Blizzard’s “Overwatch 2″ has dropped the “2” to rebrand to simply “Overwatch.” The change comes as the game begins a year-long story-driven arc amid the franchise’s 10-year anniversary.
Per the Microsoft-owned Blizzard Entertainment, Wednesday’s “Overwatch” virtual spotlight presentation “marks the beginning of a new story‑driven era for Overwatch, defined by a yearlong narrative arc —The Reign of Talon — that unfolds from Season 1 through Season 6. This is the first fully connected annual storyline in Overwatch history, with all worldbuilding, events, hero launches, and art direction centered around Talon’s global rise.”
“The Reign of Talon” Season 1 will launch Feb. 10 and debut with five new heroes — a first for the game — with 10 total heroes planned to be released across 2026.
See more gaming news from this week in the roundup below.
DATA/SALES
Epic Games, the developer behind “Fortnite,” has published its 2025 year-in-review, summarizing the biggest trends as seen in the Epic Games Store.
Highlights include a 57% increase in player spending on third-party PC games at the Epic Games store, setting a new record of $400 million. Players also reportedly spent more time in 3P games, accounting for 2.78 billion hours, a 4% increase from 2024.
A new record was set for monthly active users on PC in December, with 78 million players, 6% more than in 2024. Total PC customers surpassed 317 million, while Epic cross-platform accounts grew to 972 million, up from 898 million in 2024.
Epic’s Free Games Program offered 100 titles to players last year, in hopes of helping them find their next favorite game, resulting in 662 million free games being claimed for a $2,316 total value per player. According to the distribution service, over 77% of games set an all-time peak CCU record on the Store and experienced a 40% lift in Steam CCU.
Epic Games also expressed its hopes to expand offerings across PC, Mac, iOS, and Android, while developing new tools and features for players and developers. The company launched Epic Web Shops, enabling developers to build their own digital storefronts within the Epic ecosystem on PC and mobile, and sell in-game content directly to players.
Epic also updated its revenue share model in June of 2025, with developers now keeping 100% of their first $1 million in annual net revenue per product. New features set to improve the player experience include a download manager, a gifting option, and unified text chat across the Epic ecosystem through the Epic Games App, which now features a unified text chat experience and two-factor authentication.
For the upcoming year, the Epic Games Store aims to deliver long-requested features and deeper platform improvements. The company is set to rebuild the launcher’s underlying architecture to unlock faster performance and greater stability and introduce new features for players, including social features like new community spaces, voice chat, game-independent parties, and player profiles. Epic Games will also create a program to help developers sell more games on the Epic Games Store by utilizing the marketing power of Fortnite.
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New York Times Games’ first 2 player game, “Crossplay,” has reached 1 million downloads globally and hit #1 in the App Store for Top Free Games.
Launched on Jan. 21, 2026, “Crossplay” was designed for “real-time competition and social play.” The app provides users with the opportunity to play against people who share a similar passion for puzzles, including a few famous NYT Games fans like Leslie Odom Jr., Breland, and Amy Allen during the game’s launch.
Players take turns building words off one another by adding letter tiles to a shared gameboard to create words and building on existing tiles to earn points, the player with the most points winning the game.
Players can now communicate with each other in-game with “Crossplay’s” chat function, for the first time in NYT Games history. The app also recently introduced Cross Bot, a specialized tool that provides postgame insights to help players understand their performance.
Jonathan Knight, head of Games at The New York Times said: “We created “Crossplay” as a natural extension of the New York Times Games portfolio, and an ambitious expansion of it. Our players already come to us every day for smart, original word games, and “Crossplay” builds on that foundation by introducing real-time competition and social play in a way that shares the joy of classic word games, but is designed to be unique.”
RELEASE DATES
Seed Sparkle Lab’s anime-inspired life and farming sim “Starsand Island” will launch on Steam Early Access and Xbox Preview on Feb. 11. The early access period will allow players to explore the island, refine gameplay and provide feedback ahead of the full release this summer on Steam (including Steam Deck), Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, alongside the official launch of multiplayer mode.
Set on a tranquil island away from city life, “Starsand Island” lets players return to their childhood home on a journey of personal healing. Players can farm, fish, make friends with islanders, explore mystical ruins and travel using vehicles ranging from rollerblades to motorbikes with sidecars. The game also features an extensive DIY and construction system, allowing players to design and decorate homes with complete creative freedom.
The full launch will expand access to additional platforms, while the early access period is designed to fine-tune content and the end-game experience.
NEWLY ANNOUNCED GAMES
Video game company ProbablyMonsters has announced their upcoming game, “Nekome: Nazi Hunter,” a single-player, third-person action combat game inspired by grindhouse cinema.
Players will step into the role of Vano Nastasu, a young Romani man “consumed by grief after the brutal murder of his family by Nazi soldiers.” The game follows Nastasu as he embarks on a revenge mission across war-torn Europe.
Within the game, players can scout enemy routes, plan their assaults, and strike with precision, plus use up-close combat.
More information about “Nekome: Nazi Hunter” will be made public at the Game Developers Conference in March, 2026.
GAME UPDATES/DLC
“Monopoly Go!’s” developer, Scopely, has launched the game’s Pets Season, bringing the household companions into the Monopoly universe.
The newly introduced season invites players to “play with purpose,” turning passing GO into real-world support for animal welfare organizations, while emphasizing how role play and enrichment can support animal wellbeing.
Players who pass Go over 5 million times will unlock an increased donation to leading animal welfare charities, including the ASPCA® in the United States and the RSPCA in England and Wales,
“At Scopely, everything we do is guided by our mission to inspire play every day,” said Victor Diaz-Roig, President of Scopely. “Pets Season reflects how we continue to evolve Monopoly Go! as a living game—introducing new innovations, community-driven content like our first sticker set inspired by real player pets, and fresh ways to play together. We’re also proud to extend the impact of play beyond the game to support enrichment and recovery for animals in need.”
Pets Season will also introduce a community sticker set inspired by players’ real pets. Over 12,000 pets were submitted for consideration via Discord, with three pets eventually being chosen for the stickers, which are collectible in-game items that players can earn, trade with friends, and complete as sets to unlock rewards.
Mr. Monopoly’s sidekick Scottie will kick off a cast of new “Posh Pets,” including Duke, an aristocratic cat, and Pip, a zen parrot.
MONOPOLY GO!’s Pets Season is available Feb. 4 to Apr. 7 as a free download on iOS and Android.
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Wildlight has announced that the 5v5 limited-time mode in “Highguard” is now a permanent feature.
The studio also introduced a new map, “Soul Well,” which can be played in both 3v3 and 5v5 rotations.
Recent updates to “Highguard” include bug fixes, new video settings, and highly requested features. Players can now set Crouch to Hold or Toggle on all platforms, with Aim Down Sights configurable for PC only. Console users can adjust Field of View up to 110 and tweak “View Distance Quality” for skeletal mesh LODs. Additional options allow toggling Anisotropic Materials, Chromatic Aberration, and Bloom, and disabling Global Illumination entirely. DLSS users can select from multiple presets.
Wildlight shared the news on the game’s official X page, @PlayHighguard, where players can follow updates and developer insights.
VENTURES
Ares Interactive, a game developer and publisher, has announced a $70 million Series A raise led by General Catalyst, with participation from founder and executive chairman Niccolo de Masi.
Anchored by its studios 7th Inning and Swift Games, Ares pairs game-making expertise with AI-enabled development, marketing, and live-ops workflows. The company is led by a veteran team of game industry leaders and supported by an advisory board.
“This round validates our vision, our approach, and the team behind it,” said Mike DeLaet, President of Ares Interactive. “Ares Interactive brings together rare operating experience and the discipline to build for the long term, as our leadership team has a long history of developing, scaling, and operating hit free-to-play games for some of the most successful publishers in the industry. In a market where many companies are pulling back, this financing gives us the ability to lean in, grow thoughtfully with exceptional partners, and invest in building games we have always wanted to make, creating experiences and communities that will keep players coming back for years to come.”
Erin Schaefer, COO at General Catalyst, added, “We believe Ares Interactive is uniquely positioned to build enduring hit gaming franchises by leveraging the power of AI workflows. The team combines deep operational experience with a clear creative vision and a disciplined, long-term approach to game development. From our first conversations, it was clear they are building with players at the center, and we’re excited to support them as they scale.”
Ares Interactive’s flagship title “Heroes vs Hordes” has surpassed 13 million installs to date. Ares’s upcoming game, “Baseball Hits 26,” is a game designed by baseball fans for baseball fans, featuring officially licensed professional baseball players.
PARTNERSHIPS
Genies, the AI avatar technology company, has partnered with MLB Players, Inc., the business arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association, to create AI characters of some of the game’s top stars. The collaboration will allow fans to engage with interactive AI versions of players, providing new ways to connect beyond the ballpark.
The initiative aims to transform fan experiences by turning passive viewing into interactive digital engagement. Using Genies’ proprietary technology, the company will generate personality-driven avatars that fans can interact with across multiple platforms.
“This collaboration marks a transformative moment in how fans will experience and connect with Major League Baseball players,” said Akash Nigam, CEO and founder of Genies. “Our technology allows us to bring a wide variety of IP to life as interactive, embodied personas at a scale never before possible.”
“Today’s players are powerful drivers of culture, with a global fanbase that continues to grow,” said MLB Players, Inc. President Evan Kaplan. “This initiative is a key part of our strategy to connect with fans worldwide through innovative digital experiences that honor player authenticity.”
TRAILERS
Bethesda Game Studios released a new trailer featuring Aaron Moten, who plays Maximus in Prime Video’s critically acclaimed “Fallout” series. The trailer highlights Moten alongside Vault Boy as they explore “Fallout 76” and other entries in the franchise.
To celebrate the finale, “Fallout 76” is free to play through February 4 on PlayStation and through February 5 on Xbox and Steam. Players can explore the Burning Springs update, encounter Walton Goggins as “The Ghoul,” and dive into the Wasteland experience.
For mobile players, “Fallout Shelter” has launched its new season, “The House Always Wins,” introducing an experimental vault on the New Vegas Strip with new challenges and familiar faces from the show to unlock.
Watch the trailer below.
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San Diego Studio has released the gameplay trailer for “MLB The Show 26,” showcasing “a new level of control, deeper immersion, and more action on and off the field” across various game modes such as Road to The Show, Diamond Dynasty, Storylines and Franchise.
“Road To The Show” awards players the opportunity to start from high school, build their legacy, and see if they can make it to the Hall of Fame. The new mode also includes officially licensed NCAA Men’s College World Series format and bracket to add more realism to players’ journeys and introduces new goals as they progress in their careers. 11 additional college teams have been added to the game, including the University of Arkansas, the University of Florida, Stanford University and the University of Michigan, bringing the number of total teams offered to 19.
“Diamond Dynasty” adds a new spin to the original Diamond Dynasty mode, now featuring all World Baseball Classics ballparks including the Tokyo Dome and Estadio Hiram Bithorn. The updated mode will feature mini-seasons, new rewards and programs, and live-service updates.
The award-winning game mode “Storylines” will return with all-new legends, uniforms, and a new stadium to celebrate the stories of some of the most impactful, yet largely unknown, ballplayers in history.
The “Franchise” mode will bring enhanced realism and control, with a new Trade Experience incorporating a new Trade Logic System featuring the comprehensive Trade Hub. Players can also look forward to modernized logic including lineup, starting pitcher rotation, and bullpen games to reflect current MLB trends.
New updates in Gameplay include a new batting interface for players of all skill levels, Bear Down Pitching for more control in clutch situations, Plate Coverage Indicator sensitivity slider for more control over the PCI, and over 500 new gameplay animations. “MLB The Show 26” launches March 17, 2026, with Early Access beginning March 13 for Digital Deluxe Edition owners.
Watch the trailer below.
