Confirmed Xbox Game Pass Releases for January 2026

So far, there are only two games that have been confirmed for the January 2026 Game Pass lineup. Gamers should keep in mind that this is only the first wave of information and there will likely be a handful of other titles added once January arrives.

• Mio: Memories in Orbit
• Nova Roma

Mio: Memories in Orbit joins the Game Pass library on January 20, 2026. This Game Pass day one title is a sci-fi platformer that leans into Metroidvania tropes. The gameplay focuses heavily on momentum-based exploration, where the ability to chain dashes and grapples determines how much of the map players can uncover.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to explore the world of Mio on consoles or PC when it launches.

Nova Roma will be added to Game Pass on January 22, 2026. This city-builder sim tasks players with constructing and managing a Roman city, while also dealing with the pantheon of Roman gods.

The Pantheon System requires players to build temples and offer sacrifices to gods like Neptune or Jupiter. Neglecting the gods can lead to acts of god like lightning strikes or droughts.

Game Pass subscribers should take note that this title is currently only confirmed for PC Game Pass and is not going to be available on consoles at launch.

Leaving Xbox Game Pass on December 31, 2025

As the new year arrives, Game Pass subscribers will also need to say good-bye to a few titles.

The following titles are scheduled to leave Game Pass on December 31, 2025:

• Hell Let Loose
• Carrion

Other Exciting Xbox Releases in January 2026

Although the Game Pass catalog is an exciting component of the Xbox ecosystem, not every game worth playing makes its way onto that library. There are plenty of other interesting games arriving on Xbox in January 2026 that players can also enjoy if they purchase them.

Here is a list of other confirmed January 2026 releases for Xbox:

• I Am Future (January 8)
• Hero Seekers (January 9)
• Owlen and the Spirits of the Past (January 9)
• SPEAR (January 9)
• Disco Simulator (January 15)
• Apartment No 129 (January 16)
• Battle Puzzle 2048 – Queens of the Abyss (January 16)
• Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven DLC (January 22)
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (January 22)
• Look Mum No Computer (January 22)
• MAVRIX by Matt Jones (January 22)
• Escape From Ever After (January 23)
• Horror Tale 1: 4k Remaster (January 23)
• I’m in Love With Your Dead Grandmother (January 23)
• Highguard (January 26)
• Code Vein 2 (January 29)
• DUSK INDEX: GION (January 29)
• I Hate This Place (January 29)
• The 9th Channel (January 30)
• 2XKO (January TBD)

Be sure to check back for the next wave of January 2026 Game Pass additions in the new year.

The post Xbox Game Pass: Everything Confirmed for January 2026 (So Far) appeared first on VICE.

Fortnite Winterfest 2025 End Date Explained

We are now entering the final week of Fortnite Winterfest 2025. This year’s Christmas event featured collaborations from SpongeBob, Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Potter, and Bleach. However, players wanting to open up all of their Fortnite Winterfest Cabin Presents will need to know when the annual event ends so they don’t miss out on the free rewards.

This year, Fortnite Winterfest ends on Monday, January 5 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. That means players have about a week left to unwrap the remainder of their gifts. Unlike previous years, Winterfest 2025 presents do not stack. Because of this, the free Fortnite Winterfest skins can only be unlocked if you open up all of your cabin presents before the final date.

For your convenience, here is when Fortnite Winterfest 2025 ends in each region:

How to Get the Cheeks Outfit in Fortnite

The free Winterfest 2025 skins this year include the Glacial Dummy and Cheeks skins. However, the outfit most players are going for this year is Cheeks. And look, I totally get it. It’s a chubby little hamster wearing a Christmas sweater. His belly literally jiggles! However, unlocking the free cosmetic is a little tricky.

As mentioned above, Winterfest 2025 presents don’t stack. That means players have to open up 14 cabin presents before they can get Cheeks. If you didn’t start opening up your gifts before December 23, 2025, then that means you can actually miss out on unlocking the Winterfest outfit. However, as long as you started before that date and opened gifts every day, you should be good to go.

Winterfest 2025 Present Requirements

• Glacial Dummy – (Must Open 7 Gifts)

• Cheeks – (Must Open 13 Gifts)

Cheeks Outfit Release Date and Last Chance to Unlock It

Finally, the Cheeks outfit Fortnite release date is December 30, 2025. Or rather, this is the earliest that players opening their Winterfest gifts can unlock him. As of the time of writing, the Cheeks cosmetic will only be obtainable through the present feature. 

It’s unclear whether Epic Games will give some players an extension. But as of the time of writing, the last day for you to obtain Cheeks is January 5. So make sure to mark your calendars!

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Lady Loki Confirmed In New Trailer

After just a single day of rumors, leaks, and fan theories, Marvel Rivals has officially revealed the Lady Loki costume. As predicted, the new skin features a new voice actress and new readings of Loki’s iconic lines.

The upcoming skin will be available in the game’s store January 1, 2026, 6PM PT through January 29, 2026, 6PM PT. The price will be revealed tomorrow when the skin hits the shop.

The original post follows:

“Aw… Did You miss me?” Voice Line and Social Media post

The original post was released on the Marvel Rivals social media accounts Monday, December 29 and included the post text, “Aw… Did you miss me?” Although that line isn’t an exact match in the current voice lines database, some fans have pointed out that “Missed me” is a Loki line from the retired team-up he had with Hela in earlier seasons.

The female voice and the British accent are giving a lot of fans the feeling that this tease means a Lady Loki mythic skin could be on its way to the game this week or early in the new year.

If the tease really does mean a mythic rarity Loki skin is coming, then that would likely include a full character model swap and a new female voice actor. This would be the first time the game received that significant of a character variation.

If there is a Mythic Lady Loki skin coming to the game, it will be very interesting to see how different the price point is compared to the usual skins. Based on similar titles like Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends, Mythic-tier cosmetics often range from $40 to $80.

Hela or Lady Loki?

It’s worth noting that some fans are also thinking that the reveal will be a Hela skin instead. The reason behind this theory has to do with the silhouette and claws featured in some unconfirmed datamined assets. Skeptics of this theory point out that it would be strange to make sure a mysterious reveal for a standard Hela skin.

If the skin does end up being Lady Loki-inspired, it will be very interesting to see if Marvel Rivals leans into the MCU interpretation and brings Sylvie, from the Loki Disney+ series, into the game’s timeline. A Sylvie-inspired Mythic skin for Loki would explain the British accent and capitalize on the popularity of the MCU skins in the game.

At this point, Marvel Rivals hasn’t confirmed whether the tease is about Lady Loki, Hela, or someone else entirely. The full reveal is likely going to arrive within the next few days, so be sure to check back for updates often.

Marvel Rivals season 5 introduced Gambit and Rogue and is currently underway. The game is available now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

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Pokémon Gen 10 Map Leak Claims the New Region might be Eight Times Bigger Than Paldea

Back in October, we reported on a major Pokémon Gen 10 leak, which reportedly revealed the new game’s region and features. The biggest reveal, though, was that Pokémon Wind and Waves will allegedly have a massive map based on Southeast Asia. However, a new leak has revealed just how big the new region might actually be.

If true, it’s apparently eight times the size of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea Region. Concept images of Pokémon Wind and Waves’ map were uploaded in a post by “Light_88” on X. According to the user, the entire Paldea Region can fit in the middle of Pokémon Gen 10’s map.

“The scale of the new region is massive compared to Paldea. Since Generation 10 is based on Southeast Asia, the geographical leap is unprecedented. If Game Freak maintains this scale, each major island in the new region will be roughly the same size as the entire map of Paldea.”

Concept Images Suggest Pokémon Wind and Waves Will Feature Multiple Islands

While multiple Pokémon Gen 10 map images have appeared online in major Game Freak leaks, we still don’t know the actual scale of the region in the final build of the game. So while it appears Pokémon Wind and Waves will be much bigger than Gen 9, it’s speculation.

Still, just based on the concept images of the region’s map alone, it looks massive. Interestingly, the leaks back in October also claimed that Gen 10 would have multiple islands players could swim to.

Pokémon Fans Worried Gen 10’s Open World Will Feel Empty

To be clear, Pokémon Wind and Waves has not yet been confirmed to be fully open world. Based on leaks, it certainly seems like that is the direction it is heading, though. Not to mention, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea Region map was freely explorable. Regardless, Pokémon fans reacted to this latest leak about the Pokémon Gen 10 map having multiple islands with mixed feelings.

“So instead of having a smaller but better designed and more lively game, we’re going to have fields that are even emptier than those in Paldea… what a dream come true,” a user on X wrote, for example. Another commenter replied, “This game about to be empty asf. I can’t.” One comment simply exclaimed, “I pray that each island will be waaaaaay smaller than Paldea. We don’t want another garbage open world with nothing to do and see.”

A lot of these comments echo criticism Pokémon Scarlet and Violet faced back when it launched in 2022. While players liked the concept of an open world Pokémon region, they also didn’t like how “empty” the Paldea map felt.

It appears many fans are worried that Pokémon Gen 10’s ambitious scope might also face similar issues. That said, it’s important to point out that many of these Pokémon leaks are from Gen 10’s early development. The final game will be drastically different.

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Star Citizen Gets Closer to $1 Billion in Crowdfunding

Star Citizen began its crowdfunding journey all the way back in 2012. In the thirteen years since its record-breaking beginnings, the team at Roberts Space Industries have managed to crowdfund $928,446,689 and counting.

That staggering total comes from a combined 6,193,570+ contributors at the moment and is separate from any additional private funding the developers have acquired, as well.

It may be surprising that a crowdfunding effort is still raising money more than a decade after it originally launched, but it really does seem possible that the project could surpass the $1 billion raised milestone in the coming year if it continues to trend in the same direction it has been.

What Are Star Citizen Backers Getting for Their Money?

The most expensive Star Citizen pledge packages are built around very rare ships. The least expensive ships in the official Pledge Store come in at just $15, but the other end of the spectrum goes quite high.

The most expensive ship, the Javelin, currently sells for $3,000. Although the average player will obviously never drop that kind of money on a ship, there are enough whales making these types of purchases to continue to drive up the numbers on the Star Citizen crowd funding.

It’s worth noting that the leap in funding in 2025 wasn’t only due to ship sales, but also was helped by some technical breakthroughs on the project that helped make the alpha far more enjoyable. This year saw the implementation of some improvements to the game’s server meshing systems which improved server capacity and removed the need for certain transition load screens.

When Does Star Citizen Release?

When talking about the Star Citizen release, there are two related products to consider. First, there’s the Star Citizen MMO, which is the open multi-player experience. There is also a narrative, single-player campaign that is in development. That part of the package is called Squadron 42.

Star Citizen backers are able to play the game in an alpha state right now. The current version, Alpha 4.5, updated just a few weeks ago in mid-December. In its current state, the game allows players to engage in bounty hunting, mining, large-scale industrial hauling, medical rescue, and ship salvage. Star Citizen 1.0, which will take the MMO from alpha to commercial product, is a bit further off. The 1.0 release is expected in late 2027 or 2028, but there is no confirmed window at this point.

The team is still working on completion of the Squadron 42 single-player campaign. In late 2025, Chris Roberts confirmed the single-player campaign is feature complete. The team is now working on polishing and optimizing this game mode. This single-player experience is aiming for a 2026 release.

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Pokémon GO New Year 2026 Start and End times

The new year’s festivities in the mobile AR game will last for five days, which should give players plenty of time to take advantage of all the exciting bonuses and work through their Field Research over the coming week.

Here are the Pokémon GO New Year 2026 event start and end times:

Event Begins: Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time

Event Ends: Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time

Pokémon GO New Year 2026 Event Bonuses

During the event, players have some very strong bonuses that they’ll be able to enjoy. Stardust is one of the game’s most limited and valuable resources, so players of every level should take some time to go out and farm it during the New Year event.

Additionally, players who are still trying to hit the game’s max level should maximize their XP during the event if they’re able to afford some extra Raid Passes.

Event Bonuses

• 2× XP from Raid Battles.
• 2× Stardust from Raid Battles.
• Increased chance to encounter Shiny Pikachu wearing a party top hat in the wild and in raids.

The Blacephalon Boots avatar item will be available to purchase in the in-game shop during this event and will continue to be available after the event ends.

Featured Attack

Blacephalon encountered after five-star raids during the event will know the Charged Attack Mind Blown.

Trainer Battles: 90 power and guaranteed chance to decrease the user’s defense.
Gyms and raids: 130 power

Pokémon GO New Year 2026 Event Wild Encounters and Raid Battles

Wild Encounters

Players may encounter event-themed Pokémon in the wild, including:

• Bulbasaur wearing a party hat
• Jigglypuff wearing a ribbon
• Hoothoot wearing a New Year’s outfit (chance to be shiny)
• Pikachu wearing a party top hat (chance to be shiny)

Battle Raids

The following Pokémon will appear in raids. All of the raid bosses have a chance to be shiny during the event window.

One-Star Raids

• Pikachu wearing a party top hat
• Wurmple wearing a party hat

Three-Star Raids

• Raticate wearing a party hat
• Nidorino wearing a party hat
• Gengar wearing a party hat
• Wobbuffet wearing a party hat

Pokémon GO New Year 2026 Paid Research and Field Research

Paid Research

For US$1.99 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), players will be able to access event-exclusive Timed Research. Purchasing this ticket will also grant the following bonus during the New Year’s 2026 event.

• One additional Raid Pass per day from spinning Photo Discs at Gyms (for a daily total of two).

Players who complete the Timed Research will gain the following rewards:

• Two Premium Battle Passes
• 3,000 Stardust
• Encounters with Pikachu wearing a party top hat

Overall, the event should be a pretty exciting one for fans of the game. The Stardust bonus is one of the most popular recurring event features and is usually enough to keep players active and engaged throughout an event window.

Pokémon GO is available now on mobile devices. Players can enjoy the New Year event beginning December 31 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

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Nvidia set to remove Unlimited Game Streaming From GeForce Now

Kicking off on January 1, 2026, Nvidia’s new changes implement a 100-hour gameplay limit before you must pay extra for additional hours. GeForce Now is a streaming service that enables gamers to play their own games remotely, through powerful hardware. They are then able to stream those games to their devices, such as PCs, tablets, phones, and even some handheld consoles. This provided great flexibility to keep gamers playing their favorite titles, even when on the go. However, these new changes put a drawback on what was perhaps the best aspect of the service.

A first 100-hour gameplay cap was introduced for users who signed up to the service after January 1, 2025, with users who signed up prior being exempt. However, with these new changes, now those who were previously exempt will be faced with the same limitations.

will you be able to get more playtime for nvidia geforce now?

Players who wish to acquire additional hours of gameplay time will need to purchase them in fifteen-hour blocks. Those on the Performance plan (priced at $9.99 per month) can pick them up for $2.99 per fifteen hours, while users on the Ultimate plan (priced at $19.99 per month) will need to pay a slightly higher price at $5.99 per fifteen-minute block.

There’s also a free plan available for users, though it is supplied with ads. This tier enables users to play for one hour at a time, so it is far more limited than the paid plans. At the very least, though, it offers a decent option for those who want to use the service only now and again.

Interestingly enough, there may be a few lucky users who are exempt from these new changes being placed on their accounts. Gamers who subscribed to the Founder member scheme before March 17, 2021, will not face these limits. However, they will need to ensure they keep their subscription running to continue this benefit.

The post Nvidia Removing Unlimited Game Streaming for All Users In a Few Days appeared first on VICE.

Silent Hill Fans Will have plenty of New Releases to Look Forward To

This information comes from an interview over at Famitsu with Silent Hill series producer, Motoi Okamoto. In this special, he states that following the release of Silent Hill 2 remake in 2024 and Silent Hill f in 2025, the series is officially considered back on track.

As a result, the team behind the franchise now plans to release around one new Silent Hill game per year, including a mix of both previously revealed and currently unannounced projects. This surely seems like an ambitious approach, with even Motoi Okamoto stating that they’re not entirely sure if they will be able to achieve this, but they’ll be trying their best.

“We’re not sure how far we can achieve this, but we’ll do our best as the producer of the Silent Hill series. Ideally, we’d like to keep the buzz around Silent Hill constant. We’ll do our best to provide you with new updates, so we hope you’ll wait a little longer.”

What Projects Are Coming Next For the Silent Hill Franchise?

There are a couple of known projects that could be expected by fans as some of the first upcoming titles to look forward to. Both Silent Hill: Townfall and the Silent Hill remake are likely contenders. When it comes to Townfall, in particular, there have already been previous leaks to suggest that the title may release as soon as 2026. If these leaks end up being true, then fans could be in for a treat very soon. As for the Silent Hill remake, this could potentially follow in 2027, if the Silent Hill team manages to stay true to their one-release-per-year goal.

Some fans have shown concern in response to this news. For the most part, there seems to be some concern that if new releases for the franchise are pushed this consistently, the quality may take a dive as a result. However, this has already been touched on by Motoi Okamoto as well. According to the series producer, the quality of the gameplay and story in any new title is just as much of a priority as frequent releases.

“The quality of the story as a psychological horror is paramount for SILENT HILL. We produce with both the desire to deliver a new title every year and the responsibility to ensure the quality is guaranteed.”

Will fans be lucky enough to start off the supposed yearly release schedule a previously-confirmed Silent Hill game project in 2026? All players can do for now is simply sit tight and keep their eyes peeled for more news and future updates.

The post If You’re a Silent Hill Fan, You’re Going to Love What Konami’s Planning appeared first on VICE.

Leak: BioShock 4 Will Prominently Feature a Casino

According to MP1st’s sources, BioShock 4 has experienced plenty of development drama, but the project is still marching forward. The sources offered MP1st some details about the game and confirmed that one of the prominent locations in BioShock 4 will be a casino.

Casinos and gambling have made appearances multiple times throughout the BioShock franchise, so this information certainly feels in theme with the larger aesthetic and tone.

The leak also suggested that there will be a district or location called Solaria or Solaris. The source did not provide any visual assets included for this location, but the name does align with other leaks and references to Solarians. It will be interesting to see if the Solarians end up being a new faction of some kind or just the name for citizens from this area.

BioShock 4 Will Feature Snow and Cold Weather

Earlier leaks reported that BioShock 4 would take place in an Antarctic setting and the new information in this leak seems to point in that direction as well. According to the new leak the game is aiming to use snow as an environmental factor. There’s no specific information in the leak about how the weather will actually impact gameplay at this time.

Additional assets included in the leak also reveal some locations that aren’t covered in snow, though. The additional environments include large, rocky canyon-style landscapes. Fans of BioShock Infinite may also notice the cables and machinery included in the images. The images definitely look unfinished and appear to be from early technical tests.

Who are the BioShock 4 Characters?

The leaker did not offer specific plot details or character descriptions, but some of the leaked assets do include character models or art depicting references to possible characters. Given the unfinished state of these assets, it seems unwise to speculate too much about the characters based on these images alone.

The leaked information includes a reference to “Male Flusher”, which could potentially be a new enemy for players to face off against. Some reports are suggesting this could be a new version of the original BioShock’s Splicers.

Additionally, the assets include a golden statue of a stern male figure. There’s no context provided with the image, but the original report suggests that perhaps this man could be the new game’s antagonist, similar to Andrew Ryan or Comstock.

There is a man in a grey suit and tie included in one of the images that the original report suggests could be a protagonist, but it seems equally likely that the model is just a stand-in NPC for scale.

The Current State of BioShock 4

Excited fans should remember to view these leaks through the lens of recent studio problems. In August 2025, Cloud Chamber reportedly cut nearly one-third of its staff following an internal narrative review. Industry veteran Rod Fergusson is now leading the project, so these leaked assets likely represent a mix of the original vision and the newer, reworked direction that 2K is hoping to bring to life.

BioShock 4 is currently in development and does not have a confirmed release window.

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Where Did the Halo 2 Leak Files Come From?

An anonymous user on 4chan visited the /v/ board on December 26, 2025 and dropped a folder full of files without any further context. Some brave users were bold enough to download the files and quickly realized that the post was a huge dump of original Halo 2 assets.

According to the report from Clawsome Gamer, the bundle of files contained a May 3, 2003 build, which included pre-E3 development tools like blam.exe and sapien.exe editors, plus the “pstencil” stencil shadow rendering system that was ultimately cut; and a May 11, 2003 build featuring the complete E3 demo as a runnable .xbe executable.

Halo 2 Earth City and Early Tools Revealed

The most interesting look behind-the-scenes included in the files is the Earth City demo. This portion of the E3 2003 presentation was a major showstopper at the time. The Earth City demo featured an invasion sequence on Earth, dramatic stencil shadow lighting, and a huge leap forward in character animations compared to the game’s predecessor.

According to users who have run the files, the full assets include environment details that were never seen in the final product or the E3 demo. By exploring the raw sapien.exe and blam.exe tools from this era, fans can learn a little more about the full scale of the cut content. The development of Halo 2 took a major run after the 2003 E3 demo, so this build captures a pivotal moment in the franchise history.

How to Access and Run the Halo 2 Leaked Files

The leaked Halo 2 files were not officially shared or approved by Xbox or Microsoft. It is not recommended that users download files from anonymous sources, even if other 4chan users have already been exploring them. There is a significant risk of malware when downloading any unverified files.

Gamers who do end up accessing the files would need to run the builds on original Xbox hardware or via emulators.

The original post may be taken down once Microsoft takes action, but there are likely already enough backups floating around that it will be very hard to scrub these assets from the internet. It seems quite likely that the community can expect a wave of copyright strikes on YouTube and social media platforms as Microsoft attempts to remove the public documentation of the company’s internal tools and files.

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