Key Note Gaming

Surprise! Japanese studio CyberConnect2 is marking its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new .hack game: .hack//Z.E.R.O. To whet our collective appetites, we've even been treated to a teaser trailer, which you can watch below. .hack is a series of action RPG games that explore a virtual game-space called The World, with action taking place both there and in our real world, branching off of a multimedia franchise that extends to a collectible card game, a Japanese-only MMORPG, plus animated movies, manga, and live-action TV shows. Today, February 16, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of CyberConnect2. To commemorate, we will begin development of .hack//Z.E.R.O., a new original game. This title will be fully self-published by CyberConnect2, from planning to development to release. #hackZERO #dothack pic.twitter.com/J5nrgnXU83 — CyberConnect2 Official (EN) (@cc2information) February 16, 2026 It's been the best part of ten years since we last had a .hack game —...

Activision has confirmed Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go dark on April 17, 2026. We already knew that Activision had decided to walk away from Warzone Mobile — the publisher admitted last May that it "unfortunately has not met [Activision's] expectations" — but now we have a specific date as to when the smartphone battle royale will be taken offline. In a brief statement posted to its official website, the team thanked players for their "dedication and passion," and said "as a final step in the previously communicated service changes to Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, the servers for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go offline on April 17, 2026, after which the game will no longer be available for play." Up until that time, players can still play and "engage with existing content," but refunds are not available for any unused COD Points or previously purchased in-game content, so you're advised to use them up before the game ...

It's been almost a year since Assassin's Creed Shadows released, and Ubisoft is not done updating its feudal Japan-set stabathon. This month brings the addition of a manual jump option, alongside two other fan-requested changes. As part of the 1.1.8 update going live today, February 17, Ubisoft will add a manual jump option to the game (if you've toggled on your Advanced Parkour setting), which returns from previous titles in the series. Two other small additions are also set to become available: a detailed stat page so you can analyze your build in granular detail, and some visual improvements to when you make a critical hit. All of these changes had been requested by fans, so are likely to be positively received. That said, this is a pretty small set of additions that look like the game's only major update across the first three months of this year. Update 1.1.7 launched back in December, capping off a first nine months of post-release additions that had arrive...

Disney Lorcana's new Winterspell expansion is out this week on February 20 , but that's not the only thing for fans to look forward to in the coming days. As part of the 11th set's rollout, the Lorcana team is also launching a brand new "Collection Starter Set" alongside the "Scrooge McDuck Gift Box" on March 13, 2026. Both are now up for preorder at Amazon and are priced at $29.99 each. So what's included in these new sealed sets? Starting with the Collection Starter Set, the first of which is themed around Stitch, it includes four Winterspell boosters, a Stitch Rock Star Card portfolio, and a Glimmer Foil promo collector’s guide. The card portfolio is ready to hold up to 80 cards, which is perfect for any collectors who are just getting started, or even long-term fans who just want another fun way to keep their cards safe. You'll certainly need it as well, as the four boosters for the new Winterspell expansion will contain 48 cards jus...

The developer of Stellar Blade is looking to expand the game to more platforms, signalling a potential release on Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2. Korean studio Shift Up mentioned the move in the Q&A section of its most recent financial report. It said Stellar Blade had established itself as "a steady, long-tail IP, supported by sustained sales momentum and strong user reception since launch," and that the team was "reviewing platform expansion beyond PS5 and PC to broaden audience reach." "This approach is expected to both introduce the title to new players and gradually build anticipation for the next chapter in the series," Shift Up continued. That "next chapter" is, of course, sequel Stellar Blade 2 , which is now in development. "We expect 2026 to be a year in which more users experience the existing title while momentum and anticipation builds toward the next phase of the Stellar Blade franchise," Shift Up added. Shift Up ...

Rainbow Six Siege is getting Snake from Metal Gear Solid as a new Operator next month — but the game also nearly had a cardboard box item to hide in, too. Speaking to IGN, Rainbow Six Siege creative director Josh Mills confirmed that the idea had been discussed internally, but ultimately was dismissed pretty quick — and for good reason. Simply put, Siege fans know the game's maps too well. While hiding from enemies in a cardboard box might work against NPCs, Siege fans simply remember the game's levels too intricately to be tricked by a random package lying around. "Our players already know every inch of every map, and among the team we have a saying, Operator's eyes don’t lie," Mills told IGN. "So, if there were suddenly a box in the corner of a room on any given map our players would promptly shoot that box." It's a fair point, though sadly one which does mean we won't be crouching inside any cardboard in Rainbow Six Siege anytime soon....