Legacy: Steel & Sorcery signs off a successful stint in early access with a 1.0 launch and rebrand
California, United States —December 19, 2025 | Notorious Studios is excited to announce that its debut title, extraction-RPG Eldegarde, will be launching in 1.0 on 21 January 2026 on Steam. Originally titled Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, the PvEvE game launched into Steam Early Access in February 2025, garnering plenty of positive feedback and building a dedicated community.
Picking from iconic fantasy classes including Warrior, Rogue or Wizard, Eldegarde players can dive into a world of magic and steel, battling monsters and knights, as well as other players, through verdant fields, deep woods, and sinister crypts in order to find incredible loot and extract safely.
Developer Notorious Studios, formed by Blizzard veteran Chris Kaleiki (World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, Mists of Pandaria), has worked closely with the game’s community over the past eleven months, shaping and improving the core multiplayer experience, adding in brand new maps and new classes such as Paladin and Wizard.
Eldegarde’s 1.0 launch also introduces a PvE mode, allowing more casual players to jump into the classic pulp fantasy-inspired world of Eldegarde, learning its combat mechanics and map intricacies without the threat of other players.
“We’re incredibly excited to finally launch into 1.0,” said Chris Kaleiki, Founder of Notorious Studios. “Early access has been an incredibly useful and rewarding experience, allowing us to shape and refine our game alongside our dedicated community.”
“Beginning life as a hardcore PvPvE game, over time we learnt that players also wanted a PvE experience, something akin to a ‘mini-MMO’, if you like. Eldegarde is indicative of that effort; it is the name of the world in the game, which now provides a variety of experiences including PvE, PvP Arenas, a Social Hub and PvE Dungeon, ready to welcome in new and returning players alike.”
Eldegarde launches into 1.0 on Steam on 21 January 2026. In the meantime, players can still purchase the game in Steam Early Access today, and upgrade to 1.0 for free come January.
Notorious Studios
Notorious Studios is a venture-backed start-up headquartered in Irvine, California, with a global team of passionate developers. Founded by core developers from Blizzard Entertainment who worked on iconic titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, the studio is committed to creating immersive and engaging worlds that foster community and creativity. With a team of 30 talented individuals, including remote employees from around the world, Notorious Studios is focused on delivering high-quality gaming experiences built for players not powerpoint. Our current project, Eldegarde, exemplifies our dedication to building rich, player-driven narratives within dynamic, ever-evolving gameplay environments.
A Special Event Teasing the Arrival of a New Legendary Hero Also Underway
LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 19, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, has announced that its collectible RPG Seven Knights Re:BIRTH has launched an official page on the Epic Games Store, where players can add it to their wishlist ahead of its launch in January. A special event, “Where’s Sun Wukong?”, is currently underway as well, teasing the arrival of a new Legendary hero.
The official Seven Knights Re:BIRTH page is now live on the Epic Games Store and available for wishlist registration ahead of its upcoming release on the platform on January 22, 2026. Players who add the game to their wishlist will contribute to global milestone goals, with all players receiving special in-game rewards depending on the number of wishlists achieved: Key Bundles (x30) for 10,000 wishlists, Hero Summon Vouchers (x50) for 30,000, Pet Summon Vouchers (x50) for 70,000, and a Legendary Hero Summon Voucher II for 100,000.
Additionally, the Where’s Sun Wukong? Event went live on December 15 and will run through January 8, 2026. This event offers a sneak peek at the arrival of Sun Wukong, a new Legendary Hero and member of the Four Lords coming December 23.Players can clear clouds using the Ruyi Staff on the event page and receive various rewards, including Hero Summon Vouchers, Pet Summon Vouchers, and Keys. Once all the clouds are gone, a special coupon code will be revealed that can be redeemed after the December 23 maintenance until February 5.
Seven Knights Re:BIRTH has also unveiled major content updates scheduled for early 2026 during the “2025 Seven Knights Festival” held on December 14. The development team previewed new features such as real-time PvP Arena, mini-games, and additional chapters in the game’s main scenario. The festival also introduced a new lineup of Heroes, including the Four Lord Sun Wukong, the Seven Knights of Old Melia and Gelidus, and the Dark Knights Branze & Bransel and Pallanus.
Generous rewards have been offered in celebration of the 2025 Seven Knights Festival, ranging from Brilliant Skill Enhancement Stones (x9), Hero Summon Vouchers (x60), Pet Summon Vouchers (x30) to Chaos Essence (x3), Oblivion Essence (x4), and Key Bundles (x15). Players can watch the full video of the 2025 Seven Knights Festival via the official YouTube channel.
Seven Knights Re:BIRTH inherits the key elements of the original Seven Knights, Netmarble’s flagship IP that has surpassed 100 million cumulative downloads,including its story, characters, combat systems, and core mechanics while enhancing the gameplay experience with modern gameplay features and the latest trends.
More details on Seven Knights Re:BIRTH are available on the official website and forum. Fans can also stay up-to-date with the latest information on the game by following official social channels on Facebook and YouTube.
About Netmarble Corporation
Founded in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading global game developer and publisher. Through acclaimed franchises and strategic partnerships with top-tier IP holders, the company delivers innovative and engaging gaming experiences to audiences worldwide. As a parent company of Kabam, SpinX Games, Jam City, and a major shareholder of HYBE and NCSOFT, Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling:ARISE, Seven Knights Re:BIRTH, Raven2, MARVEL Future Fight, and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found athttp://company.netmarble.com.
Marvelous USA today announced a new free update for the latest title in the beloved farming/life sim series, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is now available on Nintendo Switch™ 2, Nintendo Switch™, and Windows PC via Steam. Update v1.3.0 makes hard work in Zephyr Town less difficult! Quality of life updates includes adjusted harvest yields, the ability for horses to eat treats separate from feeding, changes to the dirt mounds created by extreme weather conditions, and optimized character cosmetics to help you customize an even a better-looking farmer.
The new update also includes four new Deluxe Bingo Cards in the latest round of Happy Bingo, a minigame rewarding players with in-game items and cosmetics for completing various activities. These new cards will be redeemable for holiday-ready plaid outfits including a Soft or Spiffy Checkered Coat, along with the Checkered Glider with Belt or Bow accent.
STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is also currently available for 20% off for a limited time on Steam and the eShop for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Additional discounts are also available on the entire STORY OF SEASONS franchise, with more details available on the respective digital storefronts.
Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaarlaunched for the Nintendo Switch™ 2, Nintendo Switch™, and Windows PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2025. The title is available through the Marvelous USA Online Store on Nintendo Switch™ and Nintendo Switch™ 2 in a standard physical edition for an MSRP of $49.99/$59.99, and a physical Premium Edition for an MSRP of $69.99/$79.99. STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is also available digitally on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and PC for $49.99, and the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 for $59.99. The Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition Upgrade Pack is also available for $10 for anyone that owns either the physical or digital Nintendo Switch version. Additional information on different versions of the title can be found on the respective store pages.
STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is published in Asia by Marvelous Inc., and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. This title is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.
LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 19, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, has released a new update for its action game Solo Leveling: ARISE. Players can experience a new SSR Hunter, new combat mechanics, and various content updates.
Christopher Reed is a Fire-type Elemental Stacker and one of the National Level Hunters, wielding mana-based powers like his skill “Foul Play,” where he gathers mana to attack enemies with a large magic sphere. His ultimate skill, “Zero to a Hundred,” unleashes a meteor-like concentrated ball of magic to attack.
Players will also experience a restructuring of the hunter classes that reformats the previous six classes (Fighter, Tank, Mage, Ranger, Assassin, Healer) into four based on how they function in the game: Striker, Breaker, Supporter, and Elemental Stacker. Reed’s class, the Elemental Stacker, focuses on building up Elemental Overload effects on enemies and is central to the update’s new combat mechanics: Elemental Accumulation and Overload Damage.
Elemental Stackers can hit enemies with elemental weaknesses to charge the corresponding elemental gauge. Once the gauge reaches 100%, those enemies enter an Overload state, during which players can deal increased damage that bypasses reduction effects from the Break Gauge, offering new ways to dish out the pain.
The update also features the introduction of a new co-op mode, the Edge of Illusion and Dreams, where two players can team up in real-time to take on challenging stages through random matchmaking or by creating rooms with guildmates or friends. The difficulty increases as players progress, with higher difficulty stages featuring reductions in the bosses’ elemental weaknesses. The content will be available in Hunter Mode this month, meaning players can control a team of three hunters to take down bosses. The first boss players can try their hand at defeating will be the Flames of Calamity Kamish.
Additional content includes the new growth feature Hunter Co-op Training that allows players to enhance their stats through element and class-specific training. Hidden Chapters 9 and 10 to the Main Story (Hard / Reverse Hard) and a new SSR Light-type weapon for Sung Jinwoo, the “Illusionblade” are now available as well.
Solo Leveling: ARISE is an action game adaptation of the hit webtoon, Solo Leveling. Taking on the role of Jinwoo, players can experience his journey through the beloved webtoon tale firsthand, leveling up, taking on dynamic battles, and creating their own combat styles by selecting various combinations of skills and weapons. Not only can players team up with hunters from the webtoon, they can summon their own “Army of Shadows” with the iconic phrase: “Arise.”
About Netmarble Corporation
Founded in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading global game developer and publisher. Through acclaimed franchises and strategic partnerships with top-tier IP holders, the company delivers innovative and engaging gaming experiences to audiences worldwide. As a parent company of Kabam, SpinX Games, Jam City, and a major shareholder of HYBE and NCSOFT, Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling:ARISE, Seven Knights Re:BIRTH, Raven2, MARVEL Future Fight, and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found athttp://company.netmarble.com.
All-New Story-Driven Experience Set Across Seven Frozen Biomes of the Lost King’s Dominion Featuring 13+ New Creatures, Thrall Mastery, CGI and Anime Storytelling, and a Star-Studded Cast, Setting the Stage for ARK 2
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 19, 2025 – Studio Wildcard today launched ARK: Lost Colony, a story-driven expansion for ARK: Survival Ascended that delivers the most ambitious narrative experience in the franchise’s 10-year history. Lost Colony introduces a vast frozen world spanning seven distinct biomes, more than a dozen new creatures, the debut of Thrall Mastery & a cinematic story blending MAPPA-produced hand-drawn anime storytelling along with Unreal Engine 5 ‘Metahuman’ cinematics – all brought to life by a cast including Michelle Yeoh as formidable warrior “Meiyin”, and Karl Urban (The Boys, Dredd, The Lord of the Rings) as veteran survivor “Bob,” now fully redesigned in Urban’s likeness.
The Lost Colony Expansion Pass ($29.99) is now available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms. As the first canonical expansion map for ARK: Survival Ascended, ARK: Lost Colony directly connects the storylines of ARK Extinction and ARK Genesis, setting the stage for the events of ARK 2.
ARK: Lost Colony Key Features:
13+ NEW CREATURES OF THE NECROCENE – Bond with new entities like the gigantic ice-icle-spitting Ossidon, soaring telekinetic dragon Aureliax, and evolving fox familiars. Survive feral Neophyte monsters and Revenant zombie swarms, or command the laser-wielding Gloon and the colossal Gigadesmodus, a fortress-sized flying bat unlike anything seen before.
CINEMATIC SAGA – Experience explosive MAPPA anime sequences starring Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), alongside Unreal Engine CGI Metahuman cinematics featuring Madeleine Madden (Wheel of Time), Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), and Urban. Endure real-time neural taunts from the Lost King (Keith David – The Princess And The Frog), while uncovering fully voiced lore from legends like Diana Altaras (Katee Sackhoff – Battlestar Galactica) and Edmund Rockwell (David Tennant – Doctor Who).
THRALL MASTERY – Infiltrate the hierarchy by earning the trust of intelligent Thralls or forcing their submission through raids. New to ASA, this system allows players to bring such warriors to their side, and equip them with weaponry, automate base logistics, or assume direct control of these characters via neural link to pilot them as expendable avatars of war.
SEVEN NEW BIOMES – From the eerie tranquility of the Twilight Forest to the shadow-drenched avenues of the gothic metropolis and the radioactive ruin of the crashed Aberrant ARK, navigate seven distinct biomes of the Lost King’s dominion.
HE ASCENT – Evolve through Wayfarer, Beastmaster, and Utility paths, unlocking 70+ skills across a massive tree. Weaken the King’s grip through three dynamic Outpost types to secure Sigils, ultimately opening the gates to his Citadel for a final confrontation.
GOTHIC ENGINEERING – Wield forbidden tools like the Fabricated Crossbow, Tek Spear, and Cursed Weaponry that allow dual traits. Revolutionize strongholds with Base Templates and TEK Bunkers, or forge masterpieces at the War Bench while clad in Arctic Armor.
Additional details on gameplay systems, creatures and progression can be found on the ARK: Lost Colony product description.
The ARK: Lost Colony Expansion Pass ($29.99) is available to download now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Epic Game Store, and Steam. New survivors can also pick up ARK: Survival Ascended during holiday sales at 50% off. For the latest updates, join the ARK Survivor’s conversation on Discord, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit our website at playark.com and watch us tame ‘n train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Since revealing its flagship game ARK: Survival Evolved in 2015, Studio Wildcard has tirelessly strived to bring its dinosaur-filled vision to the masses. With millions of players worldwide, the team has delivered an amazing amount of new content and leveraged cutting-edge technology to keep fans engaged. With a transmedia universe, the ARK story can be discovered on all gaming platforms, within spin-off titles, and now as a new epic narrative featuring a star-studded cast in ARK: The Animated Series on Paramount+. www.studiowildcard.com
This roguelite-survivor comes to PS5 and Switch with a collector’s edition even Odin would be proud of!
[December 19, 2025] – SelectaPlay and Noxfall Studios are proud to bring you the physical edition of Nordic Ashes: The Complete Saga. The Norse-inspired roguelite-survivor comes to you on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, with standard and collector’s editions available now!
In Nordic Ashes: The Complete Saga, design your build to fit your playstyle by upgrading your stats with Constellation Ability Trees. Fight across nine maps, each inspired by the nine realms of Norse mythology, with any of the 10+ characters. And battle hordes of enemies over and over again to survive Ragnarok.
The Ultimate Edition brings together the critically acclaimed base game along with both DLC expansions, Remnants of Corruption and Dark Knights, for the complete, content-packed experience.
Collector’s Item Straight from Odin’s Vault:
Collector’s Edition box with physical copy inside for your platform of choice
Nordic Ashes: Collector’s Edition original soundtrack
The Art of Nordic Ashes: Collection’s Edition book
Nordic Ashes: Collector’s Edition game manual
Collector’s Edition keychain
Bundle of character stickers
Get your hands on the physical standard or collector’s edition of Nordic Ashes: The Complete Saga now at select retailers. To stay up to date on the game, visit the official website
About Selecta Play
Selecta Play is Selecta Visión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats in Europe and worldwide.
About Noxfall Studios
We are Noxfall Studios, a video game company based in Spain. Founded in 2016 by three friends who decided that developing fun and entertaining games was their path to follow. Our mission is to create only good vibes community of gamers. Our goal is to make our products hand in hand with the players’ feedback to develop awesome video games!
Marvelous USA today announced the release of the latest free updates for their dark sci-fi action game, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, which launched for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch™ 2 on Sept. 5. The two new patches (v1.2.1 and v1.2.2) released simultaneously include a number of improvements and bug fixes including addressing a progress blocker for the “Into the Abyss” expansion pack and additional minor issues. Three new bosses for players to battle have also been added—Insania Rex RT: Ω, Immortal Void RT: Ω, and Chaldia’s Effigy—each with their own unique challenges andrewards. Each can be challenged repeatedly through the Rematch Simulator in-game. Publisher Marvelous USA also announced the first discount for Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion just in time for the holidays, with all digital editions of the game and select DLC discounted 30% off on Steam, the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch™ 2, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store. Discount rollout and length will vary by storefront.
Fly into battle in a customized Arsenal, unleashing a variety of attacks tailored to each player’s playstyle. Feel the exhilaration of fast-paced combat as players freely explore a deadly and dangerous open world on land or in the air. After taking down foes and collecting their weapons and equipment, players can upgrade their skills to expand their options on the battlefield. Suit up for a dark sci-fi story where players can face titanic boss battles alone or with up to two other players online. New and veteran Daemon X Machina players alike will find a worthy adventure here.
Created and produced by Kenichiro Tsukuda and featuring stunning mechanical designs from Shoji Kawamori, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion takes the franchise in a dramatic new direction. Join the Reclaimers in their fight against the Axiom. Humanity’s battle for liberation begins now!
The action-packed sequel to DAEMON X MACHINA is available on all platforms digitally in a Standard Edition; Digital Deluxe Edition including “Special Weapon SFX Set”, “Arsenal Skin Set” cosmetic DLC, “Into the Abyss” Expansion Pack, “Reclaimer Outfit Set”, and “Sovereign Axiom Outfit Set”; and Super Digital Deluxe Edition including all prior content plus a Digital Art Book and Soundtrack for $69.99, $89.99, and $99.99 respectively. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is also available physically through theMarvelous USA Online Store and participating retailers in a standard physical edition and a physical Limited Edition, including a 15-track CD soundtrack, art book, acrylic stand, 3-set flight tags, and 3-set patches all housed in a custom box, for Nintendo Switch™ 2, PlayStation®5, and Xbox Series X|S for $69.99 and $99.99 respectively.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is developed by Marvelous First Studio, a subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA. The title is also published in Asia by Marvelous Inc. and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. This title is rated “T for Teen” by theESRB. More information about the game can be found at:https://na.daemonxmachina.com/titanicscion.
Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found atwww.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles onYouTube and get updates by following Marvelous USA onFacebook,X,Instagram, andBluesky; and follow Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion onX.
Be the first to play and experience the first 60 minutes of Tomorrowhead’s first-person narrative adventure title
Spokane, WA, USA – 19 December, 2025 – International independent game developer TomorrowHead Studio will today launch its Open Playtest for WILL: Follow The Light, on Steam at 5pm UTC. The game will come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S simultaneously in the first half of 2026.
Featuring the first 60 minutes of gameplay, the Open Playtest begins in Will’s Lighthouse with his daily routine, before heading out on his boat Molly to continue the adventure. For those who watched the opening minutes on IGN, they can expect even more gameplay that goes beyond this intro. Players can still register to check out the playtest via the button on the game’s Steam page.
About WILL: Follow the Light
WILL: Follow The Light is a story-driven, first-person adventure puzzle game about a perilous personal journey through the harsh northern latitudes. Players assume the role of Will, a lighthouse keeper on a remote island in the northern seas, whose routine is shattered when an unexpected radio message reveals a sudden disaster has struck his hometown and his only son is missing. Determined to find him, Will sets out on a journey aboard his sailing yacht, “Molly”.
Key Features of WILL: Follow The Light:
A stunning northern wilderness – Breathtaking northern landscapes on land and sea, brought to life in Unreal Engine 5.
Deep exploration and traversal systems – Realistic sailing and dog sledding mechanics allow players to explore a vast world. The game blends classic walking-sim gameplay with puzzles, set-piece moments, and lifelike traversal systems on sea and on land.
A story of fathers and sons – A compelling narrative adventure in a mysterious setting, with puzzles, secrets, and revelations in every chapter. To find peace and reunite with his family, Will must sail across endless waters, face numerous challenges, and ultimately discover himself.
Challenging puzzles and challenges – Players will solve puzzles rooted in real life, chart their path using an authentic weather station and lifelike navigation system, and traverse snowy trails by dog sled in search of answers.
A cinematic adventure – Experience Will’s story through narration and environmental storytelling.
Original soundtrack – An atmospheric blend of experimental textures and unique instruments, seamlessly weaving character themes into the world’s musical narrative.
Players can still sign up for the WILL: Follow The LightOpen Playtest on Steam now and wishlist the game. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S store pages will launch in 2026.
Keep up to date with TomorrowHead Studio on the official website.
About TomorrowHead Studio Headquartered in Spokane, Washington, TomorrowHead Studio is an independent, self-funded, and self-publishing game developer. Driven by a passion for travel, the team aims to share that enthusiasm with players by sending them on journeys to explore new places and worlds. With a strong background in CGI, they are eager to deliver realistic visuals and unique adventures, fully immersing players in the narratives they create.
While not quite as prominent these days, there was a time where movie tie-in games were produced and released within months of the film they were based off of. For the most part, these movie games ended up being terrible in quality and often barely matching the actual film they were trying to mimic. Even Terminator 2: Judgement Day saw an NES game released to fairly dismal reception back in the day despite the fact that the film itself helped propel the franchise to the point that it received numerous sequels and spin-offs and so many quoted phrases remain part of pop culture.
The only thing it was missing was a proper game to help bring that nostalgia back and Bitmap Bureau has taken a time machine themselves to go back to the ‘90s style of arcade games to bring forth Terminator 2D: No Fate. Featuring the 32-bit art style and challenge of shooting games back in the day, is this the best way to truly replay the memorable events of the film?
Story
The primary and one of two available modes when players start the game is either the game’s story mode or an arcade mode, the latter being a stripped down version of the former and a slew of other locked modes that require players to beat the story mode first. The story itself is a rather interesting take on Terminator 2 because, while it exhibits some of the best replication possible of many of the major sequences throughout the limited run-time, it also features some brand new levels that add some additional context as to why Sarah and John were where they were at the start of the film.
The story begins with Sarah training John out in the desert only for her son to be kidnapped by outlaws and Sarah needing to eliminate all of them in an effort to save him. This leads her to realize that the only way to make sure that the future is safe is to take matters into her own hands early and infiltrate Cyberdyne’s labs as quickly as possible. Despite making her way through to the inner depths of the labs, Sarah is caught and thrown into a psychiatric ward. Similarly, players are then transported into the future to show an adult John Connor fighting against Skynet’s machines to battle against their latest invasion force and try to put a stop to the rumored plans that Skynet is planning on sending machines back to the past.
These unique levels are a good introduction to the game and give players a bit of extra contest that was only ever hinted at in the original film. From then on the storyline follows as players expect, ranging from beating up bikers as a naked (or swim-trunk wearing on a special difficulty) Schwarzenegger, speeding down a drainage canal on a motorbike and shooting at the T-1000 chasing them down, escaping the mental hospital, and so on. All of these sequences play out exactly like fans will remember them and are accompanied by satisfying looking pixel screens mimicking the movie. It is only later stages that give players a bit of extra choice though these initial choices are locked until they beat the story normally the first time through, giving everyone the signature ending the film concluded with and a satisfying final chapter to play through to close things out.
It is only on replay that players are given a few different choices that will slightly alter the way the story unfolds and, depending on which choice is made, it happens to be quite bad overall. Either way, making any choice that derails the story from its set path unlocks some additional levels for playing as Sarah or even the T-800 itself gunning away with a near-invincible body. It is interesting that these extra choices give players some new levels to play as, but the actual story differences are so minimal here that they are basically negligible, especially one choice in particular.
Gameplay
For the most part Terminator 2D: No Fate is a side-scrolling shoot’em up where players will control one of the famous characters from the movie as they run through each stage. As mentioned before, the only modes available at the start are Story and Arcade with Arcade limiting players to one life and stripping down extra levels, gauging how quickly, if at all, they can beat the entire game with that single life. Players will need to complete the story, complete the story with optional divergent endings, and more to unlock other modes. This includes Infinite Mode that allows players to select from the three characters and take on enemies in a potentially endless battle depending on their time management and remaining health, Boss Rush mode that is self-explanatory by giving players two characters to take on every Future Boss in a row, and a special Mother of the Future mode that is a modified version similar to Arcade mode though only with Sarah’s levels plus additional stages.
Every stage in Terminator 2D: No Fate is constructed from one of the film’s signature moments from beginning to end, with some new elements mixed in here and there. These new elements tend to feature events that happened just prior to the film and all of the “future” segments. This means that there are many stages that see players running, standing and gunning as Sarah, taking out Cyberdyne members, police, and even the T-1000 while others will see players controlling John in the future where he can actually run and gun as he faces off against all manner of Skynet’s human hunting forces using his futuristic weapon set and pipe-bombs. Among these stages are some unique ones that see players of course taking part in a melee bar brawl as the naked T-800 with some rudimentary brawling mechanics, chase sequences down the drainage canal blasting open gates and the T-1000’s truck to keep it from catching up, and even fleeing from the helicopter near the end. In fact, there is even a stealth based level in the psyche ward where Sarah’s skill set is reduced to melee and lock picking, forced to sneak out or risk being “terminated” if caught or killed by the T-1000.
This brings plenty of variety to the stages that players will play through in any standard run through of the game and it is nice to note that the gunplay feels great. There is 8-point directional aiming on weapons and players can press and hold a button to stop and aim directly to target specific enemies, though this will leave them a bit open. Each character also has their own unique mechanics depending on their stage. Sarah can slide and melee enemies and can find hidden assault rifles in her stages to take down enemies faster before later stages see her kitted out right away. John in his future setting wields a rapid-fire laser and limited pipe bombs with refills scattered throughout each stage. Various temporary weapon upgrades like homing shots, spread-shot, and piercing shot are also placed in levels for use against the slew of Skynet forces and bosses. Finally the T-800 itself is a merciless killing machine with a massive health pool and gatling gun in the one stage players can potentially play as it.
One thing that Terminator 2D: No Fate also emulates quite well is the challenge of a game from the ’90s. While there is an easy mode for players to simply skate through with infinite continues, extra health, and no time limit, that is not the way the game is intended to be played. Playing on the equivalent of the Normal difficulty increases enemy count, limits how many continues the player has, lowers their overall health, and adds a time limit to every level. Players cannot expect to clear the game their first time through, especially since some stages feature instant death conditions so an improperly timed firing of a shotgun or duck for cover can instantly cost a continue. That being said, learning enemy patterns is the best way to advance from checkpoint to checkpoint, with checkpoints also healing players as they go and keeping an eye out for bonus “continue” markers hidden through each stage that can be shot for an extra life.
Bumping the challenge up even higher to Hard, the “recommended” difficulty, increases the challenge further with a “Very Hard” equivalent being locked behind the final optional mode being cleared. That being said, a lot of the optional content like the aforementioned modes is repetitive despite being incredibly challenging. The two “alternate endings” that players can unlock are incredibly basic and only add an extra stage or two to each level, one being the aforementioned T-800 stage, and others basically being running through John’s levels again only as an old Sarah Connor. Even at its longest run through of extra stages players will likely be able to complete the story in under two hours, or even under an hour if they simply rush through on Easy. Combining this with the limited actual differences on offer through the bonus modes and Terminator 2D: No Fate, is surprisingly lacking in extra content despite how it appears.
Audio & Visuals
Terminator 2D: No Fate has some excellent looking sprite work and replicates the feeling of a classic late-release SNES game or Sega Genesis title perfectly. Every stage feels unique (except for repeated stages as mentioned before) and matches what one would expect given the film’s setting. The action is chaotic looking with bullets flying around and players using their skills to avoid them all while taking down various foes that fit each level’s setting. Some of the enemy designs are a bit too generic looking, especially when they are used so minimally and the fact that the bare T-800s are so standard looking is disappointing. That being said, boss designs are rather unique, especially in the future settings where the team had more freedom. It is rather odd that the few canine enemies that appear in the game are larger than most of the actual humanoid enemies players will blast away at.
It is interesting to note that despite having the license for Terminator 2, the game does not feature any voice work of any kind. It does feature the pixelated appearances of every character in screenshot style, minus Schwarzenegger other than in his damaged state, but all dialogue is presented as text only. That being said the game does feature some outstanding sounding background music that fits the tense combat of the game perfectly and even includes some iconic background music that players can trigger in some stages.
Overall
Terminator 2D: No Fate clearly is a love-letter to the film it is based off of, exemplifying what a movie tie-in could be like if actual care was given to it. With excellent presentation and soundtrack the title features a fittingly difficult challenge to the game’s many modes and exceptional gameplay. That being said, it is a bit disappointing in the end that not only is the game rather short overall, but even the extra modes and bonus new content to the story is rather minimal and some of it even re-uses stages.
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Walnut Creek, California – December 18, 2025 | Maximum Entertainment today announced that Smalland: Survive the Wilds’ Yuletide Update is now available, just in time for the holiday season.
The Yuletide Update centers on an all-new main quest, where players will need to help Santa retrieve his lost presents. Following clues sprinkled across the world, players will embark on a treasure hunt to recover gifts scattered throughout the wilds and guarded by formidable creatures.
Discover Smalland: Survive the Wilds’ Yuletide update trailer here:
Once all gifts have been found and delivered to their rightful recipients, players will return to Santa to receive a special, exclusive reward commemorating their heroic holiday efforts.
To celebrate the season, the update introduces a festive set of new decorative items, perfect for transforming player bases into cozy holiday retreats. Newly added décor includes:
Charms
Wreaths
Sauna
Hot Tub
This update also debuts a selection of new structures, adding depth and utility to resource gathering and settlement management. These include:
Butcher Table
Gatherer Table
Mining Cart
Wood Stash
Whether players are hunting down Santa’s lost treasures or upgrading their settlements with new utilities and decorations, there’s something for every Smallfolk this Holiday Season.
Maximum Entertainment is a global entertainment company dedicated to crafting indie to AA video game experiences through original content and licensed partnerships. A fully integrated group with a broad portfolio of content, the company emphasizes collaboration and inclusivity in its partnerships to produce the highest level of interactive entertainment. With more than 300 titles in its catalog, Maximum Entertainment has joined forces with talented creators and renowned franchises around the globe to deliver magic to the gamer in everyone. Maximum Entertainment employs experienced professionals across the entire value chain of video games including development, publishing, transmedia, sales, and operations.
