Bandai Namco announced a new Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Open Network Test, and this time people will have nine characters to test out. People who own a Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC will be able to take part, and it will run between September 20-22, 2024. 

While this is a three day Open Network Test, there are certain times when this beta won’t be available due to maintenance. Here are the exact times when someone can take part in sessions.

• Session 1: 7pm PT/10pm ET on September 20, 2024 through 7pm PT/10pm ET on September 21, 2024. 
• Session 2: 11pm PT on September 21, 2024/2am ET on September 22, 2024 to 8pm PT/11pm ET on September 22, 2024. 

As for those nine Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Open Network test characters, they should look familiar. Bandai Namco confirmed everyone from the closed beta is back. So here’s who you will see and the roles they’ll play.

• Agil (Tank)
• Argo (Rogue)
• Asuna (Fighter)
• Fukaziroh (Ranger)
• Kirito (Fighter)
• Leafa (Support)
• LLENN (Rogue)
• Oberon (Mage)
• Sinon (Ranger)

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 4, 2024. Pre-orders are open. The Open Network Test will run September 20-22, 2024.

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Demonschool, a tactical RPG with Persona influences, just had its September 13, 2024 release date delayed all the way back to early 2025. There’s no exact launch date for the game following this announcement, which is a move to add extra content to the game.

Necrosoft Games’ announcement went over the exact reasons for the Demonschool being delayed from September 2024 to sometime in 2025. The developer said the game, as it is now, is done. However, the goal behind this postponement is to add additional “things to do.” The announcement claimed if it had released as planned on September 13, 2024, players “would never have known” that there could have been more content.

Here’s the full Necrosoft Games statement about the game delay:

“You never want to delay a game, but Demonschool means a lot to us. We’ve really put everything we have into this project, and as we got closer to release we realized that meeting the Sept. 13th deadline would necessarily mean a game with less content than we originally envisioned.

After discussing with Ysbryd, we realized we have a couple of paths forward. We could:

• Ship the game in the state it’ll be in on Sept. 13. We’re proud of the game as it stands, but we want to make this world feel even livelier. 
• Ship the game in early 2025, which would allow us to manifest our bigger dreams into reality.

We believe the second option would be better for everyone for everyone who has followed our work so far. So we are delaying the game to make sure it’s as chock full of Things To Do as we had hoped. Realistically, the player would never have known. It still would’ve been a finished product. But we would have known that the game could have been more, and that’s the game we want to share. Ysbryd gave us the flexibility to do this, which is very unusual for a publisher these days, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to do this right. Since we’ll be taking extra time, we plan to create short dev diaries up until launch to offer more insight into the work we have ahead. We hope you look forward to these deeper dives into our process.

We’re sorry for those who are eagerly awaiting the game, but are very hopeful that all the extra content will be worth the wait. 2024 has been a very trying year for the team, so we appreciate your understanding.”

The official Necrosoft Games site hasn’t updated with the statement yet. 

While Demonschool is delayed out of 2024 and into 2025, people can still play it today. There is a demo on Steam for the PC version. The product listing still shows the September 13, 2024 

Demonschool will come to the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2025. 

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The Official Konami Shop storefront opened pre-orders for both a Symphonic Poem from Suikoden concert Blu-ray bundle and the Suikoden I and II HD Remaster soundtrack set. Both are expected to ship in January 2025.

The Symphonic Poem from Suikoden concert Blu-ray set costs $99.99. The Blu-ray in it includes the full performance from October 16, 2022, in addition to a Suikoden II Animation Music Video featuring characters like Riou and Jowy. People also get a fabric map of the world from the first two games, a Soul Eater True Rune icon pendant in leather pouch, and six postcards from the Animation Music Video.

Suikoden I and II HD Remaster soundtrack costs $79.99. There are seven CDs in the set. The first two only cover songs from Suikoden I HD Remaster: Gate Rune War. Four of them feature music from Suikoden II HD Remaster: Dunan Unification War. The final bonus disc includes seven arrangements of existing songs and seven “music box” versions of tracks from both games. In total, 179 songs are included in the collection. People also get a booklet with information about the CDs and art.

Here’s how both of those items will look:

Suikoden I and II HD Remaster is in development and the new PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch release date is March 6, 2025. There are three digital pre-order bonuses for it. The original games appeared on the PlayStation worldwide. They also appeared together in a collection on the PSP in Japan. The Symphonic Poem from Suikoden concert Blu-ray bundle and Suikoden I and II HD Remaster soundtrack set both will ship in January 2025.

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Taito announced on social media that Japanese arcade crane games will soon offer a Final Fantasy Chocobo bath toy that essentially turns the mascot into a rubber duck. It will begin appearing at select locations on August 29, 2024. 

Like any rubber duck, both versions of the Final Fantasy Chocobo bath toys are designed to float when placed in water. People can end up getting either a standard yellow chick or a blue one. The blue one is a nod to the fact that traditionally that type is used to swim through water, such as in FFVII or FFIX. Each one wears a red and white life preserver. They also each stand at about 10 centimeters tall. 

Here’s the official announcement, which also shows both of the toys floating in a tub. Masayoshi Soken, the composer for FFXIV and FFXVI, also shared it.

It is incredibly common for Taito to release Final Fantasy toys, figures, or items as arcade prizes. In July 2024, the company added FFXIV glass and LED coaster sets to the lineup. Dolls representing avatars in outfits from various jobs in the MMORPG also showed up. And in March 2024, Loporrit hand puppets appeared as arcade crane game prizes.

The Final Fantasy Chocobo bath toys that act as rubber ducks will show up in Japanese arcades as prizes starting on August 29, 2024.

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Com2uS announced that Starseed: Asnia Trigger will release worldwide, and pre-registration is now open on the App Store and Google Play for Apple iOS and Android devices. The official site is also open and, while there’s no confirmed launch window yet, the App Store suggested it is “expected” on October 24, 2024.

There are two pre-registration campaigns for Starseed: Asnia Trigger. If someone submits their email at the official site, they will get a New Support Pack with items and be registered for a contest to potentially win an iPad Pro 11 or mouse pad. The other pre-registration promotion is tied to logins. If you show up every day for seven days, you get Starbit currency and SSR units.

Here’s the full list of login rewards for each day:

• Day 1: 1,000 Starbits
• Day 2: SSR Attacker Select Ticket
• Day 3: SSR Ranger Select Ticket
• Day 4: SSR Defender Select Ticket
• Day 5: SSR Support Select Ticket
• Day 6: SSR Plugin Select Ticket
• Day 7: SSR Proxyan Ticket

The first PV is also live for the game worldwide.

In addition to the Starseed: Asnia Trigger pre-registration campaign, there is also a site open to match you with one of the game’s characters. It simulates a text message conversation with an unknown individual. After answering five questions tied to your personality, you’ll be matched with a character like Mea. Sharing the results with certain hashtags on social media allows someone to enter a contest for an acrylic stand and mouse pad. 

Starseed: Asnia Trigger will be available worldwide on mobile devices, and it launched in Korea in March 2024.

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After getting a chance to watch an NIS America staff member play through the upcoming JRPG Reynatis, I was struck by the various forces at play in the game. In many ways, it seems like a player might need to balance certain elements, such as which mode to use in battle and their stress levels. While there’s still more to see and confirm, it seems like the sort of game where a player may need to pay attention.

During my hands-off preview session, I was able to watch an NIS America employee sample two sections. The first featured Magic Enforcement Administration (MEA) agent Sari Nishijima work alongside her team members Kiichiro Ukai and Masayoshi Dogo on a search for Wizarts, markings in the city enabling certain magical abilities and skills, around Shibuya. In the other portion, there was a briefer look at wizards Marin Kirizumi and Nika Meguro as the two happen upon each other in Shibuya and attempt to live freely as wizards. From there, brief glimpses of exploration and battle helped set the stage for the title.

One of the ways the balancing act in Reynatis came up in gameplay during the preview session involved actions wizards take. We quickly learned that Stress is a key factor. It’s caused by interactions with people in the city and around you, and reduced if you grab a drink. Petting cats around town was also mentioned as a way to calm someone down. 

It’s a critical element, since someone being stressed means they won’t be able to hide that they are a wizard. This will make them visible in the city, resulting in undue attention from people and the MEA and the inability to take on certain quests. Those additional enemy encounters can be dangerous, as if you’re stressed going into a fight, you will only be able to take advantage of Liberation Mode. This lets you use your magical abilities to slow down time, quickly attack, and deal major supernatural damage. However, you won’t be able to dodge like you do in Suppression Mode and enemies move faster. If your Stress is low, then you can switch between the two modes in a fight to more tactfully take advantage of each one to build up magical power and evade attacks before striking back hard.

There’s also the idea of some humans towing the fine line between safety and danger. This is due to the use of an illegal drug on the streets called Rubrum that allows someone without magical talent to see and use wizarts. During the Sari portion of the story on display in the hands-off preview, part of the mission involved her team of three investigating Wizarts and happening upon a human who had been regularly taking this drug. As a result, he’d hit his limit and, during the encounter, transformed into a monster because of that use.  

Part of that balance seems to be between real-world and fantasy elements too, from what I saw. The MEA building in one part of the preview seemed ordinary enough as Sari explored it, but there were also these magical Wizart and wizard elements. Their uniforms also stood out in a way normal governmental employees’ would. This doesn’t even get into the eventual NEO The World Ends with Youelements that NIS promised. But once someone heads out into the city, Shibuya looks as it would in the real world. While I watched the NIS America employee play and visit a store, familiar products showed up. There was C.C. Lemon, my favorite lemon-flavored soda and Yakuza series staple. BOSS coffee showed up as well. 

All of this makes me curious how difficult it will be to maintain these types of balances when I’m playing Reynatis firsthand. It seems like there’s a lot to manage here. Especially considering the penalties wizards can face if they get careless. 

Reynatis will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC in North America and Europe on September 27, 2024, and then in Australia on October 4, 2024. 

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Bandai Namco announced that service will be ending for Blue Protocol in Japan and Amazon also confirmed the worldwide release is canceled as a result of the shutdown. The Japanese version will remain active until January 18, 2025. 

The announcement appeared on both the Japanese and English websites for the MMORPG. There is also a Japanese video going over the announcement and final roadmap. The team will continue adding new content and updating the game until it is closed down. The paid Rose Orbs currency is no longer being sold, and there will be no refunds for those purchases. Bandai Namco will give out 5,000 Rose Orbs on the first day of every month starting in September 2024 and running until January 2025. Players can get 250 Rose Orbs every day. They can also get the season pass for free starting with the just-released ninth one.

Here is Bandai Namco’s full English statement about the Japanese shutdown of Blue Protocol and the global version being canceled:

We regret to inform you that the Japanese version of Blue Protocol will be ending service on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

Due to the end of the Japanese version, we are no longer able to continue development of the Amazon Games version, so after discussing with Amazon Games, we have decided to cancel the release of this title in the US and Europe. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.

Amazon Games has high expectations for Blue Protocol, and the two companies have had a good relationship up until now and have been making preparations, so we are very disappointed.

We want to provide an experience that makes you feel like you've entered the world of anime.

The project has taken on the challenge of creating a world where each and every player canenjoy an adventure as the protagonist of an anime.

Since the announcement, you have all been looking forward to the game, and we have been making preparations for its release. However, we have come to the conclusion that it would be difficult to provide a service that satisfies you all, and therefore we have decided to cancel the release of the Amazon Games version.

We deeply apologize to everyone for this sudden announcement.

Here is Amazon’s official statement on Blue Protocol service ending:

Bandai Namco Online announced that they have made the difficult decision to end service on Blue Protocol. They will shut down their Japanese Blue Protocol servers in January 2025, and have ended plans to release the game in the West in collaboration with Amazon Games.

In their statement announcing the end of service, Bandai Namco Online said, “We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of Blue Protocol, and both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world.”

We know this is disappointing news, and we share your disappointment. We love the world and characters of Blue Protocol, and we were excited to welcome players around the world into Regnas. We join Bandai Namco Online in expressing deep gratitude to the passionate fans who followed BBlue Protocol development and participated in the Closed Technical Test.

We have great respect and appreciation for the talented team at Bandai Namco, and wish them success in their next endeavors. You can read Bandai Namco Online’s full statement about Blue Protocol here.

Prior to the shutdown notice, Bandai Namco regularly added new content to Blue Protocol. In June 2024, chapter 6 appeared. We also saw new classes appear after launch. One was the Beat Performer, and another was the Blitz Lancer.

We did have some idea that there were issues with Blue Protocol before this latest announcement. In February 2024, a Bandai Namco report suggested it was underperforming. In a Famitsu interview with the developers in June 2024, Director Keisuke Fukuzaki said they were looking at when they noticed players dropping off and would work to try and address causes.

Blue Protocol is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC in Japan until January 18, 2025, and the global release is canceled.

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Good Smile Company announced its first Nendoroid based on a Suikoden series hero, and it is a Tir McDohl figure. He is the player avatar for the first game, and he also makes an appearance in the second.

As the Tir McDohl Nendoroid is very early in development, there’s no actual prototype figure of the Suikoden hero. However, concept art that teased what we can expect from it did show up in the reveal. While we are looking at him head-on, we can see the tails of the green bandana he wears on his head. His outfit also remains identical to the qipao he has on in-game. It seems his bo will be included as an accessory.

Here’s how that figure might look:

Good Smile Company didn't note if we can expect figures of Riou, Jowy, or Nanami, the three major characters in Suikoden II.

The announcement specifically cited this as being tied to the Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars worldwide release. During the August 2024 Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Konami announced a final release date for the collection. That will come to the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC on March 6, 2025. Pre-orders are open and net people access to in-game money and early unlocks for two pieces of equipment.

There’s no release window for the Suikoden Tir McDohl Nendoroid, though since only concept art appeared it could be a while before the figure of the hero appears.

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Konami announced three pre-order bonuses for those who grab a digital copy of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster on social media. Two of them are early unlocks for pieces of equipment you’d normally get access to later in the game, while the other offers a head start with a substantial amount of in-game money.

Calling dibs on a digital copy gets you 57,300 potch as the first Suikoden I & II HD Remaster bonus. This is the money you’d use to buy Runes, equipment, or other items in games. This would normally be acquired at a standard pace while going through fights and the adventure. 

The two pieces of equipment given as Suikoden I & II HD Remaster pre-order bonuses are the Fortune Orb and Prosperity Orb. Each one can be equipped on a character. The person who holds the Fortune Orb will get twice as much experience from every fight they participate in. Meanwhile, if the one with the Fortune Orb equipped is in a battle, you get twice as much potch currency from the fight.

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on March 6, 2024.

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Square Enix announced that the Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince Switch exclusivity is about to end, with PC and mobile versions on the way. It will launch on the PC via Steam and head to Google Play and the App Store for Android and Apple iOS devices on September 11, 2024.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is a spin-off of the main series that makes Psaro, from Dragon Quest IV, the main character. We follow him and see events of that game from his perspective. He’s also joined by other characters from that title, such as Rose, as he attempts to recruit monsters as a Monster Wrangler.

This will be a complete version of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. On the Switch, someone could pick between the base game or an $85.99 Digital Deluxe Edition. That added on the Coach Joe’s Dungeon Gym, Mole Hole, and Treasure Trunks DLC, as well as the Burgundy Gothic Vestment, a Warrior’s Ring, and 10 Beastie Bites for your monsters. All of these pieces of additional content will be included in the PC and mobile versions of the title. 

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is on the Nintendo Switch now, and the PC and mobile versions of the game will launch on September 11, 2024. A demo is available on the eShop. 

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Crunchyroll announced it isn’t splitting with the Bananya anime, as season 3 is heading to the streaming service. People will be able to watch Bananya Around the World starting in October 2024 via the provider.

This latest run comes about eight years after the first season and five years after the second. So far, there’s no exact release date for the first episode of season 3 of Bananya, but we do know the regions where it will be available. Crunchyroll has worldwide rights for places like North and South America, Europe, and Oceania. However, the only regions in Asia its scope covers will be the Indian Subcontinent. It will also be a simulcast series, though the number of total episodes for the run weren’t confirmed. Yuuki Kaji will also return as the main character, with Ayumi Murase debuting as Baby Sweet.

Here’s the first trailer for Bananya season 3. It features the two new leads, as well as hints at how this time the focus will be on visiting different locations.

As a reminder, the first and second seasons of the Bananya anime each consisted of 13 episodes. These tended to be two to three minutes long.

Bananya Around the World will air on Crunchyroll in October 2024.

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The Boston Red Sox One Piece Night is August 28, 2024, and Toei Animation again teased the Luffy bobblehead some attendees will get and activities everyone at the game can enjoy. As a reminder, the bobble head of the character in the team jersey is only available to those who bought their ticket from the special promotional page.

The concept art mock-up for the Luffy bobblehead features him in his trademark straw hat. He also has a yellow belt and his sandals on. However, his shirt is a red Boston Red Sox jersey, rather than one of his typical ones. He’s also holding a baseball bat in his right hand, and the base shows him stepping onto home base.

Here’s how that design might end up looking:

Ahead of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays, a tentative schedule was shared. Things will kick off at 4:40, about three hours head of the game. The Sam Adams Deck at Fenway Park will host a cosplay gathering until 6:40pm. In addition, people can try out the One Piece Card Game at the Big Concourse until 8pm ET. The game itself is expected to start at 7:10pm ET. 

This is the second year in a row there’s been a collaboration event between a US sports team and One Piece. In December 2023, the Los Angeles Rams had a game day honoring the series. There was imagery around the stadium, music appeared, and people could get special items like a bag.

The Boston Red Sox One Piece Night with Luffy bobblehead will be held on August 28, 2024. The anime is on both Netflix and Crunchyroll. Viz Media handles the manga outside of Japan. The first season of the One Piece live-action adaptation is on Netflix now, with season 2 on the way. 

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After events in Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix will sometimes add rewards from them to the official store a year later when the activity returns to the game. That just happened with The Rising 2023 Phoenix and its whistle, which debuted in the FFXIV Online Store as the Reborn Phoenix mount. 

The Reborn Phoenix mount costs $12 in the FFXIV Online Store. It nets you the Rising Phoenix Whistle, which summons the bird for your avatar to ride. It is identical to the one we could earn for free in August 2023. This is a single character item, and someone can use it once you gain the ability to ride a Chocobo in-game. There is also a fiery mount action tied to it.

Here’s how the Reborn Phoenix looks:

This Rising Phoenix Whistle tied to the Reborn Phoenix mount is one of multiple former The Rising items now available in the FFXIV Online Store. Here’s the list of the other items you can buy now:

• Authentic The Rising Advertisement - $5
• “The Land Reborn” Orchestrion Roll - $3
• “Pom from the Heavens” Orchestrion Roll - $3

You can also get an A Realm Reborn Poster Set or Heavensward Poster Set for $12.50 each.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and The Rising 2024 is available until September 11, 2024.

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Henya the Genius, a Vtuber with VShojo, announced on social media that she will be going on hiatus for health reasons. The performer didn’t note when she expects to return to regular streaming.

Henya shared her hiatus announcement in both English and Japanese. She began her message by reminding viewers that she recently suffered from both COVID-19 and pneumonia. The Vtuber also said she consulted with both her doctors and VShojo management before coming to this decision. Closed by noting she intends to return when her condition improves.

That statement was followed by another that explained this break will affect the birthday celebration plans for Henya. She explained that the activities will be delayed as a result. However, her message regarding this also suggested that she intends to perhaps have a belated birthday event. Her birthday would fall on September 13, 2024, so it seems likely this break could last over two weeks. 

Henya the Genius joined VShojo as a Vtuber back in May 2023. Since then, she’s participated in a concert with the company, attended events like OffKai Expo, and gotten a 3D model. Her last stream was on August 26, 2024. That was a zatsudon stream, and she mentioned taking a break during it. She also could be heard coughing during the stream.

Henya the Genius is on hiatus for the sake of her health until further notice.

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Koei Tecmo announced the release date for Fairy Tail 2, the newgame that follows the events of the 2020 one. It will appear this year. The PC version will show up first, with that coming to Steam on December 11, 2024. Then the console versions will launch a few days later on December 13, 2024.

A release date trailer accompanied the Fairy Tail 2 announcement. It began by confirming manga creator Hiro Mashima’s involvement. Then, we saw the two sides involved. One is the guild, with Natsu accompanied by all his allies. Then, as the Alvarez Empire events and final battle are teased, we see all their opponents. From there, it focuses on gameplay. We see Fiore, watch the crew in fights, and see special attacks. After that, parts of the story and appearances from Alvarez Empire characters are teased. At the very end, we see that pre-orders net us a Natsu of Edolas costume for him, and buying it at or immediately after launch lets us dress Lucy in her Miss Fairy Tail Contest outfit.

Prior to this Fairy Tail 2 reveal, we learned a bit more about what we can expect to see in the new game. There will be original story content in it. This will involve a new epilogue. Spoilers aside, expect to hear more about what happened after the guild got involved in the events in the Alvarez Empire Arc. 

The Fairy Tail 2 release date is December 11, 2024 for the PC version on Steam, with the PS4, PS5, and Switch versions arriving on December 13, 2024. 

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