The Video Game Library Newsletter - Vol. #028
Elden Ring lore untangled, a confusing "Mana" anniversary, blue mascots get comics, and a whirlwind of European releases!
Welcome back to The Video Game Library Newsletter!
We’ve got a stacked slate this week as we continue our road to the holidays. Over twenty new releases, announcements, and surprise drops across art books, comics, manga, GameStudies, and more. I promise there’s plenty to dig into and even more to bookmark for your shelf.
While I spent part of the week away (and finally fired up Yakuza Kiwami after years of meaning to), our volunteers kept the gears turning with their usual care and attention. Thanks to them, a fresh wave of books has been added to the site - and we crossed another milestone in the ongoing Bluesky spotlight thread, now sailing past 1,500 featured titles.
If something catches your eye, or if you want these roundups delivered in a different way, jump into the comments or swing by Discord. Let’s keep the momentum going and celebrate another big week for game-inspired books together!
Alright, let’s jump into this week’s highlights!
📰 News & Highlights
Over 20 news items to get through in today’s Newsletter, with everything from Art Books to Game Studies to Comic Books. Share in the comments below or over on Discord which headlines are your favourites!
Let’s kick things off with some Dark Horse news this week. They’ve announced and English translation of Legend of Mana: The Art of Mana - 30th Anniversary Special Issue. If it’s anything like the previous Art of Mana release, we’re in for a treat! That said, I saw the “30th Anniversary edition” had folks scratching their heads online. This book originally released in Japan in 2021, which would have marked 30 years since Final Fantasy Adventure, the Mana series’ first installment.
Now on the Manga side of things, Dark Horse also released Danganronpa 2: Chiaki Nanami’s Goodbye Despair Quest - Vol. 3. Originally a Japanese release, translator Jackie McClure has been hard at work on all 3 volumes over the past 18 months. I really gotta check this series out. Always hear great things. Sound off in the comments below if you’re a Danganronpa fan, and where I should start.
The Plants vs. Zombies Boxed Set 9 was released this week, collecting Impfestation, The Unpredictables, and Zapped graphic novels in one set. These 3 books originally came out in 2023, but this series has been going strong for over a decade. You can always find at least some of these lying around your chain book stores for pretty cheap, and I recommend giving them a flip-through.
Finally from Dark Horse this week, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage - A Soar of Eagles. This hardcover graphic novel collects the trilogy of Assassin’s Creed: Mirage comics that were released throughout 2025, and act as a prequel to the game.
While we’re talking about Assassin’s Creed comics, last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple #1 has now been localized in English thanks to VIZ Media this week. The first of several volumes that tells the tale of an all-new adventure featuring Edward Kenway, following the events of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
In some of the most exciting news of the week, Tune & Fairweather announced that pre-orders are now live for Lore Bound: Elden Ring Explained, VaatiVidya’s comprehensive, 400+ page exploration of Elden Ring’s full mythology. The book gathers his complete analysis of the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree, and Nightreign into one definitive volume packed with original art and deep lore breakdowns. Lots of amazing editions to choose from, so check it out now!
Square Enix also gifted us a nice treat this week, with the release of the NieR Poster Collection. While not ‘exactly’ a book, it’s a collection of 32 premium-quality removable posters featuring the hauntingly beautiful art of the award-winning video game series. Expect to see many YouTube channel backdrops now adorned with 2B pin-ups in the back ground. A nice addition to the rest of the Poster Books on the site.
Mega Man Adventures Volume 1: A Hero is Built has been announced by Udon Entertainment, with a May 2026 release. I have a bunch of these early comic issues and collections, but it’s nice to see the series get the hardcover treatment it deserves.
And speaking of blue-mascot comics - this week, IDW Publishing released Sonic the Hedgehog #82. In this issue Sonic and Tails face Lunar’s dangerous family as Shadow and Rouge close in, racing to escape with the Chaos Emerald and uncover the truth.
Christie Golden is back with her latest entry in the Warcraft series! World of Warcraft: Midnight - Blood Ties is the official prequel novel to the MMORPG’s latest expansion and hit store shelves earlier this week. And for those who don’t want to brave the Black Friday crowds, you can download the audiobook read by none other than Yuri Lowenthal.
Friendly reminder to those of you who’ve been following Lost In Cult’s Design Works series: Mouthwashing: Design Works is onto their final week of Deluxe Edition pre-orders, which will close on Friday. If this cult hit is your thing, you’re going to want to get a copy while it lasts.
A fresh listing this week confirms that The Art of Endless Space, a new sci-fi artbook from Amplitude Studios and Titan Books, is arriving on August 2026. Packed with over 250 pages of concept art, it dives into the factions, starships, alien worlds, and creative process behind the Endless Space universe. Big thanks to The Artbook Collector and his website for posting this just in time!
In the world of GameStudies, CRC Press has released The Game Needs to Change this week. It’s a landmark book on how the games industry can drive sustainability, offering practical guidance for creating greener, more impactful games. I think this one is coming at the perfect time!
And in GameDev, the long-awaited Game Audio Programming 5 - Principles and Practices has officially released (also thanks to CRC Press). This is the 5th volume in the series that is filled advanced game audio techniques, from low-level synthesis to high-level systems, offering practical insights for all skill levels.
Crossing the pond to France, we have a trilogy of headlines to cover. First the 11th volume of Kirby Fantasy has officially been localized and released this week thanks to SOLEIL. Now French-reading fans can enjoy the Wii Deluxe arc, featuring Magolor and fan-favorite friends! Just a few more to go before the whole series is translated!
France’s Pix’n Love Editions also saw a cool release this week with Hideo Kojima: L’Héritage de l’Homo Ludens. This book takes a deep dive into the man behind the legend, exploring his creative vision, groundbreaking work, and lasting impact on the world of gaming. Highly recommend checking out Tarak Chami’s work featured on our site.
And finally, Les Légendes de Tomb Raider: Sur la Piste d’une Icône from Third Editions released this past week. Both an in-depth examination of the games and a journey through a pivotal chapter in gaming history, from the early days of makeshift 3D crafted by a small team of visionary developers to the overwhelming production standards of modern AAA titles.
GamePress launched some exciting pre-orders this week. The Art of Blasphemous Complete is the long-awaited revised and expanded edition (112 added pages) of the art book for the first Blasphemous. This volume compiles all the visual material created for the original game and its three DLCs: The Stir of Dawn, Strife & Ruin, and Wounds of Eventide.
Also in Spanish, Adrián Suárez Mouriño continues his “Secrets of” series, with this week’s latest addition: Los Secretos de Shadow Moses: Más allá de “Metal Gear”. This is a detailed exploration of the legendary universe of Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid, the iconic cult video-game saga. Also, I gotta say, I’m really digging this “hero on horseback” cover theme he’s been doing with this series.
Over in Italy, RBA Italia continues its Videogiochi Leggendari releases, hot on the heels of its Mexico counterparts. This week’s release: Mass Effect: Il Culmine Della Fantascienza Interattiva. This 53rd volume of the series deep dives into Mass Effect 1–3, Andromeda, and its wider universe with concept art, screenshots, and commentary on the franchise’s enduring legacy.
Also in Italy, Sprea Editori has announced the 2nd volume of their PSM Collection Magazine. It’s not officially posted on the publisher’s website quite yet, but does have a few online shops where you can pick up a copy. This one contains 2 classic volumes of PSM Italia.
In Portuguese news, Video Game Maps SNES Vol. 1 & Video Game Maps SNES Vol. 2 will be getting the Editora Europa treatment for the Brazilian market. Very exciting news to see this great book series go global!
And finally, Jason Schreier’s Play Nice has just gone live with pre-orders for the Ukrainian market thanks to Mal’Opus. “Книга Грай чемно. Злет, падіння й майбутнє Blizzard Entertainment” is slated for a March 2026 release.
Did I miss something cool? Want to see this laid out differently?
Drop it in the comments or swing by our Discord to share it with the community.
Let’s keep this celebration of game-inspired books going strong!
📚 Behind the Shelves
Every week, I take you behind the scenes of The Video Game Library. From surprising discoveries to cataloging challenges, there’s always something new as we dig deeper into this ever-expanding archive of game-related literature.
So I started up Yakuza Kiwami this week after wrapping up Clair Obscur. It’s a game that’s been on my backlog for YEARS, and I promised myself I’d tackle it over the holidays. In addition to being out for a few days this week, progress on the site was left to our volunteers who continued to be incredible stewards of video game literature. Some great additions from them this week:
I also passed another milestone in this MASSIVE Bluesky thread that’s now been going for over a year. What was originally intended to be a Weekend post, is now sitting at ~4K likes, so I’ve got my work cut out for me. This week, we just passed 1,500 book spotlights on the thread, for those who are interested in following along!
This, as usual, is only a small sample of all the things that have been happening behind the scenes, so take a peek at the site to see everything that’s been added since last week! And while you’re at it, drop your thoughts in the comments below. Your feedback helps shape how we deliver these looks behind the curtain.
💡 Book Spotlights
Every week I like to zoom in on a few standout books from the collection. Sometimes it’s brand new releases, other times it’s older gems that deserve more love.
If you’re looking for deeper dives and not just quick headlines, check out some of these spotlights from this week:
BOOK SPOTLIGHT - The Best Life Adventure Games
Jupiter Hadley (2025); Pen & Sword Books - White Owl; Non-Fiction
"The Best Life Adventure Games isn't just a catalogue. It's a love letter to the art of slow, thoughtful play."
🙏 THANK YOU for Reading
That’s a wrap for this week’s Newsletter. I hope you discovered something new, surprising, or just plain fun.
As always, your feedback helps shape this project - so don’t be shy! Drop a comment below, join the conversation on Discord, or just reply to this newsletter and share your thoughts.
And if you’re enjoying these weekly roundups, please consider supporting The Video Game Library with a paid subscription or forwarding this to a fellow fan. Every little bit helps us keep preserving and celebrating these incredible works - and the passionate people behind them.
Until next week — happy reading,
Dean (Founder, The Video Game Library)
So many amazing books this week. My wallet is 😭.