Late last week, music label Materia Collective announced the digital publication of composer Grant Kirkhope's latest rearrange release 'Rare Treats: Viva Piñata Revisited'---now available on major streaming platforms and also available for purchase. In addition, a vinyl release is expected to ship in Q3 of this year and interested parties can head over to the Materia Store to pre-order their very own copy (retailing @ 39.99 USD before shipping and applicable taxes). Performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded at Smecky Music Studio, this lush new production elevates the whimsy, charm, and sweeping orchestral color that made Viva Piñata unforgettable—now presented with cinematic richness and refined detail.

Last week, developer Pawprint Studio and publisher Kingsglory ran their first developer direct that detailed their coming second Closed Beta Test run for their up-and-coming free-to-play open-world creature-catching role-playing game title 'Aniimo'. The coming CBT will go live on 23 January and interested players can still sign up to help with the game's development by heading over to the official Aniimo website. This new livestream revealed that players can look forward to dozens of new Aniimo and their evolutions to collect and muck about with. Herein lies vast new regions and ecosystems with expanded housing, social, customization systems, and…

YouTube video by XboxEra

Welcome to our first weekly roundup of 2026. This weekly feature will give you a recap of all the week's top news stories, as well as links to all of our shows and reviews. So, without further ado, let's get into it - the weekly roundup for January 5-11. Weekly Roundup January 5-11 Top News: Monday: Monday’s news was packed with platform updates and new releases. Sony confirmed the PlayStation Plus lineup for January 2026, while 8BitDo unveiled its pro-grade Ultimate 3E wireless controller featuring TMR sticks and swappable buttons, scheduled for a Q2 release.

Microsoft are kicking 2026 off in just the right way with their annual developer direct, which sees Beast of Reincarnation and the double feature from Playground Games with Fable and Forza Horizon 6. Let's break it all down in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 296! Jon, Nick and Jesse return to talk about all the latest in video games! We've been playing a few things this week, but for the most part, we're not actually allowed to talk about any of them - which is a bit of a bummer! (Don't worry, we'll share more very soon!) In the meantime though, there's…

YouTube video by XboxEra

Today, developer Bluepoch detailed its coming Version 3.2 update “A Flowing Feast” to its 20th century time-travel strategy role-playing game title ‘Reverse: 1999’ over on YouTube via livestream---set to launch 20 January. New characters, gameplay additions (an expansion to the roguelike mode, events), rewards (pulls, drops, and an unowned 6-star!), and a confirmed collaboration with the first-person shooter and immersive sim title 'Atomic Heart'. Additionally, beginning 15 January, all previous soundtrack releases will be made available on major streaming platforms including a commemorative album slated to hit the 17th. Plus, a fan contest is set to launch on SNS platforms for fans to take part in.

We are back with this, the first of our weekly features for 2026. We are all hard back at it, and ready for a huge year in gaming. If you need a reminder, this is where we let you know what we have been playing over the week. We also have a poll towards the end of the article, where you can tell us what is going to be loading up on your console or PC. So, what are you playing this weekend? Jesse (DonCabesa):

Xbox Game Pass's social media account just announced that Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will join Game Pass for PC next week. Quaratine Zone The Last Check PC Game Pass | image from: the Xbox Game Pass X account Check Me, Mate In a surprise late Friday announcement, the Xbox Game Pass account has announced that Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will join PC Game Pass on Monday, January 12th, 2026. It is a Devolver Digital title and should be joining the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. It has one review on Opencritic, …

YouTube video by XboxEra

Xbox Game Pass's social media account just announced that Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will join Game Pass for PC next week. Quaratine Zone The Last Check PC Game Pass | image from: the Xbox Game Pass X account Check Me, Mate In a surprise late Friday announcement, the Xbox Game Pass account has announced that Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will join PC Game Pass on Monday, January 12th, 2026. It is a Devolver Digital title and should be joining the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. It has one review on Opencritic, …

This week, developer Bluepoch announced that it will be hosting a livestream for its coming Version 3.2 update "A Flowing Feast" to its 20th century time-travel strategy role-playing game title 'Reverse: 1999'. This special global livestream will air on 10 January 10 at 8AM (UTC-5) and prospective viewers can turn on notifications now and watch live on the game’s official YouTube channel or by simply clicking the video below: This livestream is hosted by Regulus, the new 6-Star character Brume, and the new limited 6-Star character Beryl as they deliver a first look at Version 3.2’s Paris-themed content.

This week, developer Baltoro Games announced that their coming first-person arcade bike racer 'Moto Rush Reborn' will launch on PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch sometime in the distant future when it's good and ready---but a demo will be made available on Steam for your perusal "soon". Rip through retro-futuristic Tokyo highways in a demonic pursuit of speed and power! Lane split through heavy traffic and dominate tracks filled with obstacles on an action-packed mission to overcome possession. Are you fast enough to outrun your demons? Have a gander below for more details on Moto Rush Reborn.

This week, publisher Take-Two Interactive announced that Season 4 of their latest basketball sports simulation title 'NBA 2K26' is now available across all platforms starting today. This update brings about new content across MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and The W. Additionally, this Season's featured heroes---San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama and Philadelphia 76er Tyrese Maxey---take center stage on the road to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Have a gander below for more details on NBA 2K26’s latest season. NBA 2K26 is available across PC via Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch consoles.

Everything is finally back to normal following the Christmas break, so we are back at it with our complete article of everything coming to Xbox next week (January 12-16). Check out the list below, and don't forget to comment or hit up our Forum or Discord server if you want to chat about any upcoming releases. Bus Driving Simulator : EVO - Xbox and PC, January 12 Get behind the wheel and become a professional bus driver! This amazing bus simulator will allow you to transport passengers across three different cities (Rio de Janeiro, Munich and Los Angeles) using various bus models with realistic physics and graphics.

Last night saw the first of this year's gaming showcases, and was a three-and-a-half hour extravanganza with over 40 games showcased. The event was hosted by various creators such as Luke Stephens, Luality, Jake Lucky, IamRob, Blue Thunder, and HUN2R and was livestreamed yesterday on all the major platforms at 4pm ET/1PM PT. Didn't catch the show, or just don't fancy sitting through it? Then don't worry, as we have all of the announcements from the New Game Plus Showcase below.

Avowed has detailed what is coming in its Anniversary Update alongside a port to the PS5. Avowed Anniversary Update and PS5 Port | image credit: Obsidian Not much new During an interview at today's New Game+ Showcase, Obsidian reiterated old information and gave us a few new tidbits about their upcoming Anniversary Update for Avowed. We learned that the new game plus system will lower your weapons back down to their base levels. You will be able to keep them. There were new character creation presents, and photo Mode was shown off, as well.

Stoic's Towerborne is leaving Xbox Game Preview and releasing version 1.0 this coming February with a new PlayStation 5 port alongside Xbox and PC. Towerborne 1.0 | image credit: Xbox Wire Towerborne, which has been in early access since September 2024, is leaving Xbox Game Preview and launching on February 26th, 2026. The title is already out on Xbox, Xbox PC, and Steam. A PlayStation 5 version will launch alongside the 1.0 updates. The biggest news is that Towerborne is shifting from a free-to-play model to a buy once, offline game:

This week, publisher Electronic Arts made available the voting booths for this year's Team of the Year for 'EA SPORTS FC 26'. Since yesterday and until the 11th of January, players will be able to vote on the web for the following nominees below---with social voting opening 9 January for the first time ever right alongside the debut of the Men’s and Women’s TOTY Captain awards. Head thisaway to cast your vote! The Awards timeline is as follows: TOTY XI and Captains Voting Period: 7-12 January  TOTY XI and Captains Reveal: …

Today, developer Silver Studio and publisher Elementa dropped a brand-new extended gameplay trailer for the "Monotype Closed Beta" test for their up-and-coming Victorian action role-playing game title 'Silver Palace'. This video covers some of the areas players will explore within the game as well as some story scenes and combat: Beta test signups have since come to a close, but you can pre-register for the game over on Silver Palace's official website. Otherwise, know that this test will introduce players to a range of new content including up to 7 playable characters, expanded urban area for exploration and Real Estate Investment system, and the mount Silverium Pegasus.

The 2026 D.I.C.E. Awards have announced their finalists for the show that will air on February 12th, 2026. 2026 DICE Awards Nominees | image credit: The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences The nominees for the 2026 D.I.C.E. Awards have been announced by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 & Ghost of Yōtei top the list of nominees with eight total nominations each. Dispatch and Arc Raiders have six each as well. The nominees for Game of the Year are: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Ghost of Yōtei…

Today, publisher KRAFTON announced that their up-and-coming 5v5 top-down tactical team shooter 'PUBG: BLINDSPOT' will launch on PC via Steam's Early Access programme on 5 February @ 12AM ET. PUBG: BLINDSPOT is a 5v5 team-based top-down tactical shooter that delivers fast-paced, strategy-driven combat with intense firefights and realistic gunplay. Blending the thrill of high-intensity shooters with the strategic depth of a top-down perspective, the game offers a level of realism and intensity more commonly associated with first-person shooters. Have a gander below for more details on PUBG STUDIOS' latest title.

Today, developer Lilien Games and publisher WhisperGames have announced that their detective murder-mystery visual novel adventure 'The Real Face of a VTuber' will launch on PC via Steam on 13 January. A narrative courtroom adventure all about VTubers! Players will take the role of prosecutor Justin Truth and investigate a murder at a VTuber agency, doing their best to uncover the identity of both the killer and VTuber's real face. Now that last part is defo suspenseful! A game by VTuber fans, for VTuber fans. Have a gander below for more details on The Real Face of a VTuber.

We've already shared what we think are going to be some of the biggest games for 2026, but in this industry, you never know quite what's going to hit and what might miss. There are plenty more games to look out for in 2026, and while it's almost impossible to cover everything, we're certainly going to try! From small indie teams to established developers punching well above their weight-class, there's a huge number of interesting looking titles slated for this year. Forget all those enormous 'AAA' games - let's dive into the wonderful world of…

Xbox announced their Developer Direct, more Fallout is coming, Wolfenstein 3, and more were discussed in today's episode of Xbox Era Headlines. Headlines for Jan 8th, 2026 Developer Direct 2026 In today's episode of Xbox Era Headlines, Jon & Jesse discussed the latest in gaming news. We had the Xbox Developer Direct was announced. It will be coming on January 22nd at 1 PM ET and will feature Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation. Fable had been set for 2025 before a delay early last year.