When it first launched, Highguard attracted over 2 million players globally. Players typically spent about 91 minutes per session playing the game, averaging around 3.5 matches each time they logged in. According to Grenier, these numbers are very positive.
I just finished the latest Starfleet Academy episode, and wow, it really got to me. Seeing Robert Picardo’s Doctor forced to confront his past when SAM was deactivated was powerful. He stepped up as a father figure for her, and honestly, that’s what brought her back. It was amazing to see him finally get a name that meant something – ‘Dad’! It felt like the culmination of his centuries-long journey to understand what it truly means to be human. Okay, maybe getting a holographic daughter isn’t the typical path to that realization, but he was searching for emotional connection, not a purely logical, Data-like understanding. And while it was a happy ending for him, the episode also dropped a huge bombshell about the trauma he’s carried for 800 years, all stemming from something a Voyager crew member did.
Recent Far Cry games, despite being large, have been criticized for feeling bland, with weak stories and repetitive gameplay. This could lead Ubisoft to revisit and remaster older, more beloved titles instead of creating new ones. Fans particularly remember the variety of action in Far Cry 3, and other games in the series have also experimented with different gameplay features to keep the experience interesting.
Released in 2021 for the PlayStation 5, Returnal is a fast-paced, third-person shooter with roguelike elements. The game follows an astronaut stranded on the planet Atropos, searching for a mysterious ‘White Shadow.’ She quickly becomes trapped in a time loop, meaning that when she dies, she restarts at the beginning of one of the game’s two main areas. This creates a unique story that shares similarities with the film Edge of Tomorrow. While Returnal received critical acclaim and many awards, it didn’t achieve massive sales numbers. A follow-up game called Saros is scheduled to be released in April 2026.
Many direct-to-video and streaming sequels have been poorly received, especially those from Disneytoon Studios, which produced several disappointing follow-ups to popular Disney films. However, this list will skip those obvious examples and instead concentrate on sequels that originally had a wide release in theaters, just like the first films.
Sherlock develops a friendship with James Moriarty (played by Donal Finn, known from The Wheel of Time), a clever student who matches Sherlock’s intelligence and mischievousness. This is, of course, the Moriarty who will eventually become Sherlock’s greatest enemy. Initially, however, they connect while solving a mystery, clearing their names after being wrongly accused of a crime, and dealing with Sherlock’s complex family life. Showrunner Matthew Parkhill and actor Louis Partridge discussed their approach to reimagining Sherlock, the growing bond between Sherlock and Moriarty, their casting choices, and Partridge’s feelings about potentially returning to the Harry Potter universe.
Launched in 2016, Upper Deck e-Pack lets sports and trading card game fans open packs of cards digitally. These aren’t just digital images – they’re real cards you can trade or have physically shipped to you. Now, Upper Deck e-Pack is partnering with The Authority, a collectibles marketplace, to add instant grading to the experience. Starting with Neopets Battledome cards, players can open digital versions of cards that have already been professionally graded and protected (slabbed), and see the grade immediately.
Darth Maul remains a standout villain in the Star Wars universe, and the first issue of Star Wars: Shadow of Maul delivers classic Star Wars excitement. While Darth Maul himself doesn’t appear extensively, the comic is packed with thrilling action and features beautiful artwork from Benjamin Percy, Madibek Musabekov, and Luis Guerrero. It’s a great example of why Marvel’s Star Wars comics are so enjoyable.
The idea of multiple universes has long been popular in Marvel Comics. Given the fame of heroes like the Avengers, it was natural for Marvel to create stories featuring different versions of them.
Crimson Desert, the new open-world game, is launching on consoles and PC in just over two weeks. Most of the gameplay footage shown so far has been from the PC version. While there’s been one trailer featuring footage from the PlayStation 5 Pro, the developers have confirmed the game will be enhanced for that console.