For every beloved anime franchise, there will always come a time when the only thing left to do is to pit all of its characters inside a fighting game. So far, it’s happened with Dragon Ball, Naruto, My Hero Academia, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Soon, Avatar: The Last Airbender is joining the fight. An official fighting game is coming.

Announced during New York Comic Con, the upcoming title, temporarily called Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, will pit the franchise’s most powerful characters against each other. According to the Steam page, the game’s launch will see 12 initial characters for gamers to fight with. More characters will then come afterward through a seasonal model. From the trailer, we can already confirm Aang, Korra, Toph, Sokka, Azula, Katara, and Zuko.

Importantly, the game will use 2D drawn animation. Its style will thankfully look similar to the original series. It will also feature special powers using something the developers call a “flow system.” And characters will get swappable support characters to bolster their powers.

It will feature a single-player campaign featuring an original narrative.

It’s all currently vague because the game is in pre-alpha development. However, Gameplay Group International, the game’s developers, has already confirmed a release date window during the summer of next year. It will launch on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.

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NBA China and Alibaba Cloud have announced a multi-year partnership to elevate the fan experience locally through AI and cloud technologies.

Through the collaboration, Alibaba Cloud becomes the Official Cloud Computing and AI Partner of NBA in the country.

NBA China will utilize Alibaba Cloud’s AI and cloud computing services to support a wide range of digital fan engagement initiatives.

This includes the development of a proprietary AI model for NBA China based on Alibaba’s Qwen series of foundational models.

The scope of the partnership encompasses even the NBA All-Star, NBA Playoffs, and NBA Finals.

Even Quark and the Tongyi App, which are Alibaba’s consumer-facing AI applications, will also become Official Marketing Partners of NBA China.

Moreover, NBA China will leverage Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to host its digital destinations. These include the NBA App, the league’s official website in China, and NBA China mini-programs.

In addition, Alibaba Cloud will debut a Real-Time 360 Replay Solution at The NBA China Games 2025. This shall provide fans with AI-powered visual enhancements to replay highlights.

This year’s NBA China Games will likewise showcase innovative and interactive  experiences powered by Alibaba Cloud’s AI capabilities.

At NBA House, fans can create personalized NBA-themed avatars and generate iconic commentary clips in a voice replicated from a sample of their own.

Lastly, as part of the multi-year deal, NBA China will also utilize Alibaba Cloud’s intelligent analytical tools to generate data-driven insights. This shall help enhance the league’s fan engagement efforts locally.

A Minecraft Movie was decidedly not for me. However, there’s no denying how much the movie was so effective for younger fans and gamers who grew up with Minecraft. It’s one of the highest-grossing movies this year. Even if I didn’t personally like it, I still consider it a success for videogame adaptations. Now, recognizing the film’s success, Warner Bros. has signed off on a sequel to Jack Black’s blocky caper, as confirmed by Variety.

It’s a mystery where the sequel will take players. Not to spoil anything, but the original movie did end with virtually loose ends neatly tied into a bow. Then again, Minecraft is an endless well of content. Where one story ends, another can just as easily open up in its place. As a game, it’s a completely open sandbox where nothing is limited.

However, to establish continuity, the sequel is reportedly tapping the talents of director Jared Hess once again. Chris Galleta might also come back to write the screenplay.

Interestingly, Jack Black is not confirmed yet. But given how much of a star he was as Steve, it’s hard to imagine a sequel without his energy, so it’s likely that he’s coming back. On a more positive note, Jason Momoa, who co-starred as Garrett Garrison, is expected to co-produce the sequel.

Warner Bros. has currently scheduled the sequel’s premiere on July 23, 2027.

SEE ALSO: Now Playing: A Minecraft Movie