The Journal of Interactive Narrative returns on a new technical foundation and a custom-built OJS installation that lets us publish interactive work alongside traditional scholarship. This issue brings together two peer-reviewed articles, new graduate research from the first Futures in Interactive Digital Narratives (FIDN) Student Research Symposium, and an interactive art piece. The articles explore how a newsgame set in familiar Dutch cities can provoke reflection on war and empathy, and how plants in interactive media can act as agents of ecological awareness rather than just props in eco-horror. The FIDN section showcases emerging voices pushing methods, activism, learning, heritage, and urban futures through interactive narrative. The issue also features Being Water, an immersive 360° work that invites readers to encounter water as a living presence. Together, these contributions reflect JIN’s commitment to experimental formats, critical engagement, and a growing global community in interactive digital narrative.