In this week's Inven Weekly TOP Rankings, 'Genshin Impact (7.0)' newly took the #1 spot. Considering the official update launched on August 12, it has been three weeks, but as player interest was fully reflected, it jumped straight from outside the rankings into first place. Near the top of the chart, 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' made a notable surge, climbing two spots into #2 as its momentum picked up. Meanwhile, 'Zeus: God of Arrogance' was pushed down by the newly rising titles, dropping two places to rank 3rd.
In the middle of the chart, upcoming anticipated titles made significant moves. With 'Princess Maker: Children of Prophecy' scheduled for official release on September 30, it debuted at #4, making its presence felt. 'Dynasty Warriors 2: Complete Edition Remaster', set to release on October 1, also debuted in 6th place. In addition, 'EA SPORTS FC 27' entered at #7, while the XCOM-style SRPG 'Star Wars Zero Company' newly joined the TOP 10 at #8. Overall, interest was heavily focused on upcoming anticipated games and new releases.
This week's featured new release is Rebel Wolves' 'The Blood of Dawnwalker'. An open-world dark fantasy action RPG set in 14th-century Europe, it follows the journey of Coen, a 'Dawnwalker' fighting to save his family from being sacrificed. The core gameplay features a time limit and a design that changes depending on day and night. During the day, players must search for clues as a human, and at night, transform into a vampire to defeat obstacles and enemies while advancing step-by-step to rescue his family. However, players cannot take their time searching for clues leisurely, as a 30-day time limit requires strategic time management.
Meanwhile, next week promises major changes to the rankings as games such as 'Marvel's Wolverine', 'Valheim', and 'RuneScape: Dragonwilds' finally exit Early Access and fully launch.
Notable New Releases, Events, and Updates
Summing up last week in one sentence, it was a 'week packed with new games and anticipated titles.' The first to kick things off was 'Orbitals', released on September 3 for Nintendo Switch 2. While split-screen two-player co-op games are relatively familiar by now, this title caught the eye of many gamers by frontlining a retro 80s–90s animation visual style. Although requiring two players was noted as a drawback, positive reviews followed thanks to its solid puzzle design and well-crafted co-op elements.
Rebel Wolves' 'The Blood of Dawnwalker', released on the same day, is also sailing smoothly. Just before launch, concerns over optimization arose when it was reported to support only 30 fps on consoles. Fortunately, the developer responded quickly by adding a 60 fps mode across all console platforms, helping the title garner positive feedback. Driven by its 30-day time limit, dynamic day-night gameplay shifts, and solid story, the game currently maintains a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam.
The successful debut of 'Mabinogi Eternity' also caught attention. Prior to testing, many expressed concern that despite graphical upgrades, the unique feel of the original 'Mabinogi' might be lost. Despite those lingering concerns, the alpha test proved to be a success. Feedback praised the game for faithfully preserving the feel of the original while achieving significant graphical advancements.
Rounding things off was 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword'. The first sequel in 20 years since 'Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams', it takes place in a Kyoto transformed into hell by the Genma, where Miyamoto Musashi uses the 'Oni Gauntlet' to confront the demon horde. Before official launch, Musashi showed a somewhat comical, clumsy side; however, when facing the Genma, he displays the true presence of a master swordsman, earning praise as a character with unexpected charm.
This Week's ISSUE: BlizzCon 2026 Returns After 3 Years
If there is one top topic to pick this week, it would be BlizzCon, taking place over two days from the 13th to the 14th (KST). Under tight security, what will be revealed remains shrouded in mystery, but as eyes from the global gaming industry fixate on the event, subtle hints are gradually emerging. Amidst this, several strong candidates are being discussed.
The first is a new title utilizing the StarCraft IP. What's more, it is speculated to be a shooter—or even a looter-shooter according to some. This stems from Blizzard job postings earlier this year indicating they are likely developing an open-world shooter based on StarCraft. Additionally, rumors swirled after a hidden message hinting at a new title was discovered on the official StarCraft website.
Expectations for a Diablo series expansion cannot be overlooked either. Following the favorable reception of Diablo IV's expansion 'Lord of Hatred' released on April 28—unlike the base game and the previous expansion 'Vessel of Hatred'—many argue that now is the ideal time to announce a new expansion. Considering the recent rise of strong competitors in the hack-and-slash genre, this argument seems quite plausible. After all, there is no better stage than BlizzCon to announce news of this magnitude.
There are also expectations regarding 'Diablo II: Resurrected'. On February 12, 2026, 'Diablo II: Resurrected' released a new DLC, 'Reign of the Demonologist', adding the Demonologist as a new class 25 years after the original game's release. While a full expansion with new content might be a stretch, adding another new class similar to 'Reign of the Demonologist' seems well within reach.
Looking back over recent years, there has rarely been a year with as much anticipation and attention surrounding BlizzCon as this one. Expectations for this year's BlizzCon are higher than ever. All eyes are on whether Blizzard can reclaim its past glory through this year's BlizzCon.
📅Event | GXG 2026 | 09.11(Fri) ~ 09.12(Sat)
Last Week's METACRITIC Scores
Last week, Metacritic scores were revealed for several major titles, including 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty', 'Orbitals', 'The Blood of Dawnwalker', and 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword'.
First, 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty', released for Nintendo Switch 2, recorded a score of 67 based on 7 critic reviews. Considering it previously scored 79 on PC, this is quite an underwhelming evaluation. Despite targeting up to 60 fps, input delay and frame drops occur when many enemies appear on screen, and performance mode suffers from severely low resolution, leading critics to view it as a port that failed to capture the charm of the original.
Split-screen two-player co-op title 'Orbitals' recorded a score of 82 based on 65 critic reviews. Featuring visuals evocative of retro 80s–90s animation alongside well-crafted puzzle and co-op mechanics, it was generally reviewed as a satisfying game for fans of the genre. On the other hand, the story was noted as a drawback for being monotonous and less engaging.
'The Blood of Dawnwalker', the debut title from Rebel Wolves—founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, director of 'The Witcher 3'—lived up to pre-release expectations by earning an 83 based on 62 critic reviews. The protagonist Coen is a 'Dawnwalker' who lives as a human by day and transforms into a vampire by night. Combining a 30-day time limit, dynamic day-night gameplay shifts, and a solid narrative, it has received unusually high acclaim for a debut title from an independent studio. However, minor control scheme issues and meaningless, immersion-breaking QTEs were cited as disappointing elements.
The highest-scoring title among the newly revealed Metacritic scores was 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword', which earned an 85 based on 91 critic reviews. As the first new entry in 20 years since 'Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams', fans consider it well worth the long wait. Reimagining Musashi—a figure previously featured across various media like games and manga—the game adds fresh charm while further refining the signature 'Issen' swordplay action. It serves as a fitting revival for the Onimusha series that fans have been wishing for, garnering high praise as an all-rounder excelling in graphics, action, and narrative.
Upcoming Title Poll
This week's poll features games released or scheduled for release between August 7 and October 8. Accordingly, games such as 'The Relic: First Guardian' and 'Beast of Reincarnation' have been removed from the ballot, while titles like 'Ace Combat 8' and 'Gears of War: E-Day' have been newly added.
