Among these developers was long-time Atlus director and producer Kazuyuki Yamai, who has worked on several games, including those from the Shin Megami Tensei series. Yamai expressed a belief that Grand Theft Auto 6 could potentially “raise the bar” for games. “I’m excited to see if GTA 6 will finally be released. And if it will raise the bar,” he said.

Yamai was far from the only developer to express these sentiments. Yuki Nishio—localisation manager at CD Projekt RED—is interested in “what innovations GTA 6 will bring…” Nobuyuki Kuroki, known for his work as art director on older SNK titles, said that he thinks Rockstar’s title “will redefine players’ standards.” He went on to express a feeling that “it’ll be a once-in-a-generation turning point for games.”

Naoki Hamaguchi—director of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the upcoming third part of the trilogy—spoke about being inspired by the “world’s craftsmanship” from previous GTA titles, which in turn is making him excited for the next entry. “In 2026, I’m looking forward to the new entry in the GTA series,” he said. “As a creator myself, I’m inspired by the world’s craftsmanship.” Yakuza/Like a Dragon series director and producer Masayoshi Yokoyama also expressed excitement for the game.

SaGa series director and designer Akitoshi Kawazu noted that the whole world is looking at Rockstar Games. As for GTA 6, he thinks “the content and scale will not disappoint. We will be paying attention to what players enjoy about it.” The sentiment of Grand Theft Auto 6 marking a new generation of gaming was also shared by Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, who said that, “I feel that GTA 6 will show us the next generation of gaming, and I’m looking forward to it. As hardware performance improves, I hope to see game development that was unthinkable in the past.”

The idea that Grand Theft Auto 6‘s release will have a large impact on the gaming industry isn’t exactly a new one. Back when the title was first slated for release in 2025, developers and other workers from the industry had allegedly spoken about how its (at the time) release window was causing them to plan their own releases accordingly.

“Rockstar games always suck a lot of money and, more importantly, time out of the market,” said the head of one game publishing company. “We don’t want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles.”

Day of the Devs head curator Greg Rice had gone as far as to say that the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 will also end up boosting the entire industry’s economy. He noted that while GTA 6 itself will be a big launch, there will also be other games coming out at around the same time that will see success thanks to GTA 6 bringing in a new audience.

Grand Theft Auto 6 has seen a few delays since last year, and is currently slated for release on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Developer Level-5 Osaka also confirmed a new update coming later this month, which adds Photo Mode. As with many other games featuring the same, you can capture images while changing your character’s pose, fiddle with camera angles, adjust expressions, and more.

It’s also working on free DLC called “Update the World,” which transforms the world of Ginormosia into a roguelike world. You meet a new character who plays a “pivotal role” in the store, discover new gear and equipment, and even have new hairstyles and emotes for customizing your character. A release date has not been confirmed, so stay tuned for updates.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

The developer expects to cross one million sales this month. It may seem like a tall ask, but given that it’s launching on June 5th for Nintendo Switch 2, the positive momentum and word of mouth could carry it to new heights.

Those who already own it on the original Switch can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $2.59. Of course, those picking it up will have to pay $62.58, which is essentially the current price plus the upgrade.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time will offer improved visuals and performance on the Switch alongside fantasy loading time. Check out the trailers below for a quick comparison between the Switch 1 and 2 versions.

We got a brief new look at the next instalment in the fan-favourite puzzle adventure title at the recent Nintendo Direct, with Level-5 confirming that New World of Steam will release simultaneously for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches sometime this year. When exactly it will release has still not been confirmed. 

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam launches several other third party titles confirmed for the Switch 2, including the likes of FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Split Fiction, Star Wars Outlaws, and many others. Meanwhile, Nintendo has, as you would expect, also announced several major first-party titles for the console, including launch title Mario Kart World, July release Donkey Kong Bananza, and 2025 title Kirby’s Air Riders.

At the recent Level-5 Vision 2024 event, the studio announced that DECAPOLICE has now been pushed all the way back into 2026. Explaining the two-year delay, the studio’s CEO and president Akihiro Hino said, “Both the visuals and the content of the game are being improved, as we’re evolving it into an even more engaging experience. That also means we’ll need more time to finish it, though.”

Hino says Level-5 is currently “developing systems for a large open world” for DECAPOLICE, while the studio is also preparing to release an anime based on the game around the same time as the game itself. A new trailer for the game has also been showcased, revealing its theme song. Check it out below. 

Finally, Level-5 has also announced that when DECAPOLICE launches in 2026, in addition to PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, it will also be available on PC. 

The upcoming puzzle adventure title will take the protagonist duo of the titular Professor and his trusty sidekick Luke Triton to the steam-powered American town of Steam Bison, where, once again, there will be plenty of mysteries afoot. They will revolve around the mysterious villain named Gunman King Joe, who appears as a large, ghostly apparition but clearly has more to him than meets the eye. 

The trailer also offers some new glimpses at the characters that players will meet throughout Steam Bison, and some of the many puzzles that you’ll be butting heads again. As per the trailer New World of Steam is set to have more puzzles than any past Professor Layton title. Check out the trailer below for more.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is due out in 2025 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

During its recent Level-5 Vision 2023 II event, the company’s president and CEO Akihiro Hino revealed that DECAPOLICE has been delayed into 2024, with the developer having decided to take additional time to ensure the game hits the level of quality it internally expects.

“The open-world crime suspense RPG DECAPOLICE received high praise after we released a trial version at Tokyo Game Show,” Hino said. “To ensure thorough development in both quality and quantity of content, we’ve decided to take a little more time.”

Hino also explained that DECAPOLICE is set to have a much larger, denser, and more immersive world than any of Level-5’s past titles.

“As far as Level-5 games go, this title possesses a vast open world of unprecedented size,” Hino said. “We aim to build a dense and immersive world, filled with opportunities to play. Various incidents will occur in many different locations, and many of them are full of surprises. This is the kind gameplay we’re aiming for with DECAPOLICE.”

DECAPOLICE is in development for PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Of course, with the game now pushed into 2024, it’s worth asking whether it will also release for the rumoured Nintendo Switch 2, which is alleged to be targeting a launch sometime in the second half of 2024.

During its recent event, Level-5 also announced a 2025 launch window for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.

https://youtu.be/wmzvVN_ZHBM?t=2310

The trailer shows the titular Professor Layton and his trusty sidekick Luke trying to find the workshop of Mr. Eggmuffin, the inventor of the town of Steam Bison, America, which is where the game is set. Eggmuffin’s workshop is located in a large and complex structure made of massive cogs and gears, and to find the entrance to the workshop, a puzzle tasks the player with observing and counting the shapes of windows, doorknobs, and card suits scattered throughout the building. Check out the trailer below.

Additionally, Level-5 has also confirmed that Professor Layton and the New World of Steam will launch sometime in 2025. Does that mean the game will also release for the Nintendo Switch’s successor, which is rumoured to launch in the second half of 2024? That remains to be seen.

Announced earlier this year, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam sees the professor and his assistant, Luke Triton, reunited. It’s set in Steam Bison, America, one year after Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, which is ushering in the “new world” courtesy of its advanced steam technology.

Perhaps the new details will showcase some puzzles and other mechanics that fans can look forward to (if not the launch date). Regardless, you can likely expect mysteries and challenges that require math, logic and other forms of thinking to overcome. Stay tuned for more updates and gameplay when the Level-5 Vision 2023 2 event airs this Wednesday.

"LEVEL5 VISION 2023 II"
Streaming 9:00 PM (JST) on Wednesday, 11/29.

Revealing the latest info on "Professor Layton and the New World of Steam!"

Subscribe and stay tuned!https://t.co/NGkCjsIS9o

▼Click here for details:https://t.co/8tjKbBt5fs#ProfessorLayton #L5vision

— Layton Series (@LaytonSeries) November 24, 2023

“We’re steadily working on the next installment which incorporates the flow of the series,” reads a rough translation of Hino’s celebratory message. “There’s still some time before we can make an official announcement, but stay tuned!”

The last major game release in the Yo-kai Watch franchise was Yo-kai Watch 4++, which was first unveiled back in 2019. The game, as its name might imply, was essentially an enhanced re-release of Yo-kai Watch 4 for the PS4. Yo-kai Watch 4, also released back in 2019, was originally released as a Japan-only game.

While the franchise hasn’t grown to the heights of popularity of its competitors in the west, Yo-kai Watch is still considered quite successful in Japan.

今日で「妖怪ウォッチ」10周年。早いものです・・・・たくさんのお祝いツィートもありがとうございます！10周年特設サイトを公開しているので、今日はぜひ一緒に盛り上がってください！https://t.co/i2SnFMW9UM… pic.twitter.com/otmo0ayEf9

— 日野晃博 (@AkihiroHino) July 11, 2023