The gaming industry has delivered some more gaming news today, including Nintendo Direct announcements and two indie games getting confirmed release dates.
Here at Simulation Daily, we publish roundups with more gaming news that couldn’t be covered in individual articles to keep you up to date with the work and games from a wider variety of developers than we otherwise could.
Take a look at some of the headlines from today’s news.
Two Nintendo Directs To Air Next Week
By Rebecca Stone
It was announced today that there will be two Nintendo Directs airing next week. One will focus exclusively on content for the Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary, and the other will be a general Nintendo Direct featuring games for the Switch 2.
The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct will air on September 8 at 10 am ET and last for approximately 30 minutes. It is likely that we will learn more information about the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake, which is set to release later this year, and the Legend of Zelda movie, which is scheduled for a theatrical release on April 30, 2027.
The general Nintendo Direct will air the next day, September 9, at 10 am ET. It will run for approximately 45 minutes.
Both Directs will air on Nintendo’s official YouTube channels.
Mayday: The Survival Island Gets Release Date
By Rebecca Stone
Mayday: The Survival Island, an open-world survival game, now has a release date. Pequi Studios and Indie.io announced today at PAX West that the game will release on November 2.
There are more than just the typical survival elements in Mayday: The Survival Island; players can turn natural resources into potions, raise and herd sheep, bring buffalo back to the farm, and more. There are 24 islands with mysteries to explore, all hand-drawn in a top-down pixel style.
You can watch the release date trailer below to see all the things you can do in the game.
There’s a demo available on Steam to try the game now before it releases on November 2.
Party Game Planted! Gets A Release Date
By Rebecca Stone
Planted! also got a release date today; Cloth Cat Games and Curveball Games announced that the multiplayer party game will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29.
Players can face off against friends in 1-4 player gardening arena combat by sowing, growing, and throwing their way to victory. Solo players can also enjoy a single-player campaign.
You can watch the release date trailer below to see the chaotic fun in action.
And like Mayday: The Survival Island, Planted! has a demo available on Steam to try out now ahead of the October 29 release.
Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow Reveals New Gameplay Details
by Giuseppe Nelva
Arc System Works revealed new gameplay details and a trailer for the upcoming tactical counter-timeline RPG Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow.
Here’s what we learned:
- Battle System Overview: A Tactical Counter-Timeline RPG
- An exhilarating and unique battle system in which players stack skills effectively within the flow of time to deal massive damage to enemies.
- At a glance, it may look like an action RPG, but it is in fact a game built on new command-battle mechanics.
- Combat Fundamentals
- Players make full use of Counter Skills (which are sorted into Red, Blue, and Yellow) to counter enemy attacks and strategically aim to defeat their foes.
- At low difficulties, simply aiming for counters is enough to defeat enemies easily and satisfyingly. As the difficulty rises, however, enemies begin using multi-layered attacks that simple counters cannot answer — so you will need to switch skillfully between the two protagonists and make full use of a wide range of support skills.
- In addition to attack skills, there are also varied support skills, such as skills that raise attack speed and recovery skills.
- These many skills, which broaden your tactical options, become unlockable from the Relationship Chart screen — where the state of the investigation is compiled — as the story progresses. By combining those skills, you can devise a skill set that suits you and fight in your own style.
- The Timeline
- In the game’s battles, the skills performed by both the enemy and players are displayed on the Timeline at the center of the screen, showing activation timing, type, and more.
- The Timeline extends symmetrically to the left and right, and the moment a skill’s bar reaches the center is that skill’s activation timing.
- Enemy attacks and the player’s own attacks are performed in multiple layers and registered here.
- Players devise their strategy using this distinctive Timeline as their guide.
- Counter Skills
- Overlaying a skill of the same color onto an enemy skill displayed on the Timeline triggers a counter.
- Attack skills capable of countering have cooldowns, and a skill whose cooldown has not yet recovered will have reduced damage and a narrower counter window. Be mindful of your skill rotation and use your skills effectively.
- There are also enemy techniques that must be countered by both protagonists at once. Some of these Buddy Counters will not occur unless countered with attack skills whose cooldowns have recovered, and some produce special effects when the two protagonists use them in succession — so players will need to keep this in mind and consider which skill to use in which situation.
- Aerial Launches and Follow-Up Attacks
- By landing a successful counter, players can launch lesser enemies into the air and deal follow-up attacks.
- Since these follow-up attacks can each be performed by either of the two protagonists once the enemy has fallen, switching between them instantly is the way to go.
- Downs and Secret Arts
- By landing a successful counter, players can drain the gauge of enemies that have a Down Gauge.
- Enemies downed by the Down Gauge always take critical hits, allowing players to deal massive damage. During this window, rack up critical damage until the enemy gets back up, then finish with a special attack known as a Secret Art to deal maximum damage.
- This critical damage can be increased greatly through passive skills and support battle skills, so stacking criticals as a strategy yields a large return.
- At the start of the game, only Rena can unleash a Secret Art, but as players progress, Soma grows able to unleash one as well.
- Story Progression
- The story progresses by selecting locations that players can visit on the map of Tokyo.
- The events that occur change depending on the location visited and the time. Choose your destinations carefully as you search for the cause of the Anomalies’ emergence.
- Voice Recording
- The story progresses fully voiced. It will draw players into a chaotic world where Anomalies emerge.
- Mystic Pass
- By progressing through the story, it becomes possible to acquire skills. Some skills are locked behind passwords called Mystic Passes.
- Mystic Passes can be acquired within the in-game SNS feature, or by chance on the battle results screen. They are quite difficult to discover, so players are encouraged to share them with each other on social media and uncover the Mystic Passes together.
The game is coming on September 24, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster Is Coming to the West
For fans of The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, NIS America has announced that the latest game by its creators is coming to the West.
The title is The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster, and it’s an adorable story-driven puzzle adventure game inspired by classic fairy tales.
While it’s already available in Japan, it’ll come to the West for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.
