Gaming
Apple Arcade: All upcoming titles, updates for January 2023
An interactive storytelling game and more
Several updates and new games are loading your way throughout the month of January as Apple Arcade opens 2023 in the same way it did last year.
There will new games to be made available on Arcade every weekend, plus tons of updates on already existing titles on the platform.
Episode XOXO
To kick things off, the next installment of the no. 1 interactive storytelling game, Episode XOXO (Pocket Gems), is coming exclusively to Apple Arcade.
In Episode: Choose Your Story, players may be able to choose their own destiny and live out stories of love, romance, adventure, drama, and more. This will be released along with 5 original stories:
- Little Star
- The Royal Bachelor
- No Time For Love
- The Secret He Keeps
- Road To Wonderland
Next, merged jigsaw and word puzzle game Illustrated (Border Leap) will also be made available on Arcade starting on January 13.
In this interactive title, players get to choose beautiful pictures and learn more about the stories behind them.
As one tries to complete the puzzle, concealed words are also there to solve which unveils more details about the chosen illustration.
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!
Meanwhile, from the same creators of the Pokemon RPG series comes Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! (GAME FREAK), to be released on January 20.
The remake of the original classic released on Nintendo 3DS is a unique and fast-paced mash-up of solitaire and virtual horse racing.
This game challenges players to clear cards like in traditional solitaire to affect their chosen horse positively. The race itself gives everyone the chance to secure special cards if their horses run over them.
Players may opt for the solo mode or compete in online leaderboards with the strongest horses to conquer races around the world.
Squiggle Drop
Lastly, physics-based puzzle game Squiggle Drop will be available starting on January 27.
Those into creativity and imagination will definitely like this new title from Noodlecake, as it urges players to solve physics puzzles by drawing shapes.
There are over 100 puzzles, each with multiple and surprising solutions. Players also earn rewards from each solved puzzle, en route to building their own Squiggletown.
New content updates
On the other hand, the following games will have either new updates or content, so stay tuned:
- Angry Birds Reloaded
- Grindstone
- Jetpack Joyride 2
- Skate City
- LEGO Star Wars: Castaways
- Zookeeper World
- WHAT THE GOLF?
- Subway Surfers Tag
- Warped Kart Racers
Gaming
Next Xbox might cost double the price of an Xbox today
The most expensive Xbox Series X costs $900. The next Xbox’s price might double that.
Buying a new gaming setup must be one of the most torturous things you can purchase these days. The rising price of chips has hampered the buying ability of many a consumer today. Sadly, that trend isn’t changing anytime soon. According to new reports, the next Xbox might cost double of what an Xbox costs these days.
The next console is currently codenamed Project Helix. Spearheaded by relatively new Xbox CEO Asha Sherma, Project Helix has hopes of being an all-around gaming machine capable of playing PC games besides console exclusives. Sharma obviously wants the platform to come back as a worthy destination for gamers.
That’s a monumental task, though, especially after the rising prices of chips are constantly threatening the prices of new devices. Now, according to a profile of Sharma published by Fortune, the next Xbox might cost as high as US$ 1,800. For reference, the limited 25th anniversary edition of the Xbox Series X currently costs US$ 899.
Should Fortune’s estimate hold true, a new console in the coming years is double the cost of the most expensive Xbox Series X variant available today. The next generation of gaming might be even more of a luxury than it already is.
Unfortunately, things aren’t getting better across the board. Gaming on PC and on PlayStation aren’t going to be much cheaper as the RAM crisis continues.
SEE ALSO: Xbox might get rid of physical discs too
One of the giants has fallen. After blessing the world with several of the biggest franchises in gaming, BioWare is shutting down for good.
If you were a big gamer in the late 00’s through the early ‘10s, BioWare was a household name for you. The studio is responsible for the Dragon Age and the Mass Effect franchises. Those two franchises defined the modern choice-driven RPG landscape today.
Unfortunately, the landscape is changing. Over a year ago, a conglomeration of entities entered acquisition talks over Electronic Arts, which owns BioWare. As the ink finally dries on the contract, some studios are facing the chopping block. After struggling with the lackluster sales of Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare finds itself as the biggest name for a shutdown.
And that’s where we are now. As a result of the shutdown, BioWare’s upcoming project, an untitled Mass Effect title, is also cancelled.
Obviously, Dragon Age and Mass Effect are on top of everyone’s minds. However, the studio’s shutdown also takes away the legacy of Baldur’s Gate (before Larian Studio revamped the series with the award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3) and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Likewise, BioWare won’t be the only casualty. Electronic Arts is also looking into altering its entire lineup of studios and upcoming projects.
SEE ALSO: Electronic Arts is getting bought out
Entertainment
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 now streaming, Cyberpunk 2077 update coming
Edgerunners returns to Night City
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is now streaming on Netflix, with all 10 episodes available to watch. CD PROJEKT RED and animation studio TRIGGER have also announced a new update for Cyberpunk 2077, bringing content inspired by the anime to the game.
The Edgerunners 2 Update (Update 2.5) launches on October 22, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A Nintendo Switch 2 release will follow shortly.
Edgerunners returns with a new cast
Set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 tells a standalone story through an entirely new cast of characters. The series follows a veteran edgerunner, a young cinephile, a chrome-obsessed delinquent, and a Snake Nation netrunner as their stories explore vengeance and redemption in Night City.
Director Kai Ikarashi leads the new installment, with Kanno Ichigo serving as lead character designer. Masahiko Otsuka returns as a collaborator, while Bartosz Sztybor serves as showrunner, story writer, and producer.
Both Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 are available exclusively on Netflix.
Cyberpunk 2077 gets a new update
CD PROJEKT RED announced the Edgerunners 2 Update alongside the anime’s premiere on October 20. The free update will introduce new items and features to Cyberpunk 2077, including content inspired by the new series.
The update launches on October 22 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. CD PROJEKT RED has yet to announce the Nintendo Switch 2 release date beyond confirming that it will follow shortly.
The studio will reveal more details during a special episode of REDstreams on October 21. The broadcast will air on Twitch, YouTube, and Steam, with official patch notes scheduled for release on the same day.
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