversary of Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, we got a small update on two anticipated titles coming from Square-Enix! The third part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake is, “…moving along really smoothly, and the release timing has already been decided.” which was stated by Tetsuya Nomura. He also provided a statement regarding the currents status of Kingdom Hearts IV, saying, “Kingdom Hearts IV is likewise steadily moving forward according to schedule, so please look forward to it.”
A game project based on one of the most popular mecha anime series was announced! Evangelion: Δ Cross Reflections is being developed by Pixelity Inc., with this title being listed as a combination of both virtual reality and mixed reality. The concept will have players covering events of the original story across three games. While we have no gameplay footage or further details, there will be a demo releasing in the first half of 2026.
Video game’s most iconic fighting game franchise is getting a brand-new live-action movie! Street Fighter recently revealed the cast for many of the franchise’s most iconic characters, with names like Noah Centineo, Eric André, Callina Liang, and Joe ‘Roman Reigns’ Anoa’i among the cast.
Street Fighter is coming to theaters on October 16th, 2026.
Watch the cast reveal video for the Street Fighter movie
Anime News:
It’s been a long wait, but season three of One Punch Man is almost upon us! Announced in a short commercial and a new piece of key art, season three of One Punch Man will begin airing on October 5th.
Watch the commercial for One Punch Man season 3
Upcoming Releases:
Ready to return to the world of Borderlands? Borderlands 4 once again sees you playing as a vault hunter, but this new game isn’t set on Pandora. Rather, you’ll be exploring a planet called Kairos as you go up against a new antagonist known as the Timekeeper.
Borderlands 4 launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on September 12th. A Nintendo Switch 2 version will be releasing on October 3rd.
An anime/gaming aficionado, experienced content creator and lovable goofball. Name a game genre and Seamus has likely played it… yes, even that one. Follow him @TrueStorySeamus
