Game Informer

If you are a fan of games like Fallout or The Elder Scrolls, you know it's in the lineage of those games to feature third-person and first-person viewpoints for gameplay. That's why fans were disappointed that The Outer Worlds didn't feature third-person gameplay when Obsidian Entertainment, which developed Fallout: New Vegas, a game that included a third-person camera, launched the game in 2019. 

However, the studio has heard the fans, and you can expect not one, but two third-person viewpoints in The Outer Worlds 2 when it launches later this month. While that will be a fun way to see your customizable Earth Directorate hero in-game, this wasn't always planned to be a feature. 

 

"We didn't intend to do third-person when we first started the game," game director Brandon Adler tells us. "We actually didn't start doing it until, really, maybe about two years ago or so." 

Dispatch, an interactive superhero workplace comedy from Adhoc Studios, is an ambitious project. The story has to balance comedy and personal drama, the animation needs polish worthy of a high-budget TV series, and the cast must be strong enough to support the lofty vision. When creative director Nick Herman and director Dennis Lenart were looking for a lead, one actor stood out above all the others: Aaron Paul, star of Breaking Bad and Bojack Horseman. There was just one problem.

"I mean, we never thought Aaron Paul would do this," Herman said when I interviewed him a couple of months back. "You know, you put together the dream list, and he was at the top." Still, their casting director, Linda Lamontagne, thought she could get a hold of him, Herman says. She had a feeling he'd connect with the script, and once he took a look at some scenes and the art style, he was down.

Square Enix has announced a new entry in its Dissidia Final Fantasy series, and it has a surprising premise. The game, which is coming to mobile devices next year, still features a who's who of Final Fantasy protagonists but unfolds in the modern day.

Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy is set in current-day Tokyo, albeit a version that has a giant crystal at its center. This crystal appeared in the city some time ago, but by the time the game begins, the population has already adapted to its strange presence. That is, a negative energy pollutes the crystal, causing monsters to pour out of it and invade the city. 

These creatures aren’t the only things to emerge; warriors hailing from various Final Fantasy games also arrive to save the day. But when they’re not fighting monsters, characters like Cloud and Lightning have assimilated into society and live ordinary lives (which includes wearing contemporary clothing) until they’re needed again, almost like they’re superheroes. 

 

In addition to a main story, which is fully voiced in Japanese, players will witness the daily lives of these FF heroes in short episodes. That includes text chats featuring characters such as Terra sharing their new outfits for other characters, like Warrior of Light, to comment on. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ is getting its first dose of Dragon Ball Daima with the upcoming addition of that anime’s take on Super Saiyan 4 Goku. The news was announced during Evo France.

This isn't the first appearance of the Super Saiyan 4 transformation in Dragon Ball FighterZ – SS4 Gogeta from Dragon Ball GT was a previous DLC fighter. But this is the first appearance of SS4 Goku in the game, albeit the new version introduced in Dragon Ball Daima, the current and ongoing Dragon Ball anime. A teaser trailer doesn’t reveal any gameplay or additional information besides a spring 2026 release window for the character.

 

For those counting, this addition will bring the number of playable Gokus in Dragon Ball FighterZ to five, following Goku (Super Saiyan), Goku (Super Saiyan Blue), Goku (base), and Goku (Ultra Instinct). No, Goku Black does not count. We don't make the rules. 

Bandai Namco also released a new balancing update for Dragon Ball FighterZ yesterday. You can read the official patch notes for the full list of tweaks. 

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, we discuss our Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review and Activision's controversial decision to change THPS 4's long-standing structure. Later in the show, special guest Ash Parrish, video game reporter at The Verge, joins us to discuss last week's Xbox layoffs and studio closures, Summer Games Done Quick, and Missile Command Delta. 

The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Thursday for chats about your favorite titles – past and present – alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry.

Donkey Kong Bananza, the next Switch 2 exclusive from Nintendo, launches in just two days on Thursday, July 17, and ahead of its release, Nintendo has released a three-part interview series with the game's leads. That's how we learned you can skip locations and parts of the story in the game, and why Donkey Kong Bananza's destruction gameplay can be traced back to a Goomba with arms. It's also where we learned more about Nintendo's transition from developing Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch to Switch 2. 

When asked by the interviewer if Donkey Kong Bananza was planned as a Switch 2 game from the jump, producer Kenta Motokura explained that it began life as a Switch title, but was moved to Switch 2 around 2021 due to challenges the team (which also developed Super Mario Odyssey) ran into. Art director Daisuke Watanabe chimed in to add, "We first looked into how we could upgrade what we'd originally built for Switch to take advantage of Switch 2. 

With Donkey Kong Bananza just two days away from launching on the Switch 2, Nintendo has released a three-part interview series with the game's leads. That's how we learned you can skip locations and part of the story in Donkey Kong Bananza, thanks to the game's destruction gameplay. It's also how we learned the game's destruction gameplay can be traced back to a Goomba with arms in Super Mario Odyssey. 

When asked by the interviewer about the origins of Bananza's destruction mechanics, one of the game's directors, Wataru Tanaka, explained the team (which also developed Super Mario Odyssey) had already been researching smashing mechanics before development on Bananza began. "Shortly after Super Mario Odyssey was released, we started running technical experiments with the idea of, 'What kind of game do you get if everything in the environment is destructible?'" 

That's when producer Kenta Motokura chimed in to add, "We even tried sticking arms on a Goomba." 

The Outlast Trials Season 4, Project Diarchy, begins today, introducing a new trial environment and a fresh killer to stalk players. The season adds a twisted new Prime Asset in the form of conjoined twins Otto and Arora Kress. 

These wealthy lovers work as one, quite literally, to hunt players down using a combination of a chainsaw and a 360-degree vision scope to spot players wherever they hide. You can catch a glimpse of them in action in the launch trailer below. 

The Kress Twins occupy the new shopping mall trial environment, which houses a new Story Trial called Kill the Politician (guess the objective). Season 4 also adds two new MK-Challenges – Get Out the Vote and Sentence the Persecuted – along with a revamped Rebirth system offering two paths: original Rebirth (solo play) and Communal (team play), and a new Deluxe Catalog of cosmetic items. 

The Outlast Trials is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

With Nintendo's next Switch 2 exclusive game, Donkey Kong Bananza, just two days away from launch, the company has released a three-part interview series about the game's development. In the final section of the series, one of Bananza's directors, Kazuya Takahashi, said players can skip locations and parts of the story in the game, thanks to its unique destruction gameplay. 

"There's a lot of leeway in terms of progression in this game," Takahashi said when asked about any final words he might have to close out the interview. "For example, locations or parts of the story you can skip without suffering any consequences. When the game progresses in a way we hadn't intended, we call it a 'sequence break' in development terminology. Typically, in game development, restrictions are put in place to prevent this from happening, but since this game is all about destruction, we wanted people to play freely." 

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Nordcurrent Labs
Developer: River End Games
Release: July 15, 2025

Summer Games Done Quick 2025, this year's week-long, 24-hour speedrunning marathon, ended yesterday after raising more than $2.4 million for charity. More specifically, SGDQ 2025 brought in $2,436,614 for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières.

This year, over 2600 attendees gathered at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota from July 6 through July 13 to watch speedrunners blaze through games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Balatro, Super Mario Maker 2, Blue Prince, Mario Kart World, Beat Saber, AEW: Fight Forever, and more. 

 

Those 2600 attendees, alongside the thousands of others who tuned in to watch on the SDGQ Twitch channel, raised $2.4 million for Doctors Without Borders, which cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries.

This year's event featured the new Arist Alley, where artists and craftspeople sold products and more at booths, a live concert by the band The Megas, and more. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 2025 (Switch 2)

When I reminisce about the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, my most cherished memories center around the first three entries. THPS 1-3 was my prime with the franchise, the games that introduced me to Mr. Hawk, his skateboarding friends/rivals, and skateboarding culture in general.

These are the titles that convinced me that I, too, could skateboard, to the point I went down a rather tall half-pipe before learning how to stay upright on a board. “I nail the 900 all the time in the games, so surely this isn’t so hard,” I confidently thought. This attempt went about as well as Peter Griffin walking down stairs. Misplaced confidence aside, this exemplifies my obsession with the first three games, as they inspired me to do something very, very dumb.  

Those warm and mildly painful memories do not apply to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. Released in 2002, I didn’t have the means at the time to buy the game for my PlayStation 2. It was the first Tony Hawk game I didn’t own, instead borrowing a copy from a friend or playing it at their house. The game did not hit for me.

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Tiburon
Release: July 10, 2025
Rating: Everyone

Last year signaled the return of EA’s collegiate football franchise for the first time in over a decade. College Football 25 was not just a big success; it was one of the best sports games of 2024. Like a standout freshman bursting onto the scene, College Football 25 was a pleasant surprise, but College Football 26 aptly demonstrates it wasn’t just beginner’s luck, delivering an equally impressive sophomore effort.

The on-the-field action is as good as video game football gets. Choosing from the vastly expanded playbook, receiving the snap, scanning the field as the pocket slowly collapses, and getting off a pass just before the rushers overtake your line is ceaselessly thrilling. Similarly, improved route defense and unique AI for each QB drove me to love each white-knuckled defensive stand; exhaling as the ball falls harmlessly to the ground, signaling my opponent’s failed comeback attempt is an unrivaled sense of relief. 

Developer Sucker Punch Productions’ Nate Fox and Jason Connell, co-directors of Ghost of Yōtei, appeared in voice today for an 18-minute presentation detailing a bit of the game’s story and new features ahead of its release on PlayStation 5 on October 2.

In Ghost of Yōtei, players control Atsu, who the citizens of Ezo (which contains Mount Yōtei) seee as the Onryō, a ghost hellbent on revenge. The rumors circulating around her are not entirely untrue, as she is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Atsu’s family was slaughtered by the Yōtei Six, a group that she has sworn to kill one by one. After her family is killed, Atsu left Ezo, but has returned 16 years later fully prepared to act out her plan of vengeance.

 

The showcase for the game shows that, when returning to Atsu's childhood home, players can push a button to instantly travel back in time to when Atsu was a child to gain a better understanding of her past and her family. It's unclear where this ability is limited to, but the technology looks impressive.

Ghost of Yōtei is one of our most anticipated games of the year. Thanks to today's State of Play livestream, we learned a lot more about the game, including its new combat, its beautiful open world, its new director modes, and much more. The game looks like something special, and Sony is seemingly on the same page, opting to release two limited edition PlayStation 5 consoles on the same day as the game.

 

There are two versions of the console. One has a white base with gold design across it, mimicking a Japanese art practice known as kintsugi, where cracked pottery is repaired with lacquer and gold, highlighting the fact that it shattered. It mirrors Atsu's onryō mask, which has seemingly undergone the same process. The bundle also includes a controller with a similar design. If the gold isn't to your taste, there's a white and black version instead, which is meant to mimic Sumi-e, an art style defined by brush strokes of black ink.

These bundles will include the disc drive version of the console along with a digital copy of Ghost of Yōtei Standard Edition, complete with pre-order content, an in-game mask, and seven PSN avatars of Atsu and each of the Yōtei Six.

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PC
Publisher: Aggro Crab, Landfall
Developer: Landcrab
Release: June 16, 2025

Peak is one of the latest viral Steam multiplayer releases, and it’s fantastic. The idea is simple: climb to the top of a procedurally generated mountain, overcoming environmental challenges using teamwork (up to four players), stamina management, and any equipment you scavenge. Developer Landcrab, a collaborative team comprising members from two seasoned game studios, delivers a wildly clever adventure full of curiosity, danger, and laughter.

After crashing onto an island, players must scavenge what little they can from airline luggage scattered across Peak’s four biomes. While the game engine generates a new mountain daily, the order of its environments remains the same: ascend from the rocky Shore, avoid poisonous fauna in the Tropics, then survive the frozen winds of the Alpine, and dodge the fire storms of the Caldera. The final ascent lies within the Kiln, a monolithic volcano interior with few handholds and dangerous molten rock that taunts anyone trying to escape the vent.

Reviewed on: Switch 2
Platform:
Developer: Shin'en Multimedia
Release: June 5, 2025

Living apart from the world of simulation or arcade racers, the futuristic anti-grav racing genre has a devoted following among many enthusiasts. I count myself among those fans, having spent an embarrassing number of hours navigating tracks in various F-Zero and WipeOut courses, trying to improve my times. As such, Fast Fusion caught my attention right away as an early Switch 2 technical showpiece. Compared to many modern racers, it’s a relatively straightforward release, primarily focused on delivering a curated selection of high-speed tracks alongside a clever vehicle customization system that adds some creative flair. Fast Fusion doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles. However, it does deliver intense speed, clever tactical twists, and breathtaking visuals that make it well worth the modest price of admission.

Nintendo has announced it will discontinue its Switch Game Vouchers service in January. The program launched in 2019 and allowed users to purchase a pair of digital tickets that could be redeemed on two select digital Switch games, usually at a cheaper overall price than if they were bought traditionally.

 

Nintendo's FAQ page on the matter states that vouchers will remain available for purchase until January 30, 2026. Purchased vouchers are valid for one year (365 days) from the date of purchase. So even if you buy vouchers on the final day they're available, they will still be usable until January 30, 2027.

New Switch games will continue to be added to the list of eligible Game Voucher titles, even after January 30, Nintendo confirms. This means those who own vouchers past the cutoff date can still expect to have new games to redeem them for – and you probably should use them, as purchased vouchers cannot be refunded.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is making the jump to PlayStation 5. Furthermore, the post-apocalyptic open-world survival shooter will feature enhancements on PS5 Pro.

The PS5 version will utilize the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. GSC Game World also promises technical improvements for the PS5 Pro, but does not specify what form these enhancements will take. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is slated to launch on PS5 in late 2025. Check out the announcement trailer below. 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl sees players fighting to survive the irradiated Chornobyl Exclusion Zone as a lone survivor, battling mutated creatures and hostile human factions – and joining others – in a choice-driven narrative. After enduring a long and tumultuous development cycle, suffering numerous delays and being heavily disrupted by the Russia/Ukraine war (developer GSC Game World is based in Ukraine), the long-awaited sequel launched on November 20 last year on Xbox Series X/S and PC to generally positive reviews.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 2025 (Switch 2)

If you’ve ever wanted to save the world as a squad of ninja cheerleaders, Ra Ra Boom is the game for you. The upcoming four-player beat ‘em up is coming on August 12, and you can get into the school spirit with a new trailer.

Ra Ra Boom stars Aris, Saida, Ren, and Vee, ninja cheerleaders from space who must rescue the world from a rogue AI. Up to four players work together to battle using the game’s unique lane-based combat design, and combat features melee and ranged offense based on the character’s distinct playstyles that can be chained to create combos. Ra Ra Boom features nine levels with full voice acting and a hand-drawn comic-inspired art direction. 

You can try Ra Ra Boom now via a free Steam demo, or wait for it to arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. We played the game ourselves back in 2023, and you can watch our impressions in this episode of New Gameplay Today.  

2K has announced the NBA 2K26 Standard Edition cover athlete as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the star guard of the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The news caps off an incredible run for SGA, as he was not only a key part of the 2024-2025 NBA championship-winning Thunder but also league MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring champion.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined the NBA in 2018, when he was drafted 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. He was traded that same day to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played for one year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In July 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he has played since. Since that trade, SGA has been named to three All-Star Teams and three All-NBA First Teams. The Toronto-born star also took home the 2023 Lionel Conacher Award, given to Canada’s male athlete of the year.

Time Flies has a simple and humorous premise. Players control a fly and must complete a long bucket list over a short life span. The game has been buzzing around since its reveal in 2022, but it’s finally landing later this month.

Developed by Playables designers Michael Frei and Raphaël Munoz, creators of similarly sparse abstract games such as Kids and Plug & Play, this hand-drawn black-and-white adventure tasks players with buzzing around a house to complete a checklist. This includes learning an instrument, becoming wealthy, or getting drunk. Goals are both explicit and obscure, and the challenge comes in figuring out how to accomplish them as a tiny fly before its brief life expires.

 

The fly's average life expectancy ranges around 60 seconds, though this varies based on your physical location (which you’ll enter at the game’s start). Dying means starting the whole game anew, though your progress hastens as you learn how to complete tasks more quickly. Time Flies’ description succinctly sums up the thematic core of the experience: “Make the best of the time you have left, because we’re all going to die.”

“Flies are pretty annoying, and we’ve been listening to one every day for the past four years of game development,” says Michael Frei in a press release. “Please do your part and Wishlist the game now, I really need therapy.”

Update, 7/08/25:

Last month, PlayStation revealed it will host a Ghost of Yōtei State of Play this month (July), though it stopped short of revealing exactly when. Now, the company has revealed the State of Play will be held this Thursday, July 10, and feature "nearly 20 minutes" of gameplay. It will be hosted by Sucker Punch's creative directors, Jason Connell and Nate Fox. 

"Beyond sharing more about Atsu's quest for vengeance, we're excited to show off her new weapons, new ways to personalize your journey at the edge of Japan, new special modes, and much more." 

The Ghost of Yōtei State of Play gameplay deep dive will stream on PlayStation's Twitch and YouTube channels on July 10, at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET/10 p.m. BST/11 p.m. CEST. 

The original story continues below...

Original Story, 6/04/25:

PlayStation has announced that it will hold a Ghost of Yōtei gameplay deep dive State of Play next month. It did so at the end of a quick cinematic trailer for the game shown during today's State of Play showcase. 

Nintendo and Crocs have teamed up to create the first-ever Animal Crossing-themed Crocs, and they are an amazing and relaxing sight to behold. Revealed late last night, these Crocs feature the characters you expect, like Tom Nook, Isabelle, and KK Slider, an island theming throughout the entire clog (complete with the ocean, beach, grassland, trees, clouds, and more), and other Jibbitz like an apple tree, a bag of bells, and more. 

They will be available for purchase starting Tuesday, August 26, at the official Crocs online store, Crocs retail stores nationwide, and select Crocs retailers. The adult versions of these Crocs will run from Men's 4/Women's 6 to Men's 13/Women's 12, and will cost $69.99. The children's version will feature sizes from 11C to 6Y and cost $54.99. 

 

Alongside the clogs, Nintendo and Crocs have also revealed two Jibbitz Charms packs and three standalone Jibbitz Charms. The first Jibbitz pack features three characters (Sable, Mable, and Label), a shirt, and a backpack, and the second Jibbitz pack features three characters (Blathers, Celeste, and Pascal), a shell, and a fossil. The three standalone Jibbitz Charms are Rosie, Marshal, and Bunnie. You can see both packs and the standalone Jibbitz Charms in the image below: 

Majjam is a newly announced cooperative multiplayer game where players interact with the world and each other entirely through music. It is the debut project by French developer Opus Major. 

In Majjam, interactions occur through music, which serves as the life force for its whimsical world. When a dark corruption called Kodé infects everything with its silence, players must combine their musical talents and instruments to fend it off, also known as Jamming. Creating melodies is not only used in combat but also to solve puzzles and explore and unlock new parts of the environment. The Jam ability of each of Majjam’s distinct character types, such as woodwind or percussion players, is bolstered by unlockable musical abilities, which each have a unique power. 

Players team up in online co-op (the number of which is unclear), and Opus Major states that the game's technology auto-harmonizes online players' performances with minimal noticeable latency.  The developer also stresses that Majjam is not a rhythm game; instead of emphasizing musical skill, it focuses on communal creation and expression through simple, intuitive mechanics. Check out the teaser trailer below. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 2025 (Switch 2)

A standalone follow-up to Netflix’s 2022 acclaimed animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has been confirmed. Dubbed simply Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, the upcoming anime features a fresh story and a new director. 

Announced during a behind-the-scenes panel with Edgerunners’ creators and cast during Anime Expo in Los Angeles over the weekend, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 sees CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger rekindle their partnership to bring the sequel series to Netflix. The original Edgerunners serves as a prequel to Cyberpunk 2077, though it is unclear when this follow-up will occur and if it will feature any returning characters. Check out the teaser trailer for Edgerunners 2 below (but beware of spoilers for the first series).

 

The panel also revealed prolific animator Kai Ikarashi as Edgerunners 2’s director, taking the mantle from the previous series’ director, Hiroyuki Imaishi. The show is currently in production but does not have a release window.

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Iron Galaxy Studios
Release: July 11, 2025
Rating: Teen

Capcom, along with South Korean mobile developer Joycity and Japanese entertainment company Aniplex, announced a new mobile entry in the Resident Evil series last Friday. Resident Evil Survival Unit is coming to iOS and Android, offering a real-time strategy spin on the survival horror franchise.

A full reveal of the game is set to air on July 10 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET, according to a countdown on the game's official website. So far, we know Survival Unit is billed as “reimagining the survival horror universe as a real-time strategy experience optimized for mobile platforms, iOS and Android.” The game will be available in North America, as well as Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Asia.

Developer Joycity’s portfolio largely consists of free-to-play games, such as its basketball titles Freestyle 2 Street Basketball and 3on3 Freestyle, as well as Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War, and Gunship Battle Total Warfare, which launched in January. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: September 12, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC), 2025 (Switch 2)

In this exclusive cover story interview, Gearbox Software's Andrew Reiner (formerly Game Informer's Editor-in-Chief), Anthony Nicholson, and Graeme Timmins discuss Borderlands 4's seamless open-world design. The group shares insights into the team's philosophy throughout the project, the side activities players can expect, and the rewards they can unlock via exploration and missions.  

How Gearbox Designed Borderlands 4's Open World:

Thank you for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Watch our exclusive feature on the revamped weapon system or our exclusive cover story (subscription required) to learn more about the next Borderlands installment. 

BioWare has announced plans to sunset online support for Anthem. On January 12, 2026, the cooperative sci-fi shooter’s servers will be shut down, rendering the online-only title completely unplayable.

In a blog post, BioWare states players can no longer purchase Anthem or its premium in-game currency as of today, but they can spend their remaining balance until the game goes offline. Anthem will also be removed from EA Play on August 15. However, those who have already purchased Anthem can still download and play the game until the January 12 shutdown.

“We deeply appreciate your dedication, passion and support over the years and we’d like to thank you for that,” BioWare says in the blog post.

BioWare also states that it has not laid off any staff as a result of the sunsetting process.

 

This news marks the end of a long and tumultuous road for the maligned shooter. First revealed in promising fashion during E3 2017, Anthem centered on players, called Freelancers, suiting up in powerful mech suits called Javelins to defend humanity on a hostile alien world. Up to three players teamed up to tackle missions in an online-only campaign, while improving their Javelin via RPG-style progression. Anthem launched in a deeply flawed state in February 2019, resulting in a tepid reception from critics and players, including a 7 out of 10 from Game Informer. 

Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox Series X/S on August 26. This marks the first appearance of the series on a Microsoft platform.

The cooperative third-person shooter was first released on February 8, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and PC. As soldiers defending Super Earth in 2184, players work together in three-person squads to fight in the never-ending Galactic War against the insect-like aliens, the Terminids (among other threats). Helldivers 2 on Xbox will support cross-play on all platforms. 

“We know gamers have been asking for this for some time and we are so excited to bring more Helldivers into our game," says Helldivers 2 game director Mikael Eriksson in a press release. "We have so much more in store for the future months and years – and the more players we have the more stories we can tell! The fight for Super Earth has only just begun.”

This announcement is notable because while we've seen several first-party Xbox titles make the jump to PlayStation hardware in the last year, this is a more uncommon instance of a Sony-published game migrating to Microsoft's console. Helldivers 2 was one of our favorite games of 2024. We scored it a 9 out of 10 upon its release (check out our review), and it also landed a spot on our Top 10 Games of 2024. 

Microsoft has laid off thousands of workers across its various divisions in the latest cost-cutting measures taken by the corporation, whose 2024 revenue exceeded $245 billion, a 16-percent increase over its 2023 revenue. Though the cuts have impacted several of the company's various divisions, Xbox appears to be hit particularly hard. This represents the fourth time in 18 months that Microsoft Gaming has laid off workers.

"We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace," an Xbox spokesperson said in an official comment provided to Game Informer. Alongside the official statement, Xbox PR confirmed that less than 4 percent of Microsoft's global workforce was impacted. However, according to Microsoft's official reporting, the company employs 228,000 people worldwide, which means 4 percent of the global workforce accounts for more than 9,100 people. Xbox PR also confirmed to Game Informer that the gaming division is impacted, "but not the majority," and stopped short of providing any additional details. When I requested a percentage of Xbox-specific impact, PR could not provide additional context.

Blade and Phoenix are joining the Marvel Rivals roster as part of Season 3: The Abyss. The multiplayer title's next big event kicks off next week on July 11.

Season 3: The Abyss centers on the arrival of the symbiote god Knull (AKA the King in Black), who awakens within the core of Klyntar. The Phoenix arrives to put a stop to Knull’s plans, but will need the help of another warrior who feels right at home in the night: Blade.

 

Phoenix arrives at the launch on July 11. She's a ranged Duelist, described as being able to disrupt formation from the flank using agile mobility while also pressuring tightly grouped enemies head-on. Phoenix's Ultimate sees her merge with the Phoenix Force to deal overwhelming damage while also clearing all enemy summons from the arena. Check out her character trailer below. 

 

Season 3 introduces four new Team-Up abilities while retiring two existing ones. A new competitive mode is also coming later in Season 3.5. That mid-season update will also introduce Blade to the roster. You can check out the entire Season 3 development update to learn of all the incremental updates and changes being introduced to the game. 

WWE 2K25 is heading to Switch 2 later this month. This marks the series' first appearance on a Nintendo platform since WWE 2K18 in 2017.

2K states the Switch 2 version of WWE’s latest wrestling sim will feature all the same game modes as its PlayStation, Xbox, and PC brethren. WWE 2K25 centers on The Bloodline and features a new Showcase mode highlighting the prominent members of the Anoaʻi/Maivia wrestling dynasty, including The Rock, Roman Reigns, Yokozuna, and more. 

The game features a new mode called The Island, a new hub filled with quests and mini-games as players compete to earn a WWE contract. WWE 2K25 features new stipulations, including Bloodline Rules and the Underground Match, as well as the introduction of intergender gameplay across all match types. You can see the Switch 2 version in action in the trailer below, and check out some screenshots in the gallery underneath.

 

 

Like the other versions, WWE 2K25 on Switch 2 comes in three editions: A Standard version for $69.99, the special Deadman Edition for $99.99, and the Bloodline Edition for $129.99. You can read what each edition has to offer on the game’s website.

Game Informer can exclusively reveal the latest Nickelodeon character joining the roster of Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny, and it's none other than Timmy Turner and his fairly odd (god)parents! Entering the fantasy fray as a Wizard-class character, Timmy (finally) has his own wand and will be slinging spells alongside Wanda and Cosmo in this real-time action-RPG that can be played solo or with up to three other players. 

Alongside the reveal of Timmy, Game Informer also has your first look at how he plays in Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny, with a new gameplay trailer that showcases his various abilities and more. 

Check out the Timmy Turner reveal trailer for yourself below: 

 

"One kid, two fairies, and a lot of chaos," a description of Timmy Turner reads. "Timmy Turner casts himself into the quest with Cosmo and Wanda at his side." 

As you can see in the trailer above, Timmy Turner is a Wizard, and his gameplay is all about casting spells, some of which utilize his fairy godparents.