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By Flipline_Tony, January 2, 2026 8:46 am

Vol. I: Issue 002                                                                                             January 2nd, 2026

Welcome to the Nowtime Newsletter, and Happy New Year to all our readers! 2025 was quite a year. It turned out to be a big one for reboots, with blockbuster hits like Meteor Blastor: Blastlands and the smash game Jacksmith: Weapons and Warriors, which had eager gamers lined up around the block outside Papa Louie’s Arcade on launch day. And in what’s quickly becoming a favorite new tradition, this snowy stretch of the calendar marks the arrival of Snowfolk tourists who feel right at home in these frigid temperatures.

We’re looking forward to being with you all through 2026, reporting all the latest news and events as they unfold. So if you’re looking for the latest breaking news, just remember… Duke’s Gotcha covered!.

Hiya friends! My first official weather report for Nowtime News, how exciting! Overall, we’re looking at some pretty chilly temperatures, with highs in the single digits for Frostfield. Even Ketona Beach is feeling the cool-down, with highs in the mid sixties.

Still, those crisp temps make the perfect backdrop for the yearly ice sculpture displays throughout Maple Mountain. So let’s take a peek at the seven day forecast over in that neck of the woods!

The Mumph here, and we are officially back, folks. First game of the year, New Year’s Day, Savory League action at Griller Stadium, and the Burgerburgh Iceburgs come out swinging. Final score: Iceburgs 4, Portallini Tridents 1. MVP goes to Kayser.

Kayser brought that game-breaking punch when it mattered, and Burgerburgh did all the little things that win you hockey. Bunson and Pattyberg had the Tridents pinned in their own end with long, grinding cycles, plus crisp zone entries that kept Portallini chasing shadows. On the blue line, Searburn was a problem all night, tight gaps, smart reads, and first passes so clean they kicked off rushes before Portallini could even set up.

And between the pipes, Kayser was calm, square, and basically told the Tridents, “Not tonight.” Molinaro did try to give the Tridents a spark with a few dangerous rushes, but Burgerburgh closed lanes late and shut the doors.

My two cents, Portallini has to find a way to generate something other than “one guy, one rush,” because that will not cut it in this league. Big opening win, big momentum, and the Iceburgs start the year with a statement.

Hello out there!

Over the holiday break, I finally did some end of year cleaning, the kind you put off because you know what is lurking in the piles. Years ago, I converted my guest bedroom into what I now call the Black Box, within it’s chalkboard painted walls, the unknown goes in and answers come out.

While I was sorting through stacks of cold cases, one folder caught my eye like it wanted to be found. “The Lost Expedition.” Inside were my notes on the famed Expedition Munchmore, led by the adventurous Ripley. It has been 940 days, by my count, since the transmissions went quiet and the story stopped in the middle of a sentence.

Sure, we all know Ripley is safe and sound, enjoying a popsicle on the old wharf, smiling like nothing ever happened. But when she is asked about the expedition, she politely says she is not able to speak of it. Not that she will not. Not that she does not want to. Not able. And that is the kind of wording that makes my pen pause.

So here is what keeps me up, scooping through the dark with a flashlight and a bad feeling. What is Gigaloaf Labs hiding, and why did they make Ripley sign an NDA? The truth is somewhere, my fellow Scoopers, and we will find it. I have already contacted Gigaloaf Labs and demanded the release of the remaining transmissions, but only time will tell if those files ever see the light of day.

In the meantime, keep digging. And that’s The Scoop.