‘Oceanhorn 3’ Headlines a Massive March for Apple Arcade
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Apple continues to roll out new gaming titles on Apple Arcade, and it looks like March will be another fun month, with a big Oceanhorn sequel and three new App Store Greats, joining a new Super Bowl LX-inspired challenge in NFL Retro Bowl ’26, and several other updates introduced in February.
Apple will kick off its new Arcade lineup on March 5 with Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea, the next installment in the popular action-RPG-adventure franchise, launching exclusively on Apple Arcade.
Taking place nearly a thousand years after the events of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Oceanhorn 3 invites fans and newcomers to explore lost islands, battle titans, and unlock the secrets of a world on the brink of rebirth.
“The upcoming release of Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea on Apple Arcade represents the culmination of five years of passionate work, bringing a brand-new adventure to life for players of all ages,” Heikki Repo, creator of the Oceanhorn series and creative director at Cornfox & Brothers said in Apple’s announcement. “With the support of our friends at Apple, we’ve crafted something truly special. We’re excited for both longtime fans and new adventurers to explore a rich new world filled with compelling characters and an unforgettable story.”
Fans have been waiting for a long time for Knights of the Lost Realm, considering that it’s been nearly seven years since Oceanhorn 2 headlined Apple Arcade’s original launch in 2019. That in itself was a prequel to the original Oceanhorn: Monster of the Uncharted Seas, which also first came to the iPhone App Store in 2013, long before Apple Arcade was even a gleam in Eddy Cue’s eyes. While both of the first installments initially remained exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, it wasn’t long before ports for Android, Windows, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch appeared.
So, it’s fair to say that Oceanhorn 3 will eventually go the same route, but for now, fans will need an Apple Arcade subscription if they want to dive in. The good news is that Apple and Cornfox are expanding the game’s reach, offering a 3D gaming experience that can be enjoyed on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even the Apple Vision Pro, where it’s one of the first major RPGs to debut a first-person mode.
More App Store Greats
Apple Arcade began its life in 2019 as a home for exclusive titles, mostly created by indie developers with Apple’s financial backing. However, in 2021 the company expanded the service to add Timeless Classics and App Store Greats.
While the Timeless Classics, which include puzzle and board games like Sudoku Simple, Backgammon, and Solitaire, have mostly remained static, the App Store Greats is an ever-expanding category in which Apple brings the best games of the App Store into Apple Arcade, free of the ads and in-app purchases that often plagued the standalone versions.
The category kicked off with some of the truly greatest games of the App Store, including Monument Valley, Mini Metro, Threes!, Fruit Ninja Classic, Badland, and The Room Two, and it’s been adding more titles ever since. The Arcade versions of these titles are typically denoted with a “+” after the name to help distinguish them from the original App Store versions, which remain available for standalone purchase in many cases.
Next month, the collection will be joined by Pocket Love!+, a “wholesome life simulator” that lets you move into a cute new home with your partner and favorite pet; Flow Free+, a puzzle game where you connect matching colors with pipes; and Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story+ which puts you in charge of a sweetshop run by beloved manga character Doraemon.
Content Updates
Apple also frequently announces new content for existing Apple Arcade games, and while it has yet to say whether it has any of this coming in March, February brought a Star Wars collab expansion for Disney SpellStruck that introduced levels inspired by Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, along with a limited-time Snowy Day event in Crayola Create and Play+.
NFL Retro Bowl ’26, which came to Apple Arcade in September, also added the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots for football fans looking to relive Super Bowl LX.
Apple Arcade offers access to a library of over 250 games that can be shared with up to six family members — all without ads, in-app purchases, or other hidden costs. A standalone subscription costs $6.99 per month, or it can be combined with Apple Music, Apple TV, and iCloud+ storage in an Apple One bundle, with plans starting at $19.95/month.
