Gaming news website Kakuchopurei and Twentytwo13 have teamed up to provide the latest in the gaming sphere.
In our weekly round-up, we will recap the best gaming news from all over Asia and the rest of the world. We also list the games that are out in the week, as well as bring up videos and feature pieces that are worth highlighting for Asian gaming audiences to tune into.
The Big Picture
2025 might be a slower year when compared to the windfall of game releases that was last year. Truth be told, the team at Kakuchopurei had trouble restricting their picks to just 40 games for their ‘Best Of’ list last year when there were more than 60 to choose from.
A quick Google search for 2025 game releases lists a multitude of titles, but half of these have the generic 2025 release window, and there’s a good chance they will have actual dates and delays locked down – at least until the next big games showcase from Geoff Keighley, who currently controls the E3-style narrative alongside major companies like Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.
Speaking of which, the Big N will have to officially announce the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry right now: the Nintendo Switch 2. As far as we know from insiders and the rumour mill, the device is expected to be officially announced later in January 2025, with a release scheduled for March 2025, much like the Nintendo Switch’s release timeline back in 2017.
Take these tidbits with a grain of salt, but Nintendo is gearing up to dominate the gaming landscape in 2025 and 2026 after taking foot off the pedal in 2024.
Short Beats
Professional wrestler Kenny Omega has released a new entrance music theme during last weekend’s New Japan Pro Wrestling World annual show. It was composed by Final Fantasy composers Nobuo Uematsu and Masayoshi Soken, featuring vocals by Jason Miller.
Nintendo Switch 2 prototypes and third-party company leaks surfaced over the past weekend, providing an alleged first look at the Nintendo Switch 2 controller, which resembles the original Switch controller but with extra padding.
A new Minecraft sequel is in the works, produced under the aegis of Minecraft creator/billionaire Markus “Notch” Persson.
PlatinumGames’ action title Bayonetta has celebrated its 15th anniversary, teasing a new announcement related to the series. The Asian company would not have reached its level of fame were it not for its spiritual connection to Capcom’s Devil May Cry series.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3, the third film in a series adapted from Sega’s Sonic The Hedgehog game series in the 90s, has amassed a worldwide box office gross of US$336 million at the time of writing. The movie was released in Malaysia and Southeast Asia from Dec 26 onwards. On a related note, the digital release of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is slated for Jan 21 via Paramount+, a month after the film’s cinema release. The Netflix release is likely to follow suit.
The next Virtua Fighter game from Sega, the long-awaited follow-up to the Virtua Fighter series, was teased at CES 2025 during an NVIDIA keynote presentation by CEO Jensen Huang. Sega also uploaded a few more seconds of gameplay featuring a mirror match with Virtua Fighter’s iconic character Akira. It looked impressive, despite being just in-game footage and not “gameplay”.
Additionally, during CES 2025, Sony Pictures and PlayStation Pictures announced two upcoming live-action adaptations of the following titles: Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Both are currently in development, but no further details or information have been revealed, including cast members or release windows.
Op-Eds
Kakuchopurei has gathered a notable number of gaming media professionals and game developers from Southeast Asia to showcase their favourite Southeast Asian-made games and demos from 2024. The developers and creators of these selected games have received their digital certificates, courtesy of Kakuchopurei.
Games Out This Week
Freedom Wars Remastered (PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch) – A remaster of the 2014 PlayStation Vita title that merges the giant-slaying gameplay of Monster Hunter, the grappling hook mechanics from Bionic Commando titles, and the sci-fi prison dystopia inspired by Tom Godwin’s works. This revamp features improved controls, 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, reworked upgrade systems, and a new difficulty level called Deadly Sinner for those who found the base game not challenging enough.
Wuthering Waves (PlayStation 5) – Last year’s new action-adventure game from China, which follows the Genshin Impact template, has made its debut on the PlayStation 5.
Sea Fantasy (PC) – An indie action RPG where players fish their hearts out while searching for the elusive SeaAZ worldwide.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana (PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch) – Falcom’s remake of the third mothership entry in the action RPG series, starring the plucky red-haired adventurer Adol, is finally out for Nintendo Switch and recent PlayStation consoles.
Recommended Viewing
SEAGamethetic hosted a Southeast Asia Games Onward 2024 showcase, highlighting upcoming SEA-made games for 2025 and beyond. [Watch here]
Kakuchopurei has released its eclectic game music list for 2024, featuring the best aural pleasures from the gaming industry worldwide. [Watch here]
