Take-Two Interactive reported its latest earnings Thursday, which included a writedown of more than $3 billion. But despite that hit, the biggest news for the company still came out nearly two weeks ahead of the financial results: the publisher’s highly anticipated Rockstar Games-developed “Grand Theft Auto 6” would be shifting from a planned fall 2025 release to a May 26, 2026 launch. The choice, which was announced May 2, was made before Take-Two revealed these full fiscal 2025 results (which ran April 1, 2024 -March 31, 2025) and projections for its Fiscal 2026, but the company has not disclosed exactly at what point Rockstar decided “GTA 6” would need to be moved. As of February, the company had still been publicly eyeing that fall window. Related Stories “So we don’t talk about when we make decisions around here,” Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety Thursday ahead of the company’s earnings call. “And obviously, the net bookings that are expected for Fiscal ’26 are lower without the release of ‘GTA 6,’ that goes without saying. But we haven’t actually parsed what the specific felt is, although analysts have speculated. I think the key point to bear in mind is, once again, we’re setting a record, which is what we said we would do. We certainly expect growth in Fiscal ’27. This company is in extraordinarily sound shape and well positioned both for the challenges and opportunities ahead.” Popular on Variety Wall Street forecast a loss of earnings per share (EPS) of 5 cents on $1.55 billion in revenue for Take-Two’s January-March results, according to analyst consensus data provided by LSEG. On Thursday, Take-Two reported $1.58 billion in net bookings. GAAP net loss was $3.78 billion, or $21.08 per share. That loss included a writedown of $3.55 billion, though Take-Two did not disclose which division within the company accounted for that large hit and declined to comment when asked. For the year-long period between April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026, Take-Two is projecting net bookings between $5.9 to $6 billion. Regarding the potential pricing for “GTA 6,” as well as the rest of Take-Two’s games moving forward, Zelnick said he’s not letting recent moves made by competitors affect what Take-Two decides to do. “Well it’s true that some of our competitors have talked about higher prices and variable pricing. The rubric that informs our decision making is that we need and want to deliver way more value than whatever we charge consumers,” Zelnick said. “We think the consumer experiences the intersection of the thing itself. How great is the property with how much you pay for it? I think you know that anecdotally about yourself. We all feel that way. So we’re very mindful that it’s our job to deliver enormous value to consumers. We think we do just that.” More to come…

Passion Paris, part of the international production group Passion Pictures, has added the creative collective Alcyde to its roster of directors. Alcyde was founded by Antoine Charreyron, Florent Auguy and Dorian Marchesin, three visual artists with backgrounds in animation, video games and cinematic storytelling. The trio will contribute to Passion Paris’s work across original series, animated features and commercial projects. Related Stories Florent Auguy began his career as a character designer for major video game titles and contributed to the Oscar-winning animated feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” His recent credits include art direction for the series “Batwheels,” the narrative game “Harmony” and the animated series “Urbance.” He has also worked with the game studio Naughty Dog, which develops franchises including “The Last of Us” and “Uncharted.” Popular on Variety Antoine Charreyron brings experience in motion capture, animation and live action. His past work includes cinematics for “Tomb Raider” and “Terminator 3,” as well as directing the animated feature “The Prodigies,” which premiered at Cannes. He also worked on “Batwheels” and has collaborated with artists like 50 Cent and Vin Diesel. Dorian Marchesin has created trailers for games such as “Runeterra” by Riot Games and contributed to Netflix’s “Love, Death & Robots.” His focus lies in building immersive visual environments with emotional depth. Caroline Audebert, Executive Producer at Passion Paris, welcomed the addition, explaining, “[Alcyde’s] respective talents and creative ambition add a special touch that fits perfectly with Passion shows and storytelling across film, series and commercials.” In a joint statement, the members of ALCYDE expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership: “We’re incredibly proud and excited to embark on this journey with Passion Paris. We share a deep commitment to crafting ambitious, visually innovative projects where storytelling, character and emotion are at the heart of everything we create.” The move reflects Passion Paris’s continued interest in expanding its creative capabilities across both original content and commissioned work. Passion Paris is part of the broader Passion Pictures group, which has over two decades of experience in animation and documentary production. The company has received multiple industry accolades, including Academy Awards, Emmys, BAFTAs and honors from Sundance and Cannes.

The video game companies negotiating a new contract with SAG-AFTRA have issued a “best, last and final” offer to the actors union, which removes some key sticking points regarding Generative AI. The topline changes in this final version of a new Interactive Media Agreement (IMA) between the two parties include: removing the unlimited digital replica buyout provision; eliminating the repayment requirement for performers who choose to suspend their consent for developers to create new content using a digital replica during a strike; and stating that developers will not use digital replicas created from non-IMA content in order to circumvent the protections for digital replicas created from IMA-covered content laid out in the proposal. Related Stories The most significant of these revisions is the removal of the one-time payment option for unlimited pre-generated content per game, or what the union has previously described as the “unlimited DR use buyout.” With this change, performers who consent to the use of a digital replica would receive compensation for that use comparable to what they would have received had they directly provided services. Popular on Variety The major video game companies included in negotiations are Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc. and WB Games Inc. The new proposal was sent over by the companies last week, following a previous “best and last” offer issued April 30, which SAG-AFTRA had countered with a proposal May 2. The actors union has been on strike against the companies since July 16, 2024 after 18 months of negotiations on the new IMA. “Last Friday, we responded to SAG-AFTRA’s latest counter with a strong and fair proposal that directly addresses the priorities we understand are essential to reaching a deal to end the strike,” Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game developers party to the IMA, said in a statement Monday. “Specifically, our latest proposal eliminates the unlimited digital replica buyout provision for pre-generated content; eliminates the repayment requirement for performers who choose to suspend their consent for developers to create new content using a digital replica during a strike; and affirms that developers will not use digital replicas created from non-IMA content in order to circumvent the protections for digital replicas created from IMA-covered content laid out in the proposal. Our full proposal not only includes some of the most robust AI protections in a deal of this kind, it also increases wages by 24% over the life of the contract, with a 15% increase in performer compensation immediately upon ratification. We are ready to sign so that performers can return to making great content.” A spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA said in response: “Our negotiating committee will meet with other members who work in video games in an informational meeting tomorrow to discuss the offer and potential next steps.” See the “best, last and final” contract proposal offer from the video game developers to SAG-AFTRA in the document below.

Since launching in May 2015 as a gamer-centric social media platform, Discord has managed to grow exponentially without pivoting to serve customers outside its niche market. With more than 200 million global monthly active users, Discord is doing just fine relying on its current user base, 93% of which play games, per the platform. But as it reaches its 10th birthday, Discord is finding ways to cater its product — which has hosted more than 1.5 billion hours of online gameplay — to a wider audience. Related Stories “Discord is one of these modern communication tools where, when it was built for a specific use case, it kind of eschewed the teaching that something should be very easy to use and optimized for new users and is instead really optimized for the core consumer. And that can be a trade-off,” Discord’s senior vice president of product Peter Sellis told Variety during an interview at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in March. Popular on Variety “And you probably notice it when onboarding people to Discord that, if those people do not have a friend group to play games together, the Discord experience can be a little tough to understand,” Sellis said. “However, on the flip side of it, when you do have a friend group and you hear their voices while you’re playing and you stream games, you’re like, ‘Wait, this is the coolest thing ever. Like, where has it been all my life?’ And that’s what we hear all the time, especially coming out of the pandemic. So when we think about, who are the next 200 million monthly active users of Discord? Yes, probably a lot of them are people who play multiplayer games with their friends, but don’t use Discord yet, and that’s why you see us doing things like console integrations and getting stronger on mobile — but a lot of them are probably also in some of the concentric circles that are outside of that group.” What Sellis is talking about here is going for more casual gamers, but also consumers of “game adjacent” content. “Some of those things are obvious, like there are many single-player games that are fun to just watch your friend play — ‘Balatro,’ or something like that, and we want to build that experience, because it’s still social and fun to hang out with your friends just like you’re on the couch next to them,” Sellis said. On top of that, Sellis says “there are also things that maybe look and act like a game, but aren’t strictly a game.” “There’s a lot of fandom-oriented communities: fan fiction, very game and IP-adjacent, media and entertainment more broadly, just like content discussions about new seasons and new stuff like that,” Sellis said. “And then also games that are maybe a little bit more atypical. You have a lot of card games, tabletop games with really vibrant communities. You have things like fantasy sports, where Discord can really serve a great purpose.” The focus at Discord still is, and likely always will be, on the “intentional multiplayer gamer,” per Sellis. However, “there are other kinds of people who play games that maybe Discord has not served as well in the past, but it’s a natural tool for them,” the Discord product chief says, adding: “And I look forward to building for more of those use cases, for sure.”

Following the announcement of its May 26, 2026, release date, “Grand Theft Auto 6” is sure to drum up speculation as to the big-name musical talent Rockstar Games has enlisted for the highly anticipated video game. Danny Brown is among those wondering. The rapper spoke to Variety before his set at last week’s THPS Fest, a livestreamed event promoting Activision’s upcoming “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4” remake of the classic skate games that drops July 11. The game features music from Brown, as well as Adolescents, Urethane and Lupe Fiasco, who all performed with Brown at the event attended by Hawk himself and many other pro skaters. Popular on Variety Related Stories “I’ve done a lot of things with ‘GTA,’” said Brown, referring to “Grand Theft Auto 5’s” iFruit Radio station, which he curated and hosted. “Hopefully they have me back, last time I was a drunk fool,” he added. One of many in-game radio stations Rockstar curated for the 2013 title, which has sold more than 210 million units to date, iFruit Radio was added to the base game and its online mode in 2019 as part of “The Diamond Casino Heist,” one of many updates to “GTA 5” throughout its decade-plus run across three console generations. Brown also voiced Yung Ancestor, a rapper character in the update. That said, Brown’s relationship with gaming extends far beyond music. “I grew up with video games in my household my entire life,” said Brown. “We would get the console the first day it came out … I always just had any new game that came out that I probably didn’t really know about because [my dad] would read Game Informer and all that kind of shit,” he said. Even with one “GTA” in the bag, getting his music in a “Tony Hawk” game is a big moment for Brown. “That’s a dream of mine, to be honest,” said Brown. “‘Tony Hawk’ always had some of the coolest soundtracks,” Brown added, expressing his admiration for “Pro Skater 2” and “Tony Hawk’s Underground” in particular. “I played ‘Underground’ probably the most … I kind of correlate when I gamed a lot with depression, in some sense, without even knowing it,” he said. During his set for THPS Fest, which was attended by Hawk and many pro skaters, Brown performed a short but well-rounded setlist covering most of his discography, including more explicit songs like “Ain’t It Funny,” which revolves around substance abuse and was cut short during his set. Brown is known for party anthems like “Smokin & Drinkin,” which he also performed, but the Detroit native frequently gets into darker, more somber territory in his music. That was the case with his 2023 album “Quaranta,” but Brown is currently focused on more uplifting material. “I’m out of that phase,” Brown said. “I’m not depressed no more, I’m not an alcoholic, I’ve been two years sober … I want to make music to make people happy,” he said. To that end, Brown said he’s currently mixing a new album, and he also made an appearance at “Brat” producer and hyperpop artist A.G. Cook’s Coachella set in April, dropping new bars on Charli XCX’s “Party 4 U.” Despite keeping busy on the music front, Brown is still gaming. The rapper said he’s currently into JRPGs from developer Atlus, such as the “Persona” series and “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” as well as decades-old MMORPG “RuneScape,” which he started back up recently. Brown also stressed how much he values original music made for such games. “It’s all about the music, especially with me talking about Atlus games … they put so much effort into making the soundtracks,” he said. “Certain games, like ‘Disco Elysium,’ that kind of game brings me comfort with just a soundtrack … I think it plays a huge part, especially nowadays, not more so with licensing the music. And I know that sounds stupid for me because I obviously want my music licensed, but I really love when a game really has [their] own soundtrack,” he added. Brown isn’t alone in his sentiment. The soundtrack to the highly successful RPG “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” topped Billboard’s classical albums chart in May with 18 million streams. Still, gaming’s impact on licensed music can’t be ignored. Global Spotify streams for The Pointer Sisters’ 1986 song “Hot Together,” which was featured in Rockstar’s latest “Grand Theft Auto 6” trailer, skyrocketed 182,000% just two hours after it premiered last week. Luminate, the entertainment data company that powers the Billboard charts, likewise announced a partnership with Epic Games in April that will add music streaming data from Jam Tracks in “Fortnite” to Connect, one of Luminate’s platforms, to better track and observe the transmedia-driven engagement of music featured in the massively popular live service. Variety, Luminate and Billboard are all owned by Penske Media Corporation.

A year out from launch, star “Fortnite” player Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo’s gaming company, JOGO, has made its first acquisition, which also marks one of the biggest studio acquisitions within Epic Games’ Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) ecosystem. JOGO has acquired Quinn Gannon’s “Fortnite” map maker RHQ Creative, including full ownership of RHQ’s existing map catalog (including six competitive maps), three new staffers, and along with a roster of more than a dozen contributing contractors. As part of the acquisition, JOGO will launch a pro division that focuses on skill-building and competitive training maps for aspiring pro players. The pro efforts will be led by RHQ Creative founder Gannon, who will become JOGO’s head of competitive. Popular on Variety Related Stories Financial terms were not disclosed, but according to a source familiar with the acquisition, the deal is valued at more than $500,000, with potential for payouts to top $1 million on meeting ambitious performance goals. The announcement of JOGO’s acquisition of RHQ Creative comes ahead of Rebelo’s entrance into the Fortnite Championship Series’ Pro-Am Saturday, where he will debut the newly acquired maps, inviting fans to train with him as Typical Gamer while he teases the studio’s next chapter. “Welcoming Quinn and the RHQ team onboard is a huge win,” Rebelo said. “Not just because he’s a veteran map builder and pro competitor, but because he understands what it takes to design for a different kind of player. This deal opens up a whole new lane for JOGO, and it’s just the beginning. We’re in a strong position to keep growing, keep investing, and keep building experiences that meet players wherever they are. Whether you’re logging on for the first time or grinding for the next FNCS, JOGO will be there for all of it.” Founded by Gannon, better known to gamers by his tag “RichHomieQuinn,” RHQ Creative has earned a cult following for its competitive training maps with more than 20 million map visits and 200 million hours of playtime. “With JOGO, I’m able to really put out the best product of what I want to create by having their backing and their support when it comes to, not only being able to get it published as fast as possible, but also at the highest quality,” Gannon said. “I feel like I’m able to really elevate the practice that I’m able to produce with JOGO.” As it approaches its one year anniversary, JOGO has doubled its staff (20-person team), catalog of “Fortnite” maps (12 maps) and number of plays across those maps (more than 400 million). According to Fortnite.gg estimates, JOGO has earned $10 million in revenue since launching last May. “We are well positioned to explore these kind of opportunities where we can acquire another studio and and grow aggressively,” JOGO COO Chad Mustard said. “And we’re really excited about the upcoming year; we have some big events happening within our maps, collaborations with big brands and artists and things like that. It’s a growing space that is still really exciting. And we’re really excited that just today, Epic submitted ‘Fortnite’ back to the App Store — and that is a huge, huge opportunity, especially for the UEFN space, because that’s a casual player base that will come in and want to play different kinds of maps. So we’re really excited about the potential of ‘Fortnite’ to grow its user base through mobile now, where we haven’t had that for four years. So it’s a very exciting space to be in, and we’re positioned currently, both financially and with staffing, to really capitalize on that.” The deal was brokered by Night Media senior vice president Nick Brotman. “It’s inspiring to see Fortnite creators investing not only in themselves but in the Fortnite ecosystem as a whole,” “Fortnite” maker Epic Games executive vice president Saxs Persson said. “UEFN has grown rapidly, and so have creators, who continue to chart their success by building experiences that resonate with players of all types and interests.”

Nintendo has projected sales of its highly anticipated Switch 2 console will reach 15 million units by the end of next March. The Japanese gaming giant says that forecasted figure for the Switch 2, which is set to launch June 5 at a price point of $450, is assuming President Donald Trump’s U.S. tariff rates are maintained throughout that period. The sales projection came along with Nintendo’s latest earning results, which were released Thursday. Related Stories In February, Nintendo had estimated 11 million of its current generation Switch consoles and 150 million games would be sold by the end of its full fiscal year, which runs April 1-March 31. On Thursday, Nintendo reported actual sales of 10.8 million Switch consoles and 155.4 million games over the past 12 months. Popular on Variety For its fiscal year 2026, which began April, 2025, Nintendo projects 15 million units sold of the Switch 2 and 45 million Switch 2 games. During that same period, Nintendo expects the first edition of the Switch to sell 4.5 million consoles and 105 million games. According to Nintendo, Nintendo Switch’s global sell-through rate now approaching 150 million units sold in total since it debuted in March 2017, and Switch sales “kept pace even after the first-look trailer for Nintendo Switch 2 in January.” Annual playing users total 128 million over the past 12 months. In February, Nintendo had forecast revenue of 1.190 trillion in Japanese yen for the year-long period from April 1,2024-March 31,2025. That figure was adjusted down from the estimate Nintendo had made last November, which was 1.28 trillion yen. On Thursday, Nintendo reported full-year revenue of 1.164 trillion yen. The gaming giant reported net profit of 278.8 billion yen, after projecting income of 270 billion yen.

Electronic Arts (EA) revealed it will be releasing its next “Battlefield” game by March 2026 when it reported its latest quarterly earnings results Tuesday. Details on the new installment in the “Battlefield” franchise are set to be revealed this summer, per EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who calls the title a “pivotal step in delivering on our next generation of blockbuster entertainment.” In addition to “Battlefield,” EA’s other big release within the next year will be “skate.” Related Stories This announcement follows last weeks news that EA that canceled its upcoming “Titanfall” franchise video game and laid off more than 300 of its employees. Popular on Variety During the Jan. 1-March 31 period, which marked the final quarter of EA’s fiscal year 2025, the video game publisher beat both analysts’ expectations and its own projections in earnings, revenue and net bookings, despite headwinds for live-services game “Apex Legends.” Strong performers for the quarter were new co-op “Split Fiction” (which has sold more than 4 million copies to date) as well as franchises “EA Sports FC” and “The Sims,” the latter of which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Wall Street forecast earnings per share (EPS) of 91 cents on $1.55 billion in revenue, according to analyst consensus GAAP data provided by LSEG. EA reported GAAP diluted EPS of 98 cents, or net income of $254 million, on $1.9 billion in revenue and net bookings of $1.8 billion. Non-GAAP diluted EPS stood at $1.58. The company says it reached $7.36 billion in net bookings for its full fiscal year, which runs April 1-March 31, and non-GAAP EPS of $7.08. Back in February, EA had projected revenue for the January-March quarter would be between $1.68 billion and $1.83 billion. Net bookings were expected to be between $1.44 billion and $1.59 billion. Diluted EPS was estimated to be between 65 cents and $1, or net income between $171 million and $263 million. Full fiscal-year net bookings were estimated between $7 billion to $7.2 billion. “The incredible success of ‘College Football’ and the enduring strength of ‘FC’ drove another record year for EA Sports, while ‘The Sims’ capped FY25 with a historic Q4,” Wilson said in a statement accompanying the financial results. “As we look to the future, we’re confident in our ability to execute across a deep pipeline — beginning this summer with the highly anticipated reveal of ‘Battlefield,’ a pivotal step in delivering on our next generation of blockbuster entertainment.” “Q4 marked a strong finish to FY25, with broad-based momentum across the portfolio positioning the business for accelerated growth,” CFO Stuart Canfield added. “As we enter FY26, we remain focused on disciplined execution as we build toward a slate of groundbreaking upcoming releases.”

Summer Game Fest 2025 is just a month away, and the team behind the Day of the Devs portion of the Los Angeles-based gaming convention is hard at work on this year’s lineup. Created by Double Fine Productions and iam8bit, the Day of the Devs in-person events are described by iam8bit co-owner Jon M. Gibson as “a reaction to us working convention for so long and the opportunity to make something new.” Related Stories “To rethink what it is to go to a hands-on event,” Gibson told Variety in an interview at the Game Developers Conference in March. “It doesn’t have to be weird, stale, cold brutalist convention center. It can be it can feel more like a mini South by Southwest festival vibe with comfortable furniture and great food. If you’re on a comfy couch and sipping a margarita or water or whatever, you just get more content out of it. The developers and publishers feel better too, because no one’s so guarded. There’s still secrets, of course. And it was hard for us to explain it to people the first year, and then everyone saw the results.” Popular on Variety Day of the Devs saw its in-person efforts thwarted during the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted all live events and put heavy emphasis on its digital showcases over the past few years. But after a good turnout at last year’s Summer Game Fest and this year’s San Francisco-based GDC, the team is optimistic about the future. “We feel heartened too, because we definitely saw dips in attendance for physical events post-COVID, particularly Day of the Devs immediately post-pandemic, when we first started bringing things back,” iam8bit co-owner Amanda White said. “But this year, here in San Francisco midway through GDC, we’re right back up to pre-pandemic attendance levels. There’s just so much enthusiasm and it’s a very good indicator for the way things are going to go.” A self-described “creative production emporium,” the LA-based iam8bit was founded by White and Gibson in 2005. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the company that began as an art show and has evolved into financing and publishing games under its iam8bit Presents imprint (including the upcoming slice-of-life RPG “Petal Runner,” which will be showcased out of SGF) has a purposeful strategy amid the headwinds facing the gaming indsutry. “We’re in this very rare position where there’s no investors, there’s no giant corporation above us, so we make the decisions,” Gibson said. “We’re able to be really reactionary to whatever’s going on, which is one of our secret weapons. So looking forward here. we can imagine that our publishing slate will have more games on it. We can imagine that we’ll probably hire a few more people and have a larger presence out there. The reality is it’s very wide open.”

Gamers will have to wait a bit longer before they can get their hands on “Grand Theft Auto VI,” but Rockstar Games has just released a new trailer that reveals what’s in store for them. The new trailer for the highly anticipated video game teases more of the story and mayhem that awaits players in “GTA 6,” which was recently delayed to May 26, 2026. It shows the dual protagonists, Jason and Lucia, and all the trouble they can cause in Leonida, the Florida-inspired state for the new game. There’s also a glimpse of Vice City, the Miami-like hotspot that was previously the setting for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.” Related Stories “Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive,” reads Rockstar Games’ official description for “GTA 6.” Popular on Variety The new “GTA 6” trailer starts with a shirtless Jason working on a leaky beach house and picking up Lucia from prison — but not before robbing a store, picking up a six-pack of beer and getting a quick workout in on the beach. The two lovers are reunited and get down to business quickly. They cheers to “new beginnings,” move into a new house and start committing a litany of crimes. They rob businesses, shoot at police, steal bank vaults, ride jetskis and, of course, hit the Vice City night clubs. Though no official launch date was ever set, Rockstar Games owner Take Two Interactive had repeatedly said “GTA 6” was originally slated to release this fall. Last week, Rockstar Games announced it was getting delayed until May 26, 2026. “With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ is no exception,” the company said. “We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.” Watch the new “GTA 6” trailer below.

The major video game companies involved in negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, which represents voice and motion capture performers in video games, say they have made their final offer in negotiations to end the actors strike as it approaches its 300-day mark. In a statement provided to Variety Monday, SAG-AFTRA “condemns” the video game companies’ move to release the proposal for publication and says its negotiating committee “responded to that offer within 72 hours – on May 2 – with our own response to the open issues relating to artificial intelligence” and that “we have to date received no response to our counter offer.” Related Stories The actors union went on strike July 16, 2024 after 18 months of negotiations. At this point, the strike hinges on a single issue: SAG-AFTRA’s strong concerns regarding consent and compensation for the use of AI replicas. Popular on Variety Though the strike applies to specific titles on a case by case basis, the major video game companies included in the work stoppage were Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. Variety has exclusively obtained the latest proposal from the companies, which they say was sent April 30. This proposal was deemed by the video game publishers to be their “best and last” offer following negotiations that lasted April 11-15. Heading into that round of bargaining, the two sides had tentative agreements on 24 out of 25 total proposal, including wage increases of 24% over the life of the contract The final issue at hand was protections against generative AI. See the video game companies’ “best and last” offer to SAG-AFTRA below. “We are hopeful the union will not choose to walk away when we are so close to a deal,” Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement, said in a statement to Variety. “Our proposal includes wage increases of over 24% for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games, enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actor’s performance in other games. This is our last and best offer, and we hope the union will return to the table so we can reach a deal.” Here’s SAG-AFTRA’s full statement, which was provided to Variety along with the actors union’s counter proposal. “SAG-AFTRA condemns the video game companies’ attempt to sow confusion in the community by releasing misleading rhetoric about our ongoing negotiations. The statement suggesting that the union would “walk away” from negotiations on this contract is absurd and the opposite of the truth. It is the employers who have threatened – through backchannel representatives – to move work to foreign countries and recast performers, in an unsuccessful effort to intimidate our negotiating committee and membership to capitulate to their demands.  It is the employers who have characterized their last counter as “their last and best offer,” the union has taken no such step. To the contrary, SAG-AFTRA responded to that offer within 72 hours – on May 2 – with our own response to the open issues relating to artificial intelligence. We have to date received no response to our counter offer of May 2. SAG-AFTRA is holding an informational meeting on Wednesday, May 7 for members who work under the Interactive Media Agreement. We expect to review the employers’ and union’s latest offers and hear their feedback in that confidential setting. Members can register at sagaftra.org/videogamestrike. As negotiations progress, we urge all members to stay informed, engaged, and respectful of one another. Messages are being circulated that are neither official nor accurate. Please see our Video Game Strike page at sagaftra.org/videogamestrike for updates. Also, follow the conversation on your social media feeds (Instagram, Facebook,  X, Blue Sky, Threads, Tik Tok) for official messages, and emails from the union.” See SAG-AFTRA’s counter proposal below. SAG-AFTRA and the gaming publishers began negotiations on the new agreement in October 2022. The union started seeking approval for this strike in September 2023 and members authorized the work stoppage with a 98.32% vote. For several quarters, the video game publishers quelled concerns during about the strike’s impact on upcoming games by noting how far out most voiceover work is recorded and assuring shareholders their pipelines were long. But as the strike has been going on for nine months, the development cycle is more at stake. The actors union previously went on strike against the video game makers in October 2016, as the union fought for a residual compensation structure. The strike ended nearly a year later, in September 2017. See below for copies of the video game companies’ full proposal and a summary of the “protections offered” by the companies, all provided by the video game companies to Variety.

“Grand Theft Auto VI” is going to motor out several months later than expected. Rockstar Games, publisher of the hugely popular franchise, announced Friday that “GTA 6” is now set to release on May 26, 2026. That’s on the Tuesday following the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. next year. Previously, the company was saying the action-adventure open world title was on track for a fall 2025 launch, though a specific release date was never set. Related Stories “We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game,” Rockstar said in a statement Friday. Popular on Variety The game publisher continued, “With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.” “GTA 6” is the first major installment in the cars-and-mayhem game series in more than a decade. The new title stars Lucia, the franchise’s first female protagonist, and takes place in Vice City, the Miami-inspired locale that was the setting for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.” Take-Two Interactive, parent of Rockstar, has been telling “GTA” fans — and Wall Street — that the tentpole game was set for a release window this fall, but had continued to avoid setting a specific launch date. “We’ve announced a pretty narrow window [for ‘GTA 6’]. So I think our view is that right now, that’s fine,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety in February. Rockstar hasn’t released pricing details for “GTA 6” yet. The game’s fifth major installment, first released in 2013, remains one of the industry’s biggest live gaming services. “GTA V” has sold more than 200 million copies and generated more than $8 billion in revenue over its lifetime. “We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI, ‘which promises to be a groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations,” Take-Two’s Zelnick said in a statement Friday. “While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI,’ we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence. As we continue to release our phenomenal pipeline, we expect to deliver a multi-year period of growth in our business and enhanced value for our shareholders.” Zelnick will have to address investors and analysts in further detail regarding Rockstar’s decision to delay “GTA 6” until next May when the company reports its latest quarterly earnings results May 15. The “GTA 6” move comes on the heels of Ubisoft’s choice to shift the release of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” not once, but twice, amid quality concerns in the development cycle. Though that decision saw a lot of backlash, when the game finally released in March it was to rave reviews and impressive sales. Rockstar’s decision to shift “GTA 6” also comes amid economic uncertainty and fears over how President Donald Trump’s tariffs will impact all industries, including gaming, with Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation making adjustments to pricing in response. Take-Two’s next big release is the Gearbox and 2K’s “Borderlands 4,” which will now launch Sept. 12, 2025 — 11 days earlier than 2K had previously announced. Now dig into a VIP+ subscriber special report …

The New York Times Games app debuted a new leaderboard feature last month that allows users to check their performance against friends. Now, the makers of Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the Mini Crossword are giving players a chance to compare their scores with some of NYT Games‘ “most dedicated celebrity puzzlers.” However, this is a very exclusive offer, as only the first 100 users who add the lineup of celebs — which include real-life friends jazz singer Laufey and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” star Lola Tung, Bravo staples Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan, and “Abbott Elementary” star Chris Perfetti — will get to play with them. Related Stories Per NYT Games, users will be able to add celebrity puzzlers to their leaderboards on a first-come, first-served basis beginning May 8 at 10 a.m. E.T. Direct links to add the stars will be available via NYT Games’ blog and the celebs’ own Instagram Stories. The celebrities’ scores will be visible in the app until May 11. Popular on Variety “With my schedule, I’m always on the go. I love New York Times Games, like Wordle and the Mini Crossword, to center myself and stay connected with my friends no matter where in the world we are, like Lola Tung,” Laufey said. “Whether we’re comparing scores or sharing hints, it’s become somewhat of a tradition and gives us daily topics to yap about. So when I heard New York Times Games was adding a leaderboard to its app, I loved the idea of bringing even more friends (and my fans!) into the mix. It’s such a fun way to stay close no matter the time zone.” The multi-game leaderboard feature first rolled out on April 22 and, “without getting into specific numbers,” NYT Games senior product manager Ian Hipschman tells Variety the team is “really happy with the engagement on the Friends tab.” “People are really excited about being able to see their scores with their friends on the leaderboard,” Hipschman said. “People are sharing things to social media, and they’re tweeting about it, and writing into us and leaving app reviews. So we’re really gratified with how well this has been received so far. And a particular piece that people are really interested in is that kind of customization, of creating their profile and really expressing themselves through these illustrations that we’ve presented to them.” Hipschman says one of the tricky parts of creating a multi-game leader board was the fact that the Mini Crossword has been around since 2014 — but Connections, Wordle and Spelling Bee all entered the NYT Games group after that. “You can go back and look at your scores for previous dates for those games — but the calendar isn’t game specific, and so the calendar kind of just controls the entire leaderboard, which means you can find yourself in a situation as a user where you’re trying to look at a Mini score from 2018 and then you swipe over to Connections — but Connections didn’t exist yet in 2018 and so that was kind of a thorny product problem for us to solve,” Hipschman said. The way the NYT Games team took a creative approach to solving that logistical problem. “We created these really fun groups of illustrations for Connections — it looks like a bunch of dinosaurs. There’s like a comet coming down,” Hipschman said. “And for Wordle, we have Wordle as like a plant that’s growing from the ground. And we say, ‘Connections wasn’t created yet!’ ‘Wordle wasn’t around yet!’ And we kind of direct users back to the first date for those games.” Hipschman says touches like that “really adds to our product voice” across NYT Games brands’ Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the Mini Crossword. “I think throughout our product, whether it’s in product, whether it’s in the way that we craft our puzzles — like Wyna Liu’s unique voice that is translated to users through her Connections puzzles — we then translate that product voice through our social posts and through our marketing,” Hipschman said. “But, in many ways, we hadn’t yet started using that product voice and those muscles in the way that we build our digital products, and this really offered us the opportunity to do that.”

The expansive worlds of Star Wars and Monopoly have collided in the latest “Monopoly Go!” event. In a collaboration led by Scopely, the popular mobile game “Monopoly Go!” has crossed over with “Star Wars” for a two-month adventure, spanning the stories of both “The Mandalorian” and “The Skywalker Saga” on the “Monopoly Go!” mobile game. The in-game event begins Thursday. “In bringing ‘Star Wars’ into ‘Monopoly Go!,’ the talented game making team at Scopely set out to create a collaboration that is visually stunning, rich in storytelling, and filled with thrilling gameplay that captures the essence of both franchises,” Scopely’s president of games Victor Diaz-Roig said in a statement. “From iconic characters and eras to the themes that have made ‘Star Wars’ a cultural touchstone, we worked to craft an experience that feels original and unexpected — while staying true to the creativity and artistry of ‘Monopoly Go!’” Related Stories The journey kicks off in the mobile game when robot Peg-E from “Monopoly Go!” visits Mr. Monopoly’s private theater and begins daydreaming. As the world of “Monopoly” gets reimagined, Star Wars fans can visit iconic Outer Rim plants like Tatooine and collect themed tokens and shields. Popular on Variety In recent years, “Monopoly Go!” has crossed over with the Marvel universe, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Deadpool and the Avengers, along with a global brand campaign back in November with Will Ferrell, Jason Momoa, Keke Palmer and Chris Pratt. Since releasing in April 2023, “Monopoly Go!” rose the charts and became the most successful mobile game launch in history after recently surpassing $5 billion in revenue. Watch the official trailer for the “Monopoly Go!” and Star Wars crossover below, now available to play.

Xbox has increased the price of its consoles and controllers worldwide amid the tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump, and says it expects to up the cost of some of its new, first-party games beginning this holiday season. As of today, the recommended U.S. retail price of an Xbox Series X is now set at $599.99, up $100. The Xbox Series S device will now run customers $379 vs. the previous $299.99. Related Stories While the price of existing games will remain the same, later this year Xbox will increase the price of some of its upcoming first-party games from the usual $69.99 to $79.99 across both digital and physical versions of the titles. The price change will go into effect this holiday season, with no specific date given yet, and Xbox says “different games and expansions will continue to be offered at a variety of price points.” Popular on Variety Xbox says pricing on headsets will change in the U.S. and Canada only, and the pricing for its adaptive controller and adaptive joystick will remain the same. Per Xbox, “We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.” Xbox notes that Series X and S console “availability may continue to change over time depending on the retailer and by country.” The price increase comes one day after Xbox parent company Microsoft released its latest quarterly earnings results, which saw gaming revenue increase 5% overall, but hardware sales drop 6%. Last month, Nintendo revealed it would keep the previously announced $449.99 price of its upcoming Switch 2 device, but increase the price for some of its accessories amid tariff uncertainty. See the chart below for Xbox’s new recommended U.S. retail price across consoles and accessories. Now dig into the VIP+ subscriber special report …

Epic Games‘ juggernaut title “Fortnite” is heading back to the iOS App Store in the United States. According to court documents obtained and reviewed by Variety, a District Court in California found that Apple willfully violated the court order in the Epic Games v. Apple suit. “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction which issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in the documents. Related Stories Epic’s lawsuit against Apple argued that the tech company acts as a monopoly, taking a 30% cut on all in-app purchases while banning outside payment methods. Popular on Variety “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,” the court documents continue. “Time is of the essence. The Court will not tolerate further delays. As previously ordered, Apple will not impede competition. The Court enjoins Apple from implementing its new anticompetitive acts to avoid compliance with the Injunction. Effective immediately Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases.” Rogers’ filing also said that Apple’s VP of Finance, Alex Roman, “outright lied” to the court under oath: “In stark contrast to Apple’s initial in-court testimony, contemporaneous business documents reveal that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option.” An Apple spokesperson shared the following statement with Variety on Wednesday evening: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal.” In August 2020, Apple officially booted “Fortnite” and other Epic Games titles off the App Store, suspending the games company’s developer account after Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney responded to the court’s findings in a series of posts on X. “NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there,” he wrote. In another post, Sweeney wrote, “We will return ‘Fortnite’ to the US iOS App Store next week,” but added that there’s still work to be done on an international scale. “Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return ‘Fortnite’ to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic.” In a call with the press on Wednesday evening, Sweeney elaborated on the court’s decision, adding, “It’s a huge victory for developers. This means all developers can offer both Apple’s payment service side by side with their own payment service. Apple cannot charge fees on the developers’ own payment services, and developers are free to pass along savings to customers by through differentiated pricing.” “What this does is it forces Apple to compete with other payment services, rather than blocking them,” Sweeney continued. “This is what we wanted all along. We’ve always acknowledged Apple’s right to operate their own store; their right to operate their own payment service. We’ve just always wanted a level playing field in which developers can compete with Apple to offer their own products, and then consumers are free to choose the best, and let the best product win.” Sweeney also addressed “Fortnite’s” cheeky in-game “Tart Tycoon” outfit, introduced in 2020 and depicting a menacing businessman with an apple-shaped head. “The Tart Tycoon outfit in Fortnite was a symbol of Apple blocking ‘Fortnite.’ We offered it to players for free in the #FreeFortnite cup. But little did the world know, we had, at that time, designed two different ‘Fortnite’ outfits. There is another outfit we designed in the event that Epic and Apple reached reconciliation and had an agreement. That is a different outfit on the theme that I think iOS players would love. If we are able to reach resolution with Apple, then it might be possible for our players to have the ability to earn the Pie Patron outfit.”

Microsoft’s gaming revenue was up 5% year over year for the January-March quarter. Gaming-specific sales reached $5.7 billion for the three-month period, up $270 million from the comparable year-ago figures. While content and services sales increased 8%, which Microsoft attributes to performance across Xbox‘s Game Pass offering and its “Call of Duty” and “Minecraft” franchises, hardware revenue was down 6% total. “Call of Duty” released its most recent installment, “Black Ops 6,” last fall and “Minecraft” likely benefited somewhat from anticipation for the Jack Black-led film, which debuted April 4 to big box office numbers. Microsoft posted $70.1 billion revenue for the quarter (up 13%) and a net income of $25.8 billion (up 18%) or earnings per share (EPS) of $3.46. Analysts had predicted $68.4 billion in revenue and EPS of $3.22. Popular on Variety More to come…

Mega video game publisher Electronic Arts has canceled its upcoming “Titanfall” franchise video game and laid off more than 300 of its employees. “As part of our continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities, we’ve made select changes within our organization that more effectively aligns teams and allocates resources in service of driving future growth,” an EA spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “We are treating our people with care and respect throughout this process, working to minimize impacts by helping affected employees explore new opportunities within the company when possible and providing support during the transition.” Related Stories Approximately one third of the cuts were made at EA-owned developer Respawn, which was developing “Titanfall” and one additional project, both of which were in “early-stage incubation,” according to a post shared by Respawn on X Tuesday. The layoffs mainly affect the teams working on games “Apex Legends” and “Star Wars Jedi.” Popular on Variety “As we sharpen our focus for the future, we’ve made the decision to step away from two early-stage incubation projects and make some targeted team adjustments across ‘Apex Legends’ and ‘Star Wars Jedi,'” the statement reads. “These decisions aren’t easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected — their creativity and contributions have helped build Respawn into what it is today. We’re offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA.” The statement continued: “Looking ahead, our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged. Innovation has always been at the core of Respawn’s identity, and it continues to drive how we build the future — from evolving live experiences to crafting new worlds and stories. For ‘Apex Legends,’ that means not just delivering competitive, innovative seasons — but expanding what ‘Apex’ can be While the team will continue to refine gameplay and bring new ideas to upcoming seasons, we’re also investing in what’s next for the franchise – exploring bold experiences that push the boundaries of competitive play while staying true to the spirit of competition, creativity and integrity that our community expects. Within the Star Wars universe, we’re excited to keep building new stories — with the next chapter of the ‘Star Wars Jedi’ series aiming to raise the bar again for storytelling and gameplay.” Bloomberg was first to report on the layoffs and that EA had scrapped “Titanfall.” See Respawn’s statement regarding the layoffs below.

“Baby Invasion” filmmaker Harmony Korine‘s creative collective brand EDGLRD is getting in on the lucrative trend of high-end gaming accessories with the launch of a limited edition keyboard in partnership with premium gaming hardware company Higround. Teased last month in a promo video featuring Travis Scott using the device, the new EDGLRD and Higround collab keyboard will launch Friday, May 2 at 12 p.m. PT. Details on pricing are not yet available. Related Stories Per the companies, the keyboard collaboration is described as “a limited-edition capsule that brings our visual universe to life — one key at a time.” “Each keycap is unique — a custom work of art crafted from textures, surfaces, and digitally crafted forms. From molten lava to cracked concrete, alien metals to deepwater algae, no two keys are alike. Tactile design pulled straight from the EDGLRD universe.” Popular on Variety “At EDGLRD, we’ve always been about pushing the limits of design and technology,” EDGLRD head of brand Ben Morsberger said. “Following the announcement of our first game Tamashika, this collaboration with Higround felt like a natural next step as we expand further into the games space. This limited-edition keyboard is more than just a tool — it’s a canvas, a collectible, and a piece of functional design. We’re excited to share it on May 2.” “Higround’s ethos is about redefining the gaming space by merging inspiration from gaming and new spaces to create culture,” Higround CEO and co-founder Rustin Sotoodeh said. “This collaboration with EDGLRD not only checks all of the fundamentals of Higround, but also opens the door to new realms of inspiration and expression for the gaming space as a whole. We are so excited to present this one-of-a-kind design to the world.” See a first look at the EDGLRD and Higround keyboard collaboration in the image below.

Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a film adaptation of hit video game “Split Fiction” with Jon M. Chu directing, Variety has learned. The script for the movie is being written by “Deadpool & Wolverine” screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The “Split Fiction” film will be produced by Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson’s Story Kitchen (formerly dj2 Entertainment), which is taking out the talent package now to studios, and Chu’s Electric Somewhere. Sweeney is set to executive produce. Related Stories From developer Hazelight Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, “Split Fiction” blends fantasy and science fiction, following a pair of authors, Mio and Zoe, who become trapped in the worlds they wrote. Written by director and Hazelight studio chief Josef Fares and Sebastian Johansson, “Split Fiction” is a co-op adventure game that features gameplay mechanics involving split-screen combat, platforming challenges and differing abilities for each character. Popular on Variety Sources tell Variety it has yet to be decided which lead role Sweeney will be playing: Zoe or Mio. Released March 6, the game quickly became a hit with players and critics alike, receiving positive reviews and massive sales. According to Hazelight, the game sold more than two million copies in the first week following its launch, and that number continues to rise at a rapid clip. Variety first reported the “Split Fiction” film was in the works, and attracting top Hollywood studios for a bidding war, during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in March. The package is shepherded by Goldberg and Johnson’s Story Kitchen, which is one of the hottest players in the video game-to-screen biz right now, with credits including the “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, the “Tomb Raider” franchise (with a new animated series that premiered on Netflix in October 2024), the upcoming “Streets of Rage” adaptation setup at Lionsgate, as well as films based on “It Takes Two” (from the game studio behind “Split Fiction”) and “ToeJam & Earl” at Amazon MGM Studios.

The Revolt TV digital entertainment platform has been folded into a single entity, Offscript Worldwide, that also incorporates busy labels in music management (440 Artists), creator economy management (Rebel House) and brand and experiential marketing (Six Zeros). The goal is to provide Offscript’s advertising and sponsorship partners easy access to the young, multicultural urban audience that Revolt’s TV and streaming channels gather. It’s a big bet that talent that emerges from social media channels will be crucial to fueling big entertainment franchises of the future. Related Stories Offscript Worldwide, headed by CEO Detavio Samuels, who also remains CEO of Revolt, threads together the capabilities needed to run a next-generation media company. Management aims to find promising music and creator talent for TV, social media and podcast platforms and brand partnerships. In success, those relationships will yield products and services as well as licensed merchandise that generate profits that Offscript will share in. Popular on Variety “For us this is the culmination of a strategy we’ve been working on for the last few years,” Samuels told Variety. “It’s our aspiration to be the No. 1 company helping brands generate attention. Cultural relevance turns into results. We are uniquely positioned to be able to do that in a one-stop-shop. The rebrand and expansion of Revolt’s parent company comes two weeks before the company’s founder Sean “Diddy” Combs is scheduled to face trial on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs’ trial in New York is scheduled to begin May 5. Combs founded the company in 2012 but held no operational role for many years. The company cut all ties to Combs and he no longer has a stake in the company as of 2024, following his indictment. Samuels emphasized that he’s been working on the transformation of Revolt from a company based in a linear cable channel to a diversified platform. Samuels said the biggest challenges in the coming years will be to convince advertisers not to pigeonhole the company as a niche buy, especially given the Trump administration’s shameless bullying of corporate America on any activities focused on diversity, civil rights or equity considerations. “Revolt’s viewership is two-thirds people of color and 33% white. We’re trying to use this moment of becoming Offscript to force brands to understand who our audience really is, not what they imagine it to be,” Samuels said. Samuels joined Revolt as chief operating officer in 2020 and was promoted to CEO a year later. After Combs’ downfall and exit from the ownership group, Samuels led the restructuring effort to make Revolt an employee-owned venture. He’s been laying the stepping stones for a media-social-commerce eco-system ever since. “We need to prove to brands that we can help them drive sales and conversion by connecting them to the dopest creators and culture,” Samuels said. “We’re not building this thing for what media was. We’re headed for a world that is more diverse where creators power everything.”

A new ghost is ready for her revenge. Sucker Punch Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment have unveiled the official trailer and Oct. 2 release date for “Ghost of Yōtei,” the hotly-anticipated standalone sequel to 2020’s “Ghost of Tsushima.” The game, which takes place 329 years after the events of “Tsushima,” follows the warrior Atsu on her bloody quest for revenge at the dawn of the Edo period. Related Stories It’s not easy to follow up a masterpiece like “Ghost of Tsushima.” The samurai action-adventure game was an instant hit among players, selling over 2.4 million units in its first three days and becoming PlayStation 4’s fastest-selling first-party original IP debut. There’s also a film adaptation in the works at Sony, and an anime series based on the game’s multiplayer mode coming to Crunchyroll in 2027. So the pressure was on for the Sucker Punch team when it came time to craft the sequel. Popular on Variety “Games are hard to make, and sequels are tough,” says “Ghost of Yōtei” co-creative director Jason Connell. “Before we go and make a second version of something, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What’s the core of it? What are the things that we feel we never walk away from?’ Samurai cinema-inspired combat. Lethal precision in the way it’s felt in the controller. We really loved creating the beautiful world.” During a research trip to Hokkaido (called Ezo at the time “Yōtei” takes place), co-creative director Nate Fox says the sequel’s world suddenly came into focus. “Hokkaido is filled with jaw-dropping beauty, juxtaposed with danger,” he says. “We were hiking through a forest. We saw a tree that had bear claw marks on it. And up until that moment, we were looking at these snow-capped mountains. Right then, it was clear that there were predators in the forest as well, so you had to divide your attention between a gorgeous view and being scared for your life.” As shown in the new trailer, Atsu will have to do just that, facing off with fearsome foes while traveling through both lush blue fields of flowers and rocky, mountainous terrain. Fox and Connell sat down with Variety to break down the action-packed trailer and what fans can expect from Atsu’s epic journey for vengeance. In following a game like “Ghost of Tsushima,” what qualities were most important to you when crafting the sequel? Jason Connell: We really love making origin stories. We thought about what’s going to be our next origin story, thinking about an underdog character inside of this not-been-done-before Hokkaido. It’s not a very particularly popular place in a lot of entertainment media, even though it’s a really popular place for travel. It’s an astoundingly beautiful place in the Edo period with a very dangerous landscape. Putting this underdog character on a vengeance quest up here, but keeping all those aspects of the “Ghost” IP: lethal precision combat, rewarding exploration, big open world inside this beautiful landscape. That’s how it got birthed. Nate Fox: Relatable humanity is something that we really keep close to our chest. We want to make sure that these characters are people that you can relate to, even though you’re getting to know somebody that lived hundreds of years ago. And while our games are inspired by the history of feudal Japan, they are fictional stories, right? People going through a landscape that’s inspired to have that feeling of authenticity, but is otherwise really about the experience of these characters while they grow and change and explore these places that we long for the player to get lost in. This new trailer gives us our first glimpse at the motives behind the new protagonist, Atsu. What can you tell me about her? Fox: Our new hero, Atsu, is somebody you meet early in her life, and this is her origin story, and it’s one of heartbreak. She suffers a horrible loss in her youth, and then sets off on a quest for revenge. Revenge is a classic samurai cinema trope, and we love samurai cinema. Atsu is going to hunt down the members of the Yotei Six that did her wrong and get revenge. And in the process of hunting them down and overcoming all of their forces, she defies the odds. And people start to think she’s more than human. They start to think that she is an “onryō,” which is a folk tale ghost that is an unstoppable force for vengeance. Exclusive concept art for “Ghost of Yōtei” Sucker Punch / Sony Some accused the game of being “woke” when Atsu was revealed as the main character. Why was a female protagonist the right choice for this story? Connell: We knew we had all these fans who love “Tsushima.” We want to carry all of those fans forward into an exciting new adventure. We’re creatives. We like to make new things. We like to make exciting, new pieces of art and move people in new ways. We want to make a sequel that’s fresh but familiar. Nate and I are pretty enamored with making origin stories, and certainly one that we could find a way to make them feel like a bit of an underdog in this landscape. This is a pretty dangerous landscape, which positions her to be an excellent person for that. This is somebody that people would not expect to be so powerful, yet here she is on this romp of a vengeance quest, which is probably pretty unexpected for some people. Over time, she’ll get this name of The Onryō, because this Japanese folk legend is an unkillable, vengeance-seeking ghost. And that’s just an awesome fit. Onryō are typically stories of vengeance from females. So that seems like a really nice package for this. The landscape of Hokkaido looks even more intricate and far-reaching than the island of Tsushima. How did you craft the open world and what did you learn about the Edo period that inspired your take in this game? Fox: This is the most open game we’ve ever made. One of the greatest joys is just getting lost. You let your curiosity guide you through the landscape. We view that as this holy moment that we want to uplift for players so that they can feel very present inside of Hokkaido, or Ezo, as it was called back when our game takes place. Ezo is a character in and of itself that’s filled with hidden secrets and an anthology of stories. Connell: It’s just so wild and nature-filled. There’s an opportunity to tell a slightly more wild and rural version of this story than if it was in a major city. There’s so many biomes to bring to life and so many majestic and beautiful locations to take inspiration from. There’s no way we could take it all, so we get to cherry pick some of the most beautiful locations and bring them alive to our players. Exclusive concept art for “Ghost of Yōtei” Sucker Punch / Sony Let’s dive into the combat mechanics. I’m sure the blade will still be the star here, but does the later time period open the game up to more advanced weapon technology? Fox: We have the benefit of gunpowder being part of the combat mix. While the Katana is still the most valuable weapon, having some more opportunities to blow things up is never a bad addition for a video game. Connell: We’ve teased the kusarigama, and obviously, she’s got two swords, so there’s a cool dual-wielding element there. In this trailer, there’s a frame towards the end where you get to see a spear, which is called a yari. Being able to play with such a different variety of weapons is so new for the game’s feel. Each one of them has their own benefits. Fox: The weapons are big deal, of course, because mastering a weapon is part of the feeling of samurai cinema. Becoming a master of that blade is integral to it. But we wanted to give players an even bigger connection to the weapons and the land. So inside of Ezo, you can find teachers who will teach you how to use that weapon in a very organic way that you might see inside of these films. So you get to experience what it’s like to grow as a martial artist along with Atsu. You’ve brought up samurai cinema a few times! Which title gave you the most inspiration for this franchise? Fox: “Yojimbo” by Akira Kurosawa is very, very big in both of our minds as being this tonal jumping-off point for what it’s like to be a wandering sellsword, which Atsu is. Exclusive concept art for “Ghost of Yōtei” Sucker Punch / Sony What do you most hope players take away from “Ghost of Yōtei” when they finally get their hands on it? Connell: I really hope that they take away a deep sense of immersion, of getting lost in the landscape, looking out on the horizon, seeing something that’s interesting and riding towards it. Fox: I hope players feel like they really know how to use a sword. There’s that moment when you play video games, and it stops being the character in the screen, and it becomes you. You say things like, “I died.” That feeling of mastery with different weapons, and when you overcome a group of enemies, and you’re alive, kind of splattered with digital blood. It’s the samurai cinema fantasy come true under your own control. And I hope people feel like that was them in that moment, succeeding, winning against all odds. The ending of “Ghost of Tsushima” famously presents the player with a final choice: they can either kill Lord Shimura and give him a warrior’s death, or spare his life and abandon the samurai code forever. Which ending do you choose? Fox: There is no wrong choice. However, from my point of view, if you love Uncle Shimura like I loved him, I gave him what he asked for, which was death. Connell: I might have been on the other side of the fence on this one. There’s not many times [Nate] and I differ, and I cannot believe that it’s taken this long. You’re the first person to ask us. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A video game based on Robert Jordan’s 14-book series “The Wheel of Time” is in the works at iwot Studios’ new games division. Described as a AAA open-world role-playing game (RPG), the “Wheel of Time” video game will be developed wholly in house by the team at the newly launched iwot games, which will be led by Warner Bros. Games vet Craig Alexander. The studio projects a three-year development process for the game, which it expects to launch on PC and consoles. Per iwot, the studio’s new games division “will build on the global success” of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Wheel of Time” TV series adaptation, which is now in its third season, with this new project. Related Stories Based out of growing gaming development hub Montreal, the studio will be “spearheading the interactive entertainment pillar of the company’s multi-platform strategy to expand ‘The Wheel of Time’ across film, television, and gaming.” Popular on Variety iwot Studios, formerly Red Eagle Entertainment, acquired the rights to Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” book series across film, TV, video games and comics in 2004. Currently, iwot Studios is producing multiple projects within the “Wheel of Time” universe, including the ongoing TV series adaptation at Amazon, as well as an action feature film “Age of Legends” directed by Kari Skogland, and a 3D animated feature in development with Quebec-based Squeeze Animation Studios. Chris Alexander/iwot Games iwot Studios CEO Rick Selvage tells Variety there will be “a lot of continuity in regards to how we approach our transmedia strategy” across the “Wheel of Time” video game, TV series and upcoming films. “It’s an open-world game, and it’ll be everything with the ‘Wheel of Time.’ Everything that is covered in the books, as well as all the backstory elements of it,” Selvage said. “As we build out the world, it’ll be the entire ‘Wheel of Time’ world, it’s not going to be limited to one area or another or a particular age. Of course, we’ll have opportunity on films, since we’re doing ‘Age of Legends,’ we’ll have a lot of assets from that and marketing opportunities and fan integration and a lot of other things. But it will cover the entire world.” “The Wheel of Time” book series, which features more than 2,750 named characters, features “vast elements of the world’s history and lore” that “remain ripe for exploration” beyond Jordan’s written work, per iwot Studios. “Adapting such a legendary mythology into an open-world RPG is a rare and ambitious challenge,” Alexander said. “It takes vision, scale, and a vibrant creative environment — all of which Montreal provides. I’m thrilled to lead the effort and build a world-class team capable of honoring this beloved world.” Previously vice president of product development at Warner Bros. Games, Alexander has led development on hit MMORPG “The Lord of the Rings Online,” “Dungeons & Dragons Online,” a “Game of Thrones” mobile game, and multiple DC superhero titles. He also held senior roles at Activision, Electronic Arts and Sierra On-Line. Alexander is currently building out the the new iwot game studio’s leadership team across design, technology, and art. Prospective candidates can apply at opportunities@iwotgames.com.

Video game publication GamesBeat has spun out from technology site VentureBeat into a separate, independent entity, Variety has learned. Gina Joseph, who was chief strategy officer at VentureBeat and GamesBeat, now serves as CEO for the latter’s new incarnation, which is keeping the same name. Dean Takahashi, lead writer at GamesBeat since 2008, is the revamped publication’s editorial director. “We are excited about this powerful new chapter for GamesBeat and the industry we are serving,” said Joseph in a press release. “As a niche independent publication, we’ll unlock unparalleled insights, opportunities and direct access to decision-makers, playing an integral role for this $177 billion industry and the broader interactive tech landscape.” Related Stories “This is a new era for GamesBeat,” said Takahashi in the press release. “As the gaming industry continues to evolve, thoughtful reporting is more important than ever. Our goal is to deliver the kind of insightful journalism that offers our audience contextual insights needed to understand how gaming interacts with other high-growth sectors.” Popular on Variety Joseph leads GamesBeat after spending more than two decades in media and tech, serving a stint as head of strategic partnerships and ad sales at Hearst before joining VentureBeat in 2018. She also sits on the boards of Midwest Games and the IGDA Foundation. Takahashi began covering video games as a staff writer at the Wall Street Journal in 1996, going on to write for other publications before landing at VentureBeat, where he launched GamesBeat. VentureBeat said in a press release it will “sharpen” its focus around “the enterprise shift to AI, data infrastructure and intelligent security,” in the wake of GamesBeat’s spinout. In addition to gaming coverage, GamesBeat hosts live events like the GamesBeat Summit and its Next, Global Tour and Games & Hollywood events. “What we want to do is really focus in on how we can create opportunity for the industry — not just… cover news but really just break through the noise and provide insights that matter, but also drive conversations and really focus in on the community and the needs of the industry,” said Joseph, speaking to Variety. Globally, the gaming industry saw more than 14,000 layoffs in 2024, with one in 10 developers reporting in a GDC survey that they lost their jobs. In 2025, EA’s BioWare reduced its workforce to less than 100 employees. Games journalism is just as unstable. Ziff Davis enacted soft layoffs across IGN, GamesIndustry.biz and Humble Bundle last October, after the IGN Creators Guild filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB earlier in 2024, in response to prior layoffs. In addition, GameStop shut down Game Informer last August, only for Gunzilla Games to purchase and resurrect the publication in March as an entity running independently from the studio. Meanwhile, Kotaku is one of just two publications left at G/O Media, which sold off Quartz earlier in April. Many gaming journalists have set up shop at platforms like Substack to continue their work. “We truly care about the industry and we recognize that it’s been underserved in so many ways,” Joseph told Variety. “We really want to break down barriers and get everyone paying attention.” “I often hear from the smallest game companies, the game startups, that if we didn’t do a story on them, nobody else would,” said Takahashi, also to Variety. “One of the most important things to us is to cover the ecosystem and how it sprouts new ideas.” GamesBeat’s new iteration counts strategic advisors like Peter Levin, who is co-founder and managing director at venture capital firm Griffin Gaming Partners. Levin previously co-founded Nerdist Industries, overseeing its sale to Legendary Entertainment in 2012, in addition to his involvement with the sale of Deadline in 2009 to Penske Media Corporation, which owns Variety. Greg Akselrud and Kelly Siobhan Laffey at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP served as legal counsel for GamesBeat’s spinout from VentureBeat.

Roblox is launching a new regional pricing system for creators that sell in-game items on the gaming platform. The pricing model change is being made in order to stimulate global growth for the gaming platform’s economy by drawing in more international users with pricing based on their local market conditions. When creators who make and sell their own in-game items opt-in to the new regional pricing feature, Roblox will automatically set the “optimal local prices” for those items, according to Roblox. The prices in Robux, Roblox’s in-game currency, will now be “more reflective” of local economies, rather than asking all users to pay the same price regardless of their location. Related Stories The cost of creators’ in-game items will be “updated periodically as Roblox’s virtual economy—and the global economy in the physical world—shifts.” Roblox says it plans to enable this regional pricing feature on avatar items later in the year. Popular on Variety In a Roblox blog post published Monday, Roblox vice president of economy Enrico D’Angelo wrote, “Regional Pricing offers users prices that are more reflective of their local economy, rather than paying the same price regardless of where they are. For example, without Regional Pricing, users in Vietnam or Brazil would pay the same price as users in the United States to access an experience’s economy. With Regional Pricing enabled, prices are automatically optimized for each user’s local economy and updated periodically as Roblox’s virtual economy—and the global economy in the physical world—shifts. Creators set the base price of their in-game items and retain complete control over which are priced regionally. From there, Roblox automatically applies the optimal region-specific prices for those in-game items as economic factors fluctuate.” This change comes on the heels of last year’s implementation of Roblox’s “price optimization” tool, which “helps eligible creators determine the best prices for their in-game items.” According to Roblox, since price Since its rollout, Roblox says the price optimization offering has led to a median earnings increase of 4% for eligible creators who have run a pricing test and “in many cases, these tests recommended that creators reduce prices on some of their in-experience items to make their offerings more attractive to a wider audience, driving higher earnings overall.”

“Fortnite” will launch its biggest Star Wars-themed season yet with the May 2 release of “Galactic Battle.” This update will include the popular fan-fiction character Darth Jar Jar. While “Fortnite” has previously teamed up with Disney-owned Lucasfilm for battle royale seasons featuring Star Wars characters, this five-part season is described by the Epic Games-owned platform as “our most expansive experience” within the galaxy far, far away. The new Star Wars partnership is the most recent result of Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in “Fortnite” owner Epic, which was made in February 2024. That venture includes game tie-ins with “Fortnite,” like the “Galactic Battle” season, but also plans for a separate Disney universe-centric game. Related Stories As part of the season, “Fortnite” will introduce new ability “Force Lighting,” and also allow players to pilot and co-pilot iconic Star Wars ships like X-wings and TIE Fighters. Popular on Variety Per Epic, the new outfits that will be available in the Star Wars-themed season include Emperor Palpatine, two that “put a Star Wars spin on fan-favorite Fortnite original characters” with Apprentice Evie coming in both a Jedi Evie and Sith Evie style, and a Wookiee Team Leader look. “Fortnite” will launch the “Galactic Battle” season May 2, with Star Wars-themed gameplay released every week through June 7 as laid out below: Imperial Takeover – May 2 The Pull of the Force – May 8 Mandalorian Rising – May 22 Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29 Death Star Sabotage – June 7 More details about the “Galactic Battle” season will be shared at a later date ahead of the May 2 launch. Watch a first-look teaser for the new Star Wars-themed “Fortnite” season via the video below.

Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm are teaming up for “Star Wars Zero Company,” a new single-player turn-based tactics game set during the Clone Wars era in the Star Wars universe. Developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, “In ‘Star Wars Zero Company,’ players will step into the shoes of Hawks, a former Republic officer, to command an elite squad of cunning operatives through a gritty and authentic story set in the twilight of the Clone Wars. As an unconventional outfit of professionals for hire hailing from across the galaxy, Zero Company must set aside their differences to overcome nearly impossible odds and take on an emerging threat that will consume the galaxy if left unchecked.” Related Stories The game, which was revealed out of Star Wars Celebration Japan on Saturday, will include a cast of new Star Wars characters that are alterable within a player’s squad. Popular on Variety “Hawks’ appearance and combat class can be fully customized, while recruited operatives can be personalized from a range of original Star Wars character classes and species,” including Clone Troopers, astromechs and even a Jedi, according to Bit Reactor. “Star Wars Zero Company” will be released in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles. “Our vision for ‘Star Wars Zero Company’ is grounded in gameplay design pillars that weave in the immersive Star Wars galaxy with engaging turn-based tactics gameplay,” Bit Reactor CEO and creative director Greg Foertsch said. “It’s our aim to deliver a game with an original Star Wars story from the Clone Wars era that has meaningful outcomes from player choices, and deep turn-based tactical combat with an approachable and cinematic presentation.” “At Lucasfilm Games, we’re huge tactics fans and we have wanted to make a game like this for a long time,” Lucasfilm Games general manager and vice president Douglas Reilly added. “The best tactics games are all about meaningful choices, and we’re confident we have chosen the right squad in Bit Reactor to deliver a compelling and innovative title that is authentic to Star Wars.” Watch the trailer for “Star Wars Zero Company” in the video below.

Hollywood comms giant The Lippin Group and marketing firm Infinitize have partnered on a new PR and integrated marketing offering targeting clients with fandoms across genres including gaming, K-pop, anime, true crime, horror, animation, comics and graphic novels. Additionally, Infinitize has launched gaming division Vendetta, which is “built to champion indie rebels and fan-first studios.” Lippin and Infinitize will collaborate on creating custom campaigns targeting key fandoms for clients. Per the companies, offerings will range from integrated marketing (including social management, paid and performance marketing, interactive and transmedia experiences, lifecycle-email and SMS-marketing, influencer marketing) to strategic communications (creation of key positioning, writing press materials, pitching and media relations, content publicity, event promotion, thought leadership and networking). Related Stories Infinitize’s new gaming division Vendetta, which will be supported on the comms side by Lippin, is made up of staffers who have previously worked on campaigns with Devolver Digital, Good Shepherd, 3D Realms, and events including DreamHack, the gaming portion of SXSW, and Digital Entertainment World. Popular on Variety “At Infinitize, we specialize in transforming passion into power, and The Lippin Group shares our deep respect for fan-driven culture,” Infinitize CEO Jenny Zha said. “Their unparalleled legacy in media and entertainment publicity marries perfectly with our digital-first, fan-centric approach. Together, we’re unlocking new possibilities for the kinds of stories, creators, and communities that deserve the spotlight. Gaming has always been the frontline of fandom—where communities fight for what they love and shape culture from the ground up—which is why we are launching Infinitize’s new gaming division, Vendetta, as we signal our commitment to continuing our growth in this exciting area.” Lippin Group managing director Kevin Broderick added: “Understanding how to activate fandom is essential to audience development and working with the team at Infinitize has proven to us how much a coordinated campaign with our combined capabilities can deliver on campaigns. From K-pop and podcasts, to graphic novels and anime we have grown an understanding of fandom that has been fruitful and look forward to formally tapping into this partnership to provide value to companies wherever they are trying to grow.”

You’ll put your controller down a lot while playing “Sunderfolk” — but that’s a good thing. The new tactical RPG video game puts control of its fantasy creatures in the palm of your hand (alongside up to three of your friends) with some revolutionary smartphone controls. Instead of using a PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch controller, you’ll use an app on your phone to control your character’s movements and attacks as they fight hordes of enemies in turn-based combat. Taking place in a mystical world called the Sunderlands, a peaceful village called Arden, where its denizens are magical, talking animals, is under attack by dark forces. A group of six heroes, including the arcanist crow, bard bat, berserker polar bear, pyromancer salamander, ranger goat and rogue otter, must team up and stop the spread of evil before it takes over the Sunderlands. Related Stories The good vs. evil story is simple and fine enough, but it takes a backseat to the crisp graphics, intricate co-op gameplay and seamless controls from your phone. “Sunderfolk” is the debut game from new studio Secret Door, released by developer and publisher Dreamhaven. Michael Morhaime, the co-founder and former CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, created Dreamhaven with many of his past colleagues, and the charismatic characters and sharp controls of Blizzard’s prestige games shine through in “Sunderfolk.” The goofy grin of the pyromancer as you launch a fireball, the stoic, humorless gaze of the ranger and the bruising hammer slam of the berserker are some of the infectious character quirks that make each animal a joy to play. Popular on Variety With six characters, there are dozens of gameplay combinations to try out and master in “Sunderfolk.” While the game is mean to be played in couch co-op with up to four people, one solo gamer can take control of 2-4 of the heroes and tackle missions just as easily. You can swap characters between missions, and each hero equally levels up and unlocks more powerful abilities as the game progresses, so nobody is lagging behind. If you want to rush in, absorb blows and dole out damage, then the berserker (naturally) is for you. Pairing the berserker with the ranger or bard, who can power up party members and weaken enemies, makes for a good team composition. And more magical users may gravitate toward the pyromancer, who can litter the field with fire and heal itself with the flames, or the arcanist, who deploys decoys on the field and can teleport long distances. There’s a character for every playstyle, and plenty of combinations to fight through each mission. With just the flick of a finger, you can control the movement, choose attacks and do just about everything else from a smartphone. The only time you need to use a normal controller is booting the game up and launching the software, from there you can ditch your controller completely and use your phone. It takes a bit to get used to, but the controls quickly become second nature and intuitive. It may be out of the norm to use a phone for most games (if you’re not playing “Jackbox”), but it makes for a refreshing experience that more titles could surely employ. It’s hard to capture the tabletop magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons with your friends, but “Sunderfolk” comes pretty close. Playing with 1-3 other players in couch co-op makes for strategic gameplay that rewards thought-out combat and combining heroes’ skills. Only one copy of the game is needed to play locally, but on the down-side, gaming online with friends requires screen-sharing or remote play. At a time when co-op games seem to be having a renaissance, it would’ve been easier if “Sunderfolk” had the same online friend pass that recent hit “Split Fiction” used. Nevertheless, assembling a party of heroes or playing solo is just as fun. Overall, “Sunderfolk” is perfect for fans of tactical RPGs or D&D fantasy action. The characters invite you right in, and the strategic, varied levels will keep you hooked.

Following an initial delay, Nintendo has set the preorder date for its Switch 2 console for April 24. The Japan-based company has also decided to keep the upcoming product’s pricing at the previously announced $449.99 price tag amid President Donald Trump’s tariffs policy. The pricing for the Switch 2’s tentpole launch titles, “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza,” will also remain at their respective $79.99 and $69.99 price points that were first revealed April 2, as will the Nintendo Switch 2 and “Mario Kart World” bundle, which is priced at $499.99. Related Stories Despite those maintained retail prices for the console and first games, Nintendo notes pricing for Switch 2 accessories “will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions” and “other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.” Popular on Variety Per a press release issued by Nintendo Friday,: “Retail pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 will begin on April 24, 2025. At launch, the price for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will remain as announced on April 2 at $449.99, and the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle will remain as announced at $499.99. Pricing for both physical and digital versions of Mario Kart World ($79.99) and Donkey Kong Bananza ($69.99) will also remain unchanged at launch. However, Nintendo Switch 2 accessories will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions. Other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions. We apologize for the retail pre-order delay, and hope this reduces some of the uncertainty our customers may be experiencing. We thank our customers for their patience, and we share their excitement to experience Nintendo Switch 2 starting June 5, 2025.” Nintendo has laid out the below manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing for its Switch 2 console, games and accessories: Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price – As of April 18, 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 – $449.99 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – $499.99 Mario Kart World – $79.99 Donkey Kong Bananza – $69.99 Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller – $84.99 Joy-Con 2 Pair – $94.99 Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip – $39.99 Joy-Con 2 Strap – $13.99 Joy-Con 2 Wheel Set – $24.99 Nintendo Switch 2 Camera – $54.99 Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set – $119.99 Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector – $39.99 Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case – $84.99 Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter – $34.99 Samsung microSD Express Card – 256GB for Nintendo Switch™ 2 – $59.99 More to come…