It is mid-January 2026. The holiday glitter has been swept away, the Clair Obscur discourse has finally died down to a dull roar, and we are left with the cold, hard reality of the new year.
If you thought 2026 was going to start with a bang, I have bad news. It’s starting with patches, remakes, and a rumor mill that is working harder than my GPU trying to run Ark 2.
Here is what’s happening in the gaming world right now.
1. The “Switch 2” Patch Pandemic
If you own a Nintendo Switch 2, congratulations on surviving the scalpers. If you don’t, good luck playing anything new without feeling left out. We are currently in the “Patch Era.” Animal Crossing: New Horizons just got its “Switch 2 Edition” update yesterday. Does it look better? Yes. Does it change the fact that I am still in debt to a raccoon? No. Dynasty Warriors: Origins and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade are also queuing up for Switch 2 updates next week. Basically, we are paying full price to play games we bought three years ago, but now with more pixels.
2. The Ubisoft “Shadow Drop” Panic
The internet is currently losing its mind over a PNG file. Yes, really. Dataminers found a file labeled game-release-tomorrow.png in Ubisoft’s backend, and everyone is convinced the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake is going to shadow drop this week. My Take: I want to believe. I really do. But this is the game that has been delayed more times than I’ve missed a cannon minion. If it does drop, I will stream it immediately. If it doesn’t, I will continue to pretend it was a fever dream.
3. CES 2026: Intel Actually Won?
I usually ignore CES because it’s mostly smart toasters and TVs that cost more than a car. But apparently, Intel showed up with “Panther Lake” chips that are actually impressive for mobile gaming. Meanwhile, Nvidia didn’t launch a new consumer GPU, which means my current graphics card is safe from obsolescence for at least another six months. Small victories.
4. What to Play Right Now (Jan 16)
If you are bored of your backlog, here is what just landed:
- Released Today: BrokenLore: Unfollow A horror game about the terrors of social media. It just dropped on PS5 and PC today. It looks genuinely creepy, so if you have a tolerance for jumpscares and “social commentary” about being online, this is the weekend pick.
- Coming Soon (Jan 22): Arknights: Endfield The anime gacha train keeps rolling. It’s got base building and real-time combat. I will likely check it out for 10 hours, spend $0, and then retire when the grind hits.
5. The GTA VI Release Date… Again
Just a friendly reminder that the latest “insider” info (and by info, I mean optimistic guessing) has GTA VI pegged for November 19, 2026. That is 10 months away. Do not pre-order. Do not get excited. Do not look at the water physics trailers. Stay strong.
What’s Next for the Channel: We are officially on “Shadow Drop Watch” for Prince of Persia. If Ubisoft actually releases it, expect a stream immediately. Until then, keep an eye on the schedule.
Join the channel here for the actual updates.
