There are eight new subclasses in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion. Yes, that's probably the longest title of anything in D&D Fifth Edition (5e). Heroes of Faerun is geared towards players, although Forgotten Realms Dungeon Masters inevitably have to learn the info in this book, too.

Today we're checking out the Knowledge Domain Cleric, but here are all the new subclasses:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowledge Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

Knowledge Domain (Cleric)

"Unearth Secrets and Master the Mind." Learning and understanding are your holy communion—your bread and wine. Sure, you seek to commune with your god (or at least your god's plane of existence), but your holy duties compel you to study stuff, collect old books and stuff, and to get lost in the weeds when it comes to dungeoneering into secret places. Sometimes those secret places are locked away in your own mind.

Here are the skills and abilities that unlock on a Knowledge Domain Cleric's character sheet on the climb from Level 1 to Level 20.

• Level 3: Blessings of Knowledge – You always have certain spells prepared as you reach their level, e.g., from Command and Comprehend Languages at Level 3 on up to Legend Lore and Scrying at Level 9.

• Level 3: Mind Magic – You don't burn a spell slot or need material components when you use your Channel Divinity to cast one of your Blessings of Knowledge spells.

• Level 6: Unfettered Mind – You learn telepathy and gain proficiency in Intelligence saving throws.

• Level 17: Divine Foreknowledge – You give yourself advantage on every roll of the 20-sided die. For an hour. Get a good night's sleep and you can do it again tomorrow.

This subclass is for clerics who'd rather operate more like wizards. For holy rollers that like books more than just their deity's one book. 

Next subclass we'll look at is the Banneret (Fighter), for folks that want to "Rally Fellow Heroes with Inspiring Leadership." Or you can get an overview right now over on D&D Beyond.

Imagine you're playing a game online. You're convinced to chat with your team while playing games. Reluctantly, you plug in your headset. You have to go into a side menu, and open the chat service to your console. You start asking if people can hear you, and they cannot.  Maybe your headset doesn't work. So you get a different headset, and that works, but your service is set to chat with only friends. Now you have to go back, and change the setting, and change your output, and change all the things. Then, maybe it works, and maybe you didn't switch it over to, or from, game chat. Maybe there are too many options for someone to yell "I need healing." Discord is supposed to be easier than all this, but don't get me started on that. 

Now, imagine you have a dedicated chat button. You push it. You can create a chat, or choose from an already created chat list. You choose. And you're in. You choose the people you want to talk to, whether it's your Nintendo already approved friends, or your in game chat. No headsets. No headphones. Nothing. The chat just works. This is what the Nintendo Switch 2 Gamechat is all about. Nothing fancy. It just works. Even for up to 12 people, if you have that many friends.  

It works, and you can even see the screen. It works, because even using the accessibility options, you get captions. You can use a camera (sold separately) to see the other person talking, if you so choose. You can also see someone's screen, at a very terrible frame rate, but you still do it. Discord has one up on this feature, but I digress. 

Yes, it's locked behind a paywall starting later this year, but aren't you paying for online services on every other console besides PC? People may choose discord, if they want to set up another account, with another login, and have to find someone's user name, but for me, Nintendo Gamechat doesn't deserve the hate it gets. When this Animal Crossing update gets to everyone, you'll see how cool it really is. 

Beyond that, if a game has in game chat, like Fortnite, you can still use the chat free of charge, just as you play the game free of charge. Still with no headphones, or extra accessories. The in-console mic adjusts based on your surroundings, and filters out unwanted noise. You would know more if you didn't use that same hate to say "I'm not paying $10 for a welcome tour!" 

You can even share certain games via game chat, even if the person, or people (up to 4) don't have the game! If you all have a Nintendo Switch 2, it just works, seamlessly. 

If you don't believe me, look up the details here, or you can watch the video below of us talking trash while playing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate with Gamechat, and playing Fortnite, via in game chat, without any additional hardware. Stop all the fussing. 

As a long-time Star Trek fan, I'm always excited for new Star Trek video games - though there haven't been very many that capture the look and tone of my favorite Next Gen era of Trek. But the more I see about Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown, the more excited I get.

The game puts players in the captain's chair on the U.S.S. Voyager, a ship that was accidently flung to the far corner of the galaxy, well beyond the reach (or even communication) with Star Fleet. The show followed the crew's efforts to both survive and get back home, all while dealing with new cultures and challenges well outside of the normal Star Trek lore.

It's absolutely fascinating to me that Daedalic Entertainment and developer gameXcite decided to create a large, detailed game about the mission and crew of Star Trek: Voyager. While Trek fans love the show, it isn't exactly as widely adored as Star Trek: The Next Generation, or even Deep Space Nine. Still, the show did well enough to garner seven seasons, and Daedalic is confident enough in the game that yesterday it announced that a Nintendo Switch 2 version will release alongside the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox versions of the game on February 18. 

Along with the Switch announcement, Daedalic also released an extended look at the ship-to-ship combat in Across the Unknown. And just like a real Star Trek captain, you won't be steering the ship yourself or firing the phasers. You will instead be issuing strategic orders to your crew, who you will just have to trust to do their jobs. Fascinating. Take a look here: 

It is clear that this game is being created by a team that deeply understands Star Trek, and appreciated the need to keep things faithful to the franchise's core. For those that can't wait for the February release, there is currently a demo available on PS5 and Xbox, which incorporates changes made to the game following player feedback from a previous demo. A Switch 23 demo and an updated PC demo will follow shortly. The demo follows the pilot episode of Voyager ("The Caretaker"), which I am absolutely going to rewatch before diving in. 

You can find more information on the demos as well as preorder options here. See you in the Delta Quadrant. 

The Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun – Player Expansion is, first and foremost, more than a mouthful. That's likewise true of its companion piece, the Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun – Dungeon Master Expansion.

Heroes of Faerun is the slimmer (and slimmer-priced) of the duology. It aims to hook players specifically with a laundry list of items that typically get players hot and bothered:

• 8 subclasses
• 18 backgrounds
• 34 feats
• 19 spells
• 12 items
• 3 magic items
• 2 monsters

...and a partridge in a pear tree. It's that first bullet, however, that can excite players' imaginations. Players often brainstorm what they'd like to become; what they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps they have a (mean) Dungeon Master (that's me) that starts their players at Level 1 with a baseline character class, e.g., Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue. Or perhaps they have a (nice) Dungeon Master (not me) that lets the players start at Level 3—where subclasses unlock. 

In Heroes of Faerun, those eight subclasses are:

• College of the Moon (Bard)
• Knowlege Domain (Cleric)
• Banneret (Fighter)
• Oath of the Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion of the Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

While that covers eight of the baseline character classes, it leaves out the Barbarian, Druid, Monk, Warlock, and Artificer. That last one gets its own book: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, which we'll dig into in the coming weeks.

But let's take a quick gander at one of those eight subclasses that do emerge in the Forgotten Realms.

College of the Moon (Bard)

"Inspire allies with primal tales." While Druids didn't get a new subclass in this book, the College of the Moon (Bard) traces its lineage to the druidic circles of the Moonshae Isles. These Bards are drawing directly from the fey energies inherent to the Moonshaes. They grow into the following benefits: 

• Level 3: Moon's Inspiration
  • Inspired Eclipse – Hand another character a Bardic Inspiration die, turn yourself invisible, and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Lunar Vitality – Heal another character, heal them even more, and make them move faster.

• Level 3: Primal Lore. Duolingo teaches you to speak Druidic. You learn a Druid cantrip. Gain a free skill from a selection.

• Level 6: Blessing of Moonlight. Always have the Moonbeam spell prepared. Glow faintly like the moon. Heal someone just by looking at them.

• Level 14: Eventide's Splendor
  • Shadow of the New Moon – When you use Inspired Eclipse (from Level 3 above) you let another character also turn invisible and teleport up to 30 feet away. 
  • Vibrance of the Full Moon – Use a six-sided die roll instead of a Bardic Inspiration die when you use Lunar Vitality (also from Level 3 above).

More subclass overviews to come. Next up is the Knowledge Domain (Cleric) who will unearth secrets and master the mind. Or go straight to the subclass of your choice over on D&D Beyond.

Hey horror hounds and macabre mavens, if the dark and twisted is what you're into, set your timer for February 18th, because the PC release of Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 will be creeping onto Steam to steal your soul - or at least your time.

Building off of it's predecesors, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 continues to explore the thematic universe of Playtime Co. lab, where The Protoype lurks, stalking through the halls, waiting. Titled "Broken Things", this chapter may be the creepiest venture so far, as players face off, yet again, against the deadly puppetmaster by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles.

Features Include: 

• Stomach-churning terrors await you in this new section of the factory as you uncover the dark works hidden within The Prototype’s stomping grounds.

• In this chilling new layer of the Playtime facility, you will encounter the tortured denizens living in the darkness. They may aid you in your quest to defeat The Prototype, but can they be trusted? 

• Solve devious puzzles and overcome dangerous environmental obstacles with the power of new GrabPack tools and functionality.

• As you reach the true rotten heart at the center of Playtime, discover some of the company’s gravest sins.

If you're a fan of horror games, and if broken and creepy toys chill your bones, check out this delightfully terrifying trailer to get a sense of what you're up against - it truly looks delightfully dark and fun! 

Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 — “Broken Things” launches February 18, 2026, on PC. Wishlist now on Steam and Epic Games. Console versions will be available in the months to follow. Poppy Playtime chapters 1-4 are available now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S & Xbox One, PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch 2 & Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft opened the floodgates of Xbox games jumping to PlayStation a while ago now, but at last week's New Game+ Showcase, the team in green announced two more big titles are heading to the team in blue this February.

First up is Obsidian Entertainment’s fantasy RPG, Avowed, which is coming to PlayStation 5 on February 17^th alongside a major anniversary update for all platforms. The update includes a new game plus mode (how fitting), a new weapon, new playable races, and more. Pre-orders are available now for the PS5 version, which will include support for PS5 Pro, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers. It’ll set you back $49.99 on Sony’s machine.

Coming later in the month, on February 26^th, is side-scrolling fantasy beat ‘em up Towerborne from Stoic, the developers of the Banner Saga trilogy. February 26^th coincides with the game’s full 1.0 release which will complete the story campaign, add new bosses, new player abilities, new difficulty settings, and a redesigned world map. It also marks a major pivot away from being a free-to-play live service game to a premium, what-you-see-is-what-you-get one.

Avowed looks dope, and I will play anything made by Stoic, so it looks like February just got a lot busier for me.

We all saw that a new Megaman is coming, but Alloy Mushroom doesn't want to wait. They'll do it live. 

On January 22nd, there will be a demo available for a game called Super Alloy Crush. It is said to be Megaman inspired, but looks more like if Megaman and Final Fight became best friends. The sidescrolling rogue-like co-op beat-em-up promises that it'll scratch that Rockman itch. You'll get your choice between Muu, who uses hand to hand combat, and Kelly, who uses firearms and martial arts. You have to see this trailer to believe it. 

There will (eventually) be three game modes. Story mode is your campaign. Battle Rush seems like a boss rush mode, and then there's the Ultimate Challenge, which we will probably get smoked in. Allow Mushroom says there will be over 50 tech-arts, which are permanent perks, and those contain hundreds of other powerups, like a multi air jump, or infinite Overdrive Burst energy. 

Check out the trailer below, and get ready to play the demo on Steam January 22nd. 

Fire Emblem fans are poised to have a banner year in 2026. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is scheduled to come out at some point this year, returning fans to the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses (one of the best games in the series). And while they wait, Nintendo just gifted Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with one of the rarest and most expensive GameCube titles - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

Fire Emblem fans know that completionism for the franchise is nigh impossible. Many titles were only released overseas, never making it to the US or getting an English translation. Other titles have simply become rare, and that's the case with Path of Radiance. Released towards the end of GameCube's life cycle, the game was a mild hit for Nintendo - doing well enough to at least ensure that future games in the series would be released in the West. But as the popularity of the franchise increased in the United States, the cost of that GameCube disc skyrocketed. You can now pick up a gently used copy of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on eBay for about $250.

Enjoy a super old 480p trailer, courtesy of IGN. The game looks better on Switch than this, btw.

So the release of Path of Radiance on Expansion Pack represents, for most gamers at least, the first opportunity to play the game. Just buckle up - this game comes from an earlier era of Fire Emblem, before "Easy Mode" was  thing. These days, gamers playing Fire Emblem can enjoy a nice cushion while employing some sloppy tactics. But if you play Path of Radiance, you are playing with permadeath. Your strategic acumen better be on point, because if a character gets killed in battle, they are gone from your game for good.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now available to download from the GameCube interface on Switch and Switch 2 for Expansion Pack members. I've already got it downloaded, and can't wait to dive face first into a world of hurt. 

Publisher NetEase Games and developer Joker Studio have announced the first closed alpha test for open-world ocean fantasy RPG, Sea of Remnants, which will begin on February 5^th. Additionally, the team shared a lengthy new look at gameplay footage and there is a lot to unpack here.

The new trailer starts out looking reminiscent of Sea of Thieves, if I’m being honest (which isn’t a bad thing), before revealing that it is far more than a mere clone of Microsoft’s pirate RPG. In a brisk five minutes, Sea of Remnants showed off a kraken fight, a bonfire dance party, island homestead building, naval combat, character customization, drinking games, mahjong, action RPG-style melee combat, environmental puzzles, loot mechanics, crew customization, boat races, food preparation, firework shows, a concert, and…shooting fish out of the sky. I guess that’s a little more difficult that shooting them in a barrel. Not to mention, the main character guy looks like Billy Butcherson from Hocus Pocus.

Whatever the heck this game is (a lot, apparently), I’m all about it. If you’re just as intrigued as I am, you can sign-up for the closed alpha test by liking the official trailer post on Sea of Remnants' social media, or joining the official Discord server. But you only have until January 23^rd to sign-up, so act fast.

Sea of Remnants launches this year for PlayStation 5 and PC.

After five season, Stranger Things has finally come to an end and while the final season certainly left a lot to be desired, as someone that has been a fan of the show since the very beginning, I was satisfied with the finale, especially the epilogue, which had me blubbering like baby for that final scene. 

But Netflix isn't gonna let this cash cow die anytime soon and Stranger Things is doing another collaboration with Dead by Daylight as Chapter 2 of the collaboration will launch later this month and include two new Survivors and a new Killer. 

• Survivor: Dustin Henderson
• Survivor: Eleven
• Killer: "The First" (Vecna)

Eddie Munson and Robin Buckley will be joining the game as well as Legendary outfits for Dustin and Nancy respectively. 

Stranger Things: Chapter 2 launches in Dead by Daylight on January 27th.