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All The Big News As Fans Go Hands-On
Game Updates

All The Big News As Fans Go Hands-On

by admin June 4, 2025


A bunch of Switch 2s swirl in a circle.Nearly a decade after the original Switch came out, and following years of fans’ pining for a major upgrade to Nintendo’s wildly popular portable gaming platform, the Switch 2 is here. It’s already June 5—the console’s official launch date—in some parts of the world, and a day-one update with “important features and updates” is now live. People are finally starting to go hands-on with games like Mario Kart World, while others prepare for midnight launch parties in their respective time zones.

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Launch With Almost No Reviews

We’ll be updating this story throughout the day so be sure to scroll to the end and check back for more news on what players are finding as Nintendo’s most anticipated console launch ever finally gets underway.

Unlike all of Nintendo’s previous consoles, the Switch 2 arrives without any reviews or extensive testing from media or content creators. With the exception of two preview events, the highly anticipated console is going out into the world fresh for everyone. Officially, Nintendo blamed that outcome on the need for a last-minute day-one update, VGC reported yesterday. That had kept even leakers who got the hardware ahead of launch from being able to actually play any games on it, including older Switch 1 cartridges.

With the update now live, people have been able to start installing firmware version 20.1.1. It unlocks some of the Switch 2’s most important features, including GameChat and access to the Nintendo eShop, Switch Online, virtual game cards, and the controversial game key cards that don’t actually contain the game. As a result, early players in New Zealand and other places have started sharing pictures online of the Switch 2 downloading new games like Mario Kart World while everyone else patiently waits for the clock to strike midnight in their region.

The eShop runs great on Switch 2

Here’s what the new eShop looks like, for example. After years of stuttering on the old console, it actually seems to run smoothly (for now):

Mario Kart World 1.1.0 update makes more characters playable at the start

A day-one patch is also live for the open-world racing sequel launch title. Mario Kart World 1.1.0 adds support for Camera Play, online multiplayer, and the ability to upload and download time trial ghosts. More importantly, it looks like Nintendo made some last-minute tuning adjustments as well. “We’ve increased the number of characters that can be selected from the start,” reads one of the patch notes. “The time limit for deciding on a course has been removed when playing Locally or LAN,” reads another.

One big question on players’ minds: will blue shells actually be easier to dodge this time around than in past games?

Here’s what the inside of a Switch 2 looks like

For those interested in what’s actually going on inside the Switch 2, someone’s already uploaded a complete teardown of the new hardware. ProModding’s surgery on the console has already raised some important questions, like why is Nintendo hiding so many screws underneath hard-to-replace stickers on the side of the console?

For anyone who doesn’t already have the console, Switch 2’s launch day could be a lot rockier. While many secured pre-orders months ago, some stores in the U.S. have promised limited day-one inventory for people who show up at the midnight launch. The Switch 2 is expected to sell out at launch, but there’s a big question around just how hard it will be to get and for how long. Walmart has already begun cancelling some fans’ early pre-orders, and “out of stock” signs have been sent out to many stores.

Switch 2 launch day stock is available at some stores but not for long

Another big question is when all of those online pre-orders will finally get delivered. My bundle from Target currently isn’t slated to arrive until June 11, so I’m heading to GameStop today to join the masses to try to score a launch-day unit. My local store said they’d have about 10 for people showing up without pre-orders. For now though, backroom inventory is at long last going out on store shelves. Hopefully, there aren’t too many horror stories of people failing to get theirs.

Plus we’ll have to see how Nintendo’s servers hold up once the console is out across the globe and millions of players are trying to download games and day-one updates simultaneously. It’ll certainly put the Switch 2’s allegedly improved Wi-Fi speeds to the test.

Switch 2 can store more than double the number of screenshots

Update 6/4/2025 11:02 a.m. ET: The original Switch limited players to 10,000 screenshots no matter how much extra room on an SD expansion card they had (via NintendoSoup). The Switch 2 not only increases that limit to 15,000 for the console itself, it also lets you store another 15,000 screenshots on the auxiliary microSD Express card. It might be enough to document every square inch of Mario Kart World. At the very least, no more sorting through what screenshots to delete in the short term anyway.

Bowser’s Fury loads in 8 seconds

Update 6/4/2025 12:51 p.m. ET: Nintendo’s open world Mario side-project loads lightning fast on Switch 2. Bowser’s Fury, an add-on for Mario Bros. 3D World on the original Switch, takes place in a big, seamless map. I just booted it up on the old hardware using the cartridge version, which is already known to be a couple seconds slower than the digital version, and it took 41 seconds. Footage of the game running on Switch 2 by VGC shows it loading in just 8 seconds. It’s one of many Nintendo games that received free updates for the new console but doesn’t have a paid Switch 2 upgrade.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour can’t be completed without a 4K TV

Update 6/4/2025 1:48 p.m. ET: Welcome Tour seemed like the perfect pack-in for Nintendo’s new console: a series of neat mini-games teaching player show the machine works. Instead it’s a $10 download AND players have discovered you need a bunch of extra accessories to technically reach 100 percent completion (something the game tracks). Those additional peripherals include a webcam, a controller with GL/GR buttons, and a 4K TV or monitor display. Which diehard fans will buy a Piranha Plant cam just to hit that achievement?

The Switch 2 setup music is a cozy little banger

Update 6/4/2025 3:45 p.m. ET: It’s a shame the Nintendo Switch 2 won’t have eShop music, but at least when you first set up the console, you get to hear a nice song. This has been floating around for a few days now, thanks to leaks, but now we have some higher-quality versions of it. Kyle Orland over at Ars Technica has a great recording of it. And here’s a (quiet) recording of it via YouTube.

Someone has made Mario Kart’s famous cow eat beef

Update 6/4/2025 3:48 p.m. ET: Breaking news! Tom Marks, the executive reviews editor at IGN, has released video of the beloved and popular cow from Mario Kart World eating what appears to be a beef burger.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments
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Anker's 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Cube Is an Apple Fan's Must-Buy While It's Cheaper Than Previous Prime Days
Product Reviews

Anker’s 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Cube Is an Apple Fan’s Must-Buy While It’s Cheaper Than Previous Prime Days

by admin June 4, 2025


Three-in-one chargers for your smartphone, smartwatch, and wireless earbuds aren’t new, but their design tends to range from “a little too big” to “takes up my whole nightstand.” Not surprisingly, the innovative, attractive, and seriously effective solution for Apple users comes from Anker in the form of the 3-in-1 Cube With MagSafe, and it’s on sale right now at Amazon for just $113, a 25% drop from its regular retail price of $150.

The Anker 3-in-1 Cube is exclusively designed for Apple products, ready to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time, or 2 at a time, or just the iPhone. It folds down into a neat-looking cube, roughly 2.3 inches square and weighing just 0.9 pounds. When fully folded it can give any MagSafe-enabled iPhone a brisk 15W charge, but then when you extend the retractable Apple Watch charger and tilt up the lid to reveal another charging surface for your AirPods, you suddenly have all of your Apple device charging needs amply met by a compact, reliable charger that’s perfect for your travel bag.

See at Amazon

Home and Away Power

We love the Anker 3-in-1 Cube as a travel charger. Not only does it fit neatly in a carry-on bag, it’s a huge upgrade from any of the unreliable USB chargers that tend to occupy hotel nightstands. The Anker 3-in-1 Cube just needs an AC outlet for its included 30W charging block and 5-foot USB-C cable. From there it’s a quick lift of the iPhone platform and press of the retractable Apple Watch stand, and that terrible USB charger in the nightstand lamp never needs to be used.

Assuming you don’t travel all the time, there’s no reason to leave the Cube in your go bag, because it’s also tailor made for your nightstand or desk, especially if you’re already a little overcrowded on either. The small footprint of the Anker 3-in-1 Cube is deal for space management and the adjustable angle of the iPhone charger means you can watch content or make video calls hands-free from your desk.

Secure Grip

The Anker Cube charges any MagSafe enabled iPhone, meaning anything from the iPhone 12 family on up to the current 16s, but it is recommended that you not use a non-magnetic case that would impede the Cube’s built-in magnet. But if you have a magnetic case or you’re one of those brave souls who goes without a case, the Cube’s magnet is strong enough to hold your iPhone in place for charging and viewing, both in portrait or landscape orientation.

A sturdy, compact, ultra-reliable MagSafe fast charger that accommodates all of your Apple devices at once without monopolizing your nightstand or desk is a sweet deal to begin with, but tack on Amazon’s 25% discount and at just $113, the Anker 3-in-1 Cube is a total steal that you’ll use whether you’re home or on the road.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments
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Thermaltake MAGflore 360 Ultra ARGB
Product Reviews

Thermaltake’s new AIO liquid cooler features a 3.95-inch LCD display and swappable reverse-blade fans

by admin June 3, 2025



After showcasing its updated range of PC cases at this year’s Computex trade expo, Thermaltake has come up with a new AIO liquid cooler. The latest MagFlow Ultra ARGB Sync series will be available in 360 mm and 420 mm sizes, while highlight features include a three-sided borderless square display and ARGB fans that you can reverse by simply swapping.

The new AIO will come in Black and Snow (white) color options and includes a standard 27 mm thick radiator with a 20 mm copper chamber. It is also said to feature a new low-noise pump for quieter operations and compatibility with the latest Intel LGA 1851 and AMD AM5 sockets.

The LCD display sits on top of the pump block and measures 3.95 inches diagonally, offering a resolution of 480×480 pixels. Using Thermaltake’s TT RGB Plus software, the LCD can be used to showcase real-time system data (CPU or GPU usage, temperature, frequency), animated GIFs, and custom images or videos. While there’s nothing unique about that, Thermaltake has taken it further. Thanks to the companion TT PlayLink mobile app, one can use their smartphone to manage and upload content on the LCD.


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(Image credit: Thermaltake)

The pre-installed Swafan EX ARGB Sync fans offer swappable fan blades (standard and reverse) that allow you to quickly change the airflow direction for intake or exhaust. This is quite useful as you don’t need to remove and mount the fans in reverse, which usually ends up sacrificing your aesthetics and lighting effects. Depending on the AIO size, these fans will be available in 120 mm (EX12) and 140 mm (EX14) form factors, which can reach fan speeds of up to 2,000 RPM.

(Image credit: Thermaltake)

As an added bonus, the ability to remove the fan blades offers ease of cleaning with either a simple cleaning brush or a microfiber cloth. Thermaltake says that you can even rinse them with water, although you will need to dry them properly and use the included bearing lubricant to ensure proper operation.

Like the Toughfan EX12 Pro and EX14 Pro fans that the company launched earlier this year, the Swafan EX ARGB Sync fans also support the MagForce 2.0 magnetic connectors. As per Thermaltake, the fans now use larger pogo-pin contacts for a more stable connection and potentially fewer alignment issues. It also allows for daisy-chaining multiple fans together using just a single cable instead of wiring each fan individually.

Thermaltake has not revealed official pricing or release dates for the MagFlow Ultra ARGB Sync series. However, given the range of thoughtful features, the new AIO is expected to carry a premium price tag.

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June 3, 2025 0 comments
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Actress Says Some Fans Wanted BioWare To Fail
Game Updates

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Actress Says Some Fans Wanted BioWare To Fail

by admin June 2, 2025



After nearly a decade of anticipation for the next installment of Dragon Age, the latest sequel, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, unfortunately failed to reach EA’s expectations. Subsequently, the game’s developer, BioWare, laid off staff members and became considerably smaller. Now, one of the voice actors from The Veilguard is sharing her dismay about the backlash against the game from people who she says wanted to see BioWare fail.

Alix Wilton Regan–who voices the female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard–recently told IGN that she loved the game and she suspects that The Veilguard’s haters were intentionally trying to bring it down.

“I feel absolutely devastated for BioWare as a studio that they got such mixed reactions to the game,” said Wilton Regan. “I personally thought it was a really strong game. I thought it was just BioWare being more BioWare. I also think a lot of people kind of wanted to see it fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail, either because they’re just really bad people on the interne–of which there are unfortunately many, as we have discovered… “People were attacking the game before it was released. It’s ridiculous. How can you judge a game, a book, a film, a TV show before it’s actually released? You can’t. It’s an idiotic stance to take.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Dragon Age will get a sequel any time soon. EA shifted some of BioWare’s developers to other parts of the company, while leaving the remaining devs to tackle the next Mass Effect game.

EA chalked up The Veilguard’s disappointing response to an “evolving industry landscape.” BioWare wasn’t the only developer inside of EA to face layoffs. Earlier this week, EA shuttered Cliffhanger Games and canceled the AAA Black Panther game that was in development.



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June 2, 2025 0 comments
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$80 for Borderlands 4 too costly? Randy Pitchford says, "If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen"
Game Reviews

Fans slam Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford’s message to “cost sensitive” fans

by admin June 1, 2025


Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has double-doubled down on comments about the cost of Borderlands 4, by inviting “cost sensitive” fans to download Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands from the Epic Games Store for “FREE”.

These latest comments come after Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford made headlines when he told a X/Twitter commenter that “real fans” would find a way to get their hands on a copy of the game, even if it came with a $80 price tag. He later tried to justify it, all the while saying pricing was “not [his] call”.

In this latest social media post, Pitchford wrote the word “free” four times, each time in blockcaps.

9 Exciting 2025 Open-World Games We Can’t Wait to Play.Watch on YouTube

“For our real fans who may be cost sensitive, the very awesome and incredibly fun smash hit videogame Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is FREE this week on the Epic Games Store,” Pitchford wrote. “Please enjoy this FREE gift by grabbing your FREE copy here, FREE.”

Aforementioned real fans were quick to respond to this comment, too.

“You don’t get to just walk back being incredibly tone-deaf to the world around you. We are out here struggling, Randy,” said one player, while another wrote: “Dude you need to shut up already. No reason games should be $80 especially if its anything like 3 or that shit ass excuse of a movie.”

“I’m afraid the industry is moving in that direction and it’s just reality that we’ll have to accept,” Pitchford insisted. “The price for Borderlands 4 is going to get announced by the publisher soon. My wish, having worked my ass off on the game, is for as many people as possible to get to play it.”

When another commented: “So Randy, you think making backhanded comments towards your consumers about them being ‘cost sensitive’ is the plan? Wtf happened to you,” he responded: “Backhanded? There are literally people who want to play great video games, have a game-ready PC, but may not be able to spend enough to buy a new AAA game for awhile and this week there’s a free offer for one of the best shooter looters to come out over the last five years…”

“Saying ‘cost sensitive’ as the CEO of a company (In lieu of criticism of an $80 price tag for BL4) when a lot of your fan base is struggling to even pay for the roof over their heads and food on their tables is a crazy sentence to utter,” said another player.

Just a week before the “real fans” kerfuffle, Pitchford implored we “play the game first and understand the choices [the development team has] made” before passing judgement on changes Gearbox has made to the shooter’s head’s up display, including the removal of the mini-map.

Borderlands 4, as we learned a couple of weeks ago, is now arriving earlier than expected on 12th September, and developer Gearbox recently shared more of its latest looter shooter in a new PlayStation showcase. It showed off a couple of new Vault Hunters, some of its new weapons, new traversal mechanics, its new planet, and more all to whip-up enthusiasm for what creative director Graeme Timmins called “hands-down our best Borderlands ever”.



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June 1, 2025 0 comments
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Battlefield fans are convinced something big is happening on June 17
Game Updates

Battlefield fans are convinced something big is happening on June 17

by admin May 31, 2025


The Battlefield community, and general shooter fans, continue to have little to work with when it comes to news about the next Battlefield. The game has yet to be revealed, or even be given a proper title.

As Battlefield Labs playtests continue, however, more and more is being leaked, and this latest batch offers a compelling theory about the timing of the game’s next major moment.


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DICE made a lot of noise about the most recent, 72-hour-long Battlefield Labs playtest because it was intended to be used to test a controversial change to the class system. Many in the Battlefield community had been looking forward to getting picked for that test, or, failing that, pouring over the leaks that will come out of it.

Impressions are starting to appear online, but the test also revealed something else that has players very excited. Following its conclusion, checking the game tile reveals a curious message that reads, “This game hasn’t released yet. Wait until the official release date (2025-06-17) or pre-load date (2025-06-17) to install.”

Now, it’s highly unlikely that the next Battlefield will be released then, but that date is particularly curious for a few reasons.

Leaving the Labs soon? | Image credit: EA

Firstly, at the end of the test, players received a message that their game key has been revoked, which means they’d need to sign up again if they want to join future tests. This is unusual, because up to that point, anyone who got invited at any stage has been able to join every test.

It also indicates that the next test maybe a much larger, non-Battlefield Labs affair. Given the June 17 date above, players now believe this is when a wider – more open – alpha or beta test for the game will kick off. Battlefield games have held playtests in the summer before, so that’s another reason to believe that theory.

The thinking is that, with Summer Game Fest kicking off next week, the game will be revealed on the show’s opening ceremony on June 6, with a message directing players to sign up for the June 17 test. EA is not hosting its own summer event this June, so it makes sense for the publisher to use a large platform like Summer Game Fest to unveil the game – or even just announce that a big test for “the next Battlefield” is going to be starting soon.

EA recently confirmed that the next Battlefield will be unveiled in the summer, so none of that is a stretch. Of course, it’s worth taking all that with a pinch of salt. These sorts of updates to in-development games are common, and may not necessarily reflect what we should expect. It’s also possible that it may have been the plan at one point – but plans change.

The good news is that Summer Game Fest is not far off, and the aforementioned June 17 date isn’t too far behind that. At the very least, we’re bound to hear something over the next couple of weeks.



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May 31, 2025 0 comments
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EA, fresh from killing a big Marvel game, reassures fans it still has three other Marvel projects it could kill in the future
Game Reviews

EA, fresh from killing a big Marvel game, reassures fans it still has three other Marvel projects it could kill in the future

by admin May 31, 2025


Yesterday, EA announced it was cancelling its in-development Black Panther game, and closing down Cliffhanger Games, the studio making it. But don’t worry gang, EA and Marvel have come forward to reassure fans that there are still other games in development that have yet to be suddenly and unceremoniously killed.

In a statement to IGN, an EA spokesperson provided the following quote, which was attributed to EA Entertainment president Laura Miele: “Our partnership with Marvel remains strong and our multi-title, long-term collaboration continues.” In addition, a Marvel statement was also recived by IGN, which reads as follows:


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“The multi-title, long-term relationship between Marvel Games and EA, a creative collaboration focused on original storytelling with various, beloved Marvel characters, remains strong. Development of our console and PC titles, beginning with Marvel’s Iron Man, is led by Motive Studios.”

IGN would follow up to clarify whether or not this still meant that three Marvel games were in development as part of the original deal signed by both Marvel and EA back in 2023, and were told that is indeed the case. This includes an upcoming Iron Man game in the works over at Motive Studios.

The problem with this is that EA has been on such a roll recently when it comes to shutting down games, projects that it’s already spent millions upon millions of dollars on for nothing, that it’s somewhat hard to get overly excited about games we’ve not seen much of. Already this year it has killed various projects at Respawn including a new Titanfall game, so can you really expect folks to get excited?

And all the while, the people actually making these games have to sit down at their workdesk and trust that their team will be fine, even as entire offices are walking out the door with cardboard box in hand. It sucks dude! You want to reassure people that EA are still making games? Try releasing one!



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May 31, 2025 0 comments
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Sam Fisher
Gaming Gear

Ubisoft marks 10 years of trolling Splinter Cell fans with a new tease and I can’t believe I’m saying this but they used the wrong picture of Sam Fisher

by admin May 31, 2025



Summer Game Fest season is almost upon us, and you know what that means. That’s right, it’s time for Ubisoft to once again disappoint Splinter Cell fans by reminding us that it’s been almost four years since the remake was announced.

“Splinter Cell fans are getting excited about a possible update on the remake in June,” I wrote in April—except that was April 2024, not 2025, and June 2024 ultimately brought us nothing. We did hear about a Splinter Cell animated series on Netflix, not featuring the voice of Michael Ironside, and then in November of that year the Splinter Cell movie starring Tom Hardy that was announced, appropriately, in 2012 was officially given the Sam Fisher handshake.

Prior to that? The “full remake” of Splinter Cell was revealed in December 2021, a year later we were told it was being re-written “for a modern day audience,” and then a month after that the director quit. So, not exactly setting the world on fire there.


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And what do we have today? Blasted across the Ubisoft social media accounts, complete with emoji and #SplinterCell hashtag, it’s Sam Fisher himself! And boy, he looks none too happy.

(Image credit: Ubisoft (Bluesky))

The obvious implication is that Ubisoft has some sort of Splinter Cell news cooking for the near future, perhaps to be revealed at the Summer Game Fest showcase, or a Ubisoft Forward event that hasn’t yet been announced.

But I have concerns that we are in fact being set up for yet more disappointment, and not just because Ubisoft has been pulling this shit for the better part of a decade now. (PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown said he was convinced “Ubisoft is just tormenting fans” with elaborate trolling all the way back in 2020.)

The real reason I expect this to end badly springs directly from the image Ubisoft shared today. Here’s the alt-text: “Close-up of Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, showing a stern expression with focused eyes, short dark hair, and a rugged beard, set against a blurred high-tech background. He’s locked in.”

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There’s just one, well, wee tiny little problem: As sharp-eyed fan Naveen Chandar pointed out, “Isn’t that from the opening cinematic of Pandora Tomorrow, and not Chaos Theory?” And you know what? It absolutely is.

Here’s Sam from the Pandora Tomorrow cinematic—it’s cropped, and lower resolution, but it’s the same picture.

(Image credit: Ubisoft (Bluesky))

Look, mistakes happen, I get that. And honestly, at this point I kind of love the idea that this is all just an incredibly long-game troll—that somebody on Ubisoft’s social media team hates Splinter Cell with a blazing-hot passion that’s driven them to run a decade-long guerrilla harassment campaign against fans of the series purely out of spite. That would be funny! (Never forget that Julian Gerighty literally did this, in 2019.)

But more pragmatically, man, if Ubisoft doesn’t even know which game their teaser images come from, I can’t say it gives me great faith in its ability to put together a whole actual game within the span of years I have left on this Earth.

This is Chaos Theory Sam, by the way:

(Image credit: Ubisoft (Bluesky))

So that’s where things stand: The summer showcase season is almost here, Ubisoft is teasing Splinter Cell again, it’s not sure which game is which, and optimistically, maybe we’ll see Sam Fisher in Fortnite before the year is out. Or, maybe, we’ll get a whole new game—maybe this time it’ll actually happen! Look, I might be jaded and cynical, but I’m also a sucker. And I really do want to play that Splinter Cell remake.



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May 31, 2025 0 comments
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Elden Ring Nightreign Tops Steam But Fans Have Some Harsh Takes
Game Updates

Elden Ring Nightreign Tops Steam But Fans Have Some Harsh Takes

by admin May 30, 2025


Elden Ring Nightreign had a huge first night on PC. It’s already FromSoftware’s second-biggest launch ever on Steam. But the multiplayer spin-off of the 2022 hit open-world RPG is also already getting hammered by user reviews as fans complain about the lack of onboarding, poor communication tools, and the need to play with friends to have any real shot at surviving the challenging boss fights.

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Officially out today on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Elden Ring Nightreign went live on PC last night at around 6:00 p.m. ET. The latest release from the Dark Souls team immediately sprang up the Steam charts to reach over 300,000 concurrent players. That made it the fourth-biggest game on Valve’s storefront and the second-biggest FromSoftware launch on PC behind Elden Ring. Its namesake and its $40 price point clearly did the experimental multiplayer spin-off some favors.

But it didn’t take players long to realize that Nightreign is very much not Elden Ring. Unlike its slow, plodding predecessor, the spin-off is a battle royale-influenced loot race in which sessions see an entire Soulsborne experience condensed into just 45 minutes. It takes some getting used to, and players are already coming to grips with Nightreign’s notable hostility to explaining itself, even for a FromSoftware game. And while it does allow for offline solo play, its steep difficulty curve—more of a right angle really—heavily rewards group play and coordination.

“If you don’t have 2 other friends to play with in voice chat, don’t waste your time,” wrote Steam user Hishamm. “Game is Elden Ring, but 3p, and the solo queue is abysmal.” “Gameplay itself seems fun but I can’t possible leave a positive review if a game released in 2025 has no way to communicate in a coop game (neither voice nor text chat),” wrote Lynni. “Impossible to make progress without voice chat,” wrote Vahit Horoz. “If you have 3 friends you can talk to and play regularly, you will have a great time, the connection is smooth, the map is full of events and the game loop is very interesting.”

The game currently has a Steam rating of 65 percent, making it the lowest-scored FromSoftware release on the platform outside of Dark Souls III’s Ashes of Ariandel DLC. The reviews are full of complaints about the lack of duos (you have to either play alone or with a three-stack) and how matchmaking with strangers often leads to people randomly running around the map without coordinating, a task made harder by the lack of communication tools outside of pings and emotes. I think that might even out in the days and weeks ahead as players learn the basics of the randomized Nightreign map and how much more efficient you are together than split up, but the lack of modern multiplayer features is a real issue.

Screenshot: Valve / Kotaku

Prior to launch, director Junya Ishizaki told IGN that duos support wasn’t planned any time soon. “We are trying to cater to a fun experience with three people,” he said. “So making sure the experience is fun at its core with a group of three, but it also doesn’t collapse if it’s a solo player as well … in putting all our efforts into that aspect, we kind of overlooked and neglected the duos aspect, but this is something that we are looking at and considering for post-launch support as well.”

It’s also unclear if FromSoftware is planning to dial back the difficulty for solo players in an upcoming patch. Nightlord bosses are practically impossible at the moment for all but the most experienced and hardcore Elden Ring loners. A mysterious day-one patch alluded to balance changes and other improvements, but didn’t spell out exactly what those changes are. If FromSoftware does decide to dial things back a bit, it wouldn’t be the first time it’s made one of its games easier. The studio quickly made Shadow of the Erdtree’s final boss much easier when it kicked everyone’s ass last summer. We’ll see if Nightreign eventually takes mercy on players without friends as well.

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May 30, 2025 0 comments
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Switch 2 box art changes have Nintendo fans screaming in pain
Game Updates

Switch 2 box art changes have Nintendo fans screaming in pain

by admin May 29, 2025


The Nintendo Switch 2 has been at the center of perpetual online discussions since the console was shown off in earnest in April, with much of the chatter focused on its price. But with just days to go before the June 5 launch, we now find ourselves confronting the newest Switch 2 topic: ugly box art. Yes, if you let some Nintendo fans describe it, the Switch 2’s box art is a sight for sore eyes — but not for the reasons one might think.

On Wednesday, Pokémon Company International finally revealed that Pokémon Legends: Z-A would be released on Oct. 16, 2025, for the Switch and Switch 2. Along with the announcement, the company showed off the box art for the forthcoming title, with many Pokémon and Nintendo fans agreeing that the cover illustration was fire.

But the discussion quickly soured over how ugly people found the Switch 2 cover compared to the Switch equivalent, all because of a huge disclaimer taking up the bottom of the cover. “Includes the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack,” the disclaimer reads for some Switch 2 games, complete with a medium-sized QR code. “Upgrade pack also available separately.”

Most of the complaints focused on how crowded Switch 2 covers took away from the box art’s beauty. Other comments lamented Switch 2’s striking red covers, arguing that the color detracted from the game’s illustrations.

“Can I just buy the regular Switch 1 version and buy an upgrade pack for it?” typed ASKtheTRUTH. “I think like the Switch 2’s box art being cluttered.”

“The OG Switch box art looks better,” says X user Jean-Luc. “I can get used to the red bar on top but the fine print text on the bottom…They should just make that an extra sleeve or sticker they put on the shrink wrap.”

“Switch 2 cases are god awful,” wrote Dewrules235. “How did they think all that wasted red space was a good idea?? They should have kept it full art, swapped the logo, and made the plastic red.”

It makes sense that Nintendo would prioritize this messaging — even if it meant sacrificing prime real estate for gorgeous art. The Switch 2 will have three different game cards for its games: Switch 2-only games, the infamous game key cards, and cards that work on both Switch and Switch 2 consoles. Popular X account Nintendeal rounded up the game cards in a post, detailing the differences and the codes associated with each card.

Considering the confusion around the Switch 2’s game compatibility, key cards, and Switch 2 Editions floating around the internet, the fine print may become a Godsend in hindsight. And with so many people already confused by the Switch and Switch 2 console packaging, this game disclaimer may be helpful for that grandmother who wants to make sure her granddaughter gets the correct game for the correct system.

But yeah… that banner is not so hot.



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May 29, 2025 0 comments
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