During today's Nintendo Indie World presentation, we got a narrower time frame for when and where we'll be able to play the next project from Drinkbox Studios. The team announced that Blighted will be coming out in this fall for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and for PC. It’ll arrive on the same date for both platforms, but we don’t have any more specific timeline than the season. We first heard about Blighted during last year's Summer Games Fest. With past credits such as Guacamelee!, Guacamelee! 2 and Severed, the studio is now turning its eye toward a 3D Metroidvania-RPG. It may be a new direction in genre, but Drinkbox's signature moody, eerie vibes do seem to be returning in heaps for Blighted. The core premise of the game revolves around the player regaining lost communal memories and also eating brains, so it’s definitely heavy on the surreal and slightly macabre. Blighted will also have options for both solo and co-op play of its story.

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Bandai Namco is teasing a "new RPG reveal" for later this week, and I'm going to let the FromSoftware fans down right now: this is almost certainly not Elden Ring 2, or any other follow-up to the open-world RPG, no matter how much you might want that to be the case. There are a few other possibilities for the game's identity, but none more likely than the long-awaited next entry in the Tales series. If you just see the text showing the dates and times, with an ornate golden font on a black background, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is something related to Elden Ring or another FromSoftware game, and you'll see more than a few hopefuls in various comment sections jumping to that conclusion. After all, while FromSoftware now fully owns the Elden Ring trademark, it maintains a close relationship with Bandai Namco, to the extent that company published Elden Ring Nightreign last year. Lords of the Fallen boss says the viral Game Awards teaser isn't pointing to the Soulslike RPG's sequel, but "devs are praying" it's something from FromSoftware Elden Ring and The Duskbloods were missing from today's third-party Nintendo Direct, and fans aren't taking it well Even Divinity devs got carried away by your Game Awards sculpture theories, saying "'Oh I hope it is!'" Bloodborne 2 But if you take a look at the brief teaser video, any thought that this could be a FromSoftware title will quickly evaporate from your mind. Rather than dark fantasy misery, we see a brilliantly green landscape and a brief glimpse of an anime-style character wearing a bold, heroic sword and shield on their back. Bandai Namco has a roster of about a billion different anime-style IPs it could be developing a new RPG for, but none more likely than the Tales series. The aesthetic matches, and so does the timeline – it's been five years since the launch of Tales of Arise, exactly the same gap that existed between that game and its own predecessor. It's also possible that this could be a new IP, or an entry in some other franchise – Sword Art Online fans are keen to point out how familiar that big pillar in the background of the teaser looks. But a new Sword Art Online game, as many fans as the anime has, doesn't feel like the kind of announcement that'd be big enough to warrant this kind of build-up. Tales, though? That's the kind of game – not quite Elden Ring-sized, but with a big fanbase – you can count on making headlines for a special debut on a random Thursday. There's also a larger Tales 30th anniversary broadcast coming on April 3, and I could easily see a new entry debuting here ahead of a more detailed presentation at that event. We'll know for sure what Bandai Namco has in store later this week. These are the best JRPGs you can play today.

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Highguard is dead, everyone. Wildlight has announced that it's "permanently" shutting down the short-lived hero shooter next week on Thursday, March 12. "Today we're sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard on March 12," reads an article from the official Highguard Twitter account. "Since launch, more than 2 million players stepped into Highguard’s world. You shared feedback, created content, and many believed in what we were building. For that, we are deeply grateful. "Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term." Highguard studio hit with mass layoffs as "most of the team at Wildlight" is let go Ex Highguard developers blame "hubris" for the game's failure in new report After Highguard fans feared the worst, the FPS from Titanfall vets suddenly gets a new map with another mode on the way Even for a live-service hero shooter, Highguard has had a rough go of it. Its reveal trailer at last year's Game Awards was received by a crowd that's become exhausted by live-service shooters, and was confused to see one surprise-announced at the coveted final spot in Geoff Keighley's slew of announcements. While it had a strong initial player base, Wildlight failed to sustain the momentum despite a flurry of chunky updates, including the acclaimed 5v5 mode. Just weeks after launch, Wildlight was hit with mass layoffs, painting a grim future for Highguard. In the final days until the server shutdown, Highguard players will get to enjoy one last update releasing "tonight or tomorrow morning" with "a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees." "From all of us at Wildlight, thank you for playing, for supporting us, and for being part of Highguard’s story," the studio says. Ex Highguard developers blame "hubris" for the game's failure in new report, with studio leaders convinced they had another Apex Legends on their hands

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Blizzard shocked the ARPG community last month with the surprise reveal of Diablo 2's first new class in 25 years, leading to speculation that a whole new act could be on the way. However, according to former Diablo 2 lead character artist Phil Shenk, there's "no way" that could happen. In a recent interview with Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson, in which Shenk is joined by Diablo 2 programmer Peter Hu and designer Erich Schaefer, Shenk says just the idea of a new class is "a really big event," but that "everybody wants an act." He continues, "I hadn't even considered an act. Like, classes have become one way that ARPGs easily produce more content. Like, we're doing a new class, right? So that's kind of a common thing that people see, and even new act content, too." Diablo 2's Reign of the Warlock should've had "substantial new exploration content," Path of Exile co-creator says Diablo 2 could get more new content, but Blizzard has to "nail that otherwise we kill the game in trying to progress it" Ex-Diablo 2 leads have "conflicted feelings" about going up against the iconic ARPG with their new indie competitor That said, a new act is a whole different beast, according to Shenk: "The thought of Diablo 2 getting a new act kind of blew my mind when you said that, because, I've always considered it as like, there's no way you could ever do that. How would you retcon all the lore that's happened since then? You know, where would it be? Would it be in a location that Diablo 3 or Diablo 4 has already fleshed out?" Of course, Shenk knows a thing or two about Diablo 2 expansions, having served as art director on Lord of Destruction, which added two new classes and a fifth act to the original game. According to his LinkedIn, he left Blizzard in 2000 before the expansion's launch the following year, which he now says caused him great pain. "It was super, super bittersweet and painful when that came out, because I just felt like, man, I wish I could have been there for a part of it. I left voluntarily, but I still really had my heart in it, and maybe that's where I made peace with, well, Diablo 2 is just going to be whatever it is." Ultimately, Shenk says he's "anxious" to play Diablo 2's new Reign of the Warlock DLC, even though he thinks it's "really cool" to have "a new way to experience" the game he helped bring to life so many years ago. "I'm not a hardcore player though, so I'll just be casually bopping through the world," he admits. Shenk, Wu, and Schaefer are now at Moon Beast Productions cooking up their own ARPG, Darkhaven, described as having "Diablo-like progression, skills, and itemization matched with open-ended, procedurally generated, dynamically responsive, sandbox worlds." The game's demo was one of the most-played at this year's Steam Next Fest, even if GR's Austin Wood didn't exactly fall head over heels for it. Ex-Diablo 2 leads have "tons of conflicted feelings" about going up against the iconic ARPG with their new indie competitor Darkhaven.

Time to dust off your boomboxes and your walkmans: musical coming-of-age game Mixtape is due out this spring. At its reveal, this next title from game developer Beethoven and Dinosaur was targeting a 2025 release, but as happens to the best laid plans, the game's arrival got pushed back. Today's trailer announced that the new launch date for the narrative- and music-focused adventure game is May 7, 2026. Despite the new date, Mixtape will still be coming to the usual array of current gaming platforms: Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and the Nintendo Switch 2. As the name suggests, the soundtrack is core to the experience of this game about three friends at the end of high school. Expect to hear tracks by iconic punk and alternative artists such as DEVO, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Smashing Pumpkins and Iggy Pop.

Ubisoft is finally releasing The Division Resurgence on March 31 for both iOS and Android. This game was first announced all the way back in 2021 and has suffered from delays in recent years. This is a free-to-play mobile game set in the universe of The Division, complete with an MMO-style shared open world and both co-op and solo gameplay. It also features an original story that's set during the early days of the pandemic in NYC, making it a sequel to the first game but a prequel to the second one. It's a third-person action RPG with PvP. The loop looks fairly similar to the mainline games. Players should expect plenty of combat and loot to collect, which in turn can be used to upgrade gear. Pre-registration is already open for the game at the iOS Store and the Google Play Store. Ubisoft has also announced some perks for The Division 2 players. Franchise veterans will receive some loot upon booting up Resurgence, including gear and clothing. Those who dip into The Division 2 after trying the mobile game will get other perks, including Resurgence-themed gear. Today's launch date announcement was part of a 10th anniversary showcase for the franchise. Ubisoft also revealed an anniversary-themed season for The Division 2, which includes "global events inspired by the original game" and an in-game hoodie. The company is also making the Warlords of New York expansion free during this period, which has received a new update focused on realistic combat. The Division 1 and The Division 2 are both on sale right now, with massive discounts up to 90 percent on PC and 85 percent on PlayStation and Xbox. Today's update, however, didn't give us any new information regarding the recently-announced Survivors DLC for The Division 2. We don't know much about this, except that it's being described as "an updated take on the survival extraction experience."

Sure, Blue Prince has the most name recognition among the indie games that had a surprise debut on Nintendo Switch 2 today. However, I implore you not to overlook two other wonderful indies that hit Nintendo’s consoles in the wake of this morning’s Indie World showcase. Minishoot’ Adventures — from SoulGame Studio and co-publisher IndieArk — is a game I absolutely loved when it first emerged on Steam in 2024. It’s an RPG that adopts the format of top-down Legend of Zelda games. At the same time, it’s a twin-stick bullet-hell shooter. The two-person team at SoulGame blended those genres to great effect. Here, you play as a ship. Exploration is key, as you’ll need to find upgrades for your ship in order to access new areas. SoulGame injected a ton of personality into Minishoot’ Adventures as well. Errant apostrophe in the name aside, it’s a real gem. Minishoot’ Adventures is out now on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S for $16. It’s also available on Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, as well as PC Game Pass. I’m perplexed as to why Nintendo only showcased Öoo in the Japanese version of the Indie World stream. It’s utterly brilliant and by far the best new game I played in 2025. It’s so exquisitely designed by Nama Takahashi (ElecHead) that a 20-second trailer is all that’s needed to show how this puzzle platformer works. You play as a caterpillar who has a bomb — and later a second one — that can be used to blow stuff up. The bombs are also used to hold down buttons and to propel the caterpillar upwards or sideways. There are no instructions here. Takahashi (who made the game with the help of Tiny Cactus Studio and Tsuyomi) helps you figure out what to do solely through intelligent level design. The puzzles aren’t overly difficult, but they got my brain matter working just enough that I smiled whenever I found a solution. The visuals, music and sound design are supremely charming too. This is a truly wonderful game. It doesn’t outstay its welcome either, as it can be completed within a couple of hours. Öoo is available now on Switch for $11. It’s coming to PS5 on March 11 and Xbox Series X/S later this month.

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! You might not think the disintegrating world of Resident Evil Requiem is the best place to make friends, and, well, I guess you're right. But there's a way you can at least make a loose acquaintance, so long as you abandon a rare glass bottle from your inventory, along with your morals. There are blind infected enemies shambling around the Chronic Care Center you spend a lot of time exploring as Grace, who's best-suited to stealth and only strategic attacks with her limited weapon arsenal. But, if you decide to be a sadistic freak, you can use those blind infected to your advantage and increase your combat power about one million-fold. Did you know that you can take advantage of this Zombie that hates noises to attack other Zombies in Resident Evil 9?All you have to do is throw a glass bottle at another Zombie near his presenceThis adds a lot of variety on how you choose to play this game, its incredible. pic.twitter.com/4FoowVMTlsMarch 2, 2026 Did you know that you can take advantage of this Zombie that hates noises to attack other Zombies in Resident Evil 9?All you have to do is throw a glass bottle at another Zombie near his presenceThis adds a lot of variety on how you choose to play this game, its incredible. pic.twitter.com/4FoowVMTlsMarch 2, 2026 Did you know that you can take advantage of this Zombie that hates noises to attack other Zombies in Resident Evil 9?All you have to do is throw a glass bottle at another Zombie near his presenceThis adds a lot of variety on how you choose to play this game, its incredible. pic.twitter.com/4FoowVMTlsMarch 2, 2026 Resident Evil Requiem gives you its best gun first, smartly making the urge to horde magnum bullets vital for the whole game Resident Evil Requiem is my new favorite Saw movie thanks to one of the most upsetting survival horror levels in history 14 years later, Resident Evil Requiem achieves what the series' most controversial game couldn't I've accidentally tried this technique myself in my Resident Evil Requiem playthrough, but just by bumbling around a nearby enemy, which attracted a blind one, instead of using a glass bottle. These limited resources, as one reply to NikTek notes, might be better left "to create molotovs for the basement area," anyway. But I didn't realize that blind infected can even kill the affectionately named Chunk, the oozing behemoth that stalks Grace around the Care Center and is so large, he can demolish an entire room by only trying to squeeze through the door. "Throw it at Chunk, profit," commands one Twitter reply. Another confirms that was their strategy. And that's all fine, if you're OK with exploiting the blind infected. Maybe we were the evil residents all along… Resident Evil Requiem gives you its best gun first, smartly making the urge to horde magnum bullets vital for the whole game.

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Actors across film, television, and video games have been among the many creative voices loudly pushing back against AI, and Jennifer English is no exception. In a recent podcast interview, the Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star said that creating these sorts of RPGs with generative AI would destroy the "humanness" that makes them so beloved in the first place. "I don't want perfect in my art. I do not want it. And I find it all a bit embarrassing and stupid, frankly. Don't replace humans with AI. That is dumb as hell," English says in a Radio Times interview, joined by fellow Baldur's Gate 3 star Samantha Béart and The Witcher himself, Doug Cockle. "The reason why Baldur's Gate 3, [Clair Obscur] Expedition 33, The Witcher are all so beloved," English continues, "is because we infuse us, our stories, our humanness into that. The writers do. Look at Expedition 33, how Jen [Svedberg-Yen, writer] and Guillaume [Brioche, director] came up with this incredible, beautiful story that has moved millions of people. That is not AI. That is their story, their history." Divinity producer says using AI removes "the chance to support performers" such as Baldur's Gate 3 star Jennifer English Baldur's Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon says AI voices "sound crap" and studios should pay actors to re-record those lines Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor says "there's no f*cking way AI could make" anything like the hit RPG: "It's too human" English half-jokingly concludes, "Once we start taking that away, what have we got? Shame. [laughter]" It's worth noting that Expedition 33 did use generative AI during development for the creation of some background textures. While those textures were patched out after launch, it did cost the RPG one of its many GOTY awards. Director Guillaume Brioche has since made clear that all Sandfall's future content "will be made by humans." Actors represented by SAG-AFTRA have taken action to build protections against AI, first as part of a film and television strike in 2023, then with another strike against game publishers in 2024 and 2025. That's around the same time now-former Amazon Games Christoph Hartmann was arguing that AI actors aren't really "taking work away" from human performers because "for games, we don't really have acting." So, you know, it's easy to see why video game actors might be eager to defend their position. Divinity producer says using AI for "unimportant lines" removes "the chance to support performers" such as Baldur's Gate 3 star Jennifer English: "Every VA starts small."

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Being a live-service game means Marathon will have constant support and updates, and just ahead of the extraction shooter's launch, Bungie's provided some more details on what the turnover will look like. Surprise surprise, things will change in seasons, and players can expect a healthy amount of free equipment, loot and events in each one. "Seasonal updates will introduce new gameplay, including gear, Runner shells, zones, events, and more," Bungie says in a blog, "which will be free for all players to access or earn – no expansions or DLC required." Seasons will last three months, working to a rolling roadmap, as you may have guessed. Along with all this fresh ground to cover, the community will face it on the same level, as there'll be a wipe every season. Marathon: Everything we know so far about the upcoming game Bungie's survival extraction shooter Marathon is back with a March 2026 release date and $40 price tag Bungie wants more feedback on Marathon's controversial UI to make sure players can "read what's happening mid-fight" "Everyone will start fresh each season with nothing to their name and the constant threat of death in a world more lethal and powerful than you are," Bungie adds. This includes "everyone’s gear, contract progression, faction progression, and player level," whereas cosmetics and achievements are retained, letting you maintain those sweet, sweet bragging rights. The first season will be particularly exploratory, as players are tasked with mapping out an abandoned Marathon ship in orbit, eventually unlocking the Cryo Archive zone, where there'll be multiple secrets to solve, and a new enemy to defeat. The back half of March will bring Ranked mode, for those more intense firefights. The usual patches, balance changes, and more will permeate the next three months otherwise. Bungie's use of vaulting, somewhat similar to Destiny 2, is a firm contrast to the paid resets in Arc Raiders, is a fascinating move. While it could prove tiresome, it may also be just what the community needs to stay invigorated from landmark to landmark on Tau Ceti's calendar, and we can start seeing it all in action come March 5. Marathon Server Slam stats are in, and players aren't as impressed by the 9,152,844 PvP deaths as they are by the fact that they extracted 384,866 drinkable cheeseburgers

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! I am admittedly frustrated to report that The Sims 4 is getting a new feature that many of us might have preferred to live without – a paid "Marketplace" where we can, you guessed it, purchase custom content and mods from fellow fans. It's not the thought of paying hard-working players for their work that upsets me. It's the fact that, after spending over $1,500 on DLC (and, yes, you read that right), I will now be able to spend even more to spruce my base game experience up. The Sims 4 Marketplace, as EA has so aptly dubbed the feature, is pretty much The Sims 3 Store but for the more recent life sim. See some sofas you like? Ready your wallets, they'll cost you. As EA describes it in a new announcement, "This is an intentional evolution of a multi-year strategy to support custom content creators, expanding from co-developed Kits to Creator Kits and now The Sims 4 Marketplace and the Maker Program. This has all been thoughtfully built over the past few years to expand the reach and celebrate these incredible creatives." As it stands, Kits themselves are $5 each. Prices on the Marketplace will vary. The best Sims 4 expansion packs to buy right now in 2026 "The Sims has always been more than a game": Maxis says its values aren't changing as it works on "the next evolution" Project Rene: Everything we know about the future of The Sims It's not set to go live as a feature until March 17, when it'll roll out first on PC and then consoles in the coming months. EA explains that it'll be fully integrated into The Sims 4 for a more seamless experience while shopping, and will introduce a new real-money currency: Moola. While the developers stress that the Marketplace "does not replace free content" and every purchase supports the creative fans selling their content, it's all understandably worrying. I'm not the only one concerned, either. Comments under EA's official social media post on the upcoming virtual store prove as much. "BIG yikes," reads one. Another player writes, "Rest in peace, The Sims 4, I knew this was coming." Others point out that the company will also make money off this, implying it's disingenuous to frame it as a net positive for custom content and mod creators. "I… can't even describe the horror I'm feeling." The Sims 4 Marketplace is evidently not exactly proving popular with the community – but to be fair to EA, it isn't out yet. There's a chance it'll be okay, and I mean, I guess this does finally allow console users to have a go at downloading custom content and mods. Hoping to spruce your base game up for free before the Marketplace lands? Browse through our roundup of the best Sims 4 mods available to download.

Microsoft has revealed the first wave of Xbox Game Pass additions for March. Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 25 headline the batch; the former is coming to both Ultimate and Premium tiers. Hollow Knight: Silksong, which launched about six months ago, is also on the way to Premium. Final Fantasy III and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II had been previously announced and are both available starting today. Both games can be played straight from the cloud or downloaded to the Xbox Series X/S as well as PC across all Game Pass tiers. F1 25 joins Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on March 4. For Ultimate subscribers, the game is already available through EA Play. F1 fans should know that EA used LiDAR to map the tracks for F1 25. Also arriving March 4 is To a T, an adventure game from the creator of Katamari Damacy about "a teen navigating small-town life with their cute dog companion." Your character takes on these adventures while stuck in a permanent T-pose, for reasons. The sci-fi adventure Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf launches as a day-one Game Pass release on March 5 across cloud, console, handheld and PC. Fan favorite Cyberpunk 2077 hits Game Pass Ultimate and Premium on March 10 across cloud and console. The Witcher 3, also from developer CD Projekt RED, returned to Game Pass just a couple of weeks ago. Hollow Knight: Silksong drops on March 12 across cloud, console, handheld and PC. The highly-anticipated follow-up to the 2017 action-adventure was a day one release on Game Pass Ultimate, and will now be available on the lower Premium tier. Construction Simulator and DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party round out the first half of the month on March 10 and March 17, respectively.