BlazBlue: Entropy Effect launches January 31, 2024

The odd mashup of Pokémon-like monsters, crafting, and machineguns, has made each new trailer for Palworld a delight over the past couple of years. Now it's taking the bold step of moving beyond meme by becoming a playable video game, when it launches on January 19th.

Open-world survival crafting game Palworld will launch in Early Access for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on January 19 at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET / 17:00 JST, developer Pocket Pair announced. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. It will support English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Korean language options.

Asynchronous multiplayer roguelike game Phantom Abyss will leave Early Access and launch for Xbox Series and PC via Steam and Humble Store on January 25, publisher Devolver Digital and developer Team WIBY announced.

Throughout 2023 the overseas shipping crisis more or less resolved itself, allowing the busy board game release schedule to resume full-throttle. Consuming all of these titles, however, is like drinking from a fire hose, and 2024 looks to be just as splashy and bombastic as the year that came before. Here are eight promising new board games that have caught our eye.

Turn-based strategy game Rising Lords will release on January 18, 2024 after nearly three years in Early Access. The hybrid of PC turn-based strategy with more traditional board game and card game design focuses around strategically expanding a medieval fiefdom's economy while raising armies to defend yourself against—or conquer—your neighbors.

Publisher Cygames and developer Arc System Works have announced Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising downloadable content Character Pass 1 characters 2B from NieR: Automata, Vane, and Beatrix, as well as confirmed that the previously announced Lucilius will launch alongside the game’s version 1.10 update on January 16, 2024. 2B will follow in late February 2024, then Vane in April and Beatrix in May. Two unannounced characters will follow in August and October, respectively.

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs: The Thrilling Steamy Maze Kiwami will launch digitally for PlayStation 5, Switch, iOS, and Android alongside its previously announced PC (Steam) version on January 18, 2024, publisher FuRyu and developer Matrix Software announced. It will cost 3,520 yen for consoles and PC, and 3,500 yen for iOS and Android.

Publisher and distributor Selecta Play has unveiled the contents of the upcoming Blasphemous 2 Collector’s Edition. Slated for release on PS5 and Nintendo Switch in early 2024, Blasphemous 2 Collector’s Edition will feature quite a few physical goodies alongside the game itself.

91Act has announced that their BlazBlue-flavored rougelite, BlazBlue Entropy Effect, leaves Early Access on PC on January 21, 2024.

The Cub will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on January 19, 2024, publisher Untold Tales and developer Demagog Studio announced. A demo is available now for PC via Steam.

Free-to-play 3D action game One Punch Man: World will launch for PC, iOS via App Store, and Android via Google Play on January 31, 2024 in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and on February 1, 2024 in Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, publishers Crunchyroll Games and A Plus Japan announced with developer T3 Studio.

Retro-style fast-paced action RPG Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk will launch for PC via Steam and itch.io on January 12, 2024, developer Bred Frown announced.