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Square Enix announced a second run of the Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora Form-ism figure. It will launch in Japan on December 27, 2025, following the original release in March 2025. It costs 7,480円 (~$52). While pre-orders aren’t open on the US storefront yet, there are other figures in the line there and on Amazon.

The Form-ism line involves static figures of characters. These are in a fixed, active pose and feature both Square Enix games and ones from companies like Atlus. (The Nahobino from SMT V is in the line.) Sora is in his standard outfit here, and he’s wielding the default Keyblade. He’s in the midst of an attack. It stands at about nine inches tall (23cm). 

In case you missed it the first time around, here’s a closer look at how this version of Sora looks:

This isn’t the only Form-ism Kingdom Hearts statue. Square Enix announced a second one in March 2025. That one is based on Riku, and it also pulls from his Kingdom Hearts 2 design. It is expected to appear in August 2025. 

The next run of the Kingdom Hearts 2 Form-ism Sora figure will launch in December 2025. The game first appeared on the PS2, but now is on the Switch, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix.

The post Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora Form-ism Figure Returns in December appeared first on Siliconera.

Taito announced its latest piece of Final Fantasy XIV merchandise heading to arcades in Japan, and it is a squishy squeeze toy based on the Cornservant from FFXIV Dawntrail. It will show up on June 28, 2025. 

The Cornservant squeeze toy is a squishy toy that, when squeezed, causes the ear of Turali Corn to pop out of the husk body. It looks exactly like the character from the MMORPG. It will sit at about three and a half inches tall (nine cm) and be able to be displayed when not being squeezed.

Here’s a closer look at the character, as well as what it looks like when someone squeezes it.

The Final Fantasy XIV Cornservant NPC is part of a whole storyline of its own that kicked off in the FFXIV Dawntrail questline that started with “Corn of Necessity.” During them, our Warriors of Light accompany the Curious Corn NPC, then go around talking to hungry individuals. As part of it, we can eventually earn a Cornservant Minion for finishing “Tasteful Memories.” 

This comes after another Final Fantasy XIV merchandise selection from Taito based on FFXIV Dawntrail characters. In May 2025, plush keychains based on the Outrunner appeared. 

Final Fantasy XIV and the FFXIV Dawntrail expansion are available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post FFXIV Cornservant Turned Into Squishy Squeeze Toy appeared first on Siliconera.

A new 5.7 Genshin Impact Special Program will appear on June 6, 2025, and the image HoYoVerse shared teased the appearance of Dainsleif and the Traveler’s sibling again. It will air at 5am PT/8am ET/2pm CET. This is expected to be one of the last 5.0 series updates before we head to Snezhnaya with the 6.0 updates.

The new Genshin Impact teaser image features the male version of the Traveler, Aether, alongside Dainsleif as his sibling Lumine appears tearing through the darkness. Since Aether is used as the default protagonist for this imagery, Lumine could replace that in a player’s story. As the storyline with all three of these characters appears during the interludes that come after the main storyline of a region concludes and leads into a new one, that’s likely what is happening here. For example, the “Caribert” act showed up as a break between Sumeru and Fontaine, and “Bedtime Story” came between Fontaine and Natlan. 

 We know the two characters who will appear in 5.7 and be a big part of this Special Program. Skirk and Dahlia will both appear. Skirk is the five-star unit who is tied to Childe, as she helped train him when he fell into the Abyss. Meanwhile, Dahlia is a new Mondstadt character.

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Special Program for 5.7 airs at 5am PT/8am ET/2pm CET on June 6, 2025.

The post Dainsleif Shown in Genshin Impact Special Program 5.7 Teaser appeared first on Siliconera.

There could be Hollow Knight: Silksong news soon, data regarding the PC version of the game changed on the Steam DB website. Two pages shows adjustments appeared on June 3, 2025, with a ChangeNumber adjustment and two depot additions. The actual product page on the storefront appears unchanged. [Thanks, CommodoreKong on Resetera!]

This is a substantial amount of action on the Steam DB pages that track Steam backend changes and updates for the PC version of Hollow Knight: Silksong. The one listing featured Changelist #29337185, Changelist #29337189, and Changelist #29337309. That involved it shifting from ChangeNumber 24965705 to 29337185, then 29337185 to 29337189, and finally that to 29337309. The depots 1030301, 1030302, and 1030303 also all appeared. The second only featured a ChangeNumber alteration from 22736671 to 29339689. 

There’d been quite a gap since there were any changes to the Steam files. One noted the ChangeNumber went from 22736671 to 24965705 back in August 2024. That was 10 months ago. The second listing hadn’t changed since March 2024, as the ChangeNumber went from 5782401 to 22736671. That was 15 months ago.

We do know the game is on the way soon. It will be a part of a museum exhibit at ACMI Game Worlds in September 2025. It also apparently has a 2025 release window following multiple delays.

Hollow Knight: Silksong will come to the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam in 2025, and it will be featured at the ACMI in Melbourne, Australia, between September 18, 2025 and February 8, 2026.

The post Steam DB Reported Hollow Knight: Silksong PC Data Changes appeared first on Siliconera.

The notable thing about the Death end re;Quest series of games is how easy it is to meet bad ends. Gruesomely. Repeatedly. Even if you think you’re maybe doing the right thing. It’s gory, to be certain, though it can make actually getting a character ending or the true one even more satisfying. Death end re;Quest: Code Z is a spin-off roguelike that… well, falters along the way. (It’s fine, I’d say it is not the best roguelike or representation of this series.) What I will say though is that it absolutely takes advantage of the Death End mechanic from the series and nature of the genre to attempt to do something different with the genre, though the violent nature and reliance on knowledge of the series and its characters both might dissuade many from playing.

So ideally, you’d think maybe Death end re;Quest: Code Z would be more accessible since it involves parallel universes, however it does still include the sorts of references and asides that might make for some barriers. Sayaka Hiwatari is a debugger on the game End to Odyssey with Shina Ninomiya, and she encounters something insidious while on the job. This means needing to head into the Strain Area dungeon and save or fight folks like Shina, Yurisa Yamamura, and Lucil Filarete. So you must stay alive and sane while searching for them, then getting out together while figuring out what Arata Mizunashi, another familiar face, is after.

Except since this is both Death end re;Quest, getting those bad endings in Death end re;Quest: Code Z is something we want to get, rather than avoid like we would in most roguelikes. This is because while on any difficulty other than Normal you lose what’s in your inventory and your levels, dying ends up being a way to make progress. Each death gets you a skill point if it is the first time you died that way. Which means keeping Sayaka’s sanity high enough to not affect her health and instead try and have an enemy, trap, or boss kill her is to your benefit. It’s an interesting concept, and perhaps one of the few things I found really unique about this spin-off.

It also feels like the Death Ends in Death end re;Quest: Code Z are designed to be a selling point due to the execution. These are handled in the same way as the mainline installments. So there will be unique descriptions explaining what happened. It becomes a “moment.” Someone who really loves the series for that reason might even find themselves searching for Death Ends repeatedly for completionist purposes. 

While I wish Death end re;Quest: Code Z was more fun to play or perhaps more welcoming to newcomers, I do appreciate the way it embraces and uses the Death End bad endings mechanic. This is a series in which it could be quite easy for characters to die. Dying happens a lot in roguelikes. Attempting to make a death in a roguelike less painful by tying it to the unique endings and character growth makes sense. The execution isn’t the best, but I can see what Compile Heart and Idea Factory were trying. 

Death end re;Quest: Code Z is available for the PS4 and PS5, and it will come to the PC via Steam later in 2025. 

The post Death end re;Quest: Code Z Revolves Around Bad Endings appeared first on Siliconera.

A manga version of Street Fighter 6 focusing on Luke, aptly named Street Fighter: Luke Rising, will start serialization from June 29, 2025 in CoroCoro Comic. Yoshio Mokomokomaru Masao will draw the manga.

In the announcement Tweet from the official CoroCoro Comic X (formerly Twitter) , we can see the artist’s take on Luke and Ryu. There is also a rougher page of Luke posing, with other characters behind him in smaller s. Yoshio Mokomokomaru Masao previously worked on Gaming Ojou-sama, as well as contributed multiple one-shot comics, which you can read on the Shonen Jump website.

This collaboration between Capcom and CoroCoro is to commemorate the second anniversary of Street Fighter 6. The game came out in early June 2023 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. The arcade version of the game came out in December of the same year. Luke is the poster boy of Street Fighter 6, and he debuted in the series as a DLC character for V. He was also a major character in Street Fighter 6’s story, which is likely why he’s headlining a new manga series.

The Street Fighter: Luke Rising manga will start serialization from the June 29, 2025 issue of CoroCoro Comic. Street Fighter 6 is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. It is also in arcades. The Nintendo Switch 2 version will come out on June 5, 2025.

The post Street Fighter 6 Manga to Star Luke appeared first on Siliconera.

Myethos announced its next Genshin Impact figure will be a take on the five-star Electro character Keqing in a Resplendent Feast costume. It will cost ¥7,260 (~$51). Worldwide shipping is available from the official online store via Buyee. It is expected to ship sometime in February 2026. Pre-orders will remain open until July 31, 2025. 

This Genshin Impact Keqing figure in a Resplendent Feast costume is part of the Myethos Gift+ line. She is a static figure at 1/8 scale. This means she’s almost eight and a half inches tall (215mm). There’s a base included, and it’s made of translucent plastic. There are also some translucent elements to her bows in her hair and on her dress. 

Here’s a closer look at her from various angles:

Other HoYoVerse characters in the Myethos Gift+ line include Mobius: Daughter of Corals from Honkai Impact 3rd and March 7th: The Hunt from Honkai: Star Rail. 

While Keqing can’t wear this outfit in-game, there are two costumes for her in Genshin Impact. One is her default look that you get if you get the character. That’s called Piercing Thunderbolt. The other is called Opulent Splendor. That debuted in 2.4 in 2022. It’s a Lantern Rite look, and it costs 1,680 Genesis Crystals. 

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices, and the Keqing Resplendent Feast Myethos figure will debut in February 2026. 

The post Genshin Impact Keqing Figure Wears Resplendent Feast Costume appeared first on Siliconera.

We’re one step closer to seeing the full release of the Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg figure, as Kotobukiya shared an in-progress photo of the Metaphor: ReFantazio character on social media. This is a fully-painted prototype, and the announcements confirmed pre-orders will open soon. However, there’s no exact date for pre-orders or its launch.

Hulkenberg is holding a polearm for the figure, and it is the same one that’s shown up in official art and images. She’s wearing her standard suit and armor from the game. This is a more casual pose for the character, even though she is holding a lance, as her left hand is on her hip and it looks like she is walking.

Here’s the full prototype photo of Hulkenberg:

To compare, here’s official character art of Hulkenberg Atlus released ahead of the game’s launch.

This Hulkenberg figure is one of multiple Kotobukiya collectibles based on characters from Metaphor: ReFantazio. First, a Gallica one appeared. After that, it shared one based on Junah. This means Eupha is the only female party member to not get a figure from the company yet.

In addition to figures, we’re seeing other sorts of merchandise based on the game. SuperGroupies made a coat and bag based on the protagonist, which are being sold worldwide.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The manga based on it is running now worldwide, and there’s no release window for the Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg figure from Kotobukiya yet. 

The post See Kotobukiya’s Metaphor: ReFantazio Hulkenberg Figure appeared first on Siliconera.

Ryu ga Gotoku Studio social media announced that Sega is selling temporary tattoo sleeves, which are fabric arm covers with, with designs based on tattoos of Yakuza and Like a Dragon game characters Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, Ichiban Kasuga, Daigo Dojima, and Taiga Saejima. These cost 1,540円 (~$11) and are expected to ship in July 2025. Ebten does shipping worldwide via WorldShopping. 

Each of the sleeves are 40cm long, which is about 15 inches. These are unisex items anyone could wear. Each package comes with ones to wear on a person’s left and right arms. Each package is based on the tattoo that appears on a character’s back in the series. So the tattoo sleeves for Kazuma Kiryu feature his dragon, while Daigo Dojima’s has the Fudo Myoo design. The Goro Majima tattoo is of the Hannya mask. Taiga Saejima’s is of his tiger. Meanwhile, Ichiban Kasuga’s features the fushion of the koi and dragon.

Here’s a gallery showing each of the available designs. There are also two photos from Ebten that showed people wearing the Kiryu and Kasuga ones.

This comes as Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is about to debut. This extended version of the game will be a Switch 2 launch game. A new trailer highlighted its gameplay. Sega also announced a 1-888-YAKUZA0 phone line for information about it.

The Yakuza and Like a Dragon tattoo sleeves arm covers based on five characters from the game series will debut in Japan in July 2025, following the Switch 2 debut of Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut on June 5, 2025. 

The post Sega Selling Yakuza Temporary Tattoo Sleeve Arm Covers appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced it will sell three different kinds of pixel art game merchandise with sprites of NieR, NieR: Automata, and NieR Reincarnation characters in Japan on August 30, 2025. These include a mug, a package of flake stickers, and two sets of rubber keychains. The US storefront isn’t taking pre-orders for any of the items yet. 

The set of flake stickers is the cheapest of the new items. It costs 1,100円 (~$8). There are 18 stickers in each package. All of the leading characters from each of the three NieR games appear, as well as side characters like 2B and 9S’ Pods and Mama and Carrier who assist The Girl of Light Fio. Each sticker is under an inch tall at around 18mm. 

The glass mug with the NieR pixel art sprites is second most expensive at 3,300円 (~$23). This doesn’t feature every character in this collection on it. In the top row are NieR characters Kaine, Nier, and Emil, in that order. The middle row features NieR: Automata leads 9S, 2B, and A2. Finally, the third row puts Fio between Mama and Carrier. The back of the cup has Emil’s head on it.

Finally, there are two sets of NieR pixel art keychains made of rubber and featuring sprites of the characters. Volume 1 features adult Nier, Kaine, and Emil from NieR, Pod 042 and Pod 153 from NieR: Automata, and Hina Akagi, Yuzuki Kurezome, and 10H from NieR Reincarnation. (I can’t tell who the final character in this set is meant to be.) Volume 2 features young Nier and Yonah from NieR, Fio, Mama, and Carrier from NieR Reincarnation, and 2B, 9S, A2, and a machine lifeform from NieR: Automata. Each set consists of nine pieces in the box. Each box costs 6,435円 (~$45).

Here’s how all the new NieR merchandise looks:

The NieR, NieR Automata, and NieR Reincarnation merchandise with characters from each game will debut in Japan on August 30, 2025. It’s likely we’ll see them worldwide after. NieR appeared on the PS3 and Xbox 360, then later on the PS4, Xbox, and PC one as NieR Replicant. NieR: Automata is on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the anime is on Crunchyroll. NieR Reincarnation appeared on mobile devices, but is no longer available. 

The post NieR Game Characters Appear as Pixel Art Sprites for Merchandise appeared first on Siliconera.

Level-5 released a trailer that goes over the 15 characters we can choose from when building the South Cirrus Eleven team in Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. While there are 15 though, only five can be picked. These include some of the more unexpected casting choices, with folks like Hikakin and both Hololive and Nijisanji Vtubers showing up. The official page updated as well.

The video begins by noting how the selection process goes. It brings up how there are a number of possibilities at South Cirrus Junior High characters who are willing to play soccer and be on your team in Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. At the outset, we see some of the people who will absolutely be there. These are Destin Billows, Alix La Fontaine, Briar Bloomhurst, Cade Shelby, Cedric Freud, Raika Shinohara, and Thierry Reyes. After that, the focus turns to the selectable characters by showing their official art, introducing their voice actor, and letting us hear the person voicing them perform a line.

This starts with Hikakin’s Winsor Compete. He’s followed by Charis Benzaie, who is played by Michaela Wako Sato. QuizKnock’s Takushi Izawa plays Maine Alsop, who shows up after that. Nijisanji Vtuber Rai Inami comes up after that, and he plays Dario Highton. Hololive’s Ichijou Ririka continues the Vtuber introductions, as she plays Amelia Rainwalker. =Love singer Maika Sasaki appears as Marisol Cavallo at this point. Once that introduction is done, we see VSPO Vtuber Lisa Hanabusa as Meridia Althoff and Nijisanji Vtuber Sango Suo as Tai Richter. Once those two finish up, Fischer’s YouTuber member Masai shows up as Davin Bullock. After that, Kis-My-Ft2 member Toshiya Miyata comes up as Lycus Foxworth, we see voice actor Daichu Mizushima as Florent Shorleigh, voice actress Fumiko Orikasa shows as Antonia Felicier, and voice actress comes up as Kelvin Steelborne. The trailer then closes out by highlighting Yuki Tai as Lemmy Stretchen and Ayahi Takagaki as Starla Thorn. 

Here’s the full Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road “Selectable Character Showcase” that highlights the optional South Cirrus Eleven characters.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road will come to the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on August 21, 2025. 

The post Meet Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road South Cirrus Eleven Characters appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company shared the release windows for the new Persona 3 Reload Nendoroid of protagonist Makoto Yuki, and the Basic version of the figure will release later in 2025 in some regions. In Japan, we’ll see it show up in September 2025. The worldwide release is set for Q1 2026. 

As this is a Nendoroid Basic figure, it won’t be as robust or expensive as others in the line. It’ll be ￥3,900/$26.99. His facial expression is a stoic, neutral one. He also hold his base one-handed sword in his right hand.

Here are two photos Good Smile Company shared with us that highlight how the figure will look:

This isn’t the first Persona 3 Nendoroid, as the original figure based on Makoto’s appearance in the PS2 game debuted in 2022. Since that is a more traditional model, it included extra face plates, hand parts, and accessories. It only showed up once worldwide, and there’s been no rerun since its debut. 

While this is a Persona 3 Reload model, it isn’t too dissimilar from the original Persona 3 version. The hairstyle and facial expression are identical to the 2022 release, and the uniform seems almost exactly the same. The weapon is different, however, as the one-handed sword for this figure is an all-silver one that resembles Makoto’s starting weapon and the one with the original figure was a more traditional sword with gold hilt. 

The Persona 3 Reload Nendoroid Basic figure of the protagonist Makoto Yuki will appear in Japan in September 2025. It will appear later worldwide in Q1 2026. Pre-orders for it will close on June 25, 2025. Persona 3 Reload is available worldwide on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the original game first debuted on the PS2.

The post Persona 3 Reload Makoto Yuki Nendoroid Is a Basic Figure appeared first on Siliconera.

At the end of May 2025, Level-5 confirmed that the Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time upgrade update would be available for the Switch 2 at launch and teased its changes. It noted it would look and run better, basically. Now the company further explained the difference with two more detailed videos that compare Switch and Switch 2 gameplay.

In each case, there are split-screen videos on YouTube that directly compare the same instances in the Switch 2 version of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time to show the changes between the two. Each one is rather brief and designed to give a quick glimpse of the changes in action. The shorter of the two is the Graphics Showcase. That only lists 15 seconds. In both, a player’s avatar is using the Woodcutter role to chop down one of the bosses for that job in the field. In the case of the Switch 2 version, the textures for the environment are clearer and we can more clearly see the character’s facial features and clothing. 

The one comparing the load times in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time on both Nintendo platforms is a bit longer. That comes in at 40 seconds. This is because it is showing the time it takes to start the game from the main menu and to go between the Guild Hall in the Present to Ginormosia. It takes 6:19 seconds to load the game on the Switch 2 after starting and 12:12 to do so on the Switch. In the case of heading to Ginormosia with the teleportation gate, it takes 9:39 seconds on the Switch 2 and 17:06 seconds on the Switch. So in each case, the time is almost double on the older console. 

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available now on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Switch 2 version and upgrade update file will launch on June 5, 2025. 

The post See the Fantasy Life i Switch 2 Changes appeared first on Siliconera.

Erin Fitzgerald, the most recent voice actress behind Chie Satonaka, confirmed on Bluesky she hasn’t heard from Atlus regarding voicing the character in any potential Persona 4 remake. This came after Yuri Lowenthal, the original voice of Yosuke Hanamura, stated he would not be returning for any potential updated release of the JRPG.

In Fitzgerald’s statement, she specifically stated she hadn’t ben ed about possibly playing the character again in a remake. She also expressed her joy at being able to play her in the entries and spin-offs she did. Here’s a screenshot of the Bluesky post I took.

Yuri Lowenthal later removed his statement from social media after making it on May 28, 2025. 

Erin Fitzgerald is the second English voice actress for Chie in the Persona series, and she debuted in Persona 4 Arena. Atlus then had her take over the part for the Persona 4 Golden releases. She also appeared in both the rhythm game and Etrian Odyssey-style spin-offs and anime adaptation. Prior to that, Tracey Rooney played the heroine in the original game. If we do see a Persona 4 remake, that would make the third Chie Satonaka English voice actress for the series.

Atlus didn’t make any remake announcement yet. Summer Game Fest 2025 is upon us, so if any reveal does come up it could be at one of its showcases. So far the only recent remake of a JRPG in the series is Persona 3 Reload. That debuted in 2024. The initial release only included the base game, and the FES content appeared later as DLC. 

Persona 4 is available on the PS2, and Persona 4 Golden showed up on the Switch, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Persona 3 Reload is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Chie Satonaka Voice Actress Brings Up Persona 4 Remake appeared first on Siliconera.

Sunblink announced a returning Under the Sea Celebration event for all versions of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, as well as update 2.6 for the Apple Arcade version of the game. The aquatic event starts tomorrow on May 29, 2025. Meanwhile, 2.6 is on mobile devices now ahead of an imminent release on the Switch and PC. There is also a trailer going over the update. 

The Under the Sea Celebration in Hello Kitty Island Adventure follows the Month of Meh event. It’s another one of those activities that involves collecting a certain type of item to turn in for cosmetics. In this case, it’s Mermaid Scales. As such, getting access to the mermaid clothes so you can go underwater ahead of taking part can be wise. However, it isn’t necessary since the scale are found in the Seaside Resort beaches and the area to turn them in is in the Resort Plaza hub. The 2025 cosmetics include scuba gear, which will be shown in the trailer for the event.

As for the 2.6 update for Hello Kitty Island Adventure, it involves Big Challenges and Icy Peak. It looks like a roller coaster is about to open on the top of the mountain. However, it also seems new additions are coming to Wish Me Mell’s meadow and Usahana’s City Town sections too. New dancing options seem to be available in this update. We seem to get to go to a performance hall, once it is built, too.

You can see “The Biggest Challenge” 2.6 additions in the video below:

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available for the Switch, PC, and iOS devices via Apple Arcade. PS4 and PS5 versions are on the way, though there's no exact release date for them yet.

The post Hello Kitty Island Adventure Under the Sea Event Appears Alongside 2.6 appeared first on Siliconera.