January 2026 turned out to be a genuinely packed month for action RPG fans – and we kept busy making sure you didn’t have to wade through the chaos alone.
From sweeping balance changes reshaping how you run Nightreign expeditions, to two highly anticipated Soulslike sequels making their grand entrances, to a long-overdue deep dive into Elden Ring’s criminally underutilised crafting system, there was no shortage of content to dig into. If you missed anything – or just want a refresher before diving into the full articles – here’s a breakdown of everything we covered this month.
A Quick Summary of Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.03.2
FromSoftware has started 2026 with a balance patch that’s going to make you rethink everything you thought you knew about Nightreign expeditions – and yes, that includes your beloved bow build. Sorry, not sorry.
Patch 1.03.2 is the real deal. We’re talking sweeping changes across Nightfarer classes, weapons, raid events, and core mechanics that go way beyond the usual bug-fix housekeeping. So where do we even start?
Executor is the patch’s undisputed MVP. The Cursed Sword skill is now an actual powerhouse for skilled deflection players – reduced stamina consumption, no more guard breaks from stamina mismanagement, and weapon art damage now properly benefits from relic effects that were previously bugged. You’ve been leaving damage on the table this whole time. Feels bad, right?
Guardian finally feels like the tanky unit it was always supposed to be, with increased damage negation, better guard boost, and relic buffs that reward defensive playstyles. And Raider now gets a built-in berserker mode when your HP tanks — which, let’s be honest, happens to all of us more than we’d like to admit.
On the flip side, bow users are taking a hit. Ranged builds were overperforming due to a bug, and FromSoftware has corrected course with range-based drop-offs affecting status buildup, ultimate charging, and ally revival. You’ll need to actually get in the fight now. Terrifying, we know.
Check out the full breakdown to see every change and what it means for your next run
Code Vein II Preview: What to Expect in 2026
Rejoice, fellow fans of anime aesthetics and extremely dramatic vampire lore — Code Vein is back, and it’s swinging for the fences. Code Vein II launched January 30, 2026, and we’ve been digging into everything the previews have revealed so far. Spoiler: it’s a lot.
First things first – if you were hoping to reunite with the cast from the original, we’ve got some bittersweet news. This is a completely standalone story set in a brand new world, no prior knowledge required. You’re now a Revenant Hunter (not a Revenant), teaming up with a mysterious time-travelling girl named Lou to bounce between the present and events from 100 years ago. Yes, time travel. Yes, it actually sounds as cool as it reads.
Combat has received a serious glow-up too. The new Jail system replaces Blood Veils, the Formae system adds three categories of powerful abilities, and – most excitingly – you can now swap Blood Codes mid-combat. No more committing to the wrong build and suffering through an entire boss fight because of it. We’ve all been there.
The Partner system has also been completely reworked with six AI companions, each offering unique passive bonuses and two distinct modes: independent combat support or full character assimilation. Though fair warning – online co-op has been removed entirely, which has understandably ruffled some feathers.
Code Vein II Day-One Patches: What’s New & Fixed
Nothing says “we’re committed to a quality experience” quite like shipping two substantial patches before your game has even officially launched. Bandai Namco didn’t just spend the pre-release window squashing bugs – they added entirely new gameplay systems. Overachievers, honestly.
The two headline additions are Regional Pathos and Restorative Offering. Regional Pathos lets you interact with emotional remnants scattered throughout the world to receive area-specific buffs before diving into difficult sections. Think of it as the universe acknowledging your suffering and offering you a consolation prize before a boss encounter. Restorative Offering, meanwhile, gives your partner the ability to automatically revive you when you hit zero HP — though they’ll need recovery time afterward, so don’t treat it like an unlimited get-out-of-death-free card. You’ll still need to earn that survival.
Beyond the shiny new features, the patches adjusted enemy placement, tweaked resource management, added more revival points in dungeons, and made navigating the world considerably less cryptic. Buff icons are now actually visible, field items change colour based on importance, and – bless them – there’s now a confirmation dialog before you accidentally discard something irreplaceable. We’ve all been there, staring at an empty inventory slot with deep regret.
PC players also received DLSS and FSR support, because apparently vampires care about frame rates too.
Early access players are already benefiting from all of this. Everyone else gets a smoother, more polished launch experience on January 30th.
Nioh 3 Preview: Release Date, Gameplay & What to Expect
Attention fellow yokai-slaughterers – Team Ninja is back, and this time they’ve apparently decided that one brutally complex combat system simply wasn’t enough. Nioh 3 launched February 6, 2026, and based on everything we’ve seen, it’s the most ambitious entry the series has ever attempted. No pressure or anything.
The headline feature is the dual combat style system: Samurai and Ninja, each with their own weapons, skill trees, equipment slots, and progression paths. The Samurai style preserves the classic stance-switching combat veterans know and love, while the Ninja style throws all of that out in favour of aerial mobility, shadow decoys, and the kind of acrobatic chaos that would make a ninja film director weep with joy. The real magic? You can switch between them instantly mid-fight. Managing two complete builds simultaneously sounds overwhelming – because it absolutely is, and we’re here for every second of it.
The game also ditches the series’ traditionally linear stage structure for expansive open-field zones, meaning you can actually walk away from a boss that’s destroying you rather than suffering in place. Revolutionary concept, honestly. The Crucible system adds cursed zones where your maximum HP degrades with each hit you take, rewarding aggression while punishing recklessness.
Oh, and the PC port apparently runs well at launch. We’ll allow ourselves a moment of genuine shock before moving on.
Demo progress transfers to the full game, so there’s no excuse not to try it first. Full breakdown in the article.
11 Best Elden Ring Craftables From Cookbooks You Should Know
Raise your hand if you’ve completed Elden Ring while barely touching the crafting system. No judgment – we’ve been there too, running headfirst into every boss with nothing but flasks and misplaced confidence. This month we finally gave crafting the attention it deserves, and spoiler: you’ve been leaving a lot of power on the table.
We’ve rounded up eleven of the most impactful craftable consumables in the game, and the range of what’s possible might genuinely surprise you. Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot alone – stacked with the Golden Scarab talisman – nets you a fifty-six percent rune bonus, which makes your farming sessions considerably less soul-crushing. Sleep Pots turn the infamous Godskin Duo from a two-headed nightmare into something approaching manageable. And Freezing Pots deliver instant frostbite regardless of your build, meaning your strength-bro character can proc frostbite just as effectively as any mage. Equality of opportunity through pottery.
There’s also Crystal Darts, which let you convince golems and imps to do your dirty work for you – chaotic, unreliable, and deeply satisfying. For Shadow of the Erdtree players, the Hefty Rot Pot is essentially a cheat code in throwable form, capable of stripping roughly sixty percent of a boss’s health through Scarlet Rot alone. Yes, really.
The best part? Most of these cookbooks are accessible surprisingly early in your playthrough. A little preparation goes a long way in the Lands Between – even if we all learn that lesson about forty hours too late. Full guide is waiting for you.
We’ll Be Back Next Month
And that’s a wrap on January 2026 – a month that somehow managed to deliver a major Nightreign balance shake-up, two Soulslike launches, and a reminder that we’ve all been sleeping on Elden Ring’s crafting system this whole time. No shame. Growth is a process.
February is already shaping up to be just as eventful, with Nioh 3 now officially in our hands and plenty more to cover across the Soulslike landscape. As always, if any of these summaries sparked your interest, the full articles are worth the read – we put the work in so you can go in prepared rather than stumbling around in the dark like a newly-arrived Tarnished with no map fragments.
Stay sharp, keep crafting those Hefty Rot Pots, and we’ll see you next month.
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