The first of Nintendo's two Switch 2 flavoured Treehouse: Live presentations is about to kick off. Read more

Switch 2's full reveal analysed: how powerful is Nintendo's new hardware and is DLSS being used?Pixel throughput on Switch 2 Special Edition games suggests it's over five times faster than its predecessor. Feature by Richard Leadbetter Technology Editor, Digital Foundry Published on April 3, 2025 With the initial reveal of the Switch 2, there was the sense that Nintendo was intent on evolution, not revolution - but yesterday's fleshed out showing showed that the firm is still capable of surprises, both in terms of the hardware feature set and also in the presentation of many of its games.Let's begin on the hardware side of things where the full capabilities of the 7.9-inch display were finally revealed and proved impressively robust bearing in mind Nintendo's usual aversion to higher end features. The display may be LCD in nature, but in every other spec point, the firm has delivered. First of all, there's the inclusion of HDR - transformative to a game's presentation as any one with a decent TV or even Steam Deck OLED can attest. The potential here is considerable and could have industry-wide ramifications: a mainstream console ships with an HDR display as standard, which should - in theory, at least - guarantee take-up of the feature.Beyond that, there's both 120Hz and VRR (variable refresh rate) support. In practise, Switch 2 titles have the potential to scale up to 120fps - assuming the game is performant enough. And if it's not? Well, that's not a write-off by any means: games can run with unlocked frame-rates and barring unfortunate stutter (which not even VRR can fix), they should still present in a smooth manner. We just have to be a little realistic here: Switch 2 is still a resource-constrained piece of mobile hardware operating with a highly constricted power budget, so it'll be interesting to see just how close Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gets to its mooted 720p 120fps target in handheld form.Digital Foundry's red-hot take on Switch 2's 'proper' reveal. The whole team was deployed in getting together the facts, figures and performance tests. Note that the Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 3+4 footage is now - understandably - confirmed to have been sourced from the PC version.Watch on YouTube0:00:00 Introduction0:01:22 Displays: 120Hz VRR HDR 1080p internal display, 4K60/1440p120 docked display output0:10:09 Battery and battery life0:11:55 Controller changes: GameChat, magnetic attachment, mouse control, Pro controller upgrades0:18:14 Storage: 256 GB internal, MicroSD Express support, Game Cards and Game-Key Cards0:26:27 Game compatibility: games with support issues, Switch 2 upgrades and Switch 2 Editions, GameCube backwards compatibility0:38:15 Pricing: Console prices, game prices, and value0:46:45 First party games: Mario Kart World0:52:31 Kirby Air Riders0:53:57 Donkey Kong Bananza0:57:02 Third party games: The Duskbloods1:00:39 Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, FF7 Remake, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+41:08:56 Closing thoughts on the presentation and systemThe 120Hz VRR display also offers up other opportunities - the chance for games typically targeting 30fps to instead use a higher, smoother, arbitrary frame-rate: 40fps or thereabouts being the obvious choice. The only issue I'd like to highlight here is that the harder developers push the hardware for higher frame-rate, there has to be a trade in terms of graphical fidelity and/or battery life, which allows me segue seamlessly to the next crucial spec point: the size of the battery itself.For many, the key comparison point for Switch 2 is Valve's Steam Deck and here, the specs look troubling. A 5220 mAh battery is a considerable improvement over the 4310 mAh in the original. However, the new console's battery capacity translates to around 19.3 Wh up against an equivalent 40 Wh in the original Steam Deck and 50 Wh in the OLED model. With Nintendo promising a minimum two hours of battery life for Switch 2, that means that all functions of the handheld will consume 10 watts. Just the APU in Steam Deck consumes 15W and fully unlocked and including all system components, I've seen the Valve system consume around 28W - almost three times as much power.In a handheld form factor, power translates into performance, so the efficiency of the silicon itself (not to mention its raw compute power) combined with bespoke game integrations from developers are going to be key in getting decent mobile experiences - but to be clear, running triple-A fare on a 10W power budget is going to be quite the challenge! We didn't see much mobile footage in the presentation (but we did catch a glimpse of Cyberpunk 2077 which operated at 960x540 in the tiny amount of content we did see) but I'm reasonably confident that the handheld experience should pan out - not least based on the absolute miracles we've seen over the years on the original Switch.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Looking at the software side of things, let's begin by discussing the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition versions of existing Switch titles. This kicked off with a highly impressive demonstration of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond which operates at 4K resolution at 60fps when docked (or 1080p at 120fps, of course). The crystal clear nature of the 4K footage does somewhat put into perspective the conjecture that the trailers seen thus far were running on Switch 2. Clearly they weren't based on this pristine showing! Taking a Switch 1 900p game to a presumed native 4K represents a 5.76x boost to pixel count, which is quite the thing. We didn't see any evidence of DLSS or any other kind of upscaling, by the way, but it can't be ruled out at this early stage.Looking at the Zelda titles, a 900p30 resolution on Switch 1 presents at 1440p60 on Switch 2 - a 5.12x boost to pixel throughput. I'd say that's very impressive but I am reminded of the Gamescom 2023 rumours discussing a 4K DLSS Breath of the Wild demo apparently shown to developers. There's enough good sourcing out there to suggest that this demo is really and does exist, but demos and shipping titles are two very different things - as are retail units and 'target' hardware. Based on the computational cost of DLSS, the concept of 4K upscaling on a mobile processor like Switch 2's T239 does seem unlikely.Looking at the actual first party titles designed specifically for Switch 2, it's great to see that Nintendo is firmly committing to its new platform. Yes, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond could be considered a cross generation release, but the new Mario Kart World with what we think is a pseudo-open world design couldn't be delivered to anything like the same degree on older Switch hardware. 60 frames per second is a given, and the footage we saw from what must be the docked mode rendered at 1440p resolution - albeit with no visible anti-aliasing. We're also hearing reports from the hands-on event happening right now that there's a 1080p mode that runs at 120fps. The nature of the open world itself is still up for debate, but our bet would be on a Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit style arrangement where the tracks are 'baked in' to one coherent, interlocking environment. Obviously the whole nature of the environment is a world apart from prior series offerings and view distances looked great, while the quality of materials and lighting also sees key improvements.We put this T239 video together back at the tail-end of 2023. Apart from the deep learning accelerator (DLA) having been ruled out for Switch 2, the information here on the Switch 2's processor should still stand up.Watch on YouTubeDonkey Kong Bananza also looks great - and perhaps a little more ambitious with a native 1080p rendering resolution. 60fps is maintained with only occasional drops based on this preview footage, but it's clear that both the improved CPU and GPU are being asked to do a whole lot more based around the physics on display. Amusingly dubbed online as 'Red Faction Gorilla', it's nice to see Nintendo concentrating on remarkably destructive environments reminiscent of Red Faction's classic 'geomod' technology, but it is still a 3D platformer, with the developers pivoting towards a Kong design more clearly inspired by the movie (something also seen in Mario Kart World).The third-party titles look very interesting indeed and give us a completely different perspective on the Switch 2's potential capabilities. With Nintendo titles, we have games built specifically for the hardware, factoring in both the strengths and weaknesses of the design. For third-parties, porting over existing games, there are additional challenges. Even so, we got a glimpse of a creditable rendition of Cyberpunk 2077, operating between 720p and 1080p with dynamic resolution scaling while targeting 30fps (though we did notice dips). Assuming the mobile footage is actually of the handheld mode, resolution there was 540p - but again, dynamic resolution scaling would be a fair assumption. Reports from the hands-on event don't seem to be particularly favourable, however.We didn't get to see too much of Unreal Engine 5 though, the engine of the current generation. Split Fiction doesn't tap into the high-end features of the technology, but nevertheless ran at 30fps vs the 60fps of the other console versions with considerable cutbacks to the graphics. Meanwhile, we had just the tiniest of glimpses of Fortnite running on the new console, with what looked like a locked 1080p in the footage we saw and operating at 60fps. There's not a whole lot we can tell from the tiny clip we were given, but we think we can rule out UE5's ray tracing-based Lumen global illumination technology. Cyberpunk 2077 in docked mode here appeared to render dynamically between 720p and 1080p, capped at 30fps but with some performance drops in challenging areas.Moving on, Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade is certainly worth of extra study - it seems to be running at a native, locked 1080p in the clips we saw, while being capped to 30fps. In other respects, it looks pretty close to the existing PlayStation 4 version of the game. That said, inconsistent frame-pacing was noted, which we'd like to see fixed.There's a lot more to discuss further down the line - not least the exclusive The Duskbloods but we'll end with the game that actually kicked off the partner presentation: Elden Ring. As first impressions go, FromSoftware failed to hit the mark with a highly choppy presentation. Something just doesn't look right with the footage, which seemed to present with obvious stutter. However, running the video through our tools, a fairly consistent 30fps is achieved with only a couple of performance drops. Our theory? The game could have been captured at 60fps with the trailer edit exported at 30fps, losing half of the visual information.Assuming Elden Ring on Switch 2 has the same inconsistent frame-pacing as the PS4 version, or an unlocked frame-rate, decimating the frame-rate of the capture would result in exactly the kind of jerky camera motion seen here. What we can say at least is that the game presented here at native 1080p, just like PS4. And just like The Duskbloods actually, which curiously seemed to run at a consistent 30fps with none of the judder seen in the Elden Ring asset. Final Fantasy 7 Remake looked impressive overall. Every shot we counted came in at native 1080p, with a 30fps performance level - albeit with wonky frame-pacing.As an opener for the deluge of games to come, Switch 2 lands where I would expect it to based on what we've seen so far - but there are two omissions that caught our attention. First of all, Nvidia's DLSS upscaler was expected to be a secret weapon of sorts for the new Nintendo machine and while my colleague, Tom Phillips, tells me that DLSS has been confirmed based on the developer presentation he's seen, we didn't see much - if anything - in the presentation to suggest that DLSS is in play on any of the titles we saw. Perhaps DLSS is more computationally expensive than more vanilla upscalers. Perhaps the mooted 'lightweight DLSS' for Switch 2 isn't ready yet. Or maybe the development tools don't support it yet - we'll just need to wait and see.Secondly, and perhaps more understandably, it's understood that ray tracing hardware support is built into Nintendo's T239 processor - but we didn't see any evidence of that in any of the games either. RT comes with a considerable performance hit, of course, so this isn't exactly a huge surprise: when dealing with mobile hardware, every GPU cycle is precious. All we know for now is that both RT and DLSS are supported. Without going into much in the way of detail, Nintendo has confirmed it.Overall, the Switch 2 reveal went down well with the Digital Foundry team. Personally, I went into the presentation expecting a machine with overall performance in line with Steam Deck, but early indications do suggest something more potent - at least in docked configuration. Nothing beats the hands-on experience though, something we'll have to wait a little while for, but we're looking forward to checking out the various media that's set to appear in the meantime. We'll update with more as and when we can.

Judging by reactions online across the world, the cost of the Switch 2 and its software has proven to be controversial. Perhaps Nintendo knew this, considering it didn't include the price in the actual Direct presentation.Here in the UK, the console will cost 395.99, or 429.99 bundled with Mario Kart World, when it launches on 5th June. That's compared to the 280 launch price of the original Switch, and 310 launch price of the OLED.It's the increase in the cost of games themselves, though, that's proven most shocking. Mario Kart World, for instance, will cost 74.99 for a physical copy, or 66.99 digitally. That's an increase from 49.99 for most brand new original Switch games.Nintendo Switch 2 Live Reaction - How Much Will It Cost? Let's Find Out!Watch on YouTubeDonkey Kong Bananaza, meanwhile, is slightly cheaper: 66.99 for a physical copy and 58.99 digital. There's the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour game too, which will cost 990 yen according to the Japanese website - that's around a fiver.It should also be noted that some Switch 2 physical game cards won't actually include the full game, but include a download key instead. As for the difference between physical and digital pricing, this appears to be a shift towards pushing digital games - especially with the addition of the sharable Virtual Game Cards Nintendo revealed last week.Still, accounting for inflation, the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle works out cheaper in the UK than the original Switch with a copy of Breath of the Wild in 2017.To directly compare the consoles alone, 280 for the original Switch works out at 367.40 today with inflation, still cheaper than Switch 2. However, throw in the big launch game and it's a better deal - an original Switch with a separate copy of Breath of the Wild cost 340 at launch in 2017, which works out at 446.13. That's pricier than the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle.Over in Europe, the Switch 2 console costs 469.99, or 509.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. That's equivalent to the cost in the UK.It's a different story in other parts of the world, however.In Japan, for instance, Nintendo will be selling a region-locked console at a lower price, in a bid to stop importers due to the weak yen.The Japan-only console will cost 49980 yen (around 258.95), but will only play Japanese games in Japanese language, with a Japanese Nintendo account.A more expensive Switch 2 with multilingual support will also be available at 69980 yen, around 362.57. That's still slightly cheaper than in the UK, though doesn't account for import costs.As for the price of Mario Kart World in Japan, it'll be 9980 yen compared to the cost of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the original Switch at 6578 yen. As Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, wrote on social media, that's 52 percent more expensive, which is a higher jump than the 33 percent rise from $60 to $80 in the US.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.As for the console itself in the US, it costs $450, but there are fears this could rise to as much as $600 if impacted by new tariffs from the Trump administration.Tariffs - taxes charged on products when they enter the country - could be as much as 46 percent on products from Vietnam, which is where the majority of Switch 2 manufacturing has taken place, Kotaku has reported.David Gibson, analyst at MST Financial, confirmed to The FT: "Export data combined with finished product codes confirms that Nintendo shipped finished Switch 2 [from Vietnam] across five days in January for a total of 383,000 units with all of them going to the USA."He added: "I suspect this occurred to test the distribution system and get ahead of the risk of tariffs. I expect the numbers to have ramped-up significantly in February and March."Wrote Niko Partners director of research and insights Daniel Ahmad on social media: "Nintendo shifted its manufacturing to Vietnam to avoid tariffs and with todays reciprocal tariff announcements they're likely going to end up paying tariffs anyway."Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis also suggested to IGN Nintendo "probably had a range of pricing for the US market in play up until the last minute due to the uncertainty on import tariffs", which is why the price wasn't included in the Direct.However, analysts don't believe the pricing will impact sales of Switch 2 initially."Based on what we're seeing across the market, sales to higher-income or more affluent households likely won't be impacted by this pricing," Circana analyst Mat Piscatella told IGN. "And, of course, we have the price insensitive super enthusiasts that will do and pay whatever it takes to acquire the Switch 2 at launch. Therefore, because of the limited quantities that will be available during the launch year, I do not anticipate this pricing to hinder year one sales volumes."The true test will come in year two, as supply is likely to become more readily available, and the addressable market will be forced to widen. So, we'll have to see what happens over the next 9-12 months."And compared with Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro at 699.99 and Valve's Steam Deck OLED at 479.00, the price of Nintendo's new console still appears reasonable.Of course, this all depends on whether consumers are able to pre-order, as Nintendo is enforcing strict criteria on pre-orders from its own Nintendo store in a bid to reduce scalping. That's based on playtime and the requirement of a Nintendo Online account.In the meantime, multiple online UK retailers have already gone live and sold out of Switch 2 stock, without the need to meet Nintendo's criteria.For more on the new console, here's everything announced at the Switch 2 Direct.

There was plenty for us to pore over during yesterday's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, but there is one character in particular that has caught the hearts and minds of everyone who watched: Mario Kart World's cow on scooter. Read more

Devil May Cry season 1 reviewPeak Dante.Image credit: Netflix Review by Graeme Virtue Contributor Published on April 3, 2025 Netflix's long-gestating animated adaptation of Capcom's venerable hack-em-up gives Dante his blockbuster action hero moment.Next year Devil May Cry will catch up with its lead character's hair by celebrating its silver anniversary. The hellacious Capcom action series launched in 2001 and has nimbly zigged, zagged and pirouetted over the course of six core installments. Viewed as a gunslinging, sword-swinging continuum, the through line of the franchise seems to be this: if a demon is worth slaying, it's worth doing it with needlessly flashy style.Devil May Cry TV series 1 reviewAnimation: Studio MirProduced by: Capcom, NetflixAvailability: Out 3rd April on NetflixThat signature spirit of cocksure ultraviolence to goose a score-chasing Style Gauge is preserved in Netflix's fizzy new series, which arrives this week after first being announced back in 2018. It has been overseen by Adi Shankar, a specialist in the streamer's games-to-animation pipeline having worked on the admired Castlevania and daft Far Cry 3 sci-fi spin-off Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.With Limp Bizkit's meathead anthem Rollin' soundtracking the credits sequence and knowing needle drops from the likes of Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine and Crazy Town, the personality of this adaptation - set in a modern-ish NYC where the world is being sporadically invaded by diabolical hellspawn - is very turn-of-the-millennium nu-metal. But thankfully it is not one of those protracted origin stories where the super-powered protagonist only pulls on their iconic costume in the final scenes.Here's a Devil May Cry season 1 trailer.Watch on YouTubeAt first glance, this incarnation of swaggering demon hunter Dante (voiced with impish glee by Johnny Yong Bosch) seems fully formed: the dual handguns, longsword, K-pop idol haircut and swirling red leather trenchcoat from the franchise's imperial phase are all present and correct. Perhaps surprisingly, there is also a whiff of Ninja Theory's 2013 reboot DmC: Devil May Cry in Dante's callow slacker-dom and apparent allergy to introspection.As a child he may have witnessed his mother and twin brother get horrifically murdered by demons but Dante wears his angst pretty lightly. He also takes his enhanced fighting skills and uncanny abilities - notably Wolverine-style accelerated healing - in his sashaying stride.As he quips, twirls and sick burns his way through supernatural skirmishes, you get the sense that he has been dispatching minor minions for so long he just started adding in all the combat curlicues to keep himself amused. ("Dammit, he's cool," admits a hulking elemental golem as the effortlessly acrobatic Dante prepares to smash their face in with a motorcycle.) Image credit: NetflixDante's life of carefree demon-busting is upended by the machinations of theatrical baddie White Rabbit (Hoon Lee), a monocle-sporting, monologue-spouting mastermind who has made it their floppy-eared mission to destroy the mystical barrier separating Earth and a sulphuric realm we think of as Hell. For that, he needs one of Dante's heirlooms.With rising public panic over incursions by "terrorist demons", the US government - steered by a highly suspect vice-president (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy) - mobilises DARKCOM, a semi-privatised anti-demon army. The tip of the DARKCOM spear tasked with neutralising Dante is a characterful squad of elite operators led by Mary (Scout Taylor-Compton), a driven tactician with distinctive green and red irises and a pair of nifty rocket boots.There is a sparky push-and-pull between Mary and Dante, her rigid by-the-book chalk contrasted with her target's one-liner cheesiness. She assumes his matador moves and emotional shallowness must be a himbo facade to hide his true soulful self. In one of the show's best jokes, she's dead wrong (at least at first; Dante, Mary and White Rabbit all get some unexpected dimensionality as the tale unfolds). Image credit: NetflixOver the course of its eight episodes Devil May Cry constantly channels the sort of OTT action movies you suspect Dante watches in his messy crash pad between freelance gigs: a highway chase with demons stomping on traffic feels very Matrix Reloaded, while Mary gets a side mission in a run-down apartment block that echoes The Raid or Dredd. Heads are brutally lopped, guts are generously spilled and despite the freewheeling vibe the collateral damage slowly but surely rises.The animation by Korean veterans Studio Mir (who had a hand in the recent X-Men '97 cartoon) has a pleasingly elastic snap and constantly ground-shattering heft. They have also mastered the art of foreshortened perspective so various characters can strike a badass pose while the barrel of their chosen weapon looms intimidatingly large in the frame. If there was an on-screen Style Gauge, the artists would be racking up the points.So far, so moreish action-fest. But just when you've synchronised with its headlong pace and constant moshpit swirl of action, Devil May Cry abruptly demonstrates it has another gear: a poised, essentially dialogue-free flashback episode that gives Studio Mir space to flex in completely different artistic directions. That impressive detour en route to an energised but fairly boilerplate apocalyptic finale is what suggests there could be more mileage in this spirited take on the mythos.An advanced screener of Season 1 of Devil May Cry was made available for this review by Netflix.

Nintendo Switch 2 battery life revealedWatt's up.Image credit: Nintendo/Eurogamer News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on April 3, 2025 Nintendo has confirmed the battery life for its upcoming console, the Switch 2.After a rather choc full Direct yesterday, which gave us a look at Switch 2 games such as Drag x Drive and Mario Kart World, a few more little titbits of information have started making the rounds. This includes the console's all important battery life.Here's our Zoe with her Switch 2 reactions. Watch on YouTubeAs shared on a separate spec sheet for Switch 2, Nintendo's next console will house a Lithium ion battery, with a battery capacity of 5220 mAh. Meanwhile, its battery life is "Approx. 2 - 6.5 hours". Nintendo notes this is just an "estimate" life span, and adds "the battery life will depend on the games you play and usage conditions".While Nintendo itself doesn't go into specifics about which games it is referring to here, it is fair to assume that playing a smaller indie game on a pleasant spring afternoon with a mild breeze blowing will see the console lasting longer in its handheld mode than if you were having a full blown battle in Elden Ring during a 40C heatwave.Charging time for the console, meanwhile, is approximately three hours while in sleep mode.To compare the upcoming Switch 2's battery life to other Switch devices, here's what Nintendo's support page states:Once fully charged, the battery duration for the console varies depending on model and on the software application and functions being used.For Nintendo Switch - OLED Model with a serial number that starts with "XT", the battery life is approximately 4.5 to 9 hours.For Nintendo Switch consoles with a serial number that starts with "XK", the battery life is approximately 4.5 to 9 hours.For Nintendo Switch consoles with a serial number that starts with "XA", the battery life is approximately 2.5 to 6.5 hours.For Nintendo Switch Lite, the battery life is approximately 3 to 7 hours. Image credit: NintendoElsewhere in Nintendo Switch 2 news, it looks like Nintendo's next console will be making things a little easier for the avid screenshot sharers and gameplay clippers out there. Additionally, Nintendo quietly confirmed some physical releases on the console won't have any game data on the included game card.The Nintendo Switch 2 is due to be released on 5th June. You can catch up with all the details in our dedicated Switch 2 Nintendo Direct: Everything announced article here.

Night City is coming to Nintendo, with the news that Cyberpunk 2077 will be a Switch 2 launch title. Read more

Switch 2 looks to be streamlining screenshot and video capture sharing so it's less of a faffUsing revamped Switch app.Image credit: Eurogamer/Nintendo News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 2, 2025 Nintendo's post-Direct Switch 2 info-dump has been full of juicy little details, and the nuggets keep on coming. It now appears, for instance, that Nintendo's newest console will be making things a little easier for the avid screenshot sharers and gameplay clippers out there.Switch 2, just like the original Switch, features a dedicated button for capturing in-game screenshots and gameplay. It was a welcome addition on Switch 1, but a bit of a faff too; sharing captures either involved saving them to a memory card and plugging that into a secondary device for download, uploading them to a social media account (until the feature was removed) then downloading them onto your device, or scanning in QR codes to get them onto your device. Hardly backbreaking stuff, admittedly, but not exactly seamless either.Switch 2, however, looks to have streamlined the process if a little infographic tucked away on Nintendo's website is anything to go by. On a page introducing the revamped Nintendo Switch App (formerly known as the Nintendo Switch Online app) Nintendo draws attention to the process of sharing screenshots and video using Switch 2; by selecting the 'Upload to Smart Device' option from the console's album, it's possible to send captures from the console directly to the app - seemingly with no fiddly middle steps to slow things down.A convenient overview of Switch 2.Watch on YouTubeCaptures are stored in a new 'Uploaded Screenshots and Videos' gallery - accessible from the app's home screen - which can display 100 screenshots or videos from the last 30 days. From here, screenshots and videos can be saved to your smart device if you want to keep them indefinitely, or shared on social media. So if you're the kind of person to regularly go on a game-capturing frenzy, you could end up saving literal seconds - if not minutes - out of your day. Oh, and Nintendo notes the feature is available without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.Alongside streamlined capture sharing, the revamped Nintendo Switch App will continue to offer game-specific services - including SplatNet 3, NookLink, and the newly announced Zelda Notes for the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Additionally, the app will still let users see which of their friends are online and register new friends using a QR code - although, notably, Switch 2's new GameChat system means the app's voice chat functionality won't be supported for games exclusive to the new console.So there you go - another bit of Switch 2 business to ponder. And there's plenty more information regarding Nintendo's new console over in Eurogamer's round-up of everything announced during (and after) today's Switch 2 Direct.

Here's our first batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for AprilSouth of Midnight! Blue Prince! More!Image credit: Compulsion News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on April 2, 2025 Microsoft has announced its first wave of Game Pass titles for April.Day one titles with this batch include South of Midnight, Commandos: Origins and Blue Prince. "Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and face the pain haunting your hometown," reads South of Midnight's official blurb.Meanwhile, the likes of Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition will also be coming to the service.5 Things We Liked About South Of Midnight (And 2 Things We Didn't). Watch on YouTubeHere's everything heading to Game Pass in the coming weeks:Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) April 3 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardAll You Need is Help (Console) April 3, Now with Game Pass StandardStill Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X/S) April 3, Now with Game Pass StandardWargroove 2 (Console) April 3, Now with Game Pass StandardDiablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) April 8 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardSouth of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S) April 8 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassCommandos: Origins (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) April 9 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassBlue Prince (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) April 10 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassHunt Showdown 1896 (PC) April 15 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Game Pass members who fancy getting their hands on South of Midnight - the next game from We Happy Few developer Compulsion Games - can save 10 percent on the Premium Edition Upgrade to unlock up to five days early access. This edition also gives digital access to the South of Midnight Artbook, as well as the game's original soundtrack, and "more".I went hands-on with South of Midnight earlier this year, and while I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere, I did worry combat might get a tad repetitive. Not much longer to see if that is indeed the case. Image credit: Compulsion GamesIn addition, and as is the case with every new batch of games, the following titles will be leaving Game Pass on 15th April:Botany ManorCoral IslandHarold HalibutHomestead ArcanaKonaOrcs Must Die! 3Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive EditionTurbo Golf RacingIf you want to keep playing these games after they leave Game Pass, you'll need to purchase them. On the plus side, Game Pass subscribers get a 20 percent discount.For everything else in Microsoft's subscription service, you can check out our handy Xbox Game Pass guide detailing the many titles available.

Switch 2 was almost called the Super Nintendo SwitchWill have an improved eShop.Image credit: Nintendo News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on April 2, 2025 Switch 2 was almost called the Super Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo felt it "didn't feel right" to use the same naming convention as the SNES due to Switch 2's backwards compatibility.In a new Ask The Developer discussion, Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto discussed how the team landed on the right name for the new console."There were a lot of ideas for the name, and we really struggled to find the right one," he said. "We even considered ideas like 'Super Nintendo Switch'. However, Super NES, which came out after the NES, couldn't play NES games. Since Switch 2 can play Switch games, it didn't feel right to use the same naming convention as Super NES. Switch 2 is a new system with improved performance, but we'd like players who get their hands on it not to focus on the specs, but rather to think of it as the latest system developed by Nintendo."Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 02.04.2025Watch on YouTubeHe added: "So, in the hope that it becomes the new standard for Nintendo Switch, we named it Nintendo Switch 2."Does that mean we can expect a Nintendo Switch 3 in the future?Switch 2 director Takuhiro Dohta continued: "From the beginning of development, we wanted Switch 2 to be a system that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of players. This hasn't changed from Switch to Switch 2. I also wanted to create an experience that as many players as possible could enjoy, rather than an experience made specially for those who prefer high-performance hardware. So, we wanted a name that would communicate simply to potential customers that, if you're considering buying a Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest system."Surmised Tetsuya Sasaki, from the Technology Development Division: "I thought the name was simple and easy to understand, since development began with the idea that Switch 2 would be a proper successor to Switch."Elsewhere in the interview, Dohta also confirmed the Switch 2's eShop will be improved."Thanks to the system's performance capabilities, Nintendo eShop on Switch 2 has been improved and runs smoothly even when displaying a large number of games," said Dohta. "We believe the act of finding the game you want to play is itself part of the game system experience."For more on the new console, here's everything on Switch 2 from the Nintendo Direct, including details on launch game Mario Kart World.

EA Sports says Switch 2 versions of FC and Madden NFL to have feature parity with consoles "as much as the hardware allows"Kick off?Image credit: Eurogamer / EA Sports News by Chris Tapsell Deputy Editor Published on April 2, 2025 EA Sports has offered some scant clarification as to whether or not its EA Sports FC and Madden NFL games, announced today as coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, will be fully-fledged annual entries such as FC 26, or more limited 'Legacy'-style versions. The Switch 2 versions, EA says, will aim for parity "as much as the hardware allows.""We're excited to bring two of our most beloved franchises - EA SPORTS FC and Madden NFL - to Nintendo's Switch 2, giving fans even more ways to play the sports they love, anytime and anywhere," opened EA's statement, provided to Eurogamer. "Both experiences are being built specifically for the new handheld platform, grounded in what fans enjoy from our franchises across platforms. We look forward to sharing more soon."The developer-publisher also added a few other points of slight clarification, in response to hypothetical questions. For the question of whether or not there would be feature and/or visual parity with current-generation consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the response was:Here's FC 25's original trailer.Watch on YouTube"We'll share more details on the Madden NFL and FC experiences for Switch 2 at a later date, but our goal is always to deliver a consistent player experience across platforms as much as the hardware allows." It was also non-committal on questions about crossplay - more to share "at a later date" - as well as whether entries named FC 26 and Madden NFL 26 will feature on the consoles at all, whether other EA Sports games will come to the platforms, and really any other details, too. To the hypothetical question of whether these Switch 2 versions are different SKUs to current and upcoming EA Sports games, the response was that the Madden NFL and FC "experiences" are "designed for the Switch 2.""We're excited to bring two of our most beloved franchises, EA SPORTS FC and Madden NFL, to Nintendo's new handheld platform, Switch 2. It's a great opportunity to reach even more fans - especially younger players - with the sports they love," EA also added.In previous years, EA Sports has released "Legacy Edition" games for handheld consoles like the original Switch, with heavily stripped-back features and simply updated team rosters and stats for each new, full-priced entry. Last year, for FC 25 on the Switch, there was a more significant version however, which has led to hopes EA Sports will continue to provide versions closer to those on the other current-gen consoles.As for how to interpret those responses, well, in brief: it looks like we probably won't get full feature parity, and the games may even launch under different names to the PS5, Xbox, and PC versions, but at least a more substantial entry than the Legacy years gone by isn't off the table (yet).For much more on the Switch 2's big reveal, meanwhile, we've details on the Switch 2's price and release date, the fine-print of the Switch 2 pre-orders granting access based on your playtime, plus, a breakdown of the games such as Fortnite with Switch 2 compatibility issues.

Nintendo confirms some Switch 2 physical releases will just have a download key on the cardBut "standard" game cards are still a thing.Image credit: Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 2, 2025 Amid all the excitement of Switch 2's big news bonanza, Nintendo has quietly confirmed some physical releases on the console won't have any game data on the included game card.Nintendo is referring to these physical releases as game-key cards and, unlike standard game cards, they'll only contain a download "key", rather than the full game data. Inserting the card into your Switch 2 starts the download process, after which you'll need to stick the game-key card into your console any time you want to play.Physical releases containing game-key cards will be clearly labelled on their packaging, with the example on Nintendo's overview page featuring a prominent white strip along the bottom of the box, reading, "Game-Key Card" and "Full game download via internet required." It's similar to the messaging Nintendo used on Switch 1 when games were only partially included on cards - LA Noire being an infamous early example - even if the key-on-card approach itself is new.Switch 2 overview trailer.Watch on YouTubeAs per Nintendo's explanation, Switch 2's homescreen will provide instructions on downloading the game when a game-key card is inserted into the console for the first time. Players will need sufficient free space either in Switch 2's system memory or on an attached microSD Express card to initiate the download (game-key card boxes clearly state how much space is required), and the game can then be played once the download is complete.This means an internet connection is mandatory the first time a game is launched, but not after - although, to reiterate, game-key card games can't be started unless the card is inserted, unlike downloaded digital Switch 2 titles. None of this is perhaps a hugely encouraging sign for physical media fans, but given Nintendo's confirmation standard regular game cards will still exist, it's hard to tell how commonplace the new game-key card system is likely to become.Today's big Switch 2 blow-out has brought an absolute mountain of new information to wade through away from game-key cards, so if you're looking for somewhere to focus your attention, feel free to check out EG's round-up of everything announced in (and after) today's Direct.

One thing's clear. The Switch 2 is launching into a very complex environment. Just a look at today's Nintendo Direct, or rather the comments scrolling on the side of the IGN feed over on YouTube. Someone wants a proper 3D Donkey Kong game. Someone else wants Waluigi in Smash. Someone wants Jet Set Radio - I promise that one was not me - someone else wants a full-blown sequel to Twilight Princess.Actually, looking at the Nintendo Direct itself, you can see a bit of that complexity. You'll be able to play Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Switch 2. Surely the kind of thing you might lead with, or at least put right near the start? Yes, sure, but then you'd bring up the uncomfortable reality of a world that already has the Steam Deck in it. Best bury this stuff a little, before it serves as a reminder that Nintendo's no longer the only bunch out there that have the full video game experience you can enjoy while sat on the bus.I registered all these thoughts watching today's Direct, just as I registered the thoughts at certain moments that this really didn't feel like a classic Nintendo console unveiling. Aren't the other guys the ones who spend time talking about HDR visuals? Is it Nintendo to spend that much time talking about SD cards or the new fan? That third-party reel towards the end was one DoorDash namecheck away from being a Geoff Keighley production. Is Nintendo losing its nerve - or, with a console that is in so many ways so similar to its last console, did it just not have that much new to say right now? Image credit: NintendoOn balance, I don't think that's the case. I think the really big thing was up-front after the Mario Kart World reveal - in a way, it was a part of the Mario Kart World reveal, but we'll get to that in a moment. It's the C Button, which, yes, does sound like the kind of thing you say when you're trying to swear in the presence of children. It's what the C Button does. It's chat. It's audio and video chat. But it's all done in a very Nintendo way.By which I mean Nintendo's looked at a part of the world very closely, and has delivered a solution in a distinctly Nintendo manner. I'm not sure that I personally would have understood the area they are working in if I didn't have an eleven-year-old child, because I'm 46 and, like many people post-Covid, deeply eager to never log onto another video conference ever again. But I share a house with someone who uses technology - and games - in a very different way. Someone who sees video chats and online chat of all kinds as part of their everyday reality. This is who Nintendo is thinking of.To put it another way, I've long realised that my daughter relates to games in a very different way to me. To her, and her school friends, games are social spaces, an extension of the playground chat. They chat at school. They chat on the bus home from school. And then they get home and they continue to chat in Fortnite or Among Us or Minecraft. Are they chatting about the games? Sometimes, but most often they're just chatting about anything. These games are part of the way they socialise, a bit like the FaceTime skincare routine chats they'll go on to have later in the evening. Image credit: NintendoThis is what that C Button is all about. You're playing games together, so chat makes sense. But even if you're playing different games, or just watching one of you play a game, it still makes sense for this kind of player. The C Button is basically the party line from Mean Girls - it just happens that people are much more likely to communicate through consoles than landlines in 2025.I love the fact that you don't have to play the same games as each other in Nintendo's GameChat. It seems to speak to the way focus shifts when you're chatting with friends - what are you doing? What about you lot? What are you doing now? - and it speaks to the simple joy of just being together regardless of what you're actually up to. Image credit: NintendoFold in Mario Kart World, though, and it becomes even more interesting. When I heard that you'd be able to go off road and explore in Mario Kart World, I thought: fun, but a bit weird. What's everyone else you're playing with going to be doing? Turns out they'll be doing their own stuff, connected to you but not connected via GameChat. The Switch 2 is weaponising aimless free time, in the same way that Twitch or Discord does.I know none of this is new, and despite the example I've used of my daughter and her friends, none of this is unique to school kids and Gens Z and Alpha. All kinds of people use games as spaces to meet up in. But it's fascinating to see Nintendo get in on the act - Nintendo who often arrives late, having cooked up very distinct ideas. Maybe Nintendo hasn't lost its nerve after all.

While the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games - and some are even receiving an upgrade - there are still a number of games with compatibility issues on the new console, including Fortnite. Read more

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, though no release date was given. Read more

The Switch 2 is getting a brand new 3D Donkey Kong platformer. Read more

The Last of Us Part 2 game director has no problem with PC mods, even if that means Shrek EllieSpore blimey.Image credit: Dreamworks/Naughty Dog/Eurogamer News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on April 2, 2025 Naughty Dog has shared a few thoughts about modding ahead of The Last of Us Part 2's PC debut.As we all know, PC gamers love a mod or two. Often within moments of a PC release, we are soon being met with the likes of Shrek and Thomas the Tank Engine taking centre stage, be it in a horror flavoured series like Resident Evil or the space bound Starfield.But, what do developers think of mods in their games? Well, in the case of The Last of Us Part 2 Remasters game director Matthew Gallant, he is all for them and appreciates mods can make an experience more "comfortable" for players. Additionally, he understands that with games, unlike with films or books, "there's kind of like a gradient of authorship within the medium".Xbox currently has more first-party games coming to PlayStation 5 this year than Sony.Watch on YouTubeSpeaking with GameInformer, Gallant said The Last of Us Part 2's PC release will open up "the game in a way that wasn't previously possible". He added it will be "an interesting journey to see what players do with the game now that it's kind of on this very, open-ended ecosystem" which means Naughty Dog will have "a lot less control" over it."But I feel like, in general, where we're at is wanting to meet players where they are. Were interested to see what players modify in the game. And, I think, [Naughty Dog head of techTravis McIntosh] said this in an earlier interview - sometimes that's a clue to us to say, 'Oh, we should have thought of that. Oh, that's an interesting option,' that sort of thing," Gallant said."But that's maybe the kind of the balance between, like, 'Yes, we're very, concerned about creating a player experience'. You coming along with a story. And we really want to tell you that story in the best way possible. But we're okay if telling that story in the best way possible means you're tweaking a bunch of things to make it the right experience for you."The developer said simply, if players need to make some changes that allow them "to have a good, comfortable time", then the team supports them.When further asked if this frame of mind would still apply if players decided to turn The Last of Us Part 2's Ellie into Shrek, Gallant said the team just enjoys seeing the community engage with titles "in whatever way that expresses themselves in terms of funny edits or whatever is going to open up this game on PC". So, if that means Shrek Ellie, I guess that means Shrek Ellie."I think part of what's interesting with games as a medium is that we actually don't have total complete authorship in the way that someone writing a book or directing a movie there's kind of like a gradient of authorship within the medium," the game director explained."Games are pretty extreme, where the player [brings] a lot of themselves to the experience and how they play and the experience they have where they choose to go, completes the story that's told through the medium of video games. I'm maybe stretching the metaphor a little bit here, but that's kind of where my head goes to people taking any of our games and appreciating it or engaging with it in some way that maybe to us is strange, or to us is, maybe we wouldn't want to do that We're just thrilled the players love these games or want to engage with them at the end of the day." Image credit: Naughty DogThe Last of Us Part 2 will release on PC tomorrow, 3rd April, and is officially Steam Deck Verified. You can check out the various PC specs and whatnot here for The Last of Us Part 2 here.Elsewhere in The Last of Us news, earlier this week it was reported that another "PS5 special edition" for the series is on the way.

Call of Duty will allow players to turn off crossplay in an effort to limit cheatingActivision admits majority of cheaters are on PC.Image credit: Activision News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on April 2, 2025 Activision is amending crossplay functionality in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 3 to allow players to restrict matchmaking to consoles only.Effectively, this means console players can turn off crossplay with PC players across all the game's major multiplayer modes, in an effort to limit cheating.While removing crossplay was already available in the game's ranked modes, the new options will extend this to all multiplayer modes.Verdansk Launch Trailer | Call of Duty: WarzoneWatch on YouTubeActivision's focus this season is a "commitment to taking down cheat makers, banning bad actors, and ensuring a great player experience", the publisher aid.In an blog post detailing updates to Ricochet, Activision's anti-cheat tool, the company admitted the majority of cheaters are PC players - although over 60 percent of cheating reports are actually against console players."Console cheating is possible, but our data has consistently shown it represents an extremely low population of detected cheaters when compared to PC, which means that this large volume of cheater reports are inaccurate even if the KillCams may have made it seem like the player was cheating," the update reads.This is why Activision is now extending its crossplay options to further separate PC and console players, as detailed in its Season 3 Update.Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked will now have the following three options:On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.While the Consoles Only option "may" negatively impact queue times, Activision admits the third option "will" negatively impact queue times.Activision also notes that if a party all belong to the same console, the settings will match those of the party leader. Further, players who have selected Crossplay Off and then create a party across mixed platforms will have their settings temporarily adjusted accordingly.While the news is a win for console players, it does mean PC players may be left with a higher likelihood of playing against cheaters.That said, Activision is actively battling cheating in the game. Since Black Ops 6 launched, "over 20 cheat makers and dozens of cheat resellers are out of business due to these efforts," it said. "And were not slowing down."Further, 23 percent of cheaters are removed before they even begin a match.Activision is now adding an additional anti-cheat layer to Ricochet, though isn't sharing details for security reasons.Back in January, Activision stated it had banned 136,000 ranked play accounts across both Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone.Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 3 will begin tomorrow, 3rd April, and adds the classic Verdansk map.

Today's the day. This afternoon, Nintendo will air a Switch 2 dedicated Direct broadcast from which we expect a release date and price for the new console, as well as a look at some of its upcoming games. And as ever, we'll be watching, reporting and reacting to the broadcast live, as it happens, right here.Set your Alarmo clocks for 2pm BST / 3pm CEST / 9am EDT / 6am PDT. The show is expected to be an hour long.Nintendo, remember, has already unveiled the form factor of Switch 2, which surprise surprise, looks a lot like the existing Switch, only bigger. Lurking within, though, are significant changes, such as Joy-Con that magnetically snap to the side of the machine, USB-C ports, a mysterious C button, rumoured mouse-like Joy-Con functionality, and, of course, more powerful innards. But as Digital Foundry noted, while forensically picking over the Switch 2 details, we're still not sure exactly how powerful it is. Questions remain. Will they be answered today?The previous reveal also gave us a glimpse of a new Mario Kart game, which notably teased the possibility of 24-player races. Will we see more of that game today? And what of Nintendo's other first-party games for Switch 2 - are there any, and if there are, which ones will they be? Big, legacy franchises, or smaller things? I also wonder what kind of third-party support Nintendo has attracted for Switch 2.But the biggest questions are of course price and release date. How soon will the console come out? There's a widely held belief Switch 2 is imminent, though the console's public hands-on tour runs until June. Is that when it will finally arrive? And how much will it cost? There's talk of a $400 price point, which puts it $100 above what Switch 1 launched at, and talk of $70 games. But will these figures be born out?There's lots to discover, and we'll be building up to the reveal throughout the day here. Excited?Today's Switch 2 Nintendo Direct broadcast will be here.Watch on YouTube09:44 amUTCthemightyant says: What are everyone's last minute hardware predictions. Price? Resolution desktop and handheld? OLED? HDR? VRR?Mine are 399 / 1440p upscaled to 4K on TV, 1080p handheld / no OLED / HDR /no VRR.No doubt all wrong and will age like milk. lol.Well look: I'll just pin these here and then we can all publicly see how well you did. You are most welcome! Robert Purchese09:42 amUTCMeanwhile, Nintendo has lifted the lid slightly on the mysterious "C" button on the Switch 2. A new video posted on the Nintendo Today app shows it being pressed and sounding a little jingle and then... Well, that's as much as we were allowed to see. Could it be a shortcut button to capture gameplay, or to get to social features on the console, and what might they be if there? But what do you do! | Image credit: Nintendo Robert Purchese09:38 amUTCGood morning! Are you feeling aflutter with excitement? The time is nearly here. I suppose more to the point: will you be immediately pre-ordering one if, as Rogueywon points out, the opportunity immediately opens following the Direct? Robert Purchese

The Switch 2's most mysterious button has been teased by Nintendo, ahead of the new console's full unveiling in just a few hours. Read more

Extensive footage of EA's new The Sims "game concept" surfaces onlineOoh, Rene.Image credit: EA News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 2, 2025 The Sims 4 might be tootling along merrily, but it's now over ten years old and fans are getting increasingly impatient for clarity on what's next for the franchise - particularly given EA's somewhat confounding communications on the matter. Amid all this, extensive footage of EA's new The Sims "game concept" have now surfaced online, fuelling all sorts of disappointment as fans ponder a reality where the future of The Sims is, in fact, just a tacky looking mobile game.To recap, EA first began discussing its "next generation" Sims game, codenamed Project Rene, back in 2022. This, many assumed, would be The Sims 5 - until, that is, EA announced Project Rene wasn't The Sims 5, that The Sims 5 wasn't happening, and that whatever Project Rene was would instead co-exist alongside The Sims 4. It also teased a bunch of "cosy games, social and collaborative based gameplay, [and] mobile narrative games" coming under The Sims banner, before revealing Project Rene (whatever it was) would begin playtesting soon.In the six months since then, playtest footage has sporadiaclly leaked online, leaving fans largely unimpressed. And it seems unlikely the sudden influx of new gameplay footage (as flagged by PC Gamer) will change that, given the bland visuals, endless reward-incentivised to-do lists, and front-and-centre currency focus feels more like a free-to-play mobile wallet squeezer than a truly "next-generation" The Sims game. City Life Game with Friends gameplay.Watch on YouTubeEA describes the playtest - officially titled City Life Game With Friends over on Google Play - as "small parts of a larger game concept". And the newly shared footage focuses on the same multiplayer-enabled plaza location we've seen in numerous leaks before, only now festooned with even more garish free-to-play style window dressing as players stroll around, strike up conversations, and hand out a few muffins. It's not especially inspiring stuff - and given EA's refusal to clarify the nature of the project, it's unclear how horrified fans should actually be.All this, of course, comes as developer Krafton's highly anticipated The Sims competitor InZoi launches into Steam early access. And while I wasn't particulary impressed with InZoi during my time with it last month, it's unlikely anyone's going to be dazzled by anything resembling EA's City Life Game with Friends when Krafton's game is around.

ZeniMax union "overwhelmingly" votes to authorise strike if Microsoft contract negotiations drag on"Paying your employees a liveable wage as a multi-trillion dollar company is the least they could be doing."Image credit: Eurogamer. News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 1, 2025 Members of the ZeniMax Workers United union - which is made up of more than 300 quality assurance workers across ZeniMax Studios - has "overwhelmingly" voted to authorise union leadership to call for a strike if no resolution is reached following two years of unsuccessful contract negotiations with Microsoft.ZeniMax Workers United, which is part of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), became the first union ever to be voluntarily recognised by Microsoft in 2023. At the time, members - who've worked on the likes of Fallout, Starfield, and Doom - said they'd push to end sudden periods of crunch, unfair pay, and a lack of growth opportunities within the company.But two years on, ZeniMax Workers United says it's still to successfully negotiate a first contract. According to the union, its bargaining committee has so far failed to reach an agreement with Microsoft over "better wages, workplace improvements, and key concerns, including a lack of remote work options and the company's replacement of in-house quality assurance work with outsourced labour without notifying the union."Last December saw union members in Maryland and Texas stage a one-day walkout amid concerns around Microsoft's outsourcing and its return-to-office policies, and the CWA additionally filed an unfair labour practice charge against Microsoft for unilaterally outsourcing work. However, that action could potentially escalate now more than 94 percent of ZeniMax Workers United members have voted to authorise union leadership to call for a strike if contract negotiations fail to reach a resolution."Paying your employees a liveable wage as a multi-trillion dollar company is the least they could be doing," union member and associate QA tester Aubrey Litchfield said in an statement companying today's news. "However when addressed at the bargaining table, Microsoft acts as though we're asking for too much. Our in-house contractors have been working on minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick time. Workers are choosing not to start families because of the uncertainty of finances. We've released multiple titles while working fully remote. When will enough be enough?"."Underpayment and costly [return-to-office] initiatives have caused many of us to put our lives on pause," union member and senior QA tester Zachary Armstrong added, "because our income does not match even the rising cost of living in the cities where ZeniMax insists we live and work to maintain employment... If Microsoft and ZeniMax continue to demonstrate at the bargaining table that they're unwilling to pay us fair wages for the value our labour provides to our games, we'll be showing them just how valuable our labour is."In a statement provided to The Verge in response to today's union announcement, Microsoft spokesperson Delaney Simmons insisted the company was "deeply committed to reaching a fair and equitable resolution that acknowledges the teams' contributions." Simmons also claimed "substantial progress" had been made over the course of the negotiations, and that "tentative agreements [had been reached] on a majority of the topics at the table"."We have presented a package proposal that we believe is fair," Simmons continued. "If accepted it would result in immediate compensation increases, even more robust benefits and is in alignment to the company's hybrid model of three days in office. We look forward to continuing this progress during negotiations."ZeniMax Workers United is just one of an increasing number of video game unions successfully established in the last few years, with workers at the likes of Activision, Blizzard, and Sega also now represented by unions. Additionally, last month saw the CWA announce the industry-wide United Videogame Workers - a direct-join union open to all freelance or full-time video game industry workers in the US or Canada.

Humble Choice's April line-up brings Xenomorphs, nautical horror, and tomb raidingThis month's charity is One Tree Planted.Image credit: Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 1, 2025 With March now rapidly vanishing in the rear view mirror as we continue our race along highway 2025, Humble Choice has announced its April line-up, which this time brings a spot of classic tomb raiding, some seafaring terror, and even Xenomorph-flavoured tactics action.April's offerings are available to claim and keep right now - provided you've a Humble Choice subscription, that is - and the current selection lingers around until Tuesday, 6th May. But before it's all change, here's what you can download:Tomb Raider 1-3 RemasteredDredgeAlien: Dark Descent1000XResistNova LandsDiplomacy is Not an OptionDistant Worlds 2Nomad SurvivalHere's Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered in action.Watch on YouTubeSo there you go! Tomb Raider 1-3 are obviously bona fide platform classics, and last year's remaster is a lovely way to experience them, while developer Black Salt Games' Dredge - a strange blend of fishing and unnerving cosmic horror - is also a bit of a treat if you're so inclined.Alien: Dark Descent also has its fans, taking the iconic movie franchise and turning it into a surprisingly suspenseful top-down, real-time tactics game - and as for 1000XResist, Eurogamer called it an "intense and intimate narrative adventure" when it released last year.Moving further down the list, there's real-time 4X space strategy in Distant Worlds 2, furious medieval fantasy defense in Diplomacy is Not an Option, and a bit of cheery factory automation in Nova Lands. And finally for April, there's Nomad Survival, an "auto-attacking, wave clearing, time-based Roguelite" - which is to say it's basically Vampire Survivors in a different bow.As ever, five percent of each Humble Choice subscription is donated to charity, with this month's proceeds going to One Tree Planted - a non-profit focused on global reforestation. And for the sake of transparency, here's the usual note Humble is, like Eurogamer, owned by IGN.If April's Humble Choice offerings appeal, you'll find additional details over here.

New Resident Evil film will be "unlike any of the previous" adaptations, says director, as Euphoria actor eyed for starring roleThe cat's Weskers.Image credit: Constantin Film News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on April 1, 2025 The upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot from Zach Cregger will be "unlike any of the previous films" in the franchise.That's coming from the director himself, who was speaking during Sony Pictures' CinemaCon presentation earlier this week.Everything We Know About Silent Hill f So Far. Watch on YouTube"There's a moment that comes in almost every Resident Evil game where you find yourself in a dark passageway, your health is almost zero and there's no way around," Cregger said (thanks, IGN). "You have to go through but you know there's something awful for you in the darkness."Continuing on, the director - whose previous work includes 2022's Barbarian, which our Matt describes as "wonderfully unpredictable" - added this is "a thrill that the Resident Evil games" have managed to perfect."My movie will be built in the spirit of those games and follows one central protagonist from point A to point B, as they descend deeper into hell," Cregger closed.As to who that central protagonist could be, The Hollywood Reporter states Euphoria's Austin Abrams (pictured below) is being eyed up for a role in the upcoming film, although nothing has been finalised. Cregger and Abrams previously worked together on upcoming horror film Weapons, which is scheduled to release later this year.Constantin Film is producing and co-financing Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil adaptation, with PlayStation Productions also on board. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the reboot "is decidedly on the horror track", and will have "elements of a wilderness survival thriller". The Resident Evil film is currently set for release on 18th September, 2026. Image credit: Cindy Ord/Getty ImagesElsewhere in horror news, last month we got another teaser for the rather horrifying looking Silent Hill f.Silent Hill f is being developed by Neobards Entertainment (which has previously served as a support studio for Capcom's Resident Evil games), with creature and character design by Kera, and a script by When They Cry writer Ryukishi07.

Monster Train 2 choo-choo-chooses a release dateRolling onto PC and consoles.Image credit: Shiny Shoe News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 1, 2025 If you're a fan of locomotives and fiendish deck-building strategy roguelikes, you've probably long been in the grip of developer Shiny Shoe's massively acclaimed Monster Train. So you'll likely also be thrilled to hear its previously announced sequel finally has a release date - and is coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on 21st May.Shiny Shoe's original Monster Train released back in 2020, plopping players onto an infernal locomotive destined for the heart of a frozen Hell. Here, they were tasked with fending off Heaven's forces - and, crucially, protecting the train's burning pyre - through strategic bouts of real-time card battles playing out across multiple floors of the train. And good stuff it was too, still boasting an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Steam rating four years after its release.Which brings us to Monster Train 2. This time around, Heaven and Hell's denizens have formed a makeshift alliance to bring down the powerful Titans - in an adventure taking players through Heaven, Hell, and the mysterious Abyss. To aid in their quest, Monster Train 2 introduces five new clans, new units, new upgrade cards, and dangerous new enemies. That's alongside the new Room and Equipment card types - the former providing special boosts to the train itself, and the latter providing bonuses to units when applied.Monster Train 2 release date trailer.Watch on YouTubeOn top of that, there's the new Covenant Outpost, which players can visit between runs. Here, they'll experience character interactions as the story plays out, and gain access to different features. There are unlockable Pyre Hearts, for instance, each said to add unique functionality to gameplay, alongside train customisation and an improved Logbook.Additionally, Monster Train 2's story is complemented by Dimensional Challenges - promising handcrafted challenges, new Mutators, and cosmetic rewards - as well as Daily Challenges, an Endless mode, plus the Celestial Alcoves where players can experience a "wide variety of random events... and maybe even a few surprises" from beyond the Monster Train universe.Monster Train 2 launches for Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch on 21st May. And if you're curious to see what's new, a demo's available now on Steam.

I don't think Severance would necessarily make a good video game, but every episode I watch makes me think about games. More specifically, it makes me realise what games do better than every other medium.Disorientation: it's a major theme in Severance. From the beginning, we, as an audience, long to know what's going on. That's the major compulsion loop in the series, figuring out what the purpose of Lumon Industries is, it's also the major motivation for the characters in it. What is the purpose of their number crunching? What are they working towards?What the series does so well, beyond being so well put together, so surprisingly funny and touching and absurd, is withhold information. The whole premise is that you can split one person into two people. You can put a chip in someone's brain that means they can be one person at work and another outside of it, and that you can keep those two people forever, permanently, apart. One cannot recall details about the other. Separation. Severance.A trailer for Severance, just in case you haven't seen it.Watch on YouTubeWe experience this disorientation separately in each version of the character: the one who drives to work and drives home, and the one who works at the company and exists in the time between. We follow, in particular, the Innies as they're called - the people inside the company - as they come to terms with their existence and start to push at the boundaries of it, start to explore corridors they're forbidden to explore. Start to see, as we do in the game Portal, I suppose, what's behind the set - what we're not supposed to see.But it's always second hand. We are never, as in Portal, the people experiencing it for ourselves. We always read the impact of the revelations through the characters' reactions, or hear them in their words. We can never be, as we can in a game, them. We can never be Mark S and gang exploring those clinical white corridors for ourselves, chased by regulations, pen-pushers and rules. And we can never feel the disorientation of the severance procedure, of being one person one moment, and another the next.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This thought reminds me sharply of Before I Forget, a game about being a person living with dementia. This does attempt to show us what it's like to experience something ourselves. The house rearranges around us, and objects in our house are strange and incomprehensible. The life we once lived has become increasingly obscured. It's unsettlingly powerful.There's a play and a film that goes for a similarly disorientating experience, based on the same topic, called The Father, for which actor Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar. In it, we the viewer experience the world as the dementia-suffering father does, spun around by sudden jumps in timeline and shifting contexts as scenes flow into each other. It's wonderfully done; you should watch it if you can. But it's still not as immediate as being the character yourself.Severance wouldn't necessarily make a good game, I don't think, because it's designed to be told the way it is, and so much of the set-up depends upon the two versions of a character - the Innie and the Outie - not knowing what the other has done. I don't know how you could obscure that from the player if they played the two roles. But if you could solve that problem and adapt the idea: that's a game I would play. The Stanley Parable. There's a reason why the similarities to Severance in it are so strong. | Image credit: Eurogamer / Galactic CafeIn fact, I think I have played it. The 2013 office-based narrative mystery game The Stanley Parable is probably as close as anything will ever come to being Severance: The Game. In it, you are a character called Stanley who performs an absurdly mundane data entry task day in, day out, without complaint. That is until we, the player, turn up to control him, playing the part of his long dormant free will, I suppose. We start disobeying the Narrator-delivered rules and seeing what happens. It is parodic, mysterious, and unexpectedly funny. It's everything Severance also is.There's a reason for this: Dan Erickson, the creator of Severance, was directly influenced by The Stanley Parable when writing the show, among influences from a dozen other things. So baked into that show's DNA is that video game. Erickson doesn't expand on how, or in what ways the game influenced the show, but I don't know if he really needs to. To me, the blueprint of The Stanley Parable is plain in Severance to see.I love this. I love that we're talking about the creator of a major TV show being influenced by a relatively niche (because it's far from mainstream) game. I love that we live in a world where the people making major TV shows know games well enough that they would play The Stanley Parable at all. And I love that it's games influencing the creation of TV shows rather than only being adapted for them. The incredible success of The Last of Us and Fallout TV shows, and the animated series of Castlevania and soon Devil May Cry, have proved video games' value in financial terms, as intellectual property ripe for adaptation. But with Severance and The Stanley Parable, it feels as though games are also asserting themselves as a cultural force, and that they're justifiably being respected as one.

A new playable character in FromSoftware's forthcoming Elden Ring Nightreign has been revealed. Read more

Doom: The Dark Ages is set to release this May, but last week I had a chance to sit down for several hours to play the game on a high-end PC. What I can say and show is limited, but the latest modern Doom and its idTech 8 underpinnings already look hugely impressive. There's plenty to praise here - as well as a few caveats that are worth bringing up. First, the engine. Machine Games' Indiana Jones showed just how capable modern versions of idTech have become, and The Dark Ages shares the same extremely realistic visuals - albeit in starkly different setting. Everything feels alive, with a tremendous amount of secondary animation - blowing trees and flags and pouring rain and storm clouds. Though I didn't get a chance to see the game at max settings - or in its upcoming path tracing mode - the game was running with standard RT enabled, including RT reflections (like Doom Eternal) and RTGI (like Indiana Jones). This looks nice, with more watery levels showing off full RT reflections with atmospherics layered on using SSR. There are plenty of reflective surfaces around despite the move to more naturalistic environments, but it's precisely that shift in tone that allows the RTGI to shine. This enables much more accurate and dramatic lighting across a huge space that's almost entirely lit by natural sources like flames and the sun. Here's the John Linneman video preview of Doom: The Dark Ages. Watch on YouTubeIt works well, as it did in Indiana Jones, but there's more of a focus here on destructible, physics-driven dynamic objects. Eliminating baked lighting means that these objects can blend more seamlessly into the environment, and allows for Crysis-style destruction that was absent from the prior two games. Wooden structures can be blasted away until they buckle under their own weight, leaving remnants that can be hacked at further to separate them into even smaller pieces. This makes arenas in the game feel much more active, with things changing and structures breaking apart as you engage enemies. Later sequences with a huge Doom mech take this even further, as you can stomp around destroying a massive city environment - very cool. There are also more realistic water effects, such as proper geometric ripples when you run through a body of water that nicely complement the RT reflections. You also get an interesting effect when swimming below the surface which I liked quite a bit. There also seems to be a virtualised geometry system similar to Unreal's Nanite, though I can't actually confirm this yet. In short, you won't see big chunks of the scene changing in terms of visual complexity as you move through the world, with more seamless changes that avoid noticeable pop-in. That said, this doesn't seem to work with grass and certain types of foliage, but it's still an interesting development - and hopefully one we get more detail on in the final game. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Apart from the level geometry itself, the number of on-screen enemies has increased dramatically - to levels unseen since the original sprite-based Doom games. Right at the beginning of a mission, for example, I counted more than 30 on-screen enemies, with more appearing as you fight. It's wild to consider that idTech 8 is able to handle dozens of enemies in this manner while also delivering a world with virtualised geometry, full RT lighting and reflections and robust physics simulation, all while targeting 60fps. I haven't played the game on consoles, but knowing id's prior work I have full confidence they'll get it to 60fps. The point is that The Dark Ages combines cutting-edge tech with very high levels of performance. How high remains to be seen, but this demo suggests we're in for a real treat. Beyond the tech and visuals, it's worth underlining how different the game plays to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. In the latter game, as you progress, battles can become quite long, often locking players into a single space as enemies pour in until you reach an arbitrary level of destruction that allows further progress. You spend a lot of time watching cool-down metres for various power-ups, and you need to leverage the glory kill and chainsaw systems to keep your health and ammo topped up - so you're watching these animations again and again, relinquishing control. I love the movement and flow of the game, but there are some issues with pacing that stood out. In Doom: The Dark Ages, this has changed completely. Smaller foes go down much quicker, sometimes in a single shot or two, though they're still viable threats that can eat away your health. You can also take out multiple opponents at once, eg with the shield that can crash into a mob and explode. Glory kills have been almost completely eliminated from normal enemies, with similar prompts that can appear but don't take control away from the player. Only in rare instances do you get the full glory kill experience, and normally it's deployed on big bosses - to the point that I don't think the term is even used any more. Similarly, chainsawing enemies is not necessary for regaining ammo. Different tech systems complement each other here, with the RTGI allowing for accurate lighting and shadows of destructible physics objects. See how blowing a hole in a section of wood replaces shadow with natural lighting. | Image credit: Bethesda/Digital FoundryAs a result of these changes, battles flow more smoothly. You'll need to change your strategy against different enemy types, but you don't lose control as in Doom Eternal. It actually feels like a marriage between classic Doom and modern Doom combat, which really impressed me. Similarly, abilities available on a cool-down feel more optional, though they're fun to use, and the game feels more free-form. There are fewer moments where you're trapped in a room, and you're able to sprint past some enemies - though they may follow you or simply stick around to trouble you the next time you enter a given area. One thing that doesn't really return is aerial moves and platforming, which is minimised here. The shield mechanics are also very interesting. You can bash enemies, throw your shield in combat or to solve puzzles, and there's also a block and parry system which doesn't feel obligatory but is fun to use. Some parts remind me of Returnal, with enemies shooting particles you can parry back, but it's not a scripted animation and you retain control. The options menu is also incredible, with settings to dial in gameplay exactly the way you like it. You can adjust things like game speed, enemy agression, particle speed and so on. I played most of the demo at 150 percent speed and had a blast. Water looks good from above or below, with geometric ripples on the surface and a beautiful look underneath. | Image credit: Bethesda/Digital FoundryThe game also changes quite a bit from level to level. The opening stage, which I couldn't capture, had a classic Doom gameplay loop - all about finding keycards to unlock new areas - and it still works well. There are also mech levels, where you're smashing city buildings and fighting giant demons. I don't kow how often these will appear in the game, but I enjoyed the sequences quite a bit. There are also dragon missions, where you can fly around freely in 3D space, locking onto and destroying enemies, or land to fight on foot for a while. It reminds me of vehicle missions in Halo or Titanfall 2. There's also a large open map. Marketing materials deliberately don't say "open world", and that feels fair - it's a larger level with objectives, bonus encounters, collectibles and even new weapons scattered around for the player to find. I still have a lot of questions about how the game will play out. There seems to be more of a focus on story here, with cutscenes at the beginning and end of missions I played. This is not The Last of Us by any stretch, and it's all action-orientated, but I did play is super promising. I do have some nitpicks about certain elements of the game as I played. For example, due to the focus on shield mechanics, there's no option to have a centred weapon in the classic Doom style. There's also no dot crosshair, which I prefer. The soundtrack also doesn't quite hit the highs of the Doom and Doom Eternal, with quite good individual tracks that don't seem to have as much impact while actually playing the game. One complaint, and one compliment. Left, it would be nice to have the option to tone down the brightly coloured projectiles and/or the full-screen red overlay at low health. Right, you do have interesting options to adjust the game speed, projectile speed, player/demon damage and enemy aggression to suit your preferences. | Image credit: Bethesda/Digital FoundryAnother minor complaint is the intensity of the colours of powerups, which obviously need to be easy to spot for gameplay reasons, but perhaps could be optionally toned down to better mesh with the environment. The entire screen staying red while your health drops below a certain level is also annoying. Thankfully, the HUD does have one awesome touch: a kind of simulation of the original Doom guy, complete with low frame-rate animation. Lastly, this is a weird complaint, but the game loads so fast on PC that the loading screens feel a bit pointless - even faster than Doom (2016), which is just wild. Therefore, having an option to disable loading screens entirely and just dip to black might make sense rather than requiring a key press after a second or two. Overall though, I hugely enjoyed my time with Doom: The Dark Ages, and while I still have some questions and concerns, this has a good chance of becoming the best of the three recent Doom titles. I guess we'll have to wait until May to be sure.

Following on from its Switch 2 Direct tomorrow, 2nd April, Nintendo will also host two Treehouse: Live presentations. Read more

Balatro creator impressed onlookers with his card skills at public event, without being recognised"Wow you must have played this before!"Image credit: Localthunk News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on April 1, 2025 The anonymous creator of Balatro, LocalThunk, impressed passersby at last month's Game Developer Conference with his card skills, but nobody recognised him.Balatro won several awards at GDC's Game Developers Choice Awards, including Game of the Year, Best Design, Best Debut, and Innovation Award. As a result of the nominations, the game had a booth on the show floor.LocalThunk himself played the game there, but managed to retain his anonymous status despite impressing onlookers at the booth.Balatro - Friends of Jimbo (Pack 3) | Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTube"One of my fav moments from GDC - they had a booth set up to play Balatro since it was an award nominee. I watched for a bit then I gave it a go myself. Crushed a white stake run," the developer wrote on Bluesky."Someone approached me as I was about to leave. 'Wow you must have played this before!'"'I guess you could say that'."He added: "Also this was actually the first and only time I have seen strangers play my game in real life. Have yet to see Balatro in the wild. So as far as I'm concerned y'all are just Truman Show-ing me."one of my fav moments from GDC - they had a booth set up to play Balatro since it was an award nominee. I watched for a bit then I gave it a go myself. Crushed a white stake runsomeone approached me as I was about to leave'Wow you must have played this before!''I guess you could say that' localthunk (@localthunk.bsky.social) 31 March 2025 at 19:42To see this content please enable targeting cookies.It's certainly a fun anecdote from a developer wishing to remain anonymous as a result of the game's success.As with previous awards shows, Playstack Communications Director Wout Van Halderen collected Balatro's wins on LocalThunk's behalf.In an interview last year, LocalThunk admitted he sometimes regrets Balatro's success, despite being grateful."Don't get me wrong - this has changed my life in a lot of amazing ways," he said. "I'm so grateful. But I do miss that time before. It was just a hobby that recharged my batteries. Sometimes I think, 'Maybe I would've been happier if I had never released this game to the public.'"The correct pronunciation of the game's name has also been revealed. Have you been pronouncing Balatro wrong?