September is shaping up to be a busy month for games, with major updates landing across battle royale, action RPG, strategy, fighting and roguelike titles. From major gameplay changes in PUBG: Battlegrounds to a new character joining Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes, here are five of the most interesting gaming updates to keep on your radar.
1. PUBG: Battlegrounds Update 43.1 Lets Players Kick Their Way Into Combat
PUBG: Battlegrounds Update 43.1 is giving players more ways to interact with both enemies and the environment, headlined by a new Kick action and substantial improvements to water-based gameplay. The update was among the latest announcements highlighted by GamesPress.
Players can now perform standing and jumping kicks while unarmed. Kicks inflict more damage and knockback than punches and can also smash objects, including windows, wooden doors, fences, jars, and tyres. The seemingly simple addition could introduce some entertaining new tactical possibilities, particularly when fighting in confined spaces.
Water movement has received attention too. Swimming and diving speeds are increased by 25 per cent, while boats are more durable and can now be repaired on the water using an All-in-One Repair Kit. Other quality-of-life improvements include the ability to carry certain items while moving and immediately use some items from the ground without first placing them in an already crowded inventory.
PC players also gain support for NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and AMD FSR 4.1, while Solo Deathmatch returns for a limited period. Ranked Season 43 accompanies the update, together with interface changes, additional outfit preset slots and numerous bug fixes.
2. UNDECEMBER Heads to The Farside With Agony Wave
Hack-and-slash RPG UNDECEMBER has begun its latest season, The Farside, introducing a new roguelike wave-defence mode called Agony Wave alongside new skills, equipment and balance changes. The GamesPress announcement describes the season as adding Agony Wave and expanding players’ skill arsenals.
Agony Wave can be accessed from Saluto using an Agony Key obtained by defeating a Chaos Dungeon Boss. Players fight through normal monsters to fill a gauge before facing a Wave Boss. Completing each wave then presents a choice between three options, each combining a positive Blessing with a negative Curse.
That risk-and-reward structure is intended to make individual attempts play differently. Players have a limited ability to discard unwanted choices, adding another layer of decision-making as the difficulty increases.
The Farside also introduces new gear and skills, while existing Channelling Skills have been reworked. LINE Games says balancing changes are intended to narrow performance differences between skills and Unique Gear. A new Rune Cast Preset can automatically locate saved configurations among the player’s owned Runes and equip them, reducing some of the manual work involved in changing builds.
3. Company of Heroes Celebrates 20 Years as Definitive Edition Approaches
Relic Entertainment is marking 20 years of Company of Heroes, two decades after the original World War II real-time strategy game arrived in 2006. The anniversary was highlighted in the GamesPress roundup with a new Legacy trailer celebrating the franchise.
The timing is particularly significant because Relic is preparing to revisit the game that started it all. Company of Heroes: Definitive Edition is scheduled for PC in early 2027, bringing the original strategy game back with enhanced textures and lighting, quality-of-life improvements and a move to 64-bit technology.
The original Company of Heroes became notable for combining traditional RTS mechanics with destructible environments, tactical use of cover and a more cinematic depiction of World War II combat. Its success subsequently produced two main sequels and multiple expansions.
Relic is also continuing work on Company of Heroes 3, with a 3.0 update planned as the now-independent studio continues developing the franchise.
4. Shroom and Gloom Doubles Down on Deckbuilding
For something rather different, Shroom and Gloom has entered Early Access on PC with an unusual twist on the increasingly crowded roguelike deckbuilder genre. GamesPress describes Team Lazerbeam’s title as a “double-deckbuilding roguelite”, with its Early Access launch among this month’s announcements.
The “double” is important. Rather than relying on one deck for everything, Shroom and Gloom separates exploration and combat into two sets of cards.
While travelling through its strange subterranean environments, players use an exploration deck to perform actions such as digging and setting up campfires while managing stamina. Encounters with the game’s assortment of fungal enemies switch the focus to a separate combat deck containing attacks, healing abilities and other effects.
There is an appropriately quirky food theme running through the mechanics too, with players able to combine cards and use spices and cooking-related abilities while fighting their mushroom opponents. Completing quests and exploring different routes unlocks additional characters and possibilities for subsequent runs.
With its hand-drawn presentation and two-deck structure, Shroom and Gloom offers one of the more distinctive takes on deckbuilding among September’s new PC releases.
5. Under Night In-Birth II Adds Zohar to the Fight
Fighting game Under Night In-Birth II Sys: Celes is expanding its roster with Zohar, the game’s fourth additional DLC character. Her release was first flagged in the GamesPress roundup, which confirmed a new DLC character announcement from Arc System Works.
Known as the “Doppelganger”, Zohar is designed as a high-speed close-range fighter who attacks in coordination with her Doppelganger. Her arsenal includes giant spikes, rapid cross-up attacks and techniques geared towards mix-ups and breaking through an opponent’s defence.
Zohar launched for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam on September 15, with the Nintendo Switch version following on September 23. She is available individually for US$4.99, with the base game required.
Her arrival provides another addition to a fighter that continues to grow well beyond its original roster, while giving experienced players a particularly aggressive new character to learn.
