Patch Notes #55 - weekly gaming digest

Welcome to the 55th edition of Patch Notes. Let’s get this bad boy going.

This edition will cover the week from 5 January to 11 January.

What caught my attention?

Fire Emblem Sacred Stones (GBA) and Fire Emblem Path of Radiance (GC) have been released on the NSO (Nintendo Switch Online). I therefore assume my top 3 for the year are already done?

• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave (Switch 2)

• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

• Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones

Jokes aside, if you haven’t tried them yet, it’s a great opportunity to do so! Both games are fantastic in their own right. I have a special fondness for Sacred Stones because it was released on my all-time favorite console, the GBA, which hosts many of my top titles. Intelligent Systems was at its peak then, with titles like Fire Emblem 6/7/8 and Advance Wars. We also enjoyed Golden Sun, tons of other excellent JRPGs, and classic platformers such as Mario Advance and Sonic Advance series. Anyway, I’m an old man fondly recalling the good old days :)

Aside from that, I am keeping an eye on:

• Persona 6’s potential reveal (a man can dream)

• The discourse around AI is becoming increasingly… intense on both sides.

TLDR

• GamesRadar published an article stating Dispatch broke the author out of their gaming slump when nothing else could. GamesRadar

• Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 raised $2.44 million (£1.8m) for Prevent Cancer Foundation and closed with a 70-player relay in Super Mario 64 Replay. Eurogamer

• Polygon published an article explaining how Final Fantasy Tactics’ ending redefines its opening cutscene, containing spoilers for Delita. Polygon

• Former Assassin’s Creed director Alexandre Amancio stated the future of game design lies in smaller teams and that big-budget developers cannot solve problems by throwing people at it. Eurogamer

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developers stated they basically did twice the work of a more experienced team, with younger staff having no expectations about studio operations. GamesRadar

• Larian lead stated the writing process for Divinity encourages chaos and breaks situations in every conceivable way as Baldur’s Gate 3 devs move onto Divinity. GamesRadar

• Larian stated Divinity’s character customisation will feature more colors, more options, and more control than Baldur’s Gate 3’s. PC Gamer

• GameStop reportedly shut hundreds of US stores as CEO strives for $35bn pay packet. Eurogamer

• Polygon published an article stating Animal Crossing defined cozy gaming yet cruelty made the original special, with Tom Nook and neighbors insulting the player at the start. Polygon

• Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s protagonist melds a young, rough-edged Musashi as a historical figure with a cinematic legend. GamesRadar

• Polygon listed 5 weird PS5 colors Sony could make next following announcement of bold new Hyperpop faceplates after five years. Polygon

• The Witcher 3’s former lead quest designer stated romance is in upcoming vampire RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, allowing players to build relationships with characters. PC Gamer

• RPG Site published a guide on unlocking all six Trial Maps in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, part of its challenging Trial Mode. RPG Site

• One of Steam’s first hits of 2026 is an adorable co-op adventure game about exploring wastelands on the back of a giant crab. GamesRadar

• GameSpot listed most anticipated games of 2026 from GTA 6 to 007: First Light. GameSpot

• Former Little Nightmares devs’ End of Abyss from Section 9 Interactive blends top-down twin-stick shooter and Metroidvania exploration. GamesRadar

• Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi considered how much to include from spin-offs as devs did not just want to make a remake. GamesRadar

• Divinity lead stated Larian is taking notes on all UI mods for Baldur’s Gate 3, with more improvements in mind that could not fit into releases. GamesRadar

• Valorant’s latest update adds a new pistol for early rounds as Riot plans a holistic look at the arsenal through 2026 to emphasize gunplay. PC Gamer

• Returnal spiritual sequel Saros lets players keep upgrades when looping. GamesRadar

• Deadlock dev teased the community over favorite hero Fathom that was briefly tested and removed, stating they made delicious stock out of his bones and meats. PC Gamer

• Baldur’s Gate 3 boss stated lack of Switch 2 version was not their decision, suggesting it is up to Wizards of the Coast. VGC

• Nintendo Life reviewed Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance on GameCube as aged and easier than expected but still a winner, noting Japanese Maniac difficulty mode. Nintendo Life

• Publisher GREE and developer ASOBIMO announced Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Chronicle of Echoes for iOS and Android. Gematsu

• Pokémon developer Game Freak will reveal more about Beast of Reincarnation at Xbox Developer Direct showcase on 22nd January 2026. Nintendo Life

• Counter-Strike 2 confirmed Anubis returns to Premier Season Four map pool after six-month absence, with Season Three ending January 19th. Esports Insider

• Baldur’s Gate 3 composer Borislav ‘Bobby’ Slavov is returning for Divinity, as confirmed twice during Larian’s Reddit AMA by Swen Vincke. PC Gamer

• Valve spent 2025 ripping apart Deadlock and putting it back together, delivering better live service than most live service games. PC Gamer

• Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai stated working on massive games with hundreds of devs can be frustrating, with work that shows results and work that does not. GamesRadar

• Masahiro Sakurai stated he does not think he is a hit maker despite creating Kirby and Super Smash Bros, and is envious of other devs’ creations. GamesRadar

• GameStop shuttered an estimated 400 stores in 2026, with around 295 already closed or winding down by Thursday and nearly 400 by Friday. Polygon

• Larian stated they would have loved Baldur’s Gate 3 on Switch 2 but it was not their decision, and will certainly consider Divinity for it. Nintendo Life

• Cygames established Cygames AI Studio subsidiary on January 9, 2026, to develop and provide generative AI-based tools and services. Siliconera

• Nex Playground announced an NBA game coming in 2026 along with more sports games and online gameplay. Polygon

• Over half of The Sims development team is working on The Sims 4 and the next evolution. PC Gamer

• Capcom shared a trailer for Alex in Street Fighter 6 ahead of his early Spring 2026 debut as part of Year 3 Character Pass DLC. Siliconera

• Roblox began global rollout of facial age verification on January 9, 2026, following partial rollout in December to improve child safety. Eurogamer

• Reports indicated Discord confidentially filed for IPO, a move towards going public. Eurogamer

• Square Enix announced NieR: Automata 9th Anniversary Stream on February 20, 2026, at 7:30 PM JST featuring Yosuke Saito, Yoko Taro, Keiichi Okabe, and Takahisa Taura. Siliconera

• Polygon stated Dungeons & Dragons is primed for major reinvention in 2026 after 50th anniversary, 5th edition update, and staffing turnover. Polygon

Biggest releases of the week?

Have a nice day/week!