In this week's Inven Weekly TOP Rankings, major shifts occurred at the top of the chart as long-time leader 'Palworld' was removed from the voting list. Taking the vacant throne is 'Genshin Impact,' which held 3rd place last week. Re-igniting player interest through its Version 7.0 update, 'The Snow Realm Unloved by Gods,' the title climbed to No. 1 for the first time this week. Meanwhile, 'Zeus: God of Pride,' which held 2nd place last week, maintained its position; with its official release scheduled for August 26, key attention is on whether it can sustain its current momentum once live service begins.
Notable movements among new releases and highly anticipated titles were observed in the mid-to-upper ranks. 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' climbed one spot to 3rd place, while Insomniac Games' 'Marvel's Wolverine' newly entered the chart at 4th. 'DragonSword: Awakening' held onto 5th place, unchanged from last week, and 'Nioh 3 - Keian's Hell Incident,' the game's first DLC released on August 19, debuted in 6th place. 'NBA 2K27' newly entered at 7th, while 'Halo: Campaign Evolved' moved up one spot to 8th.
New faces also appeared in the lower ranks. Nihon Falcom's 'Trails in the Sky 2nd' and 'Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave' newly entered the TOP 10 in 9th and 10th place, respectively.
Just as much as the game rankings, the industry's eyes are turned toward Cologne, Germany this week. Gamescom 2026 kicks off this week, preceded by Gamescom Opening Night Live (ONL), hosted by Geoff Keighley, which will be broadcast live at 3:00 AM KST on August 26. As a stage where new game announcements and fresh trailers from around the world converge every year, a wealth of news regarding anticipated titles for the second half of this year and next year is expected to be unveiled.
Notable New Releases, Events, and Update News
Last week, the first major DLC for 'Nioh 3,' titled 'Keian's Hell Incident,' officially launched. Set in Edo during the Keian era of 1651, it introduces a new storyline and open fields, while significantly expanding combat and progression systems with new weapons such as the 'Hoko & Shield,' new enemies, bosses, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, and Guardian Spirits. Critics praised it as a densely packed expansion that condenses the strengths of the main game. In particular, the new weapon type, challenging encounters, and vertical level design received positive responses, though the reuse of existing bosses and a relatively short playtime were noted as drawbacks.
Conversely, 'Mortal Shell II,' which launched officially on August 20, has received substantial critical acclaim right out of the gate. The PS5 version holds an 83 Metascore on Metacritic, with all 11 recorded critic reviews rated positive. While building upon the core 'Shell' system of its predecessor, the game boldly removes the stamina bar to deliver faster and more aggressive combat. An interconnected open world, deep build variety, and intense boss battles were also highlighted as key strengths. Although minor technical issues and repetitive side content were cited as drawbacks, it is widely praised as a sequel that fully realizes the potential of the original and a Soulslike worth keeping an eye on this year.
Over the weekend in Busan, '2026 Overwatch Day'—a large-scale offline event celebrating Nexon's domestic publishing of 'Overwatch'—concluded with great success. Held at BEXCO in Busan from August 22 to 23, the event drew approximately 10,000 visitors over the two days. The venue featured spaces bringing the in-game Busan map to life, alongside various programs including developer talks, creator matches, a cosplay contest, and voice actor fan meetings. Notably, Blizzard developers met directly with Korean players to elaborate on their partnership with Nexon and the future operational direction for 'Overwatch,' adding significance as the first major player event following the transition to domestic service.
This Week's ISSUE: New MMORPG 'Zeus: God of Pride' Officially Launches on the 26th
This week, Gamescom 2026, one of the world's largest gaming conventions, kicks off on August 26. Ahead of the exhibition, Gamescom Opening Night Live (ONL), hosted by Geoff Keighley, will be broadcast live at 3:00 AM KST on August 26. Marking the start of Gamescom each year with an avalanche of new game announcements and trailers, intense attention is focused on what new titles destined to lead the second half of this year and next year will be revealed.
On the same day, 'Zeus: God of Pride,' a new MMORPG published by Com2uS and developed by AButton, will officially launch domestic service. Reimagining Greek mythology through Unreal Engine 5, the game centers around competition and growth across 'Pelaina,' a continent where gods and humans coexist. According to the developers, special effort was made to diversify competitive structures to address the concentration of content among top-tier players common in traditional competitive MMORPGs, while also streamlining repetitive pathing and tasks for enhanced convenience.
On August 27, 'Star Wars Zero Company,' a turn-based tactical game based on the Star Wars universe, will release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Developed by Bit Reactor—a studio founded by veterans of the 'XCOM' series—the game is set during the twilight of the Clone Wars and follows Zero Company, a mercenary unit led by former Republic officer Hawks. Players can compose squads with operatives possessing distinct abilities, ranging from Clone Troopers and Mandalorians to Jedi Padawans and droids, forging bonds and unlocking new combat synergies across missions.
What Were Last Week's METACRITIC Scores?
This week, new Metacritic scores were revealed for titles including 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Coast of Hope,' 'Mortal Shell II,' 'Steins;Gate Reboot,' and 'The Sinking City 2.'
First, 'Coast of Hope,' the first major expansion for 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl,' debuted with an 85 Metascore based on 14 critic reviews—starting off higher than the base game. Praise was directed toward its new regions, extensive content spanning around 20 hours, branching narratives determined by faction choices, and signature somber atmosphere. In particular, with the accompanying 2.0 update addressing base game issues in A-Life, performance, and visuals, critics noted that 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' has finally come closer to its original vision. However, travel fatigue across vast regions, certain boss encounters, and lingering technical issues were highlighted as drawbacks.
Vastly expanding upon the scope of its predecessor, 'Mortal Shell II' also earned a strong reception with an 83 Metascore based on 40 critic reviews. Advancing the core Shell-swapping mechanic from the original while doing away with stamina to enable faster, more aggressive combat, its interconnected open world, expanded buildcrafting, and intense boss fights were cited as key highlights. Many praised it as a sequel that fully realizes ideas that previously only showed potential. On the other hand, late-game difficulty tuning, camera controls, repetitive side content, and technical flaws were noted as shortcomings.
'Steins;Gate Reboot,' a remake of the classic 2009 visual novel, achieved an 83 score based on 20 reviews. Its modern visual polish received positive marks, featuring newly drawn character designs and backgrounds by original illustrator huke, newly recorded voice acting, and an updated interface. However, because it is based on the abridged script of 'Steins;Gate Elite,' portions of the original content are omitted, leading to divided opinions on whether the changes offer enough value for existing fans who have seen multiple re-releases to purchase it again.
Finally, Frogwares' survival horror title 'The Sinking City 2' recorded a score of 78 based on 37 critic reviews. Pivoting sharply from the open-world detective adventure of the original to focus on a tighter survival horror experience reminiscent of 'Resident Evil' and 'Silent Hill,' the decision was met with praise. The eerie atmosphere of flooded Arkham, the tension of resource management while exploring, and grotesque enemy designs were highlighted as strengths. Conversely, somewhat clunky controls, repetitive combat, minor technical issues, and a rushed final act were noted as flaws. Critics concluded that while smaller in scale than its predecessor, its identity as a horror game is considerably sharper.
New Release Popularity Poll
This week's poll covers games newly released or scheduled for release between July 24 and September 24. Consequently, titles such as 'DragonSword: Awakening' and 'Stepper Retro' have been retired from the ballot, while games including 'Control: Resonant' and 'The War of Genesis Side Story: The Rhapsody of Zephyr Remastered' have been newly added.
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