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<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/669b2f30/hideo%20kojima%20interview%20game%20informer.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Hideo Kojima and translator Aki Saito on the Death Stranding 2 red carpet" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>We recently interviewed Hideo Kojima by way of Kojima Productions' Aki Saito at the Death Stranding 2 red carpet premiere in Los Angeles. The famed creator describes his worry after hearing early praise for the upcoming sequel and how he wants to avoid appealing to blockbuster tastes with his projects. Additionally, Kojima says he wants to reach the next level by using new technology when developing his future video games. </p><h2><strong>Watch Our Red Carpet Interview with Hideo Kojima:</strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kOygCKsTMP0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe><p>Thanks for watching. Subscribe to <em>Game Informer's </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer">YouTube channel</a> if you enjoy this video interview. </p>
- Wesley LeBlanc
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2023/09/26/3d64e721/sag_aftra_video_game_strike_logo.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="SAG-AFTRA strike video game union voice actors A.I. Artificial Intelligence" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p><em><strong>Update: </strong>6/11/25</em></p><p>Following yesterday's news that SAG-AFTRA had reached a tentative agreement with signatory game companies such as Activision, Disney, EA, Epic Games, and more, the union has announced its ongoing video game actor strike will end today at Noon PT/3 p.m. ET. The strike began last July after months of failed negotiations. </p><p>"All SAG-AFTRA members are instructed to return to work on productions under the IMA (Interim Interactive Media Agreement), including work promoting or publicizing projects produced under the IMA," a press release reads. "The SAG-AFTRA National Board will meet in special session tomorrow, June 12, 2025, to consider the tentative agreement. If approved, it will be sent out for ratification by the union's membership in accordance with established policy. Details of the agreement will be released at that time." </p><p>A spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement provided the following statement to <em>Game Informer</em>: </p><p>"We are pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games. This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union. It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games. We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world."</p><p><em>The original story continues below...</em></p><p><em><strong>Original story: </strong>6/10/25</em></p><p>The <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/09/26/sag-aftra-members-vote-yes-to-authorize-video-game-strike">video game actors' strike that began last July over AI concerns and more</a> may end soon. SAG-AFTRA has announced it has reached a tentative agreement with signatory game companies, including Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Games Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. </p><p>The agreement is subject to review and approval by the National Board and ratification by members in the coming weeks, and it is expected that the terms of a strike suspension agreement will be finalized with employers soon, according to SAG-AFTRA. When that agreement is finalized, the strike that began July 16 last year will end. However, until that agreement is finalized, the strike will continue. </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/387f90cc/sag_aftra.jpg" alt="SAG-AFTRA Actors Guild Union Logo" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>"Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is immensely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee throughout these many months of the video game strike," SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland writes in a press release. "Patience and persistence have resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers' livelihoods in the AI age, alongside other important gains." </p><p>In the same press release, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher wrote, "Our video game performers stood strong against the biggest employers in one of the world's most lucrative industries. Their incredible courage and persistence, combined with the tireless work of our negotiating committee, has at last secured a deal. The needle has been moved forward and we are much better off than before. As soon as this is ratified, we roll up our sleeves and begin to plan the next negotiation. Every contract is a work in progress and progress is the name of the game." </p><p>The aforementioned strike began last July after <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/09/26/sag-aftra-members-vote-yes-to-authorize-video-game-strike">SAG-AFTRA members approved a strike authorization in September of 2023</a> with a 98.32% yes vote. Though SAG-AFTRA executives sound happy about the agreement, we won't know how it specifically addresses AI and other concerns that led to the strike until the ratification materials are officially released in the coming weeks. </p>
- Marcus Stewart
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/09988bfa/resident_evil_requiem_-_1.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Resident Evil Requiem preview" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Release: 2026
<p>Resident Evil Village felt like a celebration of the franchise, an homage to the many forms the series has taken over the years. From exploring a giant mansion to pumping a monster full of lead in more action-oriented firefights, Village had it all. But its dollhouse section, which evoked the overwhelming dread and helplessness of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, stole the show. This specific direction seemingly shapes Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth mainline game in the series, led by RE7 director Koshi Nakanishi. More crucially, Requiem also takes players back to one of the iconic locations where all the trouble began: Raccoon City.</p><p>During Summer Game Fest Play Days in Los Angeles, I watched a special hands-off presentation for the game at Capcom's booth before playing a behind-closed-doors 30-minute demo of the same segment. As a long-time fan of the franchise, Requiem feels identical to the recent mainline entries. But after waiting over four years since Village, Capcom's potent survival horror formula hasn't shown signs of waning. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/POz1-EmLsTY" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe><p>Requiem stars Grace Ashcroft, a young FBI technical analyst and the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, an investigative reporter who last appeared in 2003’s Resident Evil Outbreak. My gameplay demo begins immediately after the conclusion of the reveal trailer. Grace, who has been mysteriously captured, awakens upside down, strapped to a bed, and understandably scared out of her mind. She manages to escape, but she’s out of the frying pan and into the fire. Capcom tells me Grace has little combat expertise, and my session features zero action. That means relying on my wits to survive the derelict Wrenwood Hotel, the site of Grace’s mother’s murder. </p><p>The game defaults to the now-standard first-person perspective, but Requiem allows players to switch to third-person at any time by toggling an option in the Pause menu. Fans have begged for the inclusion of a third-person mode in the mainline games at launch for years, so I'm happy to see Capcom oblige. I played the demo using both modes, and although Capcom labels first-person view as the “recommended” experience (meaning it's scarier, not that the gameplay is better), my time with Requiem proved terrifying regardless of perspective. </p><p>Opening the first door gives way to an oppressively pitch-black hallway; it almost feels mean-spirited to tell players this is what they must walk into right off the bat. Creaks and bumps amplify the tension as it's tough to gauge what’s merely the sounds of a rickety old building or a sign that Grace is not alone. This is where the game feels most like RE7, as I bump around in the dark spaces searching for open doors, every step producing a heart-stopping creak as I fear alerting whatever may be lurking. Despite being labeled a hotel, Wrenhood seems more like some kind of clinic. Several rooms have hospital beds, and I find remnants of medical staff, such as messages and, more horrifying, the bodies of doctors. I don't know what purpose this place once served, and the more I explore, the more I begin to believe the answer probably isn't positive. </p><p class="inline-rich-content-placeholder"> </p><p>The game immediately slips into the classic RE formula, as I find a locked door bearing a cherub icon over the lock indicating the necessary key. A lit hallway sits behind a gate powered by a fuse box missing one of its fuses. I find the fuse in one room, but it’s locked behind a case. Another room has a note stating the fuse box requires a screwdriver to open it, which should be located in the nurse’s office. As I begin solving this puzzle in reverse order, searching drawers yields items like a health-regenerating shot and a classic green herb. The closest thing I find to a weapon is a bottle used to distract threats rather than deter them. But what I need first and foremost is the lighter, which I soon locate, allowing me to illuminate my shrouded surroundings, albeit just slightly.</p><p>After finding the office, Grace opens a door that causes a dead body to fall onto her in my first jump scare. The corpse, wearing a doctor’s lab coat, clearly looks infected, though that doesn’t stop Grace from checking his pulse and asking if he’s dead in an unintentional funny bit. Suddenly, a large mutated arm emerges from the darkness to seize the body, slowly lifting it towards a grey, bloodstained maw of seemingly once-human teeth that takes a massive bite. Grace can hardly speak as the camera pans up to reveal what I can best describe as a towering, humanoid hag-like creature sporting stringy grey hair, a bulbous eye, and a tattered rag masquerading as clothing. </p><p class="inline-rich-content-placeholder"> </p><p>Whether this creature is a former patient or something else, it’s enormous, barely fitting in the room. I run for my life, and the beast pursues, squeezing its large, mutated form down the narrow corridors. At one point, it grabs me, lifting Grace to take a big, debilitating bite out of her, necessitating a quick heal. I retreat into a nearby room, closing the door behind me. Curiously, though, the monster doesn't follow. After waiting a minute, I carefully open the door and look up to find a gaping hole above the doorway. So that's how this thing is getting around the hotel. As the creature crawls inside the ceiling, hanging light fixtures shake and creak to indicate the monster's proximity. </p><p>Meet Requiem's new persistent enemy, following in the terrifying footsteps of Mr. X and Lady Dimitrescu. The rest of my demo is spent trying to avoid and evade this threat as it periodically resurfaces, at one point crashing through a wall to cut me off à la Jack Baker in RE7. This entire sequence reminds me of RE Village's horrifying dollhouse section in the best and most unsettling ways. Sneaking silently helps me find my fuse box, triggering a race to the gate with the creature in hot pursuit. Sadly, seeing how this chase ends will have to wait until the full release. </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/70e77c14/resident_evil_requiem_-_5.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>My time with Resident Evil Requiem didn’t yield any revolutionary ideas or surprises; it feels familiar and terrifying in the ways I’ve come to love since 1996. The big questions are Grace’s role in this story, what new threat she’s facing, and when this event occurs: are we in the decade-plus future when Resident Evil Village’s Shadows of Rose DLC took place, or a different period? I can’t wait to answer these questions and more when Resident Evil Requiem releases on February 27. </p> <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/0bdc9235/resident_evil_requiem_-_8.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/0ab2b01d/resident_evil_requiem_-_6.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/a48dfff5/resident_evil_requiem_-_4.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/c526c427/resident_evil_requiem_-_9.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/f0914ba9/resident_evil_requiem_-_7.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/11/0fe67390/resident_evil_requiem_-_11.jpg'></figure></section> - Wesley LeBlanc
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/ceed320b/haunted_chocolatier_bakery.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Haunted Chocolatier Screenshot Stardew Valley update concerned ape" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p><a href="https://gameinformer.com/2024/03/19/stardew-valley-16-patch-drops-today-heres-what-to-expect">Stardew Valley is still receiving updates</a> while developer ConcernedApe chips away at developing his next game, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/haunted-chocolatier">Haunted Chocolatier</a>. Still, he's full speed ahead on the latter, and early this morning, ConcernedApe dropped a short and sweet but promising update about Haunted Chocolatier. </p><p>"The world of Haunted Chocolaiter is larger than Stardew Valley," ConcernedApe writes on <a href="https://x.com/ConcernedApe/status/1932705089283895458">X</a>. </p><p>Okay, we told you it was short... but it is also promising because Stardew Valley is a massive game. It's one people are still sinking hundreds of hours into each year. That Haunted Chocolatier's world is bigger than Stardew Valley is both concerning (for our time) and exciting (for our time). </p><p class="inline-rich-content-placeholder"> </p><p>While waiting to learn more about the game, read <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/07/05/haunted-chocolatier-feed-that-eerie-craving-with-what-we-know-so-far"><em>Game Informer's </em>exclusive interview feature with ConcernedApe about Haunted Chocolatier</a>, and then read about how he said <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/05/08/i-might-eventually-make-a-stardew-valley-2-says-stardew-valleys-creator">he might eventually make Stardew Valley 2</a>. After that, read <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/stardew_valley/b/pc/archive/2016/03/24/stardew-valley-review.aspx"><em>Game Informer's </em>Stardew Valley review</a>. </p><p><em>What do you hope to see in Haunted Chocolatier? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p> <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/98fb1067/haunted_chocolatier_hunted_house.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/a54a20ee/haunted_chocolatier_fire_watch.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/1923e517/haunted_chocolatier_ingredients.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/ceed320b/haunted_chocolatier_bakery.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/fbca1c54/haunted_chocolatier_interior.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/e9cc663d/haunted_chocolatier_adventure_forest.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/ceadfd33/haunted_chocolatier_ghosts.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/c9ed0a98/haunted_chocolatier_snowy_woods.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/91e4f99a/haunted_chocolatier_bakery_interior.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/b769075a/haunted_chocolatier_stick_combat.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/50378116/haunted_chocolatier_burk_character.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/23807f80/haunted_chocolatier_screen_2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2021/10/21/aa83c901/haunted_chocolatier_trailer_screen_1.jpg'></figure></section>
- Wesley LeBlanc
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2019/03/05/d8b1084e/dg_wt_screens-9.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Days Gone Bend Studio Developer Layoffs 2025 June" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p><a href="https://gameinformer.com/product/days-gone">Days Gone</a> developer Bend Studio has confirmed layoffs at the company. Yesterday, <em>Bloomberg </em>reporter Jason Schreier <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3lrbil2zvis2q">posted on Bluesky</a> that Bend was laying off 30% of its staff, or roughly 40 people. Later that day, Bend confirmed the news on <a href="https://x.com/BendStudio/status/1932547248313033104">X</a>, stopping short of revealing how many employees had been affected. </p><p>"Today, we said goodbye to some incredibly talented teammates as we transition to our next project," the post on X reads. "We're deeply thankful for their contributions as they've shaped who we are, and their impact will always be part of our story. This is a difficult moment for our team, but we hold immense respect for everyone who got us here. As we move forward, we remain committed to building the future of Bend Studio with creativity, passion, and innovation in the titles we craft." </p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pOmLMQbopDk" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe><p>Bend helped developer Climax Studios release <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/days-gone-remastered">Days Gone Remastered</a> back in April, roughly <a href="https://gameinformer.com/review/days-gone/surviving-in-a-divided-world">six years after the launch of the original game</a>. Earlier this year, PlayStation canceled two live-service multiplayer games in development, one being a game from Bend (thanks, <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-cancels-two-more-live-service-games-including-one-based-on-god-of-war-report"><em>Eurogamer</em></a>). The studio is <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/06/07/playstations-bend-studio-still-working-on-new-ip-introduces-new-logo">now working on a new IP.</a> </p><p>The hearts of the <em>Game Informer </em>staff go out to everyone affected by these layoffs. </p>
- Wesley LeBlanc
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/04/02/12807291/switch2preorder.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Nintendo Switch 2 fastest selling home video game console ever 3.5 million units first four days" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>The Nintendo Switch 2 has surpassed 3.5 million units sold in its first four days, Nintendo has revealed. That makes it the fastest-selling Nintendo console ever, and, according to trusted industry analyst <a href="https://x.com/ZhugeEX/status/1932624211878818015">Daniel Ahmad</a>, the "fastest-selling home video game console of all time." </p><p>The Switch 2 launched last week, on Thursday, June 5, to <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/05/28/here-are-the-retailers-selling-nintendo-switch-2">lines of customers outside retailer stores</a>, Walmart delivery bags featuring Pringles and Coca-Cola, and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/impressions/2025/06/05/game-informer-editors-share-their-early-nintendo-switch-2-impressions"><em>Game Informer </em>editors excited about how much better the eShop runs</a>. Though many figured the Switch 2 would sell extremely well, becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo console is still quite a feat. </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/04/02/6da5c718/nintendoswitch2_1.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>"This [3.5 million units sold in the first four days] is the highest global sales level for any Nintendo hardware within the first four days," a <a href="https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2025/250611.html">press release</a> reads. "Nintendo will continue its efforts to deliver unique entertainment that puts smiles on the faces of everyone Nintendo touches." </p><p><em>Game Informer </em>will continue to keep you updated on the sales of Switch 2 as we learn more. In the meantime, read <a href="https://gameinformer.com/tech/2025/06/09/switch-2-review-a-safe-but-effective-bet"><em>Game Informer's </em>Nintendo Switch 2 review</a>, and then check out our thoughts on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/mario-kart-world/roam-if-you-want-to">Mario Kart World</a>. After that, read our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/nintendo-switch-2-welcome-tour/homework-the-video-game">Welcome Tour review</a>. </p><p><em>Do you have a Switch 2? Let us know your favorite thing about it in the comments below!</em></p>
- Matt Miller
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/93eb97c0/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_25.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>
Reviewed on: Switch 2 Platform: Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release: <time datetime="2025-06-05T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">June 5, 2025</time>
<p>For some family and friend groups, Mario Kart is an institution – a foundational memory of competition, silliness, and fun that has endured for decades of new tracks, racers, and games. That reputation for entertainment is at no risk of being lost by the arrival of Mario Kart World, which offers tons of thrilling and bonkers courses, an intense awareness of adrenaline-fueled speed, and the best feeling controls to date. It’s also true that this new Mario Kart stumbles in some important ways as it tries to expand its scope, especially with a lackluster freeroam experience. Even with some missed opportunities to excel, the charm and vibrancy of the franchise holds up and ensures the Switch 2 launch includes an approachable and exciting racer that everyone can enjoy together.</p><p>Whether dashing through the Grand Prix or new endurance-style Knockout Tours, trying to win the day in a massive 24-player online scrum, or shouting at your family in a four-player local race down Rainbow Road, the driving of Mario Kart has never felt better. Physics are more nuanced and precise, including a much-improved approach to gliding and flight. Techniques like rocket start and drift are now even more core competencies than before, and new tricks like charge jump or rewind give you increased utility to navigate a course. Riding rails, charting shortcuts, and smart item usage (including fun additions like the hammer toss) are essential to have any chance in the cutthroat online races, but also in the elevated challenge of single-player races, which feel much more difficult now on higher CC settings. </p><p>Beyond the great driving feel, it’s the various courses that steal the show. Each location offers surprises, from sudden rocketing ascents to crashing down into a wave-wracked sea. The tracks exist as hotspots in a larger open world, so players are rewarded with greatly increased variety not only by racing the tracks, but the designated paths between the many linked destinations. The colorful characters and endless obstacles give you a real sense of touring across a Mario-themed landscape where all these unusual characters and monsters somehow coexist. </p><p>Graphics, audio, and production values are all also exceptionally high. The characters exhibit charming facial expressions, even if the cartoony vibe on some characters feels almost overexaggerated, and the game world is detailed and vast. A high frame rate and gorgeously detailed environments combine to lend a surprisingly intense perception of speed. Music in Mario Kart games has sometimes veered into annoyance, especially on those sped-up final laps, but I found the varied tunes of this installment to be toe-tapping and highly listenable. </p><p class="inline-rich-content-placeholder"> </p><p>Mario Kart World’s biggest innovation is, unfortunately, also its biggest letdown. The free roam option lets you dash about the open world, find some scattered one-off missions, and seek out hidden items. I quite like the interconnection between tracks and the intimation of a bigger game world, but the actual implementation of this open space is lacking. The large areas don’t feel curated to be a compelling open world. Too few activities pop up to justify the wandering. The map is only accessible from the frontend, so it’s easy to lose a sense of place. And rewards are profoundly lackluster and uninteresting, usually amounting to yet another sticker for the side of your kart. It’s all quite underwhelming, especially when stacked against numerous other open-world racers in the market that include more robust discovery and varied gameplay. </p><p>The other alternative to racing is also substandard. The “Battle” modes, Balloon Battle and Coin Runners, feel limited in depth and too clumsy to be enjoyable. After some hours trying to find the fun, I was happy to return to the race lines. </p><p>It’s those races that have always been the source of the real fun, and that remains the case here. I found far more joy playing solo than I have in prior Mario Kart installments, as the increased arsenal of tricks and compelling course designs demanded more focused attention. And multiplayer remains a chaotic and nail-biting good time. In all cases, you must accustom yourself to the wild and sometimes random swings between leading the pack in 1st place, and a sudden single blue shell that completely craters your win – it’s the nature of this particular beast, and that randomness might frustrate some players. Embrace that unruly element of luck, and Mario Kart World produces a lot of laughs and memorable moments. </p><p>While Mario Kart World doesn’t earn high marks across the board, it has it where it counts. As a launch title for Nintendo’s new system, this is a friendly and approachable release that will delight all members of the family, while also offering a high skill and knowledge ceiling for dedicated players who want to dig deep. And it’s just as maddening and hilarious as ever to hit your buddy with a shell and watch him spin out. At the end of the day, isn’t that the point?</p> <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/1fa0d64b/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_16.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/1c445861/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_08.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/d5b52504/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_cameraplay_scrn_05.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/47d0bc5d/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_battle_scrn_06.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/8ea91a95/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_freeroam_scrn_12.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/5b659868/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_46.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/30d5bcba/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_item_scrn_13.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/8ac88b1c/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_battle_scrn_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/3f0da3e6/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_freeroam_scrn_09.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/f7ae830c/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_cameraplay_scrn_06.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/706c378f/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_38.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/9820fb43/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_freeroam_scrn_15.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/8f89f96a/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_item_scrn_16.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/cb5a40ba/nintendoswitch2_mariokartworld_character_scrn_04.jpg'></figure></section> Score: 8.25 - Wesley LeBlanc
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/5f4880e9/Steam%20Next%20Fest%20header.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Best Demos Steam Next Fest June 2025 PC Gaming Game Informer List Round Up" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>
<p>Though we’re all still recovering from the recent onslaught of summer showcases and all the announcements that came with them, it’s time for another Steam Next Fest. Like every fest before it, there are hundreds (probably thousands) of great games to check out free demos for, most of them indies, too. We’re doing our best to wade through these demos and check out games we’re excited for, ones to watch, and ones we had never heard of before playing during Steam Next Fest.</p><p>Below, we have a selection of the best Steam Next Fest demos we’ve played so far, and as the week rolls on, we’ll continue to update it with new games we want to surface to our readers. The current Steam Next Fest started yesterday, Monday, June 9, and will run through Monday, June 16, so keep this page bookmarked as we’ll be updating it daily with demos you need to check out. <br> </p>
Ball x Pit
Developer: Kenny Sun
Ball x Pit was recently revealed during a special edition of the summer Devolver Direct, where a documentary was released highlighting Ball x Pit and Kenny Sun. It immediately caught my attention, and I’m thrilled to say the Steam Next Fest demo lives up to the hype. Ball x Pit is a roguelite, brick-breaker, base-building survival game – got all that? You dive into runs where you begin with a lackluster set of mini-orbs and one spiked ball that you fire at incoming waves of enemies. As they die, you collect experience, level up, and select new perks and abilities to utilize on this run.
Like any good roguelite, the progression happens fast, and the runs grow more and more chaotic as you upgrade weaponry, discover new perks, and create more synergies. This part of the game is a lot of fun, but it’s only part of the experience. After a run, you return to your base to plant crops, create forestry, and upgrade and harvest these plots of land to gain more resources, expand your base, and rinse and repeat. It has not just one loop of excitement, but multiple, and that’s a sign of the kind of game I will likely lose a lot of time to.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Ascend To ZERO
Developer: Flyway Games, Inc.
Ascend to ZERO has quickly shot up on my list of games I’m looking forward to checking out the final release of, and fortunately, I don’t have to wait long, as it’s “coming soon,” according to Steam. In the demo, you control Chrono Child, a cyberpunk-esque character who must save a pixel-art-meets-voxels-hybrid world… in 30 seconds. To do so, Chrono Child picks up a sword and heads through a portal where she’s placed into a long, futuristic hallway filled with enemies. In the first room, I find Level 1 enemies and can quickly dispatch them by clicking on the mouse to kill them. But I must do so quickly as there’s just 30 seconds to do everything I need to do.
I can pause time by pressing the space bar, but I can’t attack during this period. So I utilize this paused time to collect experience after killing every enemy in the room. Chrono Child quickly levels into the 20s, making the next room full of Level 25 enemies easier to kill. I rinse and repeat until I reach the Level 70 room – with just 10 seconds left on the clock, I must strategically use my time-stopping mechanic to collect enough experience to defeat the Elite enemy in this room. Doing so frees Gabriela, an NPC who will now appear at my home base to help with my adventure. In that base, there seems to be additional NPCs to free as they each have stations that will presumably help Chrono Child on future runs. As a roguelike, it features all the stress and excitement I love about this genre, condensed into extremely fast runs. After checking it out, Ascend to ZERO is a game I’ll be watching closely as we near its full release.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dreams
Developer: River End Games
I’ve been tracking Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream since it was first revealed in June last year. With a pedigree of developers who have experience on Mirror’s Edge and Battlefield, I figured it’d be something worth keeping an eye on. After playing through the Steam Next Fest demo, I’m thoroughly impressed and excited for more. It’s nothing like the game you’d expect from developers who worked on Mirror’s Edge and Battlefield, which makes it all the better. Set in the fictional city of Eriksholm in the 1900s, it follows three protagonists, though the demo is focused on one named Hanna. She’s an adolescent orphan searching for her brother, Herman. After a lengthy and beautifully rendered opening cinematic, I’m thrown into a stressful escape where I must crawl and sneak my way through a warehouse.
Doing so is as simple as clicking where you want to go on the screen, using the WASD keys to move the camera, Q and E to rotate, and the mouse scroll to zoom in and out. Utilizing the camera is critical to successfully escaping because this stealth game leaves little room for mistakes. I appreciate this challenging approach to the stealth genre as it forces me to really pay attention to enemy sightlines, their pathways, and the floor beneath me (since specific types of floors are louder than others). The city of Eriksholm, as presented in this demo, is gorgeous and sunny, and it’s fun engaging with a stealth-heavy, isometric game in such an otherwise bright environment. It launches next month on July 15, and I can’t wait to see what the other protagonists are up to in Eriksholm.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Consume Me
Developer: Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder
Consume Me might be the cutest-looking game on this list of Steam Next Fest demos, but don’t let that fool you – the team behind it is tackling some heavy themes in the game. Centered around a girl who struggles with food and weight, and a mom who shows no mercy or grace and ridicules her because of it, Consume Me is a non-traditional point-and-click narrative experience. Everything I did in the demo was completed with just one hand and by clicking on the mouse. It’s straightforward in that regard, but a lot is happening on-screen.
In this short demo, I worked out, purchased diet magazines and study guides, walked the dog, folded laundry, talked to a boy, got yelled at by my mom multiple times, ate food, snuck into the kitchen for a late-night snack, and more. These tasks are completed with short, simple, and sweet minigames, enhanced by a cute art style and boppy soundtrack. Everything you do is tracked via a calendar and a journal to track your bites (basically calories), energy, stomach fullness, mood, and more. It all coalesces into a fun time and something very unique in the video game space. I look forward to seeing how this game further tackles this heavy and relatable topic narratively and mechanically when the full game launches this September.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Escape From Duckov
Developer: Team Soda
Escape From Duckov, despite what its name implies, is not a multiplayer extraction shooter starring ducks. It is, however, a single-player top-down shooter where you play as a customizable duck who is looking to escape from the clutches of other birds. It’s also a looter shooter and looting is necessary as you begin each run with nothing to your name. You must collect weapons, bandages, and other items like chocolate milk if you plan to survive, all while sleuthing through hallways, buildings, towns, and more. You can take out enemies in close-range combat using melee weapons, but you’ll need to utilize your duck’s ability to sprint and dodge roll away from enemy attacks because dying comes easy in Escape From Duckov.
But as you progress, you’ll find stronger weapons, including guns, that make killing other ducks easy. Though I only gave Escape From Duckov about 30 minutes (there are lots of other demos to check out, y’all), developer Team Soda promises 8 hours of content in this Steam Next Fest demo. There’s base building, NPCs to befriend, plenty more weapons and items to loot, and more. If you’re looking for a fun spin on the looter shooter genre, give Escape From Duckov a try.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Bandit Trap
Developer: Picomy
Bandit Trap could be your friend group’s next multiplayer hang as it’s a charming, simple to pick up and play, and ultimately, fun game about setting traps in a location to prevent other players from stealing treasures. In each round, it’s one Trapper vs. three Bandits. The Trapper has two minutes to place traps throughout a location, like a punching boxing glove, bomb, flamethrower, or something else into various pieces of furniture in the demo’s house location, for example. After the two minutes are up, three Bandit players rush in to secure as much treasure as possible by looting things around the house.
As the Trapper, you must sneak around the place to reach trap towers, from which you can activate your traps and inflict damage upon the Bandits. Take down their health bars and their treasure looting days are done (for the round). But they can also take you out, so you must be careful when sneaking around, utilizing Trapper-specific pathways to escape their sight lines. It’s the kind of game that will provide more laughter than a competitive edge, as the stakes don’t seem high. Nonetheless, I had a great time with the demo and recommend checking it out with some homies.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Arcadian Days
Developer: Immersiv Games
Immersiv Games comprises just one developer, and they reached out to me on social media to introduce their game. Now, that’s not a surefire way to get me to check out your game – in fact, I’d say most of the time this won’t work because my plate of games to check out is often already full – but I was intrigued by Arcadian Days’ minimalist exploration and sun-kissed visuals. After checking out the full Steam Next Fest demo, I’m excited to see what kind of chill vibes await in the full game. As Miela, you and your family arrive at a new homestead in a gorgeous mountain valley. After completing a few tasks, which are quick and simple like collecting plants for a crop or wood for a shed, I’m transported to a hill amongst mountains, with the sun falling behind beautiful clouds before night arrives.
The tasks I have already completed and the ones awaiting me on this hill, which include finding a basket of carrots in a field for soup, aren’t all that exciting. They aren’t difficult either, but based on the game’s “non-linear, relaxing” exploration premise, I think that’s by design. The writing is barebones, and it could use some optimization, but so far, Arcadian Days seems like a game worth slowing down for, just a little.
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Pirate Outlaws 2: Heritage
Developer: Fabled Game
Playing Pirate Outlaws 2: Heritage’s new Steam Next Fest demo bummed me out… because it made me realize I completely missed out on the great deckbuilder Heritage must be a sequel to; which is a roundabout way of saying I thoroughly enjoyed the Heritage demo. In this game, which features cute but high-quality 2D visuals reminiscent of a premium board game, you select a captain, a deck, and hit the rogue high seas searching for treasure, elite targets, and more. I found this pirate setting particularly inviting to the deckbuilder roguelite formula, as the themed cards are easy to understand and combat is quick and satisfying.
Instead of set turns, you play cards in accordance with available ammo and by paying attention to enemy clocks. When their clocks run out, they attack, but because their clocks are on-screen at all times, you can strategize around incoming offensive maneuvers they might make and react accordingly. The cards are themed around pirate maneuvers and weaponry, as are the enemies, and the map is simple but enticing enough to make each run feel unique and varied. Heritage has shot up high on my list of indies to keep an eye out for, and not just because I love pirates – it’s a really fun time. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault
Developer: Digital Sun
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault trades in the first game’s pixel art style for a cartoon-ish 3D presentation that breathes a lot of new life into this adventure game. You play as Will, a trader who has seemingly lost his touch but is now ready to dive back into the merchant game. Like the first Moonlighter, the loop consists of traversing out into the wild to defeat enemies and collect a backpack full of treasure before returning to your shop to sell the items you discovered.
I enjoyed bartering with customers, adding bonuses to improve the sale, and getting a peek at what’s to come in my shop’s future. The combat in the demo is one-note but satisfactory, and I expect that aspect of the game to be greatly expanded in the final release. For now, the chill vibes of being a merchant – not the hero that saves the day – is a fun change of pace, much like the first Moonlighter. The Endless Vault appears in town to challenge Will to deliver more gold than it can contain to obtain a special reward, and I’m excited to see what this premise means for the full game when it launches later this year. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Developer: The Game Kitchen
With Ninja Gaiden 4 out later this year, Blasphemous series developer The Game Kitchen created a little throwback treat to help the wait in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. In this side-scrolling entry, players control a ninja named Kenji Mozu (at least in the demo), whose teacher is none other than series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. With gorgeous pixel art visuals, a stellar soundtrack, and platforming action that feels right at home in this classic series, Ragebound is a game I absolutely cannot wait for more of when it launches next month.
The Guillotine jump move allows you to jump off of incoming projectiles, and it feels great every time. Couple it with fast-paced sword action that rewards aggression and various traversal mechanics that keep things moving, Ragebound is go, go, go in the best way. It’s stressful and challenging – like the rest of the Ninja Gaiden series – but this Steam Next Fest demo eases players into it, no doubt withholding the toughest challenges for the final game. Nonetheless, Ninja Gaiden, Blasphemous, and throwback platformer fans should not miss this demo. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Cast n Chill
Developer: Wombat Brawler
Developer Wombat Brawler’s idle fishing game, Cast n Chill, has been on my radar since last month’s excellent Six One Indie Showcase. It’s a gorgeous pixel-art fishing game that’s less about objectives (though there are some) and more about enjoying the great outdoors, the serenity of water, great company in the form of man’s best friend, and the sport of fishing. It’s a simple game – move your boat to where you want to fish, cast your line, and reel in a fish when you land one. Fishing itself is basic, but it mixes well with the relaxed nature of Cast n Chill. Finding a spot to fish is about the types of fish you’re after (and adding them to your fishing log), but more than that, it’s about finding a beautiful place to drop a lure and chill. There are plenty of different species of fish, lures, rods, and boats, each with some fun backwoods country descriptions, and coins to collect to buy additional fishing licenses. Those licenses allow you to boat further throughout the game’s beautiful landscape, unlocking more fish to catch. Cast n Chill is, as the name implies, chill, and Wombat Brawler knows this. There’s even an Idle Mode, which lets you keep it open and running beautifully in the background. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Into The Grid
Developer: Flatline Studios
Into The Grid is a run-based deckbuilder set within the virtual grid of a cyberpunk society. After a wedge is driven between a former-netrunner-turned-mother and her daughter, the daughter is driven towards working for a dangerous company. She needs a rescue, so in steps mother. After shaking off the virtual rust in a short tutorial, I played through the game’s first run. In the virtual grid, you interact with various nodes to gain currency, extract new and rare cards, or gain items that can automatically open up new rooms, take down security nodes, and more. As you interact with this virtual grid, though, the security takes notice and sends various sentinel enemies to attack.
From here, the isometric view disappears and you’re brought to a first-person combat arena with an enemy before you. To attack, you select cards that are drawn each turn. You can go on the offense to take down enemy integrity (health), use defensive cards to increase your barrier (shield), or utilize special cards that increase your VIM, which determines when you can use Commands. Commands allow you to draw additional cards, add more Clock, which determines how many cards you can use each turn, and more. It was fun synergizing my moves around what Commands I wanted to build toward. The most unique aspect of Into The Grid is that each turn, your hand is wiped and you draw a new set of cards, meaning you must build new strategies every turn. It’s a fun, if stressful, change to the traditional deckbuilder formula and one I so far enjoy. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Metal Eden
Developer: Reikon Games
Reikon Games describes Metal Eden as an “adrenaline-rush sci-fi FPS,” and that’s right on the money. It reminds me of Ghostrunner, but there’s no katana here – just guns. As you advance to the objective, you dodge, jetpack, punch, and shoot through enemies in slick cyberpunk industrialist hallways. There’s wall-running, ziplines, and all the other movement tech you expect in a fast-paced FPS. While enemies are dispersed throughout each level, combat primarily happens in wave-based arenas, where you must utilize your surroundings, enemy cores you can explode, and skill cooldown management to survive. Metal Eden is tough – I played on Normal, the easiest option, and died several times in the demo’s hour of content – but definitely a game to keep an eye on if you’re into stylish futuristic shooters. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Morsels
Developer: Furcula
This top-down, twin-stick roguelike is a delightfully weird fusion of The Binding of Issac, Spelunky, and Pokémon. You play as a little mouse who can turn into Morsels, odd little creatures like a grub, pile of dung, or sunflower with abilities to help you fight back against oppressive cats. Play as a Morsel enough and it'll evolve, but if you level one up too much, it dies. Morsels also don't share health, so there are simultaneously different sets of abilities and numbers of lives. You can have up to three Morsels in your roster at once, so it's an interesting balancing act to swap between them to get a strategic team. After making it to the end and defeating the first boss, I can't wait to play the full game and collect as many weird guys as I can get my hands on. – Charles Harte
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
Davy x Jones
Developer: Parasight
I was shocked that I hadn’t yet heard of Davey X Jones as the games industry’s self-proclaimed number-one pirate aficionado. After roughly 40 minutes with the Davy x Jones demo available during Steam Next Fest, I’m excited to see what the final product looks like, though cautious as well. In Davy x Jones, you play as a beheaded Davy Jones, betrayed by pirate lords across the seven seas and their leader, Edward Teach aka Blackbeard. It’s Teach who is responsible for you not having a head, but fortunately, your lifeless body discovers this head once more and together, this unlikely duo heads off on a quest for revenge.
I like that Davy’s soulless body grunts his name repeatedly, while Davy's floating skull handles all the talking. But the two also amusingly interact with each other, with some nice voice acting too. Everything going on in this world, from the visuals to the storytelling and more, is great and I’m legitimately excited for more. However, I hope the team can use feedback from this demo and the time between now and its unannounced release date for polish. Of course, this is a demo of an in-development game so it naturally could use work, but so far, the first-person gun-and-swordplay feels a little floaty, lacking the weight I’d expect from the scourge of the seas. It’s not optimized well either, but again, it’s a demo, so I won’t hold developer Parasight’s feet to the fire, err, raging seas over this. Nonetheless, Davy x Jones has lots of promise and I look forward to the final release. – Wesley LeBlanc
Check out the demo and wishlist here.
- Kyle Hilliard
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/43adfcaa/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_01.jpeg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>
Reviewed on: Switch 2 Platform: Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release: <time datetime="2025-06-05T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">June 5, 2025</time>
<p>At reveal, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour seemed like a charming way to learn about the tech of the Switch 2. A lovely journey through the hardware that would feature some fun tech demos and minigames to show you what your new system could do. And then, like many others, I was shocked to learn that it would not be installed on every Switch 2, but would instead be sold as a separate game. After spending a substantial amount of time with it, I understand why Nintendo is treating it as a premium product, but I couldn’t help but feel I was sold a packet of school assignments.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pfUVKXiYrpg" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe><p>The package offers an impressive deep dive into what makes the Switch 2 interesting, and Nintendo didn’t spare any production values. It looks great, features a substantial amount of writing, and a surprising amount of character. For all its quality, however, it hasn’t erased that initial surprise when I learned it would cost $10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels like an extended tutorial, and I would have enjoyed it much more if it were just part of the experience of booting up my Switch 2 for the first time.</p><p>This should come as no surprise, but Nintendo has a track record of making good video games that run well and have inviting art styles. Welcome Tour looks amazing, and getting to play as a little avatar to walk on top of a Switch 2 is adorable. Playing the game, however, isn’t particularly fun. Making your way through the experience feels like homework. The homework assignments are for a class you enjoy and want to learn more about, but you’re doing homework nonetheless.</p><p>Welcome Tour is primarily made of four elements: quizzes, stamps, tech demos, and minigames. Quizzes are the most academic of the activities as you read about how the Switch 2 works and how it was made and then take quizzes on what you learned. The facts are interesting, especially if you want to know more about Switch 2 (which I do), but they can be exhausting as there are many and they will sometimes repeat similar topics.</p><p>Stamps are hidden throughout and usually correspond to specific elements like buttons. Finding these is the primary way to advance to new areas and I mostly found the activity unobtrusive at best and a little annoying at worst. On a few occasions, I got stuck trying to find the last one so I could move to a new area.</p><p class="inline-rich-content-placeholder"> </p><p>Minigames are often self-explanatory. They showcase the Switch 2’s new mechanics with little games that are frequently surprisingly challenging. I was usually satisfied with defeating the lowest tier of these games, then would be shocked at how difficult the next tier would be, and walk away. These games are primarily used to show off the new mouse controls, and there were none that stood out to me as games that I would want to revisit, but as a portent of the potential future games that might come to Switch 2 one day, I mostly appreciated them.</p><p>The tech demos are highlights and Welcome Tour sets expectations well by explaining they are not meant to be high-score chasing minigames. These are low-stakes, interactive boxes that best show off the Switch 2. I was particularly impressed by the demos designed to show off the Switch 2’s built-in speakers and HD Rumble 2.</p><p>Welcome Tour’s efforts to make you consider the work and thought that went into creating the Switch 2 is effective. I absolutely have a greater appreciation for the Switch 2 and its myriad little details, like that one of the tiny legs on Switch 2 dock is shaped differently to prevent it from tipping forward if you tug on it from the HDMI or power cable. When the game goes into great detail to tell you how many things the designers thought of, you can’t help but feel like they truly did think of everything.</p><p>The minigames may have been generally underwhelming, and there are some tech demos that feel magical… but it’s just not particularly fun to play. It all feels like after-school study when you just want to be entertained. All the hallmarks of a first-party Nintendo release – overflowing charm and impressive technical aptitude – are here. A lot of thoughtful work went into Welcome Tour to make me understand and acknowledge its $10 price tag, but it’s just not a tour I would recommend taking.</p> <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/be0f9acd/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_09.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/8c7b2604/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_13.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/458ff3bf/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_05.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/bb1a3c79/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_06.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/36b375a7/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_14.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/35274380/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_07.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/3199e08e/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_12.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/4a087e1d/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_11.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/fa5ec414/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_04.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/55266cbf/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_02.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/34f0a5ee/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_08.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/43adfcaa/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_01.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/59e99960/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_10.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/10/3117da7c/nintendoswitch2_nintendoswitch2welcometour_scrn_03.jpeg'></figure></section> Score: 6 - Brian Shea
<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/41b36593/cinematiccombat_markbp.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Skybound Games Release: 2026
<p>Over the weekend, the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/06/08/invincible-vs-is-a-new-fighting-game-from-skybound-based-on-the-popular-series">reveal of Invincible VS</a> got fans of the long-running comic and ongoing Amazon Prime Video series excited for frantic 3v3 fighting action. The trailer showcased the same brutality that fans of the series have come to expect, which predictably caused it to draw comparisons to Mortal Kombat. However, I recently had the opportunity to travel to Skybound Entertainment's Los Angeles offices to get my hands on the game and speak with the development team. It turns out there's much more reason to compare it to another well-liked fighting game.</p><p>In 2013, a development studio called Double Helix Games released Killer Instinct for Xbox One. Though it was initially criticized for its lack of content and monetization methods, the core gameplay, which emphasized combo-based tactics above all else, and the first season of content Double Helix provided were praised by fans and critics alike. However, after developing the title, Amazon acquired Double Helix and merged it into Amazon Game Studios. Now, several of those veteran developers who worked on Killer Instinct are back together under Quarter Up, a studio under Skybound.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/d6e4d36b/taunt_mark.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>The team pitched a fighting game based on the Invincible franchise, of which many development team members were fans, and Invincible VS was the result. "We really wanted to get back to fighting games," game director Dave Hall says. "We've been talking about this for about a decade behind the scenes, and once this came around, we were just like, 'We've got to get this. This is amazing. This is the perfect thing for us.' Bringing together Invincible, which is an incredible IP just made for fighting games with all these characters, and then being able to bring this destruction and the gore and the blood and all this fun stuff into it was just so exciting." </p><p>Hall says that, as fighting game fans, the studio looked at the landscape and noticed a 3v3-shaped hole in the genre. "<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragon_ball_fighterz/b/playstation4/archive/2018/01/26/dragon-ball-fighterz-review.aspx">Dragon Ball FighterZ</a> was probably the last main 3v3 to come out there; We wanted to bring that hype back," he says. "We love the hype of a 3v3 game. It's kind of what we used to do with Killer Instinct with the combo breakers, counter combo breakers, and all that stuff. We just love having the crowd erupt when we play, so we're trying to bring the same thing back in our game right now."</p><p>The 3v3 approach is fitting, as the roster has three main archetypes: Grappler, Striker, and Ranged, before other subsets are introduced under those umbrellas. The build I played only had four characters – Invincible, Atom Eve, Bulletproof, and Thula – but several other empty tiles were on the character select screen, hinting at a large launch roster. I made up a team of Invincible, Eve, and Thula and took to the city streets to duke it out. </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/3859ee40/tagcombat_markeve_vs_thula.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Quarter Up challenged itself to deliver a diverse roster of characters with distinct abilities while remaining true to the source material. As it turns out, that was more difficult than initially expected. "Some of the characters took a little more time, just because a lot of them punch a lot in the universe, and that's totally cool, but in a fighting game, you don't want everybody just punching," Hall says. "It's really important for us to have those distinct differences in our characters, so then, when you're making your team, you get to play and have the characters that you want to play and the styles that you want to play." </p><p>The result was noticeable balance across the four fighters available in the build I played. Invincible is a rushdown character that is great at getting in his opponent's face, while Eve works best at range. Meanwhile, Bulletproof feels more technical with high-low offense, and Thula uses her hair blade to be highly effective at mid-range. </p><p>The fighting mechanics are approachable, whether you want to use the auto-combo functionality or not. Chaining together strikes of different severities into a combo is simple, and punctuating your assault with a Special feels great. True to the tag nature of a 3v3 fighter, you can call in assists, including directionals that bring different cooldowns depending on their power, and active tags in the middle of your combo. </p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/912a43b4/combat_thulabp.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Invincible VS has two types of stages: Devastation Arenas and Destination Arenas. Each time a new character comes into the match, they clash with the preexisting fighter, resulting in a shockwave of destruction that progresses in the background as the match goes on. If you pull off a certain attack, your opponent briefly falls to their knees, giving you an opening to land an attack that sends them flying to a Destination Stage, which appears to be randomized. </p><p>On top of damage in the arenas, characters also wear the effects of battle on their faces and bodies. Even the victor will be covered in blood spatter by the end of the bout; Quarter Up and Skybound are <em>not </em>toning down the gore for this adaptation. There are even Overkill moves, which can dismember the character on the receiving end. </p><p>The Invincible series, whether through the long-running comic or the relatively young show, has displayed enduring popularity, which Skybound hopes will encourage non-fighting game fans to check this game out. "I hope that this game is a lot of people's first fighting game," Skybound Games executive vice president and general manager Chris Paulson says. "A lot of those people come through the IP because they love Invincible and want to experience what it's like to be Mark and to punch someone's head off. There's something in there for comic fans, for people who entered from the show, and for people who haven't heard of Invincible yet, but will through the game. We've talked to a lot of people, and I think there's a surprising overlap between Invincible fans and fighting game fans."</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/96d0b5bc/ult_bulletproof.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>But it's not just Skybound higher-ups saying it. Quarter Up designed the game to be played by a wide range of players, from the most skilled members of the fighting game community (FGC) all the way to first-time fighters, an initiative other franchises like <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/tekken-8/aggressively-absurd">Tekken</a> and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/street-fighter-6/a-clean-reversal">Street Fighter</a> have implemented with recent entries. "We really want everybody to be able to play it," Hall says. "We don't want the control scheme to be something that holds you back from having a good time. So this is also why we put in the auto-combos and things like that for people to just get in, press some buttons, and have some fun. And there's so much depth behind that with the people that really know how to play fighting games are going to be able to excel. It's just one of those things we've always wanted to do."</p><p>Hall says that Quarter Up worked closely with highly skilled fighting gamers to ensure the game rewards even the best players. "We do constant testing with the FGC," he says. "It's one of our biggest things that we do; it's just part of our process. We're always making sure we cater to the FGC, and make sure our game is competitive. We build in a lot of different intricacies, even with the combo meter and things of that nature, the meter management, when to do something, when not to do something. We're very competitive. We love competitive games. That's our primary goal, but we wanted to make sure everybody else could jump in and play it and have fun too."</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/07/e8d3ef45/tagcombat_markeve_vs_bp.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Though the team remains tight-lipped on the story mode, the developers insist it will be an Invincible story within the universe, written by the team working on the popular show. "The unique thing about Skybound is that we have all the parts of the circle under one roof," Paulson says. "We're actively working with the animation studio here to build content for the game. We're going to have an authentic Invincible story as part of the game. We're not talking specifics right now; we want to make sure it's great before we say what it is, but you can even see as you're playing, all the little interactions and the quips that happen throughout and before and after a match are all in the universe. All that was written by the creative team behind the show. Every piece of art has been looked at by Robert [Kirkman], Cory [Walker], and Ryan [Ottley], the co-creators of the comic, just to make sure that we're getting it right." </p><p>I got into the Invincible franchise through the Prime Video animated series, so I don't know much about the comic. However, everything I saw, heard, and felt with Invincible VS was authentic to the show I'm more enthralled by each passing season. Invincible VS is an incredibly fun fighter I can't wait to learn more about. </p><p>Invincible VS is set to arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2026.</p> - Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed some players not being able to start Friends Only servers
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Re-enabled all players to be able to use voice commands and party chatAdded more detailed options for server visibility and privacy when creating a serverThe "Use Steam Networking" checkbox has been replaced with a dropdown, allowing the creation of Local, Friends Only, Unlisted and Listed servers -- defaulting to UnlistedUsing map command by default will no longer create a join-able gameFixed a crash on exit under Linux
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed HUD scope animation exploit (GitHub fix from mastercoms)Fixed case where the door model for Match Status HUD wasn't initialized before setting the submodel (GitHub fix from rabscootle)Fixed money not automatically being collected in Mann vs. Machine respawn rooms (GitHub fix from mastercoms)Fixed stuck Mann vs. Machine bots sometimes causing spawn softlocks (GitHub fix from Mentrillum)Fixed Mann vs. Machine ammo canteens not affecting energy weapons (GitHub fix from Mentrillum)Fixed 'Shell Extension' achiemevent not working for energy weapons (GitHub fix from Mentrillum)Fixed not being able to deploy parachute after landing and becoming airborne without jump button (GitHub fix from FlaminSarge)Fixed some heap allocated KeyValues leaks (GitHub fix from Dmitry Tsarevich)Relaxed in-game chat restrictions for certain accounts
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Added missing string for the PNG filter when using the Decal ToolAdded missing newline to the 'Unable to initialize sound capture' console messageAdded IsNextBot() method (GitHub fix from Bitl)Added support for custom mission briefings in vsh and zi game modes (GitHub fix from Gamer_X)Added convar to control max Mann vs. Machine robots (GitHub fix from ficool2)Added prediction for Thermal Thruster + self-stun (GitHub fix from wgetJane)Fixed crash with game_round_win in KOTH (GitHub fix from doclic)Fixed Mann vs. Machine status HUD not using the mini boss background for enemies in the Support groupFixed Medi Mode Auto-RP not matching lowercase input unless it begins with an 'a'Fixed backpack page buttons putting the 'New' label behind the buttonFixed character info panel not being positioned correctlyFixed The Front Runner using the wrong team color for the headset on the Stylin' styleFixed Announcer VO with static at the end of the sound (community fix from Lindon)Fixed missing lightwarp setting for the Conniver's Kunai and The Half-Zatoichi (community fix from Lindon)Fixed The Bazaar Bargain's scope being painted when using the Elfin Enamel war paintFixed commentary text not displayingFixed TFBot VScript methods SetBehaviorFlag, ClearBehaviorFlag, IsBehaviorFlagSet, SetMission, SetPrevMission, GetMission, GetPrevMission, and HasMission using 'unsigned int' by mistakeFixed overlapping internal font names causing one font to overwrite the other for Linux clients (GitHub fix from RoseyLemonz)Fixed Casual late-joiners seeing Competitive logo on Match Status HUD doors (GitHub fix from rabscootle)Fixed Spy bots using human voice lines in Mann vs. Machine (GitHub fix from John Kvalevog)Fixed crash on VGUI menu bar button cursor entrance (GitHub fix from RGBACatlord)Fixed Mann vs. Machine bomb carrier voice line playing during normal CTF with bots (GitHub fix from mastercoms)Fixed organ props spawning from non-Vita-Saw damage (GitHub fix from Thomas Kain)Fixed uninitialized field use in CParticleEffectBinding (GitHub fix from Thomas Kain)Fixed type cast warning caused by pointer size mismatch (GitHub fix from SanyaSho)Fixed typo in Mann vs. Machine score calculation (GitHub fix from HalfMatt)Fixed missed break in logging character field save data causing incorrect logging (GitHub fix from Dmitry Tsarevich)Fixed Engineer bots soft locking on CTF maps (GitHub fix from AwfulRanger)Fixed middle mouse kicking you in PASS Time (GitHub fix from ficool2)Fixed radial fog not being enabled in 3D sky on official maps (GitHub fix from ficool2)Fixed PLAYER_FLAG_BITS truncating m_fFlags sent to clients (GitHub fix from copperpixel)Fixed prediction for jumping when The Huntsman is charged/released (GitHub fix from wgetJane)Fixed prediction for Force-A-Nature jumps (GitHub fix from wgetJane)Increased PLAYER_FLAG_BITS to 32Removed temporary player jingle files if tf_delete_temp_files (GitHub fix from AndrewBetson)Removed MFC dependency in the launcher exe (GitHub fix from Slartibarty)Updated the ConTracker 'Back' button to accommodate longer localization stringsUpdated plr_hacksaw_eventFixed erroneous and asymmetric clipping across the mapFixed pumpkin bomb quota being too low
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Added missing files for Taunt: The Travel AgentAdded No Hat styles for the Cozy Cover-UpAdded VScript support for HIDEHUD_MATCH_STATUS flag to hide the Match Status panelAdded a borderless window option to video settingsAdded bicubic lightmaps (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)Added radial fog (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)Added support for Steam NetworkingMade the default server name for listen servers include the player's nameMade the game launch in native resolution by default instead of 640x480Client-side prediction fixes (these fix 'jank'/rollback in certain situations)Fixed a prediction bug where if the player was moved on the client, their input-based movement for that tick was not taken into account in non-player actionsImproved prediction for walking on props and other entitiesMade certain client-side entities only trigger local prediction errorse.g. If the viewmodel experiences a prediction error, the player will not experience a prediction errorFixed prediction of viewmodel swayFixed a prediction error regarding weapon idle animationsFixed certain breakable props not gibbing correctlyFixed an issue where certain variables like position would not be updated correctly to match the server in certain situationsFixed the player's base velocity (eg. conveyors, moving items etc.) getting subtly out of sync from client/serverFixed players being able to spam duel cancellation messages for a duel that doesn't existFixed not being able to join community servers via Steam invites or game infoFixed lighting position discrepancies for cosmetic items, weapons, and viewmodels (community fix from ficool2)Fixed Equipped label overlapping attribute icons in the loadout menu (community fix from Lindon)Fixed an issue with props and team colors when taunting with Australium weaponsFixed the Voices from Below effect not working when taunting with the Highland Hound set equippedFixed player voice commands being abruptly ended when the player enters shallow waterFixed incorrect number on the Geneva Contravention achievement iconFixed the Military Style for The Surgeon General to stay properly semi-visible at all anglesFixed some classes missing the BLU team material for That '70s ChapeauFixed the Spanish-Latin America option being displayed as English in the Settings menuFixed the MOTD dialog not working for Spanish-Latin AmericaUpdated attribute descriptions for The Scottish Resistance and the Stickybomb Jumper to use 'stickybomb' instead of 'pipebomb'Updated equip_region settings for The Little Bear, The Heavy-Weight Champ, The Grand Duchess Tutu, and the Combat Slacks to fix unnecessary conflictsUpdated the Spooky Night and Ominous Night Unusual taunt effects to fix a visual bug (Thanks Kiffy!)Updated koth_overcast_final to improve optimizationUpdated ctf_applejackAdded block bullets to some storesUnblocked a window at mid, allowing Snipers to shot across the middle hutRemoved the missing texture in BLU spawnGave a chicken a friend, because friendship is magicUpdated cp_fortezzaNew radio model for spawn roomsChanged sentry shack ammo pack on last to a mediumAdjusted health pickups throughout the mapChanged kill volume on cap A double doors to be more consistent with visualsImproved bot support (Thanks Star Bright)Detail passUpdated pl_patagonia[Stage 1]Fixed some RED bots stuck forever trying to make an impossible jump on the stairs outside spawnFixed the cart not capping the first point on extremely rare occasions[Stage 2]Improved optimizationFixed a nodraw floor near the first BLU spawn train bridge waterfallFixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2[Stage 3]Improved optimizationFixed wrap assassin baubles colliding with a solid func_brush bounding box outside BLU spawnRemoved the platform above the open choke of the last pointAdded an additional path to the window overlooking the open choke of the last pointFixed RED bots getting stuck on a solid fence outside the RED spawnFixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2
- Valve
Foundation is Now Available on Steam and is 25% off!*Foundation is a grid-less, laidback medi city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management.*Offer ends February 7 at 10AM Pacific Time
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed the Battle Balaclava's "No Gloves" style hiding the Heavy's handsFixed broken materials for The Westcoat's "Ugly" styleAdded smoke effect to The Checkered PastUpdate the Buck's Brim's "Bad" styleFixed broken materialsAdded smoke effectUpdated cp_fortezzaDetail improvementsImproved clippingUpdated koth_cachoeiraFixed players being able to get stuck in certain displacementsVarious clipping improvements throughout the mapVarious miscellaneous fixes (Thanks Midnite!) Improved bot navigation (Thanks Katsu!)
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Updated the Brain Cane to fix problems with the texture and phong valueUpdated The Battle MusicAdded missing Hat styleFixed the models due to clipping on Heavy's ears and misalignment on EngineerImproved and strengthen the Noise CancellationUpdated the materials to fix it not being shinyUpdated the backpack icon to reflect the materials changeUpdated cp_gravelpit_snowyFixed potential incompatibility with external VScript files (thanks Le Codex!)Re-implemented cubemap reflections in ice caveFixed perch spotsUpdated vsh_distillery, vsh_maul, vsh_nucleus, vsh_outburst, vsh_skirmish, and vsh_tinyrockRestored Hale's resistance to knockback back to 75%Reduced bonus flame damage against Hale from 50% to 25%Hale can now do 1 extra Brave Jump before the Jump Fatigue kicks in (thanks Wendy)Weighdown is no longer blocked by the Jump Fatigue (thanks Wendy)Removed area-of-effect of Hale's normal punches (thanks Wendy)Demoman shields now absorb 70% of Saxton Punch! damage (compared to normal 50%) to make the following launch into the stratosphere survivableFixed Hale taking mini-crits from Direct Hit and Reserve Shooter while underwater (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed airborne mini-crits of Direct Hit and Reserve Shooter applying against the wielder (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Hale being able to stomp while underwater (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Sweeping Charge not working against underwater opponentsFixed the bug that prevented Quick-Fix from mirroring a patient's wall climbing (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Hale's faulty ground detection (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Baby Face's Blaster's loss of boost not applying correctly (thanks Whurr and MilkMaster72)Fixed the voice lines refusing to play sometimesUpdated pl_patagoniaStage 1Fixed the cart going under the elevator in extremely rare occasions (Thanks Shocked) Fixed sometimes hearing outside soundscapes inside blue spawnFixed being able to build in a very high rooftop after point AFixed being able to build in blue spawnCart elevator is no longer the glitchiest thing in the universeFixed cart not rolling back after completing the elevator descent sequenceNow, if the cart is rolling into the elevator in overtime, the round timer will be set to 5 seconds left, to avoid unfair loses for blue. Timer will resume once the cart reaches the bottom (Thanks I. C. Wiener).Stage 2Removed rollback from the train container ramp in last point (Thanks b4nny)Gave blue more high ground for last pointAdded an additional dropdown for blue for last pointFixed being able to be teleported into red spawn as blue after capping point ARemoved long hill rollback before point CFixed bots getting stuck on the closed train doors after cap BFixed being able to leave stickies inside blue last spawnFixed being able to get stuck in the point C shortcut door for red. If you get trapped, it will kill you.Fixed a pop-in issue relating to areaportals below point BFixed being able to enter the last blue spawn as redBirdie (Thanks Explocivo808)Stage 3Added a fenced section for the long wood cover wall in last point (Thanks b4nny)Mirrored the window sniper spot in last point chokeFixed being able to build behind a displacement rock wall in last pointRemoved troll teleport spot in last point ending rampAll StagesSlightly lowered sun brightness and slightly raised skylight brightnessImproved skybox transitionsThe cart no longer tries to defy the law of physicsNinjaneers have more freedom to be ninjasThe bots have learned how to play the mapGave the cart another coronación de gloria
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Updated the Dapper Noel to fix an issue with the meshUpdated vsh_maulFixed broken areaportalsChanged some props in the upper area that could be mistaken for a large ammo pack
- Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Added missing No Gloves style for the Consigliere's CoverupAdded missing Versus Saxton Hale kill iconsAdded some tournament medalsFixed Taunt: Curtain Call voice lines overlapping with other Spy voice linesFixed the Playful Aurora and Frisky Morning Unusual effects not moving correctlyUpdated Aurora Skies Unusual effect to fix a timing issueUpdated the Necroprancer to fix an issue with the materialsUpdated the Dusk Duster to fix an issue with the materialsUpdated the Dapper NoelRemade normal map to be compatible with OpenGLRe-baked Diffuse & updated backpack icon to reflect above changesRemoved misplaced ambient occlusionFixed problematic face flexesFixed an issue where Engineer's beard was protruding from his gogglesFixed an issue with the jigglebones being disabledRigged Sniper's hat to be compatible with his melee tauntUpdated Scrooge McDocTransparent lenses are rigged to the correct bone (prp_glasses instead of bip_head) so it should now work correctly with taunts that move the glassesImproved scarf rigging and positioning to allow for better compatibility with shirt cosmeticsUpdated the backpack iconUpdated koth_overcast_finalFixed an issue with the models/materialsAdded back snow coverings (now using displacements) to some props that were missing themFixed misaligned textures in various placesFixed weird lighting bug on a wall in blue spawnFixed 'Hotel' sign not displaying properlyAdded back indicators under some health and ammo kits that were missing themUpdated cp_fortezzaRemoved sniper window leading into lastFixed Engineer being able to build in some doorsFixed some props being solidSlight art pass updateUpdated vsh_maulPlayers can no longer hide from Saxton in the darkFixed props inside other propsFixed z-fighting brushesFixed missing particle effects for the water featureFixed orientation of water feature particlesMinor lighting changes around the cinemaAdjusted LOD change distances for Cinema signUpdated VSH logicGrounded levitating propsAligned misaligned texturesFixed mis-textured wallsClipped upper metal beamsFixed clip brushes sticking out from walls that could be walked onPlayers will now be pushed off of the fire bellAdjusted cinema sign shadowUsed spell check on Saxton's Package signUpdated how music is activated and deactivatedFixed clipping on the hanging big ornaments
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