Edmonton, Canada, August 26th, 2025 – Caldera Interactive has unveiled an all new gameplay trailer for its cozy farming sim / tower defense hybrid The Rabbit Haul, coming to PC and Switch in 2026. As a fleet-footed rabbit, you must nurture your garden by day, then defend it from mischievous raccoons by night.
Those heading to PAX West will get to play The Rabbit Haul for themselves, with Caldera Interactive CEO & Co-Founder Isael Huard, and Co-Founder & Technical Director Mickael Zerihoun in attendance. Visitors can earn prizes by participating in the Indie Stamp Rally or join the #SproutSquad to snag adorable sprout hair clips. So if you’re going to be attending, hop to it at Booth #652!
The Rabbit Haul has recently hit its Alpha milestone, adding many long awaited features! Players can now help rebuild their town after it’s been ravaged by the Trash Panda Posse, encouraging friendly animals to return to their nests. NPCs will also give quests to the player, offering them rewards and upgrades along the way. Finally, the team has added roguelite elements in the forms of cards that players choose when they level up, ensuring that each run is as unique and personalized as possible!
The Rabbit Haul places players in the role of a cute cottontail trying to rebuild their hometown after it’s been ravaged by greedy raccoon gang the Trash Panda Posse. During the day, you must tend to your crops, replenish your food reserves and economy, water your farm, add harvested produce to your haul, and grow defensive tower plants that will help thwart off invaders. Be strategic in your placement, as an ideal garden will make use of synergies created between harmonious plants.
When you choose to switch over into nighttime, you must defend your haul against the assailing Trash Panda Posse. They’ll grow stronger with each wave, with different enemy types attempting to spoil your riches, so you must upgrade your weapons and defenses to ensure you can survive the night!
No two playthroughs are ever the same, as The Rabbit Haul features a sprawling, randomly generated world full of quests and treasures. Explore the overworld to discover unique items and allies that will help rebuild your town and reinforce your defenses even further. Between runs, you can upgrade your towers, unlock new merchants, and prepare yourself for your next adventure. With an array of unique weapons, upgrade paths, powerful towers and crops to unlock, The Rabbit Haul offers countless playstyles to master!
“Over the last couple of years we’ve been squirreling away developing The Rabbit Haul and we’re so excited to show off the fruits of our labor,” said Titus Lo, game designer at Caldera Interactive. “We know there’s been an appetite for its unique blend of cozy farming sim and tense tower defense since we won the GDC 2024 Pitch competition for it, so we’re eagerly awaiting showing off the new and improved Alpha to PAX attendees!”
About Caldera Interactive
Caldera Interactive was created in 2018 when Jeff Cho sought out fellow University of Alberta graduates, Isael Huard, Mickael Zerihoun and Titus Lo, to found a part-time game studio together. All individuals on the team were hand-picked for their passion and care for the gaming industry, as well as their diverse skill sets that complement each other’s. Caldera Interactive was officially incorporated in 2019 and Isael, Mickael and Titus started full-time operations of the studio in 2022. Since then, the team has worked on multiple prototypes that received over $1,500,000 CAD from the Canada Media Fund and other funding bodies. The team also won the GDC Pitch competition in 2024 for their game, The Rabbit Haul, set to release in 2026. Making its home in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Caldera prides itself on being a diverse and bilingual (English/French) studio that makes fun games with a great team.
Test your swordsmanship at Booth #634 in the Arch Building, Level 4!
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – August 26th, 2025 – Solo developer ALX Theory LLC is excited to announce that his game, Swordai, will be showcased at PAX West 2025, this August 29th – September 1st, 2025. Visitors can try out the extraction slasher and complete challenges for a reward! Prospective swordsmen can also partake in Playtest 7 to take on the tower from September 3rd to September 8th.
Begin Your Climb
Swordai is a challenging extraction dungeon crawler where players battle through a tower filled with traps, treasure, and treachery. A directional melee combat system is merged with traditional extraction mechanics, putting you on a timer to claim what is yours and make it out alive through pure skill. Stave off the impending “final fury” debuff that will end your run by progressing further through the tower. Clash with monsters, bosses, and other competing swordsmen, all the while finding loot unique to each region. The clock is ticking, so forge ahead and find white portals to escape with your loot with seconds to spare or press your luck in a red portal, launching you further into the tower. Band together or slay those who stand in your way, and pray you escape with your hard-earned loot.
Challenge Swordai at PAX West
Swordai will be demoing in the Arch Building, Level 4, at Booth #634 during PAX West. Practice your mechanics in the Kata of Beginnings, a choreographed sword routine, or test your fighting ability in the Arena against increasingly difficult NPC foes. Visit the booth to receive a sword charm or knight helmet for stopping by, or complete additional tasks and challenges for a Swordai keychain or even a digital key to the game when it releases! Supplies are limited!
Join Playtest 7
After a successful Playtest 6 in July, ALX Theory will be running Playtest 7 soon after PAX West completes. Starting September 3rd 1pm PT til September 8th, players will have an opportunity to challenge the tower and other players. A 2v2 tournament will also be held the weekend before on August 30th. Join Discord for more information on the playtest and tournament! Your feedback is valuable to the development of this game.
Don’t miss out the chance to try Swordai in person during PAX West at Booth #634 and register through Steam for Playtest 7.
About ALX Theory
ALX Theory LLC is a one-man operation by Alex Sutherland, a solo developer from Las Vegas, Nevada. Combining two of his favorite genres, melee slashers, and dungeon crawlers, Alex is making the game he’s always wanted to play with Swordai– and he can’t wait to share it with the world.
New DLC pack arrives alongside a free game update including new wolf fur variations.
STOCKHOLM – 26 August, 2025 – Avalanche Studios Group has released the Pump, Flip and Fire pack, featuring three new, versatile rifles for theHunter: Call of the Wild for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store. The Pump, Flip and Fire pack is available on all platforms for £4.29 / €4.99 / $4.99.
Alongside the new rifles, a free game update will include two new rare fur types for the Grey Wolf and 14 new Mule Deer antlers, as well as all existing deer antlers being optimized with remastered textures.
The Pump, Flip and Fire Pack features:
A new lever action rifle – the Anatha Action .22 Magnum. with its sleek and modern finish and tubular magazine, is a tactile new take on the popular classic lever-action rifle. Designed with .22 magnum chambering, its speedy and reliable reload capability will have players leveling up their small game hunting in no time.
A new pump action rifle – the Frost .257 is the perfect example of high-powered, smooth functionality. With its rapid reload magazine chambering in .257 ammunition, it presents a unique loadout option for hunters looking to switch things up. It’s also a complementary choice when hunting medium-sized game.
A folding shotgun – the Giddings SSC .410 Coyote can go from folded to fireable in seconds. This backpack-friendly Giddings is a versatile and lightweight addition, ensuring players are ready to react when the hunting opportunity strikes. As well as birdshot, the .410 chambering now includes buckshot and slugs, designed for efficient takedown of small to medium game.
New ammo types for each of the new guns – the .22 Magnum hollow point and jacketed hollow point; the .257 soft point and polymer tip; as well as the .410 buckshot and .410 slug.
The latest free update includes:
Two new rare furs for the Grey Wolf variations – Melanistic Charcoal and Acromelanistic.
Melanistic Charcoal includes high melanin levels while retaining some grey highlights.
Acromelanistic fur possesses extremity-specific pigmentation due to an increase of melanin for a unique fur type.
14 new Mule Deer antlers, distributed across all levels. All existing Mule Deer antlers were optimized and their textures remastered.
theHunter: Call of the Wild is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store. For more information, visit the game’s website.
About theHunter: Call of the Wild
theHunter: Call of the Wild offers the most immersive hunting experience ever created. Players can immerse themselves in the atmospheric single-player campaign, or share the ultimate hunting experience with friends. Since its release in 2017, theHunter: Call of the Wild has grown to feature an incredibly diverse animal species roster across multiple unique reserves, and continues to actively engage millions of players. theHunter: Call of the Wild is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Store (including PC Game Pass), Xbox Game Pass, Steam, and Epic Games Store.
About Expansive Worlds
Expansive Worlds is a creative division within Avalanche Studios Group and a leading developer and publisher of outdoor games. Since 2007, Expansive Worlds has been devoted to delivering highly immersive outdoor gaming experiences for millions of players. It is best known for the long-standing and successful theHunter franchise, as well as the open-world fishing game Call of the Wild: The Angler. Expansive Worlds develops games using the proprietary Apex engine, enabling vast open worlds with endless creative possibilities.
About Avalanche Studios Group
Avalanche Studios Group is a leading interactive entertainment company offering a wide range of games and live services from creative divisions Avalanche Studios, Expansive Worlds, and Systemic Reaction. Its portfolio includes the Just Cause franchise, theHunter: Call of the Wild, Generation Zero, Rage 2 and Call of the Wild: The Angler. Founded in 2003, Avalanche Studios Group draws from nearly two decades of open-world experience. All its games are developed using the proprietary Apex engine, enabling vast and dynamic worlds, full of emergent gameplay and endless creative possibilities.
It’s a bit hard to imagine that one of the first times that Shantae was released was nearly enough to put the entire franchise to bed. In fact, it did for eight years before reviving with Risky’s Revenge, leaving the actual second game in the series Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution to sit unfinished somewhere on a hard-drive collecting dust for over two decades after being seen as too “high risk” due to the status of the GBA and market at the time. Now here in 2025, twenty three years after it was initially started to be developed first the title arrived as a proper GBA game partnered through Limited Run Games and now on consoles with an enhanced version, bringing Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution to anyone who wants to sample this game nearly lost to time. But the question is, does this half-genie have it in her to bring this decidedly retro platformer to life for modern audiences?
Story
One day Shantae wakes up and realizes she is incredibly late to the showing of Scuttle Town’s new defense system and rushes out to meet her friends Sky and Bolo who are working on a large fan that could deflect the nefarious pirate Risky Boots’ consistent attacks on the town. After a brief back-and-forth about how late Shantae is and how her new friend Rottytops can certainly help with the fan service, none other than Risky Boots herself shows up to taunt the half-genie into pursuing her into a battle that eventually leads to a mysterious cavern that snakes its way through the entirety of Sequin Land alongside massive pillars holding the land up. Unfortunately for them, Risky Boots has already learned of this strange phenomenon and crafted a disastrous tool to take advantage of it.
Dubbing it the Tremor Engine, Risky can use it whenever she wishes to alter the very surface of Sequin Land to rotate towns that were previously protected into defenseless targets for her crew. Shantae turns to her uncle Mimic to devise a way to stop Risky’s creation and ensuing rampage and that is where she learns of her major goal throughout the game, finding and locating the long separated Relic Hunter’s guild members who, together with Mimic, can devise a solution. Unfortunately for Shantae, Risky has already employed three powerful demons known as the Muck Lords to capture and hold these brilliant minds prisoner, leaving it up to Shantae to save each of them through increasingly different and difficult ways.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution may not have the most complicated storyline, as it is as straightforward as they come, it is also incredibly funny. Where some other right might pull off some type of dramatic twist of a character reveal, Shantae Advance pulls off a comedic reveal instead, flipping expectations entirely when it comes to how characters are introduced and how Shantae handles things, usually with her own sense of upbeat charm or occasionally letting out a burst of anger when pushed too far.
Whether it is the system itself guilt-tripping her for taking a ball from a baby, the fact that the shop keeper was probably eaten by Rottytops and has taken over shop duties instead, or the constant fourth-wall breaking and referential humor there are plenty of jokes to be had throughout the game. While we won’t spoil some of the best jokes here, this may be some of the wittiest writing the series has had, perhaps thanks to its wealth of backlog to pull from, or simply because of its straightforward and hilarious nature, some of which can even be a little dark despite their colorful telling.
Gameplay
For the most part Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution plays similar to how fans of the game might expect from the series’ history Scuttle Town serves as the game’s main hub where Shantae will often return to gain her new mission after rescuing a Relic Hunter as well as the primary shop location, save room, and even hot spring to restore health and magic. Players will use any maps they acquire and give them to Sky who will then fly them to the location, with each map also saying how many “Secret Squids” are within a location. Some of these maps are simple towns with NPCs that Shantae can interact with and give items to in some cases, especially the various rare game seeking wolves, but the largest maps are full scale locations featuring side-dungeons and tombs where players not only must track down the missing Relic Hunters but obtain new powers and transformations for Shantae as well.
The platforming and combat remain as tight feeling as ever, with Shantae able to use her pony-tail to whip enemies with increased damage and speed the more shampoo players buy or utilize spells to dish out damage in a variety of other ways while depleting her magic gauge. Enemies themselves generally drop gems (currency), healing hearts, or magic pots allowing for players to zip through areas once they’ve got the hang of enemy attack types, especially once more of Shantae’s transformation abilities are unlocked. As players defeat tombs and solve puzzles within grander dungeons, Shantae will be rewarded with a wish charm that, when dropped into a usually nearby fountain, will unlock a new transformation.
These transformations are performed by dancing (which can also pull in enemy drops) and either pressing a face button or directional input depending on the form needed such as monkey that has higher jumping and the ability to climb walls, a crab that can sink and navigate into the deeper water, an elephant that can smash through certain blocks, and eventually more advanced forms such as a spider that can climb webbing, a mermaid that almost entirely negates the point of the crab form (which becomes quite useless minus one puzzle mechanic) and finally an end-game level harpy transformation that makes navigating levels a breeze.
The major gimmick this time around for Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution happens to be the fact that there are various devices placed in most towns and, most importantly, in the major levels themselves. These devices trigger Risky’s Tremor Engine and in towns they happen to be plot based but in the exploration areas they happen to play into actually navigating the world and solving puzzles here and there as they rotate the entire background of the level, making previously unreachable platforms or locations now reachable. Players will also find various locations where they can transfer from the foreground to the background areas, with these also shifting locations, and enemies will spawn on both areas, though only a few have the ability to swap between the front and back.
Exploration and puzzle solving are fairly straightforward but very satisfying. While there is no map system the game’s locations and dungeons aren’t overly large to the point that players will get easily lost and even tracking down an old dungeon or area that they couldn’t previously access because they were lacking Shantae’s Harpy form or even the ability to attack while in her Mermaid form, is fairly simple though makes for a nice challenge for those looking to complete the game with every secret squid available. The bosses themselves are also fairly unique, though the tomb boss being only slightly modified is a bit lacking. Otherwise the actual main bosses players battle against all have a unique gimmick of their own that players will need to figure out to best defeat them, keeping them on their toes even with as fully upgraded Shantae players can have to that point. It is nice to note that those who want to ease the game up a bit can always purchase extra healing items and MP refilling items from Rottytops in a dungeon, making the title still accessible even if the usual “save room run” to retry a boss fight is generally only a room or two.
Outside of the main story mode there is also a multiplayer option available for those who want to try it out called Battle Mode. This mode is rather basic and is unfortunately only available on couch co-op, meaning that players must play with an extra controller and there is surprisingly no option to add bots as opponents. The Battle Mode allows players to fight one another in a strange little box that auto-rotates with spikes and boxes as environmental damage while they can also attack one another until there is only one player standing. This mode is incredibly basic and feels like a rather strange addition, especially with no bot option available.
Audio & Visuals
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution actually offers two modes of play, depending on how “authentic” fans may want it to feel. There is either the “Classic” mode that will keep the game matching the same GBA aesthetics all around that was released earlier this year with some rough but still adequate looking sprites and character portraits with some rough edges but the main draw here happens to be the Story Mode. The Story Mode features the HD character portraits and CG scenes that appear from time to time and look absolutely stunning and brightly colored. It is worth noting that the game still retains its pixel-art aesthetic even in Story Mode, only the pixels are presented as crisply as possible. Enemy variety is also nicely spaced out depending on location minus a few re-colored foes. It is also worth noting that it is great to see Shantae leaning into the fan-service elements where it can, especially to make a joke. One of these even happens during a boss fight where players have a chance of making Rottytops pop out of a cake wearing a bunnygirl outfit and toss a healing heart to Shantae and give her a boost. That and the variety of “deluxe edition” costumes should players buy the fancier version of the game providing various boons as well as an unlockable bikini should players find all of the lost squids.
There is minimal voice work throughout the game minus a few little chirps here and there but that doesn’t mean that this game fails to impress. The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal with there being a great number of tracks available and mixed throughout the game depending on which location layers are traveling through, if they are fighting a boss, or even simply exploring a town. These songs are quite impressive and are a real standout when exploring the game, especially when cleaning up collectables that can finally be reached in previous locations with Shantae’s final few transformations.
Overall
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is the best type of revival that fans could hope for. While its story may not be the most serious, it features all of the same charming and incredibly humorous cast and writing that the series is known for alongside bright and colorful visuals that are present both in the retro styling of the GBA, if players choose, and gorgeous character portraits. Featuring impressive platforming, enjoyable puzzles, and light metroidvania aspects there might be some transformations that may not feel the most useful after a while but this is one that fans will have a blast with.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
SEATTLE — August 25 2025 — Following the successful deployment of last year’s Glitchwalkers expansion, System Era Softworks are excited to reveal ASTRONEER: Megatech, a second paid DLC launching this November on PC, Switch, PS4 and Xbox Series S|X.
In the ASTRONEER: Megatech DLC, players will unlock the ability to build massive Megastructure projects set to test their Basebuilding skills to the max using new and existing technology.
Each Megastructure will have its own unique identity and gameplay, unlocking new possibilities and rewards. Harness the power of Megatech to take Basebuilding and Automation to a whole new level!
This DLC will be fully compatible with existing saves, and builds off of any progress you’ve already made in game, so feel free to start fresh, or load up your existing saves and start building!
In addition, ASTRONEER: Megatech will be released alongside a free update for all players. The free update will include new items and the ability to create a Megastructure that will allow automated interplanetary transportation. That means you will be able to move resources and technology between planets!
Stay tuned for more information, including the impending release date, by following System Era at the links below, and wishlist ASTRONEER Megatech today!
Where Hilarious Bounty Hunting and Panic-Fueled Cooking Collide!
(Seoul, South Korea) – August 25, 2025 – The kitchen is open, and it’s extremely flammable! Indie studio JofSoft has officially launched Pizza Bandit into Early Access on Steam and Epic Games Store: a chaotic third-person co-op shooter where hilarious bounty hunting and panic-fueled cooking collide across space and time – think Gears of War meets Overcooked!
In Pizza Bandit, players become a time-traveling ex-mercenary, Malik, with an oddly specific dream–opening the galaxy’s greatest pizza joint. To fund that dream, players will travel across eras, take down dangerous targets, and cook under literal fire. From flipping dough in a warzone to serving up kills with style, every mission is a multitasking meltdown!
“We wanted to blend arcade-style combat with the absurd pressure of a cooking show in total crisis,” says Hugo Pak, Game Director at JofSoft.“It’s fast, ridiculous, and surprisingly strategic– just like trying to open a restaurant during an alien invasion!”
Early Access Features Include:
1–4 Player Online Co-op: Roll solo or team up with friends. Mission difficulty scales, but so does the chaos.
Cooking Under Fire: Slice, assemble, and plate meals mid-battle while dodging bullets and managing enemy waves.
Bounty Missions Through Time: Travel through chaotic timelines filled with distinct enemies, hazards, and bonus objectives.
Fully Customizable Loadouts: Choose your weapons, cutlery, and character skills to suit every mission– and every mess.
Pizzeria Customization: Spend your hard-earned bounty cash to deck out your dream restaurant with neon, décor, and appliances.
Stylish Character Customization: Streetwear, glowing accessories, wild hair– dress like a culinary warlord.
A New Voice Cast: The game’s voice-over was directed by industry veteran Chris Borders (VO Director for the Gears series).
Intro Cinematics and Achievements: Discover Malik’s backstory through new cinematics and unlock in-game and Steam achievements.
Pizza Bandit launches into Early Access with a full core loop, online matchmaking, and a healthy dose of fire-based panic. The team at JofSoft plans to add new missions, enemies (including beefier armored variations and new monsters), recipes, cosmetics, and restaurant content throughout development, with player feedback helping shape the roadmap.
Pizza Bandit is available now on Steam Early Access with a 10% launch-week discount available for a limited time, ending September 5th, 2025.
About JofSoft
JofSoft is a Seoul-based indie studio formed by six veteran developers who left the world of AAA and mobile MMOs to build the kind of games they actually want to play – player-first, genre-mashing, and full of joyfully unhinged ideas. Pizza Bandit is their second PC title and their fourth title overall. For more information, visit https://www.jofsoft.com/.
Demonschool, the school-life tactics RPG with hints of Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Italian horror cinema from publisher Ysbryd Games (WORLD OF HORROR, VA-11 HALL-A), will be postponed to Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.
“Demonschool was set to launch on Sept. 3, but after much anguished consideration on our part, we’ve made the decision to move the game’s release to Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.
With 11 years under our belt as an indie publisher, we at Ysbryd Games are reasonably qualified to say that any point of 2025, on balance, has been or will be as brutal as market conditions can get when it comes to releasing a game. Crueler still, that we should find out with such short notice that Hollow Knight: Silksong will launch just one day after our planned release for Demonschool.
We have to remind ourselves that gaining visibility for Demonschool is our main goal. Thus, the Ysbryd team strongly believes we would not be doing our game any favors by wading into waters we can clearly see are blood red. If the September period is going to be Silksong’s moment, then we need to be elsewhere on the calendar to give Demonschool its own moment to be seen and talked about meaningfully.
We don’t take this decision lightly. Demonschool’s release has been delayed before, and we want to be clear: there are no more delays after this point. We’ve already distributed Steam keys to press as part of a healthy review program, and had every intention to proudly release on Sept 3. We hope fans who anticipated the game will forgive us for one final delay.
Between now and November, Necrosoft Games and ourselves will continue to pour our time into enhancing and polishing up the game experience. For example, there will be more endings and minigames that the developers originally planned to patch in post-release, rather than leave them on the cutting floor; now it’ll all be part of the game’s release in November. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm for Demonschool. We truly hope you continue to support Necrosoft Games’ labor of love by showing up for Faye and her madcap band of collegiate demon hunters on November 19th!” – Brian Kwek, Ysbryd Games
Demonschool will be available for Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, and Xbox Series X|S on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, for US$24.99
Publisher Ysbryd Games delivers games with stories that have the heart and soul to stay with players for a lifetime, underlined by captivating gameplay and striking aesthetics.
About Necrosoft Games
Necrosoft Games is an Oakland, California-based game developer with members all over the world. Founded by Game Developer Magazine and Gamasutra alum Brandon Sheffield after he left journalism, the studio now numbers six strong after developing a string of cult indie gems like Gunhouse, Oh, Deer!, and Hyper Gunsport.
Highly anticipated sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer coming in Spring 2026
Gothenburg, Sweden – August 25th, 2025 – Sad Cat Studios and Thunderful have today unveiled a new release window for their highly-anticipated sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer, REPLACED. The game will be coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S in Spring 2026. The new release window has been revealed as part of a new development update video, where Sad Cat Studios talk through the game’s progress and give fans a look at behind-the-scenes footage showing the game’s evolution over the years.
“We know that our community is incredibly excited to play REPLACED and it’s no secret that it’s taken longer than we initially thought to deliver that to you all – we apologise for that,” said Game Director Yura Zhdanovich. “We’ve always been trying to do what’s right for the project, which in turn, means delivering to you a truly special experience. The good news is that we now are very close to finishing production and REPLACED will be coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S in Spring 2026.”
REPLACED is set in an alternate 1980s America, featuring free-flow action combat and a deep, dystopian story. You play as R.E.A.C.H. – an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body against its own will, striving to adjust to human life, in and around Phoenix-City. Outlaws are rife in a society that has sustained lasting damage and taken a turn for the worse, following a catastrophic nuclear event. Everything is ruled by corruption and greed and the ones in power see humans and their organs as nothing more than currency. REPLACED focuses on a single player experience, with a mix of cinematic platforming, pixel art and free-flow action combat.
Since its eye-catching unveiling, REPLACED has been hailed as one of the most anticipated titles in gaming. The game has captured the imagination of the gaming world with atmospheric trailers and been hailed by those who have gone hands-on with the title, with IGN most recently stating that the game “could be…an all-time indie classic in the same category as Limbo, Braid, Inside, Balatro, etc.”. REPLACED will be available on PC and Xbox Series X|S in Spring 2026.
About Sad Cat Studios
Sad Cat Studios was founded in 2018 in Minsk, Belarus, by game developers and entrepreneurs Yura Zhdanovich and Igor Gritsay. Yura, with over 8 years of experience as an artist and visual designer in game development companies and startups like MSQRD, joined forces with Igor, who has a strong background in IT and e-commerce, to establish the foundation for the studio’s remarkable journey. Since then, Sad Cat Studios has relocated its headquarters to Limassol, Cyprus and now operates remotely across Europe.
About Thunderful
Founded in 2017, Thunderful is a video game publisher headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Thunderful offers third-party publishing, co-development services and publishing support services. The company has published and/or developed award-winning and critically acclaimed titles such as the SteamWorld IP, Planet of Lana, Viewfinder, LEGO® Bricktales, Lost In Random and more.
Join NASCAR icons William Byron, Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney on fierce race tracks – alongside the soundtrack reveal!
DAYTONA, Fla. – Aug. 25, 2025 –Befitting of the famous Daytona International Speedway at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race on Saturday, iRacing Studios and NASCAR unveiled NASCAR 25’s cover, featuring superstar drivers William Byron (‘24/’25 Daytona 500 Champion), Christopher Bell (‘25 NASCAR All-Star Race Champion), and Ryan Blaney (‘23 NASCAR Cup Series Champion).
When asked about the honor, Byron said, “It’s really special to be on the cover because it’s one of those moments in your career where you feel like you’ve made it.”
Bell added, “I just remember being a kid and going every single year when the new games would come out, and I’d wait to see who was going to be on the cover. The fact that I’m on the cover is something that I never would have dreamed of in a million years.”
In addition to these driving demons, iRacing Studios is proud to unveil the official NASCAR 25 soundtrack! The tracklist features “Time Bomb” by Whiskey Myers, “Hypnotize” by System of a Down, “Liar” by Jelly Roll, “Burn It Down” by Parker McCollum, and more! Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify.
NASCAR 25 will be released on October 14, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S – with a PC Steam release to follow. Tag along with iRacing Studios on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch for the latest news, engaging conversations, and more!
About NASCAR 25
NASCAR 25 will feature all four premier NASCAR series – the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and, appearing along NASCAR series in a standalone title for the first time, the ARCA Menards Series. All four series, along with real drivers from each, will feature extensively in NASCAR 25’s Career Mode, where you’ll customize your own driver and vehicles, manage contracts, money, facility, and staff, and make strategic choices on and off the track that play a pivotal role in your journey to becoming a NASCAR Cup Series champion. The four series are also playable in other gameplay modes such as quick races, seasons, and online multiplayer.
NASCAR 25 is the first standalone NASCAR console title produced by iRacing, the developers behind the most authentic motorsport racing simulation in the world. iRacing is bringing their decades of racing expertise – including developers who worked on fan-favorite NASCAR games like NASCAR Racing 2003, NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona, and entries from the NASCAR Thunder series – to NASCAR 25 to make the ultimate NASCAR video game experience.
For updates on NASCAR 25 and additional iRacing products, visit www.iracing.com.
About iRacing
The world leader in the online racing simulation and gaming market, iRacing was founded in 2003 by Dave Kaemmer, co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, and John Henry, principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world, including with NASCAR, INDYCAR, the FIA, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, and numerous other car manufacturers, tracks, and racing series. Alongside its PC simulation, iRacing also produces the official console games of NASCAR (beginning in 2025) and the World of Outlaws, as well as the fantasy off-road racing game ExoCross. Learn more at www.iracing.com.
Switch-exclusive Bundle Containing the Complete “Heavenly Host” Arc Available for Pre-Order Now; Delay Announced for Corpse Party II: Darkness Distortion
TORRANCE, Calif. — Aug. 25, 2025 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., announced that they will publish the MAGES.-developed Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack in the Americas, coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch™ system in 2025. The collection of titles includes the entirety of the “Heavenly Host” narrative including the modernized version of the haunting first adventure, Corpse Party (2021); the twisted sequel, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows; as well as the western console debuts of Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash and Corpse Party: Blood Drive, the chilling conclusion to the Heavenly Host saga. The Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack is a celebration of what makes the Corpse Party series so memorable, filled with blood-curdling chills, nightmarish bad ends, and twisted narratives of desperate survival.
A standard physical edition is available for pre-order now exclusively via Amazon for an MSRP of $49.99. While digital editions of Corpse Party (2021) and Corpse Party: Blood Drive are currently available on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch, additional details on the digital availability of Corpse Party: Book of Shadows and Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash will be provided at a later date.
Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack Key Features
Four Terrifying Tales, One Complete Package: Play through the entirety of the “Heavenly Host” saga and experience four terrifying tales of intertwined fates in one convenient package.
Extreme Japanese Horror: Explore the halls of Heavenly Host Elementary in a riveting mystery full of vengeful spirits, psychological horrors, and shocking secrets. The visual novel storytelling unfolds in the original Japanese voiceover with English subtitles.
New for Nintendo Switch: Book of Shadows and Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash will both be available on Nintendo Switch for the first time!
High-Definition Scares: Each title has been optimized for high-definition audio and video, making this collection great for first-time players, and a startling new way to play for longtime fans.
Corpse Party II: Darkness Distortion remains in active development at MAGES. and is now expected to release globally in 2026. The development team is using the additional time to ensure that the next installment, introducing significant changes in perspective to enhance the immersive horror, lives up to the Corpse Party legacy and delivers the biggest frights yet. What’s more, the added time will also allow for the inclusion of a new PlayStation®5 version of the game to be released alongside the previously announced releases planned for Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, and Windows PC via Steam. The dedicated Corpse Party II: Darkness Distortion development team remains focused on the title while the Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack was developed by a separate team.
About Corpse Party (2021)
A friendship ritual gone awry transports high school student Ayumi Shinozaki and her friends to an alternate reality version of a tragedy-stricken institution that stood on the site of their own school long ago. As the vengeful spirits of elementary school students threaten their lives and their sanity, their only hope of survival–much less escape–is to uncover the chilling details surrounding the murders of those trapped before them.
About Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
An anthology series that serves as a Corpse Party sequel, prequel, midquel, and alternate universe tale all in one. Corpse Party: Book of Shadows builds upon the events of the first game, exploring or re-exploring past incidents, characters, and points of view, and allowing the player to escape many of the deaths that occurred previously, thus steering them toward all-new (albeit not necessarily better) outcomes.
About Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash
A (surprisingly) canonical “midquel” to Corpse Party and Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, taking place sometime during the course of those games, Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash recounts the bizarre events of vengeful ghost girl Sachiko Shinozaki’s one-of-a-kind birthday party held in the otherworldly school where so many lives have been lost in previous games: Heavenly Host Elementary. Surviving to the end will require thinking like Sachiko and making the choices that will please her the most…but with the fewest casualties.
About Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Set two months after Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the definitive conclusion to the long-running Heavenly Host story arc. Featuring dynamic lighting, detailed environments, and new gameplay systems, this is a Japanese horror experience not to be missed!
Developed by MAGES. and published on Nintendo Switch™ in the Americas by XSEED Games, and in Europe by Marvelous Europe, Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack will be released in 2025. For more information about the title, visit the official website at https://www.corpsepartyseries.com/.
XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., and publishes third-party video games on PC and consoles in North America. Formed in 2004 by a small group of industry veterans, XSEED Games’ diverse portfolio includes past breakout indie hits such as Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin and Potionomics, along with upcoming titles Moonlight Peaks and The Big Catch. Additionally, it has built a reputation for bringing high-quality Japanese IPs to North America such as Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Corpse Party, and Ys, and remains ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach for quality games.
