Persephone, as the remnants of humanity have chosen to name it, exists quite close to the Earth, but its landmasses could not be more different. There’s not a lot of greenery on its surfaces, and there seems to be something sinister lurking under all of the ice and snow that covers the ground you’re going to be treading as Ariane and Thomas.

The new trailer also shows off a little more about the need to try and make Persephone a new home for humanity, and the hope that fuels Ariane and Thomas’ efforts to discover more about the mysterious planet against all odds. If the game’s visuals are anything like the trailer, this one could be quite the immersive experience, and we can’t wait to see what it has to offer on April 28. It’s also going to be on Game Pass, and console players can avail a 10 percent discount on their pre-orders.

If you were hoping to pick up a physical copy, the Pioneer Edition launches on July 2. The three-month wait could be worth it if it’s a sleeper hit, so keep an eye out for when it launches.

It is worth noting that the trailer features quite a few visual flaws, like Ariane floating in the air for a second before sliding down a collapsing passage. However, DON’T NOD also seems well aware of this, since the studio has prominently noted that the game is still a work in progress.

With the plot of Aphelion revolving around Ariane and Thomas exploring a new planet in the Solar System—Persephone—and the two getting separated in the process, the trailer also showed us how the two were trying to reunite. While Ariane was trying to get to the last place she could track down for Thomas, he found his way into a base that was seemingly created by a prior team that had also somehow reached the planet.

As the two continue exploring in the hunt for answers, they also come across a strange creature that seems to be a corruption of electromagnetic waves. A prior trailer had referred to this creature as the Nemesis, and it may have had a hand in the disappearance of the previous team that built the base. Incidentally, while Thomas was busy exploring the base and finding new mysteries that needed uncovering, we got to see quite a bit of platforming gameplay for Ariane. As she made her way around the surface of planet Persephone, we got to see her swinging around using a grappling hook, making her way into caves, and even climbing up ledges in an attempt to get stronger footholds.

Aphelion was unveiled back in June 2025, which gave us our first look at both protagonists and the planet of Persephone. The trailer also introduced the core premise of the game, and started introducing questions about the European Space Agency’s Hope 01 scientific mission.

A second trailer, focusing more on the threat posed by the Nemsis, was released in October. We also got to see more of Thomas’ personality, and his overall response to the crisis that he and Ariane have found themselves in. Along with treacherous environments, we also got our first glimpse at how sneaking around would work in the presence of the Nemesis.

DON’T NOD has also confirmed that both characters will have unique gameplay styles, with Ariane focusing on more physical activity while Thomas, due to his injuries, being forced to rely largely on his deductive capabilities.

Despite its Spring release window, DON’T NOD hasn’t yet revealed a precise release date for Aphelion. However, the studio has confirmed that it is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Dubbed Hide to Survive, the trailer also gives us a look at the personality of Thomas Cross, and how he tends to deal with the strange crises befalling the crew of the Hope-01 shuttle. The trailer also indicates that quite a bit of the plot of Aphelion will revolve around Ariane and Thomas trying to find each other after getting separated as a result of the Hope-01 shuttle crashing on to the planet Persephone.

With Aphelion, DON’T NOD seemingly wants to provide a unique take on the “stranded-on-an-alien-planet” narrative by giving us the perspectives of both characters that happen to be looking for each other. As we can see in the trailer, however, this quest is filled with its own perils, as both Ariane and Thomas will have to navigate through treacherous environments while also avoiding the attention of a strange alien lifeform, known only as The Nemesis.

Along with exploration and stealth, it looks like Aphelion will also feature some platforming elements as its two protagonists will have to scale the sides of cliffs and run through a frozen lake that seems to be collapsing right under their feet. The trailer caps things off by showing us a face-to-face encounter between Ariane and The Nemesis.

According to DON’T NOD, both characters will have their own unique gameplay styles. Ariane has been described as being more physical, which will come through in how she gets to traverse through the environments of Persephone. Thomas, however, is injured at the start of the story, and his gameplay will revolve more around his deductive capabilities.

Interestingly, the title will also feature a nod to the European Space Agency in the form of a specially designed patch worn by both Ariane and Thomas. The patch was designed by the game’s artistic director, Arnaud Barbier, in collaboration with ESA to represent the Hope-01 mission to observe and explore planet Persephone.

Aphelion was first unveiled back in June during Xbox Games Showcase 2025 with a trailer. At the time, only Ariane had been confirmed as the protagonist of the title. DON’T NOD had also revealed that the story would revolve around the discovery of a ninth planet in the Solar System – Persephone – and the Hope-01 mission to survey and explore the planet, which ultimately goes wrong.

Aphelion is being developed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. While it doesn’t yet have a solid release date, DON’T NOD has stated that it will be coming out on 2026. PC and Xbox Series X/S players will also be able to play the title on day one through Game Pass. In the meantime, also check out details about the deal that the developer signed with Netflix to make a new game.

While no real details about what DON’T NOD is developing for Netflix have been revealed as of yet, the project has already begun development at the company’s Montreal studio. In its post, the company has noted that this partnership leverages DON’T NOD’s “position as a specialist in storytelling for major IPs and its ambition to explore new formats including cloud gaming.” The company confirmed later in its post that the project will be a video game adaptation of a Netflix-owned IP.

As part of its earnings results, DON’T NOD has also revealed that it generated €7 million in revenue, which was driven by the operational savings made with its efforts at reorganising its Paris studio. Expenses, on the other hand, came out to around €6.4 million, driven by the marketing expenses for the launch of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The company noted that sales of the title remained below expectations, leading to a partial write-down of €13.1 million, which ended up having no impact on cash flow.

“This first half of the year has been characterized by solid revenue growth and the initial effects of our performance plan, whose full benefits will materialize in the second half of the year,” said DON’T NOD CEO Oskar Guilbert. “The signing of a development agreement with Netflix, is a key milestone for the Group.”

“Finally, we will continue our efforts to secure and develop our intellectual property through co-productions, while also engaging in projects based on external licenses. Together with all our teams, we will continue to preserve and promote our unique identity, based on strong narrative experiences that have been widely acclaimed by critics and effective game mechanics.”

Looking forward, DON’T NOD is noting a number of releases that will have positive impacts on its earnings. This includes The Lonesome Guild, which was released earlier this week. The next major title for the company – Aphelion – is also slated to come out some time in 2026, and will mark the kick-off of a brand new IP. There are also ongoing negotiations of a project referred to only as P14.

Aphelion was unveiled back in June during Xbox Games Showcase 2025, and will revolve around exploring an alien planet with a large variety of environments. The trailer revealing the title showcased ravines and mountains that players will get to explore. Along with this, there will also be a focus on narrative to go with its tense gameplay moments.

The story of Aphelion revolves around the discovery of a ninth planet in the Solar System, dubbed Persephone. Players will take on the role of one of the astronauts aboard the Hope 01 scientific mission, which ends up crash landing on to the planet. Aphelion is slated for release on PC and Xbox Series X/S, along with a day one release on Xbox Game Pass.

These include DON’T NOD, Hooded Horse, Thunderful, Thunder Lotus, Serenity Forge, Skybound Entertainment, Raw Fury, Pathea, Wired Digital, poncle, and Cult Games. The appearing titles have yet to be confirmed, but we could see the likes of The Lonesome Guild and Aphelion, the former published by DON’T NOD and out later this month. The latter is developed by the same and launching in 2026.

Hooded Horse could showcase Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, which was suddenly delayed to next year, while Serenity Forge may showcase its horror farming title, Fractured Blooms. How many of these will be available for Game Pass on day one? Time will tell, so stay tuned for more details.

“Today, I was part of the layoff wave at DON’T NOD Montréal,” posted Pouliot on LinkedIn. “Although I was anticipating this dreadly fatality that is now a habit in the industry, it came to me as a real shock. I did not anticipate that this morning when waking up and going to the studio. But there it is. No cinematic artist anymore at DNM.”

DON’T NOD hasn’t yet released any public statements about the matter. However, French union for video game developers Syndicat de Travailleureuses du Jeu Video has released its own statement on the matter. On social media, the union posted that it had been informed of 7 employees of DON’T NOD Montreal being affected by “temporary suspension”, while 9 have been hit by lay-offs. According to the union, the lay-offs and suspensions were made to “reduce costs across the group”.

“Don’t Nod Montréal: we have been informed of the lay-offs of 9 colleagues and the ‘temporary suspension’ of 7 others in order to ‘reduce costs across the group’, posted the union on BlueSky. “We support the colleagues affected. The STJV strongly condemns Oskar Guilbert’s catastrophic management of the company.”

“In France, the union fight succeeded in drastically limiting the number of lay-offs and in obtaining acceptable departure conditions. We encourage and support our comrades and colleagues who are organising the industry across the Atlantic! Direct action gets the goods.”

Along with Pouliot and Dufresne, lead senior tester part of the QA team Sandra Cormier and senior game and level designer Mathieu Tremblay were also among those affected by these lay-offs.

“I am saddened to say I was part of yet another wave of layoffs affecting the video game industry,” posted Tremblay on LinkedIn. “I am incredibly proud of what the team at Don’t Nod Montreal accomplished with Lost Records: Bloom and Rage and shipping the game with this level of quality was nothing short of a miracle in the circumstances. I wish for all others affected by this wave of layoffs to land on their feet quickly, as they are truly exceptional people.”

The whole industry seems to be facing quite a few lay-offs in recent times. Earlier this month, a report indicated that Microsoft might be looking to let some of its employees from across the Xbox division go. According to the report, more than a dozen employees have been worried about these lay-offs.

The company had also let go of 3 percent of its workforce from across all of its teams back in May. According to the reports of the time, more than 6,000 employees across the company were affected by these lay-offs.

DON’T NOD, in the meantime, is working on a new game – Aphelion. The title was announced earlier this month with a trailer.

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In France, the union fight succeeded in drastically limiting the number of lay-offs and in obtaining acceptable departure conditions. We encourage and support our comrades and colleagues who are organising the industry across the Atlantic! Direct action gets the goods

— Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (@stjv.fr) 2025-06-26T16:57:46.059Z

The gameplay in Aphelion seems to largely revolve around exploring an alien planet, complete with mountains that have to be scaled, and ravines that have to be swung over. The title has a focus on its narrative, but there are also seemingly going to be plenty of tense gameplay moments as well, despite the seeming lack of any enemies that players will have to take on.

The story in Aphelion revolves around the discovery of a ninth planet in the Solar System – Persephone. Dispatched by the European Space Agency, the Hope 01 scientific mission – which includes astronauts Ariane and Thomas – must survey the planet and ultimately decide whether it can serve as humanity’s new home.

Things get out of hand, however, as Hope 01 crash lands into the planet. Separate from each other, Ariane and Thomas must brave the harsh environments to find each other. Players take on the role of Ariane through this journey.

Aphelion is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. The game will also be coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one.

In a market that has plenty of action RPGs out there, what sets The Lonesome Guild apart from its contemporaries?

The heart of The Lonesome Guild resides in the theme of togetherness, the idea that only by relying on each other the heroes can overcome adversity: individually, no single hero is strong enough to face the challenges ahead, but through friendship and cooperation they can overcome any obstacle.

This pillar is deeply embedded in the game’s mechanics. Unlike many other action RPGs that focus on individual character powers and skills, The Lonesome Guild is centred on cooperation and relationships between party members. Exploration and puzzle mechanics are built around teamwork, and combat is designed to embrace togetherness: rather than controlling just one hero, players must strategically switch between characters, ensuring each party member takes advantage of their potential in combination with the power of their teammates.

"The Lonesome Guild is centred on cooperation and relationships between party members."

The protagonist Ghost is a unique character and being an ethereal entity he cannot physically interact with the world. He constantly depends on his teammates for ordinary actions such as interacting with objects or engaging in direct combat, but his strength lies in his bond with the other heroes, as he can merge with his allies to enhance their abilities. His power enables them to be stronger, to support one another with special abilities, and to unleash a surge of energy thanks to a team-based ultimate attack.

How big of a role will the story play in The Lonesome Guild?

The Lonesome Guild’s deep and rich story plays a central role in the game! Players are immersed in the tale of Etere, a world afflicted by the curse of loneliness which is spreading and threatening all life across the land, and at the same time the game explores the personal journeys of its heroes, each one carrying their own kind of loneliness, struggles and desires. These seemingly separate stories gradually evolve and merge into a single narrative, a shared purpose and a beautiful tale of heroic friendship.

The storytelling is provided through cinematics, dialogues, in-game balloons, HUD chats and beautifully handcrafted 2D cutscenes.

We want the experience to be accessible to everyone, allowing players who prefer to focus solely on the gameplay to easily skip all the narrative content without losing the fun. For those who instead enjoy deep narratives, The Lonesome Guild offers an immersive and compelling journey, with dialogue choices also influencing the gameplay and allowing players to strengthen relationships that impact the RPG progression system.

Action RPGs often emphasize their progression systems. What does The Lonesome Guild offer in that regard?

The Lonesome Guild relies on classic ARPG progression while adding unique mechanics that arise from the theme of togetherness. An interesting innovation is the relationship strength between Ghost and each hero, which is key for progressing through their skill tree. Players can choose to deepen certain bonds over others through dialogue choices and quests, shaping character growth in a meaningful way.

Each hero features their personal relationship-driven progression path, with unique abilities and upgrades. Players can match them together by composing their active party and experimenting with different builds according to their preferences and playstyle.

"We want the experience to be accessible to everyone, allowing players who prefer to focus solely on the gameplay to easily skip all the narrative content without losing the fun. "

Will there be any option for co-op multiplayer?

As a small studio working on our first action RPG, our focus has been on crafting the most engaging and polished solo adventure possible, and The Lonesome Guild reflects that as a single-player experience.

The gameplay is designed around a single player managing an entire party, switching between heroes as needed while keeping track of their status, abilities and positioning. The experience is not just about playing individual characters separately but about overseeing the party as a whole, ensuring they work together effectively.

Ghost plays a central and unique role, especially in combat, which also makes it difficult to adapt the core mechanics to a co-op multiplayer setting without compromising the intended experience.

What kind of replayability can we expect from The Lonesome Guild?

While The Lonesome Guild is a story-driven action RPG with a primarily linear narrative, there are still reasons for players to return after completing it.

By developing different relationships between Ghost and the heroes, players can unlock skills they may not have accessed in previous runs, allowing for new build and party composition experiments, and they can explore optional side quests, discover hidden loot, and increase the difficulty level for subsequent runs if they’re looking for an extra challenge.

What can you tell us about the world of Etere?

Etere is a vibrant, living planet, with a diversity of biomes, races and cultures, each with its own traditions, customs and history. I remember the first time our writer told me the history of the planet from its formation to the time The Lonesome Guild‘s story takes place, spanning literally millions of years, and I was struck by the vastness and depth of the lore! Etere has a complex, interconnected history, with the stories of its cultures intertwining across centuries, shaping the world we experience in the “present” day in the game.

The game only scratches the surface of this rich lore, offering a tiny glimpse into the vastness of this world made of ancient myths and religions that have been replaced, where traces of long-lost beliefs can still be found, and ancient ages and deeds occasionally emerge. Most of this lore remains untold, but it is reflected constantly in details like a wall painting in the ruins of an abandoned castle, the behaviour of the people players can encounter, the architectural style of a town, or even the shape of an entire biome.

How much of Etere will we get to explore in The Lonesome Guild?

Etere evolved profoundly through the ages, where once a thriving civilization stood, now abandoned ruins remain; where once there was an ocean, now a city stands in the middle of a desert, surrounded by towering walls made of sea and stars.

What players can explore in The Lonesome Guild is a snapshot of each biome at the time the events of the story take place, and even though it is just a small portion of what the entire game world could offer, we wanted to showcase a truly diverse range of environments.

"Etere is a vibrant, living planet, with a diversity of biomes, races and cultures, each with its own traditions, customs and history."

Each of the 19 unique areas present in the game has its own distinct style, even within the same biome, and the 5 biomes themselves are deeply varied, ranging from the snow-capped city of Tallyoh near the organ-pipe-shaped peaks of the Sootpipes to the sky-reaching Spiral Tower in Nunuit, a city in the middle of the Sahduat Desert.

In addition, players will encounter 6 unique cultures, each with its own history, style, and customs. NPCs and enemies are distinct to each biome, making exploration, dialogue, and combat highly varied across the world. The world of Etere truly feels rich and alive!

Will there be many gameplay variety options in the form of different weapon types?

Yes, there will be plenty of gameplay variety, though not through different weapon types: all heroes possess a weapon and a unique set of base attacks, but the real variety comes from the wide array of skills, as every character can unlock up to 4 skills and equip 2 of them at the same time, with the 24 total skills offering a large variety of possible builds.

Each hero also features a unique support skill powered by Ghost which aids the whole team in a specific way, and Ghost’s power can unleash an ultimate teamwork attack, available independently from the specific build chosen by the player and customizable through the party composition based on skill tree upgrades.

With an active team of 3 characters, chosen from the 6 available in total, we try to offer a lot of flexibility in how players can customise their party and approach combat, and to further diversify the gameplay there’s a variety of consumables and equipment, including legendary items that introduce custom combat mechanics.

Are there any plans to bring The Lonesome Guild to the Nintendo Switch or the Switch 2?

While discussions around a potential port have taken place, there are currently no plans to bring The Lonesome Guild to Nintendo consoles, and while we acknowledge that the game would be a great fit for the platform, there are significant technical challenges to consider.

As a relatively small studio, our focus is now on finishing, polishing, and delivering the game for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 before our release deadline in Fall 2025. The high number of characters, complex VFX, and the richness of the environments all contribute to the game’s demanding requirements, and a substantial amount of work would be needed to optimize it for the Nintendo Switch, but we hope to be able to consider a port in the future.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is a return of sorts to those roots with contextual dialogue choices, almost usually awkward exchanges, and a mysterious, supernatural bent. It works in some areas, falters in others – especially on the technical side – and while I’d still wait and see how Tape 2 pans out, Tape 1 presents an intriguing mystery that may be worth checking out. If you can deal with the contrivances, that is.

Tape 1: Bloom begins with protagonist Swann, meeting up with her friend Autumn after several years due to a promise they made when younger. The narrative places a heavy emphasis on reliving the Summer of 1995, where Swann first meets Autumn, Nora, and Kat as pre-teens.

"Examining the environment during key moments, selecting different options, building bonds with the group with the “right” dialogues, and even waiting for other potential options are a core part of the narrative."

Though the group becomes close-knit, things take a turn and they separate, swearing to tell no one about their secret. Why Autumn seeks Nora after all this time to “confront” what happened is one of the many mysteries you’ll have to unravel, as you jump back and forth between the present day and the past. Yes, it’s a premise that feels inspired by Stephen King’s It, but at least the treatment is different enough.

While I was initially wary of this constant switching, Lost Records handles it pretty naturally, tying in different incidents with the present conversation, and moving events along quickly enough. As a movie enthusiast, Swann is all about recording things on her handheld camera, all to construct a memoir for Velvet Cove. The dichotomy of her as the sole point of view versus you, behind the lens, uncovering and adding things to the collection, is intriguing throughout, especially when consolidating the two in the present day.

Of course, since this is DON’T NOD, there are extensive dialogue choices. Examining the environment during key moments, selecting different options, building bonds with the group with the “right” dialogues, and even waiting for other potential options are a core part of the narrative. At times, selecting a sudden new choice is the equivalent of Swann suddenly blurting out something, with the other party asking to finish their thoughts. It feels uneasy but natural – if only the game would actually interrupt her spoken dialogue as well instead of layering the two voice lines on top.

None of this is a particularly new twist on the genre, especially having to look around in a specific location for a select item. However, seeing how DON’T NOD’s narrative techniques have evolved past its initial adventure outings is cool. All the familiar themes are still here, from the pangs of growing up to fitting in and trying to become comfortable with yourself, even amid the mundane and it is nice (if a little overdone) to hear the present-day characters musing about their past feelings and reactions.

"The various conflicts at least feel stressful enough, especially given some of the harsher content throughout the game."

However, some scenes don’t always come across well, mostly due to the dialogue and its use in certain situations. Young adult fiction presents its fair share of awkward situations, and this is no different, but some lines come across as unnatural, even if the voice actors nail the delivery. It also doesn’t help that certain sequences don’t always fall into place sequentially.

At one point, the girls work together to search for Autumn’s keys. Swann can help out, occasionally filming and chatting up Nora, and much more. When the keys are discovered, caught high up on a dilapidated structure, you’re tasked with finding something to throw and knock them down. Speak to Nora again, and Swann will ask if she’s found the keys yet, despite their location already being established.

If you were being positive about it, you could think of it as her misremembering things, but it feels more like an editing mistake, with shots cut in the wrong order and disrupting the immersion. The various conflicts at least feel stressful enough, especially given some of the harsher content throughout the game.

As iffy as the dialogue can be at times, at least the characters feel alive. Swann isn’t the most social individual, especially when confronted with strangers, but her critter enthusiasm and casual observations when alone are endearing. Autumn’s straightforward responses and down-to-earth nature contrast with her shyness, while Kat’s familial situation (and foul-mouthedness) can feel relatable.

"There are some pretty hefty frame drops on PS5, even when very little is happening, but even worse is the texture pop-in, especially up close."

I wasn’t too keen on Nora since her character came across as more cliched than anything else, between the punk rock interests, family trouble, and rebellious streak that have been done to death. She’s not boring, though, so there’s that.

Much of your time in Lost Records is spent walking around, filming things, and interacting with the cast or environment. The art direction is pretty good in this endeavor, especially in capturing all the tropes of the 90s, like troll dolls, trapper keepers, VHS cassettes (the “warning” at the beginning of the game is an excellent touch), poorly constructed graffiti and whatnot.

It imbues Velvet Cove with some personality – at least to the extent that you can sympathize with the characters calling it a dump. Technically, the lighting and shadows, with the level of detail and texture quality are pretty good, even if some transitions between facial expressions feel a bit jarring if you look too close.

Unfortunately, the visuals aren’t always technically sound. There are some pretty hefty frame drops on PS5, even when very little is happening, but even worse is the texture pop-in, especially up close. It’s distracting in its frequency and brings down the experience. The soundtrack doesn’t initially stand out, but there are some pretty good selections here.

"It doesn’t quite hit the same as Life is Strange once did, for good and bad reasons, but there’s certainly something here."

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage isn’t a redux of Life of Strange, and despite the deja vu that occurs, there’s enough to separate the two in subject matter, narrative layout, and characterization. Tape 1 does a pretty decent job of setting the stage and characters, helping you empathize with them, warts and underwhelming dialogue aside. It’s not something you should be rushing to experience immediately, especially without Tape 2 to provide the full context and book-end the narrative and your choices.

Nevertheless, for those seeking a new narrative adventure with reasonably good presentation values – and don’t mind the technical issues – Lost Records: Bloom and Rage could be a decent escape. It doesn’t quite hit the same as Life is Strange once did, for good and bad reasons, but there’s certainly something here.

This game was reviewed on the PS5.

The demo allows players to try out the first mission of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Players that complete the demo and then decide to buy the game will also be able to continue their progress right where they left off.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was released back in February, and revolves around the titular Banishers Antea and Red. Tragedy strikes when the duo venture into New Eden, and the seeming death of Antea forces Red to make critical decisions.

Narrative is a big focus of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, and players will have to make difficult choices throughout the game’s story. There are even five different endings for players to unlock, promoting replayability.

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