It’s EVO weekend, but at this point in time, no big news have emerged yet. Until next Monday hits, there won’t be a Big Picture topic worth talking about this week.

At least there’s a bunch of big news and game releases out to cap off the month of July 2025.

Short Beats

EVO, or Evolution Championship Series, is a big fighting game tournament taking place in Las Vegas this weekend from 2nd to 4th August GMT+8, featuring the best fighters, the top fighting games being used, and upcoming news about the future of the genre. 

EA has announced the next mass multiplayer PvP military-themed shooter Battlefield 6, launching this 10 October. Open beta weekends for the game will be set for 9-10 August and 14-17 August. 

Nintendo’s latest Nintendo Direct July 2025 Partners Showcase featured a slew of new game announcements:

• Octopath Traveler 0, the next JRPG entry slated for 4th December 2025. 
• The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales, a new action RPG from the makers of Octopath Traveler, out in 2026. 
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a new hack-and-slash Zelda game out this Winter. 
• Plants vs Zombies: Replanted, a remaster of the original 2010 tower defense puzzle title, out this October. 
• Once Upon A Katamari, a new entry in the ball-rolling and stuff-amassing puzzle series slated for October. 

Les Copaque has released a YouTube video addressing burning questions about the Upin & Ipin Universe, including copyright claims on  SEA streamers playing their game (like CupID15) and the RM177+ price tag. The video has received 1,000 likes and 17,000 dislikes.

Sony is suing Tencent, claiming its upcoming game Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of the Horizon series. 

Op-Ed

We have made a video addressing the recent Upin & Ipin question-and-answer video, and why most of it is allegedly framed dishonestly. 

We also made a comparison video between the new Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and the classic 1988 NES original. 

Games Out This Week

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a 2D action platformer title that pits you as ninjas Kenji and Kumori as they team up to defeat the demon onslaught in Japan. Features lovely graphics & animation, fast-paced 2D action, epic boss fights, a slew of upgrades & Ragebound moves, and gameplay design work from The Game Kitchen (of Blasphemous series fame). 

Mashina is a new stop-motion adventure game where you play as a robot who has to dig for resources and fix up its top-level robot community. 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is the follow-up 3D arena fighting game sequel based on the acclaimed Demon Slayer manga/anime series. The new entry boasts over 40 characters and more high-flying attacks and story scenarios to relive in 3D battle form. 

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is a fantasy life simulation title taking place in the Shire. You play as a Hobbit as you discover, decorate, and share your homestead and house designs in a cozy simulated playground. 

Recommended Viewing

Accursed Farms has teamed up with Olive Badger and Alderon Games to provide a very detailed Stop Killing Games FAQ for game developers. 

Ryan “gootecks” Gutierrez opened up an insightful thread on the future of fighting game tournament organizers, as well as why large-scale open-bracket tournaments are not a viable business model. 

Large scale, open bracket tournaments are a dead-end business model.

Most tournament organizers can't find the right balance between being community-driven or profit-driven, which causes:
– inefficiencies in running brackets
– inconsistent setups
– subpar viewer experience
?? https://t.co/J5J7e8ETwW pic.twitter.com/M0dxZVNQnF

— gootecks (@gootecks) July 29, 2025