We are starting today with a story. Back in 2023, a little game called Baldur’s Gate 3 was released. It was the darling of the internet and turned Larian into a household name. I bring this up because when Larian announced it used AI for Baldur’s Gate, the 360 was insane.
It was no longer loved; gamers were so angry. Angry enough that Larian backpedalled on its plans to use AI in the future. This is but a microcosm of the near-universal distaste our community has for AI. Surely, any company could see this and get the idea that maybe we don’t want it. And yet.
Razer completely misses the point with $600 million investment
Despite all the discourse, Razer has decided that we want nothing more than AI. And so, they have invested $600 million in the technology. They are recruiting 150 AI scientists to work on projects such as Motoko, a headset with real-time audio and visual processing. That sounds normal, but it doesn’t stay that way.
You know how we all want to trap a little person in a jar and have them talk to us all day? No? Then explain where Project AVA came from. It is a holographic anime character who will sit in a jar and act as an AI companion. AVA can help with life, work, and gaming, and is just so weird. I don’t want it; it is kind of creepy. I don’t think anyone does.
A Sony patent resurfaces that will take gaming away from gamers
If an anime jar telling you how to play games is up your street, what about letting them play it for you instead? That is what Sony is envisioning, according to a patent filed last year that recently resurfaced. Never let it be said that the Wayward Roundup is not at the cutting edge of news.
The idea is that you can summon a ghost character that will show you what you need to do to continue. It sounds helpful, but when you remember you can just look up a guide on YouTube without using more electricity than a small town, then it feels like a waste. In Sony’s defence, I will say one thing. There is a mode suggestion where the AI will do some interactive actions for the player. I think this could do wonders for accessibility options for those who want to game but might struggle with some motor skills and the like. I will support gaming for all.
Toshiyuki Itahana leaves Square Enix
It is sad times at Square Enix towers, as artist supreme Toshiyuki Itahana has left the company. He left at a high point, as the world clamours for more Final Fantasy IX, the game where he was the character and card designer. That is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as his impact went far beyond that one game.
He was a guest creator during the Omega saga on Final Fantasy XIV, the main designer for the Chocobo spin-offs and the Crystal Chronicles series, amongst many others. According to Itahana himself, he has left to become a freelance illustrator and character designer, so Square’s loss is the gaming world’s gain.
Mega Man might be making a return
From the departure of a legend to the return of one, with Capcom dropping hints that we could see more of an old friend this year. It isn’t one of my favourite series, but there is no denying that Mega Man is one of Capcom’s biggest franchises. We already know that the Star Force Legacy Collection is coming to consoles this year, but could there be more?
When talking to Famitsu about 2026, Capcom’s Izumi Shingo seemed to have one thing on his mind. Mega Man will turn 40 next year, and Shingo wants to make 2026 a year of preparations for this celebration. We don’t know what this entails right now, but it will be interesting to see as the year goes on.
Schedule 1 sits as Steam’s highest-rated game of 2025
We are ending on a story that is both hilarious and inspirational. In a year when we have had the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, and Dispatch grabbing the gaming world by the throat, it was the little guy who came out on top. And it isn’t even really out yet.
As reported by Games Radar, indie hit Schedule 1, a story about being a drug dealer, was the highest-rated Steam game of 2025. I think this means that, by rights, it has to be Game of the Year when it releases. Although on a serious note, it is great to see that an indie game created by a smash team can take on all comers, even if it is about dealing drugs.
