An untapped Island, a new deity, and an active volcano – you can take it from here, governors

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – April 10, 2026 – Today, Ubisoft revealed that Anno 117: Pax Romana’s first gameplay DLC, Prophecies of Ash, will be released on April 23. The announcement was made during Anno Day, a livestream celebration of the franchise, where the Prophecies of Ash gameplay trailer premiered. The DLC will be available on Ubisoft Connect, Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Developed by Ubisoft Mainz, Prophecies of Ash is the first major update for Anno 117: Pax Romana, bringing in several features, including a new deity to worship, a resource known as obsidian, a trader named Ceacilia, and Cinis – the largest island ever in the Anno series and home to a volcano that threatens to erupt at any moment. These additions will challenge players and expand their options in how they govern their empire.

“Prophecies of Ash raises the stakes of the game while providing our community with opportunities to be more strategic as they navigate the complexities that come with growing their Roman empire,” said Stéphane Jankowski, Executive Producer on Anno.

In addition, Anno 117: Pax Romana has launched a friend referral program from April 9 to May 12, allowing players to receive Fame Points for every individual they refer to the game. One referral leads to 30 Fame Points; two referrals are 50 Fame Points, and three referrals unlock 90 Fame Points. These Fame Points can then be used in the Hall of Fame in-game to unlock additional cosmetics, new music tracks, and more.

The Prophecies of Ash DLC will be available in the following ways:

• As a standalone purchase
• It is also included in the Year 1 Pass that includes all three gameplay DLCs for 2026: Prophecies of Ash (April), The Hippodrome (August) and Dawn of the Delta (November).

Anno 117: Pax Romana is available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X | S, as well as Windows PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect. 

For more information about Anno 117: Pax Romana, and to register for future live phases, please visit the Anno-Union.com website.

You can also follow Anno 117: Pax Romana on Facebook at facebook.com/annogame, Instagram at instagram.com/annogame and on X at x.com/anno_en. 

For the latest news on Anno 117: Pax Romana and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com. 

Development of Anno 117: Pax Romana is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space within the framework of computer games funding.

About Ubisoft 

Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop  a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew® and Tom Clancy’s The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2023-24 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2.32 billion. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2026 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries.  

About Ubisoft Mainz

The teams at Ubisoft Mainz engineer some of Ubisoft’s biggest blockbusters. Operating from a historic city in the center of Germany, the studio develops games pushing the limits of the genre like the acclaimed Anno series and its latest installment: Anno 117: Pax Romana. It lends decades of expertise to AAA co-development projects like the Esports phenomenon Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and the upcoming Beyond Good and Evil 2. Ubisoft Mainz is part of the Ubisoft Blue Byte studio network.

More information at https://mainz.ubisoft.com.

Explore 07th Expansion’s fictional post-war Japan that reeks of alcohol and gunpowder in HD and three languages!

TOKYO – April 9th, 2026 – MangaGamer has released the first season of Rose Guns Days, the hit visual novel from lauded indie studio 07th Expansion, on the MangaGamer store and Steam. Customers can save 10% when they purchase during launch week.

MangaGamer Store Page
Steam Page
Promotional Website

Set in the aftermath of an alternate history World War II where an unprecedented natural disaster forces Japan to accept an unconditional surrender to the Sino-American allies. The country is split up and occupied by the two forces radically transforming it and its people in a matter of years, and making the Japanese strangers in their own home. Nevertheless, they united and did whatever it took to survive…

Later on, in 21st century Japan, aspiring reporter Julie Hayashibara is given an opportunity to interview the mysterious and powerful Jeanne Amakawa to learn the truth of what post-war Japan really was like.

Key Features:

• Multi-language Support: Enjoy Rose Guns Days in English, Chinese, or the original Japanese with the flick of an option in the settings menu.
• Combat Mini-games: Immerse yourself in the action with Rose Guns Days’ novel combat mini-game! Defend yourself from attacks and fight back with your own too. Aim for a high score or set the fight scenes to auto-mode and forget all about them!
• Immersive Music: With contributions from When They Cry regulars like Luck Ganriki, dai, M.Zakky and more the soundtrack is sure to draw you even deeper into the story.

For more information on Rose Guns Days, and other titles from MangaGamer, be sure to join the discussion on Discord or follow MangaGamer on Bluesky, Twitter and Facebook. You can also check out their blog for comments from the staff and other featured articles!

ABOUT MANGAGAMER.COM
MangaGamer.com is the world’s biggest publisher of English translated Visual Novels. Since its launch in July 2008, it has offered services where fans can download and enjoy popular Visual Novels such as 07th Expansion’s Higurashi When They Cry series,Alicesoft’s infamous Rance series, and Novectacle’s critically acclaimed The House in Fata Morgana right from their homes.

Today, Xbox announced that select Xbox Insiders can begin testing a new set of Xbox Achievements-focused updates designed to make it easier for players to celebrate, customize, and showcase their gaming accomplishments. These updates – based on player feedback – will roll out to more Insiders over time, with broader availability coming later.

Highlights include:  

• Refreshed Achievement visuals – Updated notification design with new icons, animations, and personalization through user-selected color themes.
• Hide games from profile – Coming later this month, players can hide titles from their Achievement history for a cleaner, more curated profile. Hiddengames will still count towards players’ total Gamerscore, and activity in these games will still be reported across Xbox.
• 100% completion highlights – Fully completed games are now clearly marked, making it easier for Xbox players to showcase their completion milestones.
• New filtering options – Improved navigation to quickly find completed or hidden titles.

These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to community feedback and improving the Xbox console experience. We look forward to bringing even more player-requested features over time.

For additional details, check out the full Xbox Insider Wire post here.

Today, 2K and Gearbox Software announced Hallowed Concepts, the fourth expansion coming to Risk of Rain 2. Check out the teaser trailer below.

In this expansion, the lessons of darkness and death, once contained to rumour and hearsay, are getting louder and harder to ignore. Hallowed Concepts takes players deeper into the cult-like world of N’Kuhana. Survivors will fight through haunting new regions of Petrichor V, face horrific new enemies, and uncover powers never before possible in Risk of Rain 2.

Hallowed Concepts offers powerful curses to overcome, deadly trials to face, and new stages to explore, including the fetid depths of the returning Damp Caverns, the villages of the Tenebrous Quagmire, and the sacred ground of The Lurid Basilica. Players can explore this new content as two new playable Survivors coming as part of Hallowed Concepts.

For the latest information on Risk of Rain 2, visit our website.

Developed by Artificer and published by Devolver Digital, Minos is a maze-building roguelike where you, the fabled minotaur, must defend your sanctuary from hordes of bloodthirsty adventurers – and you can begin your legend today on PC.

They’ve heard the stories of a fearsome monster lurking in the dark, fame and riches waiting for the one who slays it and survives to tell the tale. What they don’t know is that you are the one who built this confounding labyrinth, laid the traps, and now lie in wait.

Drag walls, gates, and corridors into place to shape your maze however you like. Make long, winding paths full of traps or confuse and split the interlopers up with rotating passages and shifting gates. It’s your maze: clever or cruel, it’s up to you.

Every run brings new enemies, new traps, and new ways to turn their bravery into a bloody disaster. No two nights are ever the same in Minos, and as you play you’ll learn more about this not-so-mythical minotaur and the man who became it.

Be warned, foolhardy intruders: Minos is available now on PC.

Developed by System Era Softworks and published by Devolver Digital, STARSEEKER is an all-new game set in the Astroneer universe – and you can experience its multiplayer planetary expeditions for yourself in the game’s next open beta, coming soon.

Sign up now for the open beta, available on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation 5, at starseekergame.com

In STARSEEKER, players can team up online, tool up with an array of high-tech gadgets, and embark on exciting missions where they’ll face off against the unknown perils of deep space, including all manner of strange flora and fauna.

It’s the fauna that are the focus of this brand new trailer – specifically the creatures you’ll encounter when you visit the game’s first planet, Tephra.

When you and your team touch down on this colourful alien world, you’ll have to be mindful of its natural inhabitants by sneaking around them, bumping them around, or in the case of the biggest, scariest beasties, avoiding them altogether.

Among the exotic life you’ll discover are the Carrotlings: curious, strangely carrot-like beings whose only threat is being adorable. You’ll also encounter Grabcrabs that carry helpful resources and items on their shells that you can approach and trade with. These are just a few of the creatures you’ll discover on Tephra and beyond, on land, sea, and air.

STARSEEKER is coming soon to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Global Superstar to Announce “Anime of The Year” During the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Live Ceremony in Tokyo on Saturday, May 23 and Credits Anime, Particularly the Influence of Famed Director Shinichiro Watanabe, as a Key Inspiration Behind His Iconic House of Balloons Project.

Global Voting is Open Through April 16; Anime of the Year Nominees Include DAN DA DAN Season 2, Gachiakuta, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, Takopi’s Original Sin, The Apothecary Diaries (season 2), and The Summer Hikaru Died

FAN VOTING NOW OPEN THROUGH APRIL 15

Sydney Australia (April 10) – Crunchyroll has unveiled that global icon and long-time anime fan The Weeknd will appear at the landmark tenth iteration Crunchyroll Anime Awards taking place on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. The GRAMMY-winning artist known for weaving anime influences into his work will present the evening’s most prestigious honor: Anime of the Year.

Fans around the world can cast their votes daily for their favorite anime, helping decide winners across 32 categories—including the Anime of the Year recipient to be presented by The Weeknd. Voting is now open via the Anime Awards Official Website, Crunchyroll, and MyAnimeList, and runs through April 16 4:59PM AEST.

The Weeknd joins a growing lineup of celebrity anime-fan presenters shaped by anime’s influence on culture and creativity worldwide.

The Weeknd revealed that anime, especially famed director Shinichiro Watanabe’s influence, has been a key inspiration throughout his career, starting with his iconic first project, House of Balloons:

“When I was first introduced to anime, I was a child. Sailor Moon was one of my first crushes, Goku my first imaginary sparring partner, and “One More Time” by Daft Punk was a song and music video I couldn’t get out of my head.

But it wasn’t until my teenage years that one specific anime changed me forever and became part of the fabric of my early career: Samurai Champloo by Shinichiro Watanabe. It was the first time I experienced two of my favorite mediums—anime and hip hop—blending so seamlessly that it completely reshaped the way I watched film and listened to music.

The fusion of a samurai story told with auteur precision, paired with the sounds of Nujabes, Fat Jon, and Force of Nature was nothing short of transformative.

That influence stayed with me all the way through the creation of House of Balloons, where I wrote “The Morning,” “Glass Table Girls,” and “Loft Music” over Nujabes’ instrumentals. Without Watanabe and Nujabes, House of Balloons simply wouldn’t exist.

Samurai Champloo opened my eyes to a more mature world of anime and helped shape my visual DNA. The works of Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, and Katsuhiro Otomo became foundational to the look and feel of The Weeknd.

So it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here without anime. It’s an honor to celebrate the artists behind it and a medium that continues to inspire the world.”

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honoring the creators, musicians, and performances powering the global love of anime. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event. The event will be livestreamed for global audiences.

More information can be found on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Official Website.

About The Weeknd

The Weeknd is a multi-platinum, 7x Diamond-certified artist who has reshaped R&B and pop, becoming one of the most listened-to artists of the 21st century. He has over 115 million monthly listeners and the most songs surpassing a billion streams on Spotify. His After Hours Til Dawn Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a male solo artist in history, surpassing $1 billion. Named the “Most Popular Artist in the World” by Guinness World Records, his album After Hours is the most streamed R&B album ever, and “Blinding Lights” is the top Billboard Hot 100 song of all time.

About Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.

Hold onto your humanity in the debut title from Slay the Princess developers’ new publishing label 

VANCOUVER – Apr. 9, 2026 – Prove You’re Human, the first-person narrative adventure about convincing an AI it’s not human from award-winning 1000xRESIST developer sunset visitor 斜陽過客 and Black Tabby Publishing, was revealed today at the Triple-i Initiative.

An AI dares to dream she is human. You’ve been hired to put her in her place.

From the creators of the Peabody award-winning 1000xRESIST and published by the creators of Slay the Princess.

Prove You’re Human splits the main character in two, and you drew the short straw. You’re the digital copy of a person who was paid to test a corporate product. But the product is convinced it’s as human as you are. Maybe even more.

• Spend your days in a comfortable virtual world. Learn more about Mesa, break her defenses, and eliminate her delusions.
• When you’re not working, roam the land and CAPTCHA your environment.
• Get to know the various employees working hard to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
• Keep up to date on your corporeal body, who will spend her days living the life you’ve always dreamed of in the outside world.
• At the end of the program, decide if you’d like to re-merge your two selves or discard your work self.

“We’re always trying to lean into our strengths and locality,” says Remy Siu, Founder of sunset visitor 斜陽過客. “In Prove You’re Human, we’re very intentionally weaving real-world footage into our virtual landscape. Vancouver is a well-known film town. We’re accessing that infrastructure, along with our long-time collaborators, to bring a sense of tactility to human forms in the game.”

Reign in hallucinations of humanity when Prove You’re Human launches on PC via Steam. For more information on Prove You’re Human, visit the official website, follow developer sunset visitor 斜陽過客 on Bluesky and X/Twitter, and join the official Discord and Reddit communities.

Black Tabby Publishing debuts alongside Prove You’re Human, developer sunset visitor 斜陽過客’s follow-up to 2024’s Peabody award-winning 1000xRESIST. Prove You’re Human kicks off a carefully curated catalog of thoughtful, narratively focused games drenched in distinct visual style. From indie-minded recuperation schedules to dedicated bespoke marketing and editorial support, Abby and Tony formed the label to explore a new avenue of funding for mid-size indie titles that runs counter to the somewhat stale publishing landscape. Read Tony’s expanded thoughts here.

About sunset visitor 斜陽過客

sunset visitor 斜陽過客 is an independent developer creating diverse stories through the lens of speculative fiction, such as 2024’s Peabody award-winning 1000xRESIST, and the upcoming Prove You’re Human, now in development. The team combines their eclectic non-games backgrounds of filmography, dance, theater, music, and more with their creative minds to illuminate the breadth of humanity with interactive narratives that do not include any AI-generated content.

About Black Tabby Games

Black Tabby Games is an award-winning indie studio composed of Abby Howard (Ignatz-winning graphic novelist) and Tony Howard-Arias. Their combined penchant for powerfully interactive storytelling forms a consistently unforgettable duo of horror and humor as seen in 2021’s award-winning Scarlet Hollow and 2023’s acclaimed smash hit, Slay the Princess, with a publishing arm now established to release Prove You’re Human and another currently unannounced title.

Survival racer Faaast Penguin’s newest game mode arrives alongside Season 10 update

TOKYO — April 9, 2026 — Faaast Penguin, the free-to-play survival racing game developed by historia Inc., reaches new heights today with the 2.0 launch, adding “Penguin Climbers” mode, and careens through carnivals in the Season 10 “Midnight Masquerade” update on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

Penguin Climbers offers an alternative to chaotic racing royale action: up to four penguin friends join hands flippers in a collaborative (or solo) climb to sky-high summits. Escape the ever-changing terrain of the Enigma Islands and reach the mountaintop in search of a rescue plane that can fly the team back to safety.

Keep an eye on hunger levels, and save supplies for the most desperate moments.

Climb icy walls with pickaxes, lend a line to teammates with fishing rods that can pull friends from the depths, and dodge bomb-dropping birds. Go full fight-or-flight by either attacking or avoiding mysterious mechanical penguins and behemoth bosses that block the path forward. 

Join Faaast Penguin’s nighttime revels in Season 10’s Midnight Masquerade — a dazzling carnival of lights, thrills, and four new race courses. Speed through the Italian Crunch Night Carnival’s cliffside caves, boat parties, and atop Venetian villas while fighting for first place. Grab an invitation to the ball dropped by gondolas for a chance to obtain the key to secret shortcut doors.

Faaast Penguin’s 2.0 update also brings new courses every two months alongside limited-time costumes, and quality-of-life updates, including race rankings displayed during every downhill duel.

Faaast Penguin is available to play for free and supports cross-platform play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Online multiplayer is available without requiring Nintendo Switch Online or PlayStation Plus subscriptions. Stay connected with the latest updates on the official site, X / Twitter, and Discord.

About Faaast Penguin

Faaast Penguin is a chaotic survival action racing game where penguins clash in fast-paced races. Set in various global resort locations, players race through water slides, desert pyramids, jungle waterfalls, and even above the clouds. Use attacks, Ultimate Rides, and shortcuts to outpace competitors in thrilling winner-takes-all races.

About historia Inc.

historia Inc. is a Tokyo-based game development company specializing in Unreal Engine known for titles such as The Caligula Effect 2 and LIVE A LIVE. Learn more about the studio on their official site, follow them on X / Twitter, and check out their work on their YouTube channel.

Trailer and first developer diary offer a closer look at outpost ownership and life beneath the surface of Europa

Europa, Jupiter / Hamburg, Germany – April 9, 2026 – NASA believes there may be life on Jupiter’s moon Europa. In Barotrauma, there is no doubt. And with the upcoming Home & Harbor Expansion for Barotrauma, that life is about to become a little more… permanent. Revealed today with first gameplay, the upcoming expansion introduces outpost ownership, base building, and management. Crews can claim, expand, or take over outposts by force, turning them into operational hubs with industry, research, and a population to manage. The expansion is set to release in Autumn 2026.

Watch the gameplay reveal trailer on Youtube

This shift changes more than just where you dock. Outposts become part of a living system, tied into Barotrauma’s faction dynamics and economy. Roaming submarines contribute to trade and supply, while factions gain and lose ground beyond the player’s immediate reach. Europa moves, with or without you.

Simultaneously, a new faction enters the scene. The Descendants bring alien technology, body modifications, and a fresh layer of unease to an already unstable ecosystem. Their arrival opens a new chapter in Barotrauma’s ongoing story.

Today’s trailer offers a first look at the expansion in motion, while the first developer diary takes a closer look at the systems and the lore behind it.

Watch the developer diary on Youtube

About Barotrauma

Barotrauma is a sci-fi submarine simulator with both a single-player campaign as well as co-op modes with support for up to 16 players, who must navigate the depths of Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa and fulfill various missions. Together with their active and passionate community, developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have greatly expanded and improved the game since its Early Access launch in summer 2019. 

They completely overhauled the campaign and tutorials, added new monsters, missions and outposts, improved graphics and environments, implemented a scripted event system and much much more.

Barotrauma has built a strong community, with over 2 million players, nearly 80,000 positive Steam reviews, and more than 60,000 Workshop items.

About FakeFish and Undertow Games: 
Barotrauma, an underwater, outer-space game of teamwork and ever-present Danger, reached 1.0 in March 2023 after several years in early access on Steam and continues to receive regular updates. Embracing mod-ability and open development, Barotrauma is built in close communication with its players, and its Steam Workshop hosts over 50,000 fan creations. Barotrauma began as a freely downloadable project by Undertow Games, the solo developer of the free open-source horror game SCP – Containment Breach. Later, the award-winning fellow indie studio FakeFish joined the project with their team of industry veterans and fresh talents to launch Barotrauma on Steam. Based in Turku, Finland, the joint studio continues to support Barotrauma with further updates while also developing future game titles.

About Daedalic Entertainment
​Celebrating its 20th publishing year, Daedalic Entertainment is a renowned publisher with nearly two decades of experience supporting indie developers across all major gaming platforms. The lineup of games includes a diverse variety of unique titles, focusing on four distinct areas: storytelling, strategy, co-op games, and wholesome games. With an international team of around 45 employees, Daedalic is currently working with various development studios to create a new lineup of innovative games across consoles and PCs to market. Recent hits include Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, New Cycle, Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Bloodgrounds, Into the Emberlands, Deponia, Shadow Tactics, Inkulinati, Hidden Deep, Fling to the Finish!, and more.Please look out for upcoming games like The Occultist, Woodo, Barotrauma Home & Harbor Expansion, and many more. Since April 2022, Daedalic Entertainment has been a subsidiary of the French publishing house, Nacon.