Will Lies of P 2 use AI slop for concept art? Is the WWE the secret to when the new Gears comes out? And what if we get an update about Dragon Quest 12 at Summer Game Fest instead of Final Fantasy 7 Remake part three? It’s your belated Kotaku Checkpoint roundup for May 11, 2026, where I am still recovering from this weekend’s toxic Mixtape discourse. Let’s remember just how incredibly good Super Mario Bros. 3 was instead.
New Ghost in the Shell anime debuts on July 7
The newest adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s sci-fi manga will be available to start streaming on Amazon this summer. It’s directed by Mokochan (Dan Da Dan) with scripts by Toh Enjoe (Godzilla Singular Point), character designs by Shuhei Handa (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), and music by Taisei Iwasaki (Metallic Rouge), Yuki Kanesaka (Dr. Stone), and Ryo Konishi. We don’t yet know how many episodes it will be or how many seasons are planned. The 2002 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex adaptation ran over 50 episodes, but fans are expecting something much briefer this time around.
The synopsis reads:
The year is 2029, A near-future Japan, where the world has become highly information-intensive, with a vast corporate network covering the planet, electrons and light pulsing through it. But the nation-state and ethnic groups still survive.
Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg, leads an elite combat unit of fellow cyborgs, including Batou. While commanding her team, Kusanagi envisions the creation of a specialized task force to preemptively strike against emerging threats. Meanwhile, Daisuke Aramaki of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who had been planning to establish a similar unit, scouts Kusanagi and her team.
Is Gears of War E-Day coming out by September?
That’s what some fans are speculating because of a new WWE sponsorship. As Insider Gaming reports, it was announced over the weekend that AAA Triplemania would be taking place on September 11 and September 13. Gears of War: E-Day will also be a sponsor for the event, suggesting the game could be coming out around that time. There’s a 30-minute presentation devoted to the game at this summer’s Xbox showcase in June.
Lies of P is hiring someone to make concept art with AI
A new job posting from Game8, the soulslike developer, mentions AI multiple times (via The Gamer). “Creation of character/background concept drafts and expansion of variations using Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, etc,” part of it reads. “I’ll never understand these devs who lovingly bake a cake then ice it with shit instead of frosting,” one fan wrote in response.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess unofficially arrives on PC
“Dusk” is the name of a project aimed at decompiling the GameCube version of the Nintendo game, and it is now complete. The framerate and resolution can be cranked up well beyond the original console limitations of the game’s performance.
An update on Dragon Quest 12 is just around the corner
Franchise creator Yuji Horii teased that the upcoming sequel would be mentioned during a May 27 40th anniversary stream. “I think we’ll be able to make an announcement about the next game. We’ll also have various other things besides the next game, so please look forward to it,” he said (via Wcctech). A full-blown trailer at one of the summer game showcases would be cool to see.
Stellar Blade 2 won’t be a PlayStation exclusive
ShiftUp revealed during its latest investor call that it will be self-publishing the sequel with the apparent aim of bringing it to more platforms at launch. “Building on the strong fandom and evergreen IP status established by the first Stellar Blade, we are formulating an optimal go-to-market strategy designed to maximize sales and reach a broad global audience from day one,” the company announced (via VGC).
P.I. For Hire is selling like hotcakes
The cartoon noir boomer shooter, which we praised in our review, has officially sold over 730,000 copies, with 50 percent of those purchased on console. It’s the debut project from Poland-based Fumi Games.
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