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PAX West 2025 and Pokémon set the tone for August
Your Weekly Gaming News
Greg Stokes
11 Aug • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
In partnership with
Welcome, reader!
With PAX WEST 2025 around the corner and the Pokémon Championship kicking off next week, this week’s newsletter is packed with events and gaming updates. Also, be sure to visit the GZ Chop Shop store and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode.
Table of Contents
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GAMING NEWS
‘ABSOLUTE’ UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE FOR GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE
AUGUST 7, 2025 - Level Infinite announced today that the GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE ‘ABSOLUTE’ update is available now, featuring the ABSOLUTE squad members, stronger through the Tactical Upgrade plan. The top squad of Elysion, this tactical trio is considered the strongest fighting unit as they possess the finest weaponry and most extensive battlefield experience.
In addition to this triple threat of NIKKE characters, the update also includes a new story event titled ABSOLUTE, new Campaign Chapters 39 and 40, added skins, and other reward events.
The ‘ABSOLUTE’ Update contains:
New Characters
SSR Eunhwa: Tactical Upgrade - The leader of the Absolute squad, who is made stronger through the Tactical Upgrade Plan, joins the battlefield. Eunhwa: Tactical Upgrade is an Attacker who strengthens her allies while firing powerful attacks herself. She provides firepower support to allies depending on the formation and boosts her firepower according to the camouflage state.
SSR Emma: Tactical Upgrade - The gentle big sister of the Absolute squad, who is made tougher through the Tactical Upgrade Plan, joins the battlefield. Emma: Tactical Upgrade is a Supporter who helps her allies' survivability and enhances their attacking capabilities. Depending on the formation, she further amplifies their attack power, prolonging the favorable situation for the allies.
SR Vesti: Tactical Upgrade - The youngest member of the Absolute squad, who is vastly improved through the Tactical Upgrade Plan, joins the battlefield. Vesti: Tactical Upgrade is an Attacker with an extensive explosion range. Her Burst Skill allows her to expand the explosion range and deal True Damage! Depending on the formation and the enemy's state, her attacking capabilities are further enhanced.
New Full-Story Event ABSOLUTE - Upon finishing the Tactical Upgrade Plan and returning from the Crystal Region, the Absolute squad receives a new mission. An unknown Rapture appears before Eunhwa, who's exhausted from recurring nightmares.
New Skins - Eunhwa: Tactical Upgrade’s “Day Off” skin can be obtained from the 21-day login event. Exia’s “Hacker Rabbit” skin can be obtained with the September Mission Pass.
Story Event JINX PLAYER is now available in Archives.
New Campaign Chapters 39 and 40 have also been added.
Downloaded over 45 million times since launch, GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE is available globally for PC, iOS and Android mobile devices. GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE continues to deliver regular updates and content expansions that keep players immersed in the game’s evolving narrative. Fans can stay tuned for more announcements of upcoming collaborations at http://nikke-en.com.
Download the game on the iOS App Store, Google Play, and Windows PC.
SQUARE ENIX BRINGS BLOCKBUSTER FINAL FANTASY PANELS TO PAX WEST 2025 AND AN EXCLUSIVE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 11, 2025) – FINAL FANTASY fans can look forward to an action-packed PAX West 2025 with multiple panels taking center stage. Separately, SQUARE ENIX will host a community meetup on Saturday, Aug. 30, where fans can enjoy photo opportunities, exclusive giveaways, meet-and-greets with FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida, FINAL FANTASY Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Director Kazutoyo Maehiro and Art Director Hiroshi Minagawa, as well as other special guests, and much more.
Full details below on the PAX West panels:
Panels – Also available to view via PAX’s Twitch Channel (https://www.twitch.tv/pax)
Storytime with Naoki Yoshida
Friday, August 29 at 11:00am-12:00pm at the Main Theatre:
Naoki Yoshida joins PAX West to share more about his experiences as a game developer. He'll also share his thoughts on the evolution of the games industry and how it has affected projects he’s worked on such as FINAL FANTASY XIV and FINAL FANTASY XVI. There may even be an opportunity for some live Q&A!
The Making of FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
Saturday, August 30 at 2:00pm-3:00pm at Blue Dragon Theatre:
Calling all Tacticians of Ivalice! In anticipation of the upcoming FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles launch on Sep. 30, SQUARE ENIX invites fans for a special panel with Game Director Kazutoyo Maehiro (FINAL FANTASY Tactics, FINAL FANTASY XII, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XVI) and Art Director Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, VAGRANT STORY, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, FINAL FANTASY XVI). The panel will discuss how the developers were able to bring the significantly enhanced version of the game to life and share some behind-the-scenes stories about the development of the genre-defining game. Hosted by the award-winning voice actor, Ben Starr (FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles, FINAL FANTASY XVI), this will be a panel that FINAL FANTASY fans cannot miss! Panel attendees will receive a special FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles branded pin.*
*Limited quantity / While supplies last.
The Relationship Between Game Design and Art Direction with Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Minagawa
Sunday, August 30 at 11:00am-12:30pm at the Main Theatre:
Naoki Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY XIV, FINAL FANTASY XVI) and Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY XVI, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS) team up to discuss the importance of art direction and design in world-building and the creation of unique visual styles for our favorite medium. Learn more about their inspirations, experiences, creative processes, and more in this chat between legendary developers!
PAX West will be held at the Seattle Convention Center from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. More information can be found by visiting https://west.paxsite.com/.
Separately, SQUARE ENIX will be holding a special Community Night, with details below.
SQUARE ENIX Community Night
Saturday, August 30 at 7:00pm-10:00pm
Location: To Be Announced through Eventbrite
SQUARE ENIX invites its passionate community to come celebrate all things FINAL FANTASY and DRAGON QUEST at PAX West 2025! Come celebrate fan favorite FINAL FANTASY XIV, FINAL FANTASY XVI, FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS, and the highly anticipated upcoming games including FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles (out Sep. 30), DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake (out Oct. 30), and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE (out this winter for Nintendo Switch™2 and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC)! The event will feature special guests: Naoki Yoshida, Kazutoyo Maehiro and Hiroshi Minagawa, as well as photo opportunities, giveaways and more. Tickets will be available to purchase on Eventbrite and will be required to enter the event.*
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BANDAI NAMCO AT PAX WEST IS ALL ABOUT THE GAMES
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is bringing gamers what they come looking for at PAX West – playable games. Fans can be among the first to get hands-on play with a slate of anticipated titles, with demos on the show floor for DIGIMON STORY TIME STRANGER™, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree™, LITTLE NIGHTMARES™III, MY HERO ACADEMIA: ALL’S JUSTICE, PAC-MAN WORLD™2 Re-PAC, along with recent DLC content for SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured Daydream™. Attendees can also catch a ride and capture a photo op on the Motorcycle Forma from the upcoming RPG CODE VEIN™II, and step into a memorable scene featuring the Vampire Blood Mass from the dark fantasy RPG BLOOD OF THE DAWNWALKER.
PAX West 2025 takes place August 29 – September 1 at the Seattle Convention Center. Bandai Namco is located at booth #2339. THE BLOOD OF DAWNWALKER activation is located in space #N8 in the North Lobby. For more information, visit www.bandainamcoent.com/events/pax-west.
Tune In to the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, Live from Anaheim, Calif. Aug. 15-17 on Twitch and YouTube
London, U.K. – Aug. 11, 2025 – Victory Road is nearly in sight for the thousands of Pokémon Trainers who will make their way to Anaheim, California from Aug. 15-17 for their chance at becoming the next Pokémon World Champion, and whether you’re attending in person or from the comfort of your living room, everyone can get in on the action.
Trainers will compete across three days of intense competition in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Pokémon GO and Pokémon UNITE, and Trainers who tune in to the official broadcast on Twitch and the channels of featured co-streamers can celebrate from home with digital giveaways in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, Pokémon Trading Card Game Live (TCGL), Pokémon GO and Pokémon UNITE. Complete details and information on how to redeem these digital giveaways can be found here.[1]
All the action kicks off at 4:30 p.m. British Summer Time on Twitch and YouTube, while a full overview can be found here, and a complete schedule is below:
Streaming Schedule: All Times Listed in BST [2]&[3]
Pokémon VGC Stream: Twitch.tv/Pokemon, YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Commentators: Rosemary Kelley, Scott Glaza, Aaron Zheng, Ben Kyriakou, Charlie Merriman, Lee Provost, Sierra Dawn and Gabby Snyder
Friday, August 15: 4:30 p.m. – Saturday, August 16: 2:50 a.m.
Saturday, August 16: 4:30 p.m. – Sunday, August 17: 2:00 a.m.
Monday, August 18: 00:20 a.m. on Twitch.tv/Pokemon and YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Pokémon TCG Stream: Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG, YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Commentators: Kyle Sabelhaus, Shelbie Bou, Kyle Sucevich, Ethan Hegyi, Freya Pearce, Mike Ellis and Joe Bernard
Friday, August 15: 4:30 p.m. – Saturday, August 16: 4:10 a.m.
Saturday, August 16: 4:30 p.m. – Sunday, August 17: 3:00 a.m.
Sunday, August 17: 7:50 p.m. on Twitch.tv/Pokemon and YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Pokémon GO Stream: Twitch.tv/PokemonGO, YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Commentators: Martijn Versteeg, Jim Lawson, Caleb Peng, Steven Sanders, Will Dunphey, Amanda Lundberg and Fareed Anees
Friday, August 15: 4:30 p.m. – Saturday, August 16: 2:50 a.m.
Saturday, August 16: 4:30 p.m. – Sunday, August 17: 3:00 a.m.
Sunday, August 17: 6:10 p.m. on Twitch.tv/Pokemon and YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Pokémon UNITE Stream: Twitch.tv/PokemonUNITE, YouTube.com/@PokemonUNITE
Commentators: Jake "spragels" Sprague, Kirk "doobsnax" Dubé, Joshua "Zoinks" Hiebert, Evan "Wonderchef" Hashimoto, Kelly "Kelosaurus" Wilson, Danelie Purdue and Sophia de Ipanema
Friday, August 15: 4:30 p.m. – Saturday, August 16: 2:50 a.m.
Saturday, August 16: 4:30 p.m. – Sunday, August 17: 2:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 17: 5:00 p.m. on Twitch.tv/Pokemon and YouTube.com/@Pokemon
Keep up to date with the latest news from the 2025 Pokémon World Championships here, and to find out more about the Play! Pokémon program, be sure to visit Play.Pokemon.com.
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