franchises

AppWizard
January 16, 2026
Rumors are circulating about a potential collaboration between Fortnite and Minecraft, suggesting that Minecraft characters may soon appear in Fortnite's Battle Island. The speculation began with a post by AdiraFNInfo, shared by Fortnite leaker HYPEX, who labeled the information as 'rumored.' Other leakers, including ShiinaBR, have also supported the rumors. Fans are advised to remain cautiously optimistic until an official announcement is made by Mojang Studios or Epic Games. Currently, Fortnite is in Chapter 7, Season 2, following the Pacific Break season.
AppWizard
January 10, 2026
The Fallout franchise has gained renewed popularity due to the anticipation of a fifth mainline entry, an upcoming Amazon series, and improvements in Fallout 76. Fallout: New Vegas is highlighted as a significant title in the series, known for its RPG mechanics and narrative depth. Fallout 76, initially criticized at launch in 2018, has evolved into a more enjoyable experience. The Best of Platinum Collection from Fanatical offers Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 3, and Fallout 76 for .33 / £3.33 each, along with a variety of other games. Recommendations include Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 76, Amnesia: The Bunker, and RoboCop: Rogue City, with potential discounts for purchasing multiple titles.
AppWizard
January 9, 2026
Minecraft is introducing a new update that adds eight baby animals to the game, enhancing the farming experience. The new baby animals include rabbits, wolf pups, kittens, calves, piglets, chickens, ocelots, and lambs, each designed to reflect their infancy more accurately than previous scaled-down models. The update features unique sounds for each baby animal to enhance immersion. Players can access these updates through the snapshot functionality and the Bedrock beta/preview. Additionally, Microsoft is planning a Minecraft spinoff in collaboration with Activision Blizzard.
AppWizard
January 4, 2026
Mojang has released a new DLC for Minecraft based on Stranger Things, allowing players to explore Hawkins and the Upside Down while engaging with key moments from the first four seasons of the series. The DLC is available on the Minecraft Marketplace for modern platforms but is not compatible with the Nintendo Switch due to memory limitations, requiring a minimum of 6GB of RAM. Players can interact with iconic locations and characters, including a blocky version of Murray, and experience the narrative in an open-world format. Those who purchase the DLC before January 25, 2026, will receive a Hellfire Club t-shirt for character customization. The update aligns with the release of Stranger Things’ final season and emphasizes Mojang’s focus on narrative integrity and accessibility across platforms. The DLC encourages exploration and challenges, continuing Mojang’s trend of collaborating with external media franchises.
AppWizard
January 2, 2026
A new approach to ranking the year's cinematic highlights has emerged, presenting a subjective "best of show" list that reflects diverse tastes. Titles like Together, Splitsville, and Die My Love were metaphorically tied for 11th place. Standout films include A Minecraft Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which, despite mixed critical reception, have resonated with younger viewers. A Minecraft Movie has become a box office success, leading domestic earnings for 2025, while Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has been particularly enjoyed in crowded theater settings. There has been a 25% increase in Generation Z attendance at movies compared to the previous year, highlighting the need for content that appeals to younger audiences. The industry is encouraged to focus on engaging the next generation with fresh franchises and innovative storytelling.
BetaBeacon
January 2, 2026
- Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption was released on mobile in 2025, including the original story campaign and Undead Nightmare expansion, priced at .99 or available through a Netflix subscription. - Subnautica also transitioned to mobile, offering a survival adventure set on an alien oceanic planet, optimized for touch controls and supporting controllers, priced at .99. - Persona 5: The Phantom X delivered a mobile-specific RPG experience with gacha mechanics and turn-based combat, maintaining ties to the original Persona 5 storyline, and offering free-to-play mechanics. - Where Winds Meet is an open-world wuxia title on mobile with demanding hardware requirements, featuring cross-progression support and light monetization. - DREDGE brought its Eldritch fishing simulation to mobile, included in Google Play Pass for subscribers, priced at .99. - Cassette Beasts is a premium turn-based RPG inspired by Pokémon on mobile, offering cassette monster collection and combat, priced at .99. - Destiny: Rising brought the FPS MMO experience to mobile for free, with typical NetEase monetization strategies. - Enter the Gungeon and Exit the Gungeon were released on mobile simultaneously, offering bullet hell and platforming gameplay with touchscreen and controller support. - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown combined platforming and Metroidvania elements in a 2.5D action-adventure on mobile, offering offline play and full controller support.
AppWizard
January 2, 2026
- January 15: Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches on Switch 2; 3.0 update for original Switch. - January 15: The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond The Horizon releases on all major platforms. - January 22: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade launches on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series. - January 26: Highguard, a free PvP raid game, becomes available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. - January 28: The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin releases. - January 30: Code Vein 2 launches. - February 5: Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined releases. - February 6: My Hero Academia: All’s Justice and Nioh 3 launch. - February 11: Romeo is a Deadman releases. - February 12: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches. - February 13: High on Life 2 releases. - February 20: Ys X: Proud Nordics launches. - February 27: Resident Evil: Requiem releases; cloud versions of Resident Evil 7 and 8 for Switch 2. - March 5: Pokemon Pokopia releases. - March 12: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando launches; Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake releases. - March 19: Crimson Desert launches. - March 26: Screamer, a racing game, releases. - April 16: Cthulu: The Cosmic Abyss launches. - April 24: Pragmata releases. - April 30: Saros, a roguelite bullet hell game, launches. - May 8: Mortal Kombat 2 movie releases. - May 27: 007 First Light launches. - May 29: LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight releases. - September 8: John Carpenter’s Halloween launches. - September 12: Phantom Blade Zero releases. - October 16: New Street Fighter movie releases. - November 19: Grand Theft Auto 6 launches. - Sometime in 2026: Titles like Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes, Super Meat Boy 3D, and Zero Parades: For Dead Spies expected. - To Be Announced: Zero Company and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 have no confirmed release dates.
AppWizard
January 1, 2026
Minecraft has continued to thrive for 15 years, with Mojang Studios sharing a retrospective of 2025 that includes impressive community statistics. Players logging into the Minecraft: Bedrock Edition dressing room can receive a free Inflatable Chicken Suit Character Creator item. The introduction of the copper golem mob resulted in nearly a billion of these creatures spawning, while over 270 million mounts were tamed, with players collectively traversing 335 billion blocks. However, saddles were crafted only 16 million times. Mojang hosted two Minecraft Live events in 2025, the first in March, which revealed the year's first three updates and announced a forthcoming Minecraft movie set for a sequel in 2027. The Spring to Life update enhanced Overworld diversity and quality-of-life improvements, followed by the Vibrant Visuals update for graphics upgrades and the Chase the Skies update for new ghostly mounts. The September event introduced The Copper Age update, and the year ended with the Mounts of Mayhem update, which added new mobs and a new weapon. Mojang also announced a collaboration with King to develop Minecraft Blast, a new mobile game. Changes for 2026 include the removal of code obfuscation for modders and a shift in version numbering.
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