Capcom raising staff and grad hire salaries

Publisher Bandai Namco and developer ILCA have released a new trailer and screenshots SAND LAND introducing “The Forest Land.”

Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Spike Chunsoft have released a new trailer and 13-minute gameplay showcase video for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, introducing new and returning gameplay elements and 11 new playable characters.

New Mario and Princess Peach Spirits will be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on March 22. A number of Spirits based on characters from various franchises have made their way to the popular fighting game in recent months.

It can be difficult keeping track of the various comings and goings in the games industry, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.

Publisher Bandai Namco and developer ILCA have released a demo for SAND LAND for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. While save data from the demo will not transfer to the full game, playing the demo will unlock bonus items.

Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed a few details about the game’s first raid, Bellanoir. The creature-collecting RPG has experienced runaway success, taking even the developer by surprise. Palworld hit the milestone of 25 million players in just a month and has filled the coffers of the small Japanese indie game studio.

We’ll say this up front for those of you still exploring Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s vast world: there are no late-game story spoilers here. As seen in its pre-release debut via a new trailer late last year, the action RPG’s theme song “No Promises to Keep” is performed in-game by Aerith. Behind the scenes though, the track was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, the legendary composer behind the iconic soundtracks for much of the Final Fantasy series, including Final Fantasy VII Remake. The song’s vocals were performed by American singer Loren Allred, who brought her spellbinding singing voice to the track, augmenting the beautiful—yet tragic—world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the epic story told within it.

Capcom has announced that its recently-revealed remaster of the original Monster Hunter Stories is coming to PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch on June 14. The announcement was made with a new trailer, which provides details about the game’s story. Check it out below.

Resurgent developer and publisher Capcom has announced that it will increase the salary of starting employees in Japan by more than 25%, beginning at the start of its fiscal year 2025. In addition, current employees will receive a pay rise and a bonus as the company seeks to further invest in its most valuable resource.

Publisher Cygames and developer Cygames Osaka have shared new information and footage for the Granblue Fantasy: Relink version 1.1.0 update due out on March 14, as well as announced that Sandalphon will join the roster of playable characters as part of the version 1.3.0 update in May, and shared first footage of April-due playable characters Seofon and Tweyen.

Japanese artist and writer Akira Toriyama has passed away.

The final two of four planned GI Joe limited series from Skybound Entertainment will focus on another pair of classic characters from the beloved franchise: Scarlett, and Destro. Alongside the current Duke and Cobra Commander limited series, these four titles will comprise the launch of the GI Joe portion of Skybound's new Energon Universe, in which the Real American Heroes exist alongside the Transformers in a shared continuity.