Don't let the recent news surrounding the future of VR fill you with doom and gloom. Yes, it does seem as though Meta is pivoting away from active development on Quest 3 applications (or at least is slowing waaay down), as indicated by a recent wave of layoffs and studio closures. But fear not - plenty of independent studios are still actively developing for VR. And the brightest star shining in the VR sky may just be Mighty Coconut, which today released the latest course for its perennial hit Walkabout Mini Golf VR. 

The 38th (!) course for Walkabout is Tiki à Coco, a fun and light course set on a South Pacific island. As the lore goes, a small plane crashed in the ocean near the island, leading to the discovery of a tribe of cheerful coconuts. Just go with it. The course winds its way through the village, and you can practically feel the tropical breeze as you dip between grass huts and cross rivers of lava. 

The course itself is a lesson in positive energy, with happy coconuts banging on bongos and relaxing near a very cool poolside tiki bar. Coconut families play catch by rolling children back and forth, and grass-skirted coconuts twirl flaming batons while happy music chirps in the background. The whole thing feels like a bit of a vacation. The difficulty of this course is somewhat lighter than some other previous courses, too. I was able to finish the easy version of the course at two over par on my first try (this is a major accomplishment for me) and I made par on the difficult course (an even more-major feat). 

The hard version of the course also shows off some of Mighty Coconut's masterful use of lighting. Players engage with the world after dark, and the glow from the tiki torches and the nearby volcano is an absolute vibe.

As usual, the course comes with some fun avatar options - this time there is a customizable coconut that you can equip with different facial features, and then don one of 25 different hats and 10 different outfits. And I don't want to blow the surprise, but I've already seen people online discussing the fact that you can bang on the in-game bongos as well.

All VR enthusiasts know that there have been some real ups and downs over the years as the format swells in popularity and then wanes again. But it's great to know that the true greats of VR are still healthy and soldiering on. So if you need a little VR pick-me-up, as usual, you should look no further than Walkabout Mini Golf.

Bungie is back in the swing of things in this new year, and it’s preparing to launch PvPvE survival shooter Marathon in just two months’ time. Today, the dev team has shared a lengthy new ViDoc, or developer diary, if you will, that details what each Runner shell can do.

Think of shells as character classes, essentially, with each one having unique abilities that foster a certain playstyle. Runner shells can be customized functionally using the cores, implants, weapons, and mods that you loot and equip for runs. There will be visual customization as well that Bungie will touch on in the future.

At launch, Marathon will have seven Runner shells to choose from, each with its own archetype. The Destroyer is a combat specialist with a shield, missiles, and movement thrusters. Assassin thrives on stealth, as you might imagine, with synthetic smoke and camouflage tech to strike from the shadows. The Recon shell is an intel specialist that can identify threats and track movements using echo pulses, tracker drones, and the ability to see enemy footsteps. Vandal is a combat anarchist with enhanced movement speed and knockback cannon that keeps enemies disoriented. The Thief is a master of covert acquisitions (which is just a fancy way to say steal) that has enhanced vision, a butterfly drone, and grappling hook that allows them to locate and acquire loot and get out fast. Triage is your combat medic with deployable healing drones, combat buffs, and the ability to revive allies. And finally, the Rook shell activates scavenger mode, a unique way to play Marathon where you drop into an in-progress match as a solo player with no loadout. So, you drop in at a disadvantage, but you also don’t have any skin in the game, so to speak.

You can check each shell out in the new video below as we await word of a firm release date for Marathon.

Today it was announced that a new Life is Strange game will be releasing in 2026 and we also got the announcement that a livestream event revealing the game will happen next week. 

The first Life is Strange game is one of my favorite games of all time. The story, the mystery, the characters, the vibes, all of it connected with me in ways videogame hadn't until that point. The series continued on after that and while I did enjoy somewhat games like Before the Store, 2 and True Colors, they didn't come close to living up to the greatness of the original. Then we got Double Exposure. 

Double Exposure was.... well it started off pretty strong but then went completely off the rails by the ending and was just laughable at the "Max Caufield will return" card at the end of the credits like its a Marvel movie. With the way that story went I think it's inevitable here that in this game we see the return on one Chloe Price, which a certain portion of the fanbase let Deck Nine and Square Enix know that they were none too pleased about how that character was handled in Double Exposure. Either way, we will find out next week. 

The official reveal will happen on January 20th at 1PM EST. 

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves may not have set the fighting game world on fire when it released but it is still a great fighting game in it's own right that I hope continues to pick up steam in the years ahead. We got a trailer today that revealed that Season 2 will begin next week.

In a trailer that looks like it's mostly AI slop we got reveals for all of the season 2 DLC characters including...

• Jim Jae Hoon
• Nightmare Geese
• Blue Mary
• Wolfgang Krauser
• Two mystery characters that will be revealed at later dates

Season two of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves begins on January 22nd. 

There are eight new subclasses in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion. Yes, that's probably the longest title of anything in D&D Fifth Edition (5e). Heroes of Faerun is geared towards players, although Forgotten Realms Dungeon Masters inevitably have to learn the info in this book, too.

Today we're checking out the Knowledge Domain Cleric, but here are all the new subclasses:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowledge Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

Knowledge Domain (Cleric)

"Unearth Secrets and Master the Mind." Learning and understanding are your holy communion—your bread and wine. Sure, you seek to commune with your god (or at least your god's plane of existence), but your holy duties compel you to study stuff, collect old books and stuff, and to get lost in the weeds when it comes to dungeoneering into secret places. Sometimes those secret places are locked away in your own mind.

Here are the skills and abilities that unlock on a Knowledge Domain Cleric's character sheet on the climb from Level 1 to Level 20.

• Level 3: Blessings of Knowledge – You always have certain spells prepared as you reach their level, e.g., from Command and Comprehend Languages at Level 3 on up to Legend Lore and Scrying at Level 9.

• Level 3: Mind Magic – You don't burn a spell slot or need material components when you use your Channel Divinity to cast one of your Blessings of Knowledge spells.

• Level 6: Unfettered Mind – You learn telepathy and gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws.

• Level 17: Divine Foreknowledge – You give yourself advantage on every roll of the 20-sided die. For an hour. Get a good night's sleep and you can do it again tomorrow.

This subclass is for clerics who'd rather operate more like wizards. For holy rollers that like books more than just their deity's one book. 

Next subclass we'll look at is the Banneret (Fighter), for folks that want to "Rally Fellow Heroes with Inspiring Leadership." Or you can get an overview right now over on D&D Beyond.

Imagine you're playing a game online. You're convinced to chat with your team while playing games. Reluctantly, you plug in your headset. You have to go into a side menu, and open the chat service to your console. You start asking if people can hear you, and they cannot.  Maybe your headset doesn't work. So you get a different headset, and that works, but your service is set to chat with only friends. Now you have to go back, and change the setting, and change your output, and change all the things. Then, maybe it works, and maybe you didn't switch it over to, or from, game chat. Maybe there are too many options for someone to yell "I need healing." Discord is supposed to be easier than all this, but don't get me started on that. 

Now, imagine you have a dedicated chat button. You push it. You can create a chat, or choose from an already created chat list. You choose. And you're in. You choose the people you want to talk to, whether it's your Nintendo already approved friends, or your in game chat. No headsets. No headphones. Nothing. The chat just works. This is what the Nintendo Switch 2 Gamechat is all about. Nothing fancy. It just works. Even for up to 12 people, if you have that many friends.  

It works, and you can even see the screen. It works, because even using the accessibility options, you get captions. You can use a camera (sold separately) to see the other person talking, if you so choose. You can also see someone's screen, at a very terrible frame rate, but you still do it. Discord has one up on this feature, but I digress. 

Yes, it's locked behind a paywall starting later this year, but aren't you paying for online services on every other console besides PC? People may choose discord, if they want to set up another account, with another login, and have to find someone's user name, but for me, Nintendo Gamechat doesn't deserve the hate it gets. When this Animal Crossing update gets to everyone, you'll see how cool it really is. 

Beyond that, if a game has in game chat, like Fortnite, you can still use the chat free of charge, just as you play the game free of charge. Still with no headphones, or extra accessories. The in-console mic adjusts based on your surroundings, and filters out unwanted noise. You would know more if you didn't use that same hate to say "I'm not paying $10 for a welcome tour!" 

You can even share certain games via game chat, even if the person, or people (up to 4) don't have the game! If you all have a Nintendo Switch 2, it just works, seamlessly. 

If you don't believe me, look up the details here, or you can watch the video below of us talking trash while playing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate with Gamechat, and playing Fortnite, via in game chat, without any additional hardware. Stop all the fussing. 

As a long-time Star Trek fan, I'm always excited for new Star Trek video games - though there haven't been very many that capture the look and tone of my favorite Next Gen era of Trek. But the more I see about Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown, the more excited I get.

The game puts players in the captain's chair on the U.S.S. Voyager, a ship that was accidently flung to the far corner of the galaxy, well beyond the reach (or even communication) with Star Fleet. The show followed the crew's efforts to both survive and get back home, all while dealing with new cultures and challenges well outside of the normal Star Trek lore.

It's absolutely fascinating to me that Daedalic Entertainment and developer gameXcite decided to create a large, detailed game about the mission and crew of Star Trek: Voyager. While Trek fans love the show, it isn't exactly as widely adored as Star Trek: The Next Generation, or even Deep Space Nine. Still, the show did well enough to garner seven seasons, and Daedalic is confident enough in the game that yesterday it announced that a Nintendo Switch 2 version will release alongside the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox versions of the game on February 18. 

Along with the Switch announcement, Daedalic also released an extended look at the ship-to-ship combat in Across the Unknown. And just like a real Star Trek captain, you won't be steering the ship yourself or firing the phasers. You will instead be issuing strategic orders to your crew, who you will just have to trust to do their jobs. Fascinating. Take a look here: 

It is clear that this game is being created by a team that deeply understands Star Trek, and appreciated the need to keep things faithful to the franchise's core. For those that can't wait for the February release, there is currently a demo available on PS5 and Xbox, which incorporates changes made to the game following player feedback from a previous demo. A Switch 23 demo and an updated PC demo will follow shortly. The demo follows the pilot episode of Voyager ("The Caretaker"), which I am absolutely going to rewatch before diving in. 

You can find more information on the demos as well as preorder options here. See you in the Delta Quadrant. 

The Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion is, first and foremost, more than a mouthful. That's likewise true of its companion piece, the Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun – Dungeon Master Expansion.

Heroes of Faerun is the slimmer (and slimmer-priced) of the duology. It aims to hook players specifically with a laundry list of items that typically get players hot and bothered:

• 8 subclasses
• 18 backgrounds
• 34 feats
• 19 spells
• 12 items
• 3 magic items
• 2 monsters

...and a partridge in a pear tree. It's that first bullet, however, that can excite players' imaginations. Players often brainstorm what they'd like to become; what they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps they have a (mean) Dungeon Master (that's me) that starts their players at Level 1 with a baseline character class, e.g., Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue. Or perhaps they have a (nice) Dungeon Master (not me) that lets the players start at Level 3—where subclasses unlock. 

In Heroes of Faerun, those eight subclasses are:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowlege Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

While that covers eight of the baseline character classes, it leaves out the Barbarian, Druid, Monk, Warlock, and Artificer. That last one gets its own book: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, which we'll dig into in the coming weeks.

But let's take a quick gander at one of those eight subclasses that do emerge in the Forgotten Realms.

College of the Moon (Bard)

"Inspire allies with primal tales." While Druids didn't get a new subclass in this book, the College of the Moon (Bard) traces its lineage to the druidic circles of the Moonshae Isles. These Bards are drawing directly from the fey energies inherent to the Moonshaes. They grow into the following benefits: 

• Level 3: Moon's Inspiration
  • Inspired Eclipse – Hand another character a Bardic Inspiration die, turn yourself invisible, and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Lunar Vitality – Heal another character, heal them even more, and make them move faster.

• Level 3: Primal Lore. Duolingo teaches you to speak Druidic. You learn a Druid cantrip. Gain a free skill from a selection.

• Level 6: Blessing of Moonlight. Always have the Moonbeam spell prepared. Glow faintly like the moon. Heal someone just by looking at them.

• Level 14: Eventide's Splendor
  • Shadow of the New Moon – When you use Inspired Eclipse (from Level 3 above) you let another character also turn invisible and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Vibrance of the Full Moon – Use a six-sided die roll instead of a Bardic Inspiration die when you use Lunar Vitality (also from Level 3 above).

More subclass overviews to come. Next up is the Knowledge Domain (Cleric) who will unearth secrets and master the mind. Or go straight to the subclass of your choice over on D&D Beyond.

Hey horror hounds and macabre mavens, if the dark and twisted is what you're into, set your timer for February 18th, because the PC release of Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 will be creeping onto Steam to steal your soul - or at least your time.

Building off of it's predecesors, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 continues to explore the thematic universe of Playtime Co. lab, where The Protoype lurks, stalking through the halls, waiting. Titled "Broken Things", this chapter may be the creepiest venture so far, as players face off, yet again, against the deadly puppetmaster by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles.

Features Include: 

• Stomach-churning terrors await you in this new section of the factory as you uncover the dark works hidden within The Prototype’s stomping grounds.

• In this chilling new layer of the Playtime facility, you will encounter the tortured denizens living in the darkness. They may aid you in your quest to defeat The Prototype, but can they be trusted? 

• Solve devious puzzles and overcome dangerous environmental obstacles with the power of new GrabPack tools and functionality.

• As you reach the true rotten heart at the center of Playtime, discover some of the company’s gravest sins.

If you're a fan of horror games, and if broken and creepy toys chill your bones, check out this delightfully terrifying trailer to get a sense of what you're up against - it truly looks delightfully dark and fun! 

Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 — “Broken Things” launches February 18, 2026, on PC. Wishlist now on Steam and Epic Games. Console versions will be available in the months to follow. Poppy Playtime chapters 1-4 are available now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S & Xbox One, PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch 2 & Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft opened the floodgates of Xbox games jumping to PlayStation a while ago now, but at last week's New Game+ Showcase, the team in green announced two more big titles are heading to the team in blue this February.

First up is Obsidian Entertainment’s fantasy RPG, Avowed, which is coming to PlayStation 5 on February 17^th alongside a major anniversary update for all platforms. The update includes a new game plus mode (how fitting), a new weapon, new playable races, and more. Pre-orders are available now for the PS5 version, which will include support for PS5 Pro, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers. It’ll set you back $49.99 on Sony’s machine.

Coming later in the month, on February 26^th, is side-scrolling fantasy beat ‘em up Towerborne from Stoic, the developers of the Banner Saga trilogy. February 26^th coincides with the game’s full 1.0 release which will complete the story campaign, add new bosses, new player abilities, new difficulty settings, and a redesigned world map. It also marks a major pivot away from being a free-to-play live service game to a premium, what-you-see-is-what-you-get one.

Avowed looks dope, and I will play anything made by Stoic, so it looks like February just got a lot busier for me.