Roguelite deckbuilder Alina of the Arena coming to PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2023

Exploration adventure game Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on November 9, followed by Switch at a later date for $24.99 / £20.99. The game can also be enjoyed for free with someone who already owns the game via the “Friends’ Pass.”

Publishers PID Games and META Publishing, and developer 1 Million Bits Horde will release life sandbox simulation RPG Spirit of the Island for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on October 19, the companies announced.

Microsoft has revealed the titles they’ll be adding to Xbox Game Pass on PC and consoles in early October, and this may well be the second-biggest lineup of the year (after the big Starfield drop in September). Subscribers can look forward to the likes of new Forza Motorsport, Gotham Knights, the console version of Warhammer 40K: Darktide, and more over the coming weeks.

Publisher Awaken Realms and developer Awaken Realms Digital will release open-world action RPG Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series in Q4 2024, the companies announced.

Envision Entertainment has revealed that medieval-fantasy city builder Pioneers of Pagonia will be released in Early Access on December 13. To celebrate the news, Envision has also released a free demo that is available now on Steam. In the demo, players will have the opportunity to build a thriving medieval community of thousands of inhabitants. The demo is available in many languages including German, English, Spanish, French, and Polish.

Dark fantasy first-person shooter GRAVEN will leave Early Access and launch for PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store on January 23, 2024, publishers 3D Realms and Fulqrum Publishing, and developer Slipgate Ironworks announced. The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch versions will follow in 2024.

Publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer Bethesda Game Studios have released simulation game The Elder Scrolls: Castles in Early Access for Android via Google Play. It is free-to-play.

Delightful destructive heist sim Teardown is getting four paid DLCs, with the first to be released on November 15th. It's called Time Campers and will transport players back in time with a caravan to tackle new heists with "old-timey tools and architecture" in the Wild West.

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions of voxel-based heist game Teardown will launch both physically and digitally on November 15, publisher Saber Interactive and developer Tuxedo Labs announced. It will also be part of the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members on day one.

Action RPG Achilles: Legends Untold will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on November 2, developer Dark Point Games announced. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will launch at a later date.

NIS America will re-release excellent JRPGs Trails of Cold Steel 3 and Trails of Cold Steel 4 as a PS5 duology in 'early 2024'. The two games are currently available separately on PS4, but the publisher now has a history of porting Falcom titles to Sony's current-gen console. Ys 8 and Ys 9 are two such examples.

Many are still reeling from the number of leaked emails that came out this week highlighting the “mindset” of Microsoft, Xbox, and one of its leaders, Phil Spencer, on various issues. The leaked emails, which sometimes spanned years, talked about all manner of topics within the gaming industry and without. But the one we wish to focus on right now is Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is one of the biggest hits of the year and one of the biggest surprises of the year in terms of success. It currently is the best-reviewed game of the year on Metacritic and has done very well sales-wise.