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IO Interactive Faces Layoffs After Xbox Ends Partnership For Its Upcoming Online RPG Project Fantasy
In 2023, Hitman and 007 First Light developer IO Interactive announced a surprising new IP, an online RPG codenamed Project Fantasy. While that game is still on the way, it has hit a snag that will result in layoffs.
IO posted an update on the game, stating that “A relationship with an external partner on our own IP, Project Fantasy, has come to an end. This means we have to adapt to this new reality and its short-term consequences, including staffing decisions, which is what is happening as we write this update, and we are fully committed to supporting those affected through this challenging transition.”
Bloomberg has reported that Xbox confirmed to the outlet that it was the "external partner" funding the project and that it has pulled out of the relationship as it re-uates its investments. An Xbox spokesperson told Bloomberg that despite the news, the company is not investing less in video games, but rather plans to invest the same amount as it did last year. "What's changing is where we're investing and the kinds of projects we're backing," said the spokesperson.
Despite this setback, IO remains committed to continuing work on Project Fantasy, writing that it is “a game, a world, and an IP that we absolutely love and remain 100% committed to, now and in the future. This wonderful universe will see the light of day.”
Dear gaming community,For a good while, it has been all positive news from IO Interactive. We remain humbled and honored by the response to our latest outing with a young, unproven Bond. A bold new story and a take on one of the most famous characters in entertainment, which…
— IO Interactive (@IOInteractive) June 30, 2026Project Fantasy was revealed in February 2023. At the time IO wrote of the game that it is “A world and a game built from the core to entertain players and expand for many years to come. It feels familiar, yet at the same time IOI is going on a journey unlike any we have been on before.”
“For many, this journey is also a deeply personal one that began long before we started making games for a living – and it started with the fantasy genre,” IO wrote in Project Fantasy’s announcement post. “From the “Fighting Fantasy” books compelling you to choose your path, alone, against wizards, lizards, and thief kings. To the togetherness, camaraderie, agony, and delight found around the tabletop. For some it meant taking the role of a game master: Part storyteller, part AI opponent, part guide, part villain. For everyone around that table it meant creativity, imagination, building a world together, and a shared goal in creating a great game experience.”
Earlier this year, IO released 007 First Light to positive reviews and strong sales. You can read our review of that game here.
According to a new report by The Verge, Microsoft is considering closing Arkane Studios and canceling its upcoming title, Marvel’s Blade. This studio closure would be among the several reportedly planned to take place in the next week as part of a larger "Xbox reset".
On June 15, reports surfaced from various news outlets that Microsoft is planning to either close or sell off multiple studios in its gaming division. While nothing has been officially announced or confirmed, five have been named by reporters so far: Compulsion Games (South of Midnight), Double Fine (Psychonauts), Ninja Theory (Hellblade), and, most recently, Undead Labs (State of Decay), as reported by GamesBeat. These studios have been said to be in various stages of negotiations with Microsoft about their futures. Xbox studios that won’t be shuttered are still expected to undergo layoffs.
The Verge reports that sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans state that Dishonored and Deathloop developer Arkane Studios is also under consideration for closure or sale. Arkane, based in Lyon, France, was acquired by Xbox as part of its larger purchase of ZeniMax in 2021, which also gave the company Bethesda and id Software. Under the Xbox umbrella, Arkane Lyon specifically has released Deathloop. Arkane’s former American branch, Arkane Austin, the team behind 2019’s Prey, was shuttered by Xbox in 2024 following the negative reception to its 2023 co-op action game Redfall.
Arkane Studios’ next announced project is Marvel’s Blade, an action game based on the popular hero first revealed at The Game Awards 2023. No gameplay has been shown for the title, but it’s been described as a single-player, mature-rated third-person action-adventure game set in Paris. According to The Verge’s sources, Blade was supposed to debut later this year, but its launch date was internally delayed to 2027 (the game has no publicly known release window). Blade is also reportedly running over budget.
This news comes a week after Entertainment Weekly published a large feature covering the state of Xbox, in which Bethesda’s Todd Howard provided a brief comment about Blade and Arkane as a whole. "I'm not at liberty to say when [we'll see more]," Howard teases, "but I saw some stuff just yesterday [on May 21] and the folks at Arkane [Studios, the developers] are doing a really, really great job."
All eyes are looking toward next week for the shoe to drop on all of these reports, given that it will be the end-of-quarter financial calls for Microsoft, which is presumably why the company has not made any official layoffs announcement yet.
[Source: The Verge]
Netflix is no stranger to adapting video games into TV series, and the streaming giant looks to be tackling a live-action Persona series, Variety reports.
The series’ showrunner, writer, and executive producer is reportedly Christopher Monfette, a writer and producer of series such as Star Trek: Picard, 12 Monkeys, and 9-1-1. Sega’s senior executive officer, Toru Nakahara, is attached as an executive producer. Nakahara served as a producer on all three Sonic the Hedgehog films. Netflix declined Variety’s request for comment.
We’ll have to wait to see if this Persona series is real, but this would certainly be an ideal time to announce such a project. The franchise has made headlines recently due to the reveal of a release date for Persona 4 Revival, a remake of the acclaimed RPG, and the announcement of Persona 6.
To learn about other upcoming Netflix video game adaptations, the company just revealed the first full trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 yesterday. It also has a live-action series based on Assassin’s Creed in the works and is developing movies based on Gears of War and Bioshock. Netflix is also partnering with Life is Strange/Lost Records: Bloom & Rage developer Don't Nod for an unannounced adaptation.
[Source: Variety]
Eschatology Entertainment and publisher 4Divinity have revealed Guns of Eschaton, a soulslike FPS set in a supernatural American Wild West. The game’s visual design was envisioned by the late Viktor Antonov, the art director behind Half-Life 2, Dishonored, and many other works.
The game stars a multi-armed gunslinger shooting his way through an apocalyptic west. Despite being a first-person shooter, Guns of Eschaton shares far more in common with soulslikes. Players can blast foes with a large arsenal of firearms and specialized ammunition types in deliberately paced, challenging combat that emphasizes making every shot count. On the defensive side, you can parry incoming attacks or use a dash to evade at the right time.
The gunslinger can be customized to suit various playstyles through what Eschatology touts as “flexible buildcrafting." You can equip gear such as armor, talismans, and consumables, along with active and passive abilities. Studying enemies using a Codex reveals their weaknesses. Guns of Eschaton can be played solo, but it also supports online co-op.
Guns of Eschaton's art direction, which blends 19th-century Americana with occult horror, was envisioned by the late Victor Antonov. The artist was best known as the art director for Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, creating the visual aesthetic for both titles. Antonov passed away in 2025.
“We are incredibly honoured to be revealing Guns of Eschaton, the final project shaped by the extraordinary vision of Viktor Antonov,” says Fuad Kuliev, studio head at Eschatology Entertainment, in a press release. “From the earliest stages of development, I had the privilege of shaping this world together with Viktor: where ideas, themes, and concepts evolved through his talent into the world players will see today. Viktor's imagination and creative legacy have been a constant source of inspiration throughout development, and this game is the result of an incredible collaborative effort from our entire team to bring that vision to life. We are proud to share it with players around the world in partnership with our publisher, 4Divinity.”
Guns of Eschaton has no release window, but it’s coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Sony has announced it is removing hundreds of purchased movies and TV Shows by Studio Canal from players' digital libraries. This will begin September 1, with Sony citing seemingly expiring content licensing agreements as the reason.
You can view the full, lengthy list of content being removed from players’ PlayStation digital libraries by checking out Sony’s announcement post published on Friday, June 26, which succintly reads "From September 1, 2026, due to our content licensing agreements, you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from Studio Canal, and it will be removed from your video library." The news first attracted attention thanks to a social media post by user somatyk, who shared a message sent by the PlayStation Store to users notifying them that their purchased content would soon become unavailable.
PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED$7.535B 2025 profit, but Sony are quite happy to shaft their customers, given half the chance. pic.twitter.com/2QVpSJ7e9D
— somatyk (@somatyk) June 25, 2026Notable films listed include Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, From Dusk Till Dawn, Hot Fuzz, Inside Llewyn Davis, Moonrise Kingdom, Paddington 2, Pan’s Labyrinth, the first three First Blood/Rambo films, Sharknado, Silver Linings Playbook, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, This Is Spinal Tap, and Train to Busan. TV shows include American Gods, The Young Pope, and Trust Me.
The post makes no mention of refunds, so players will not be compensated for losing access to films/shows they paid for. PlayStation ceased the sale and rental of movies/TV shows in 2021, so while players have been unable to buy or rent such media for years now, they could still access previously purchased content. However, as noted by Video Games Chronicle, PlayStation’s End User Agreement, as with most digital storefronts, states that users purchase licenses to view content, which can be removed upon the expiry of licensing agreements.
A standalone sequel to Netflix’s hit Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was announced last summer, and now we have our best look yet at the upcoming series thanks to a new trailer. Netflix has also revealed a Fall premiere date.
The 10-episode Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 stars a brand-new cast and story. While it remains set in Night City (of course), it centers on four new faces: Weak Kingsley, D, Roman Carax, and Talia Yang. Netflix has provided official descriptions for each character (thanks, Video Games Chronicle).
Weak Kingsley was “Once known as ‘King,’ a veteran Edgerunner at the top of his game, Weak now lives in the shadow of his former glory.” D is a “Snake Nation netrunner who hunts the killer that wiped out his clan.” Talia Yang "hails from the Corpo towers, but her heart belongs to chrome and violence.” Lastly, Roman Carax is a “young cinephile in search of real stories in a city that abandoned cinema for braindances.”
Kai Ikarashi, director of the first Edgerunners, helms the sequel, along with returning lead designer Kanno Ichigo and Hugo Award winner Bartosz Sztybor as showrunner, story writer, and producer.
For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out our reviews of its base game and its Phantom Liberty expansion.
Arc Systems Works revealed a new team and characters for its upcoming tag team fighter Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls during Evo 2026 this weekend. One hero, one villain, and one fourth-wall-breaking mercenary are joining the fight.
Blade, Loki, and Deadpool are the latest additions to the roster. Blade relies on his Muramasa blade to slice apart foes while relying on guns and throwing knives to keep them at bay from afar. Loki bashes enemies using a flaming sword, a staff similar to the one that housed the Mind Stone in The Avengers, and likely plenty of other tricks. An Asgard stage has also been revealed alongside the trickster god. Lastly, Deadpool looks as wacky as he did in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, with a moveset bursting with a barrage of comedic chatter and fighting game references (including his own rendition of Mortal Kombat’s “Toasty!”). Deadpool is also voiced by Nolan North, who reprises the role after voicing the character in his eponymous 2013 game.
The three, along with the previously announced Ghost Rider, form a team called the Samurai Outriders in the game's narrative. They'll battle rival factions such as the Fighting Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Black Panther), the Knights of Doom (Doctor Doom, Magneto, Carnage, and Green Goblin), Unbreakable X-Men (Wolverine, Magik, Storm, and Danger), and the Amazing Guardians (Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Ms. Marvel, and Peni Parker).
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on August 6 for PlayStation 5 and PC.
Star Fox is back! And by that, of course, I mean the 1997 Nintendo 64 game is literally back. Who knows how long we will be waiting for a proper, new Star Fox, but you know what? The remake, simply titled Star Fox, is pretty dang good. Turns out doing a faithful remake of a great game, even an old one, usually works out pretty well.
That’s the big game release this week, but there is plenty of other stuff happening across the industry. Check out some stories below before diving into our weekend recommendations.
Grand Theft Auto VI has a price and pre-orders are openBungie is suffering huge layoffsThe Xbox Series X and S consoles are also getting another price increases in AugustOlivia Rodrigo is coming to FortniteCapcom also shared updates on upcoming games like Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Star Fox (2026)
Kyle Hilliard
I proudly proclaimed, "I don't want another remake of Star Fox 64! We have that at home," while pointing at my 3DS that has been dead for years and I don't know where the charger is. But then I got my hands on the 2026 Switch 2 remake of Star Fox 64 from Velan Studios and remembered, "Oh yeah. This game is very important to me. And also this remake is well done."
I don't know if this remake, released for the Switch 2 yesterday, will inspire a new generation of Star Fox fans. But for those like me who played the Nintendo 64 game repeatedly, it's a fun, nostalgic revisitation of a great game. The soundtrack is a particular highlight, but seeing every world with a 2026 coat of paint is also wonderful. And importantly, flying the Arwing feels right.
Also worth noting, a free demo for the game is available if you want to get a taste.
Read Game Informer's Star Fox 2026 Review
The Drifter
Kyle Hilliard
The Drifter was released on Steam in July of last year and is currently boasting "overwhelmingly positive" reviews; this week, it is available on both Switch and Switch 2. The game follows Mick Carter, who must solve a mystery surrounding his own death as his consciousness is repeatedly placed back into his body moments before he drowned in a reservoir by sci-fi soldiers. It's a classic point-and-click adventure game with wonderful pixelated visuals, but it is designed to be played with a controller. It has a unique control system that lets you interact with the environment and characters without mousing around the screen with a thumbstick.
I missed the game on Steam, though I thought it looked awesome at the time. Though I have not made it far into the Switch 2 version, I am enjoying its look, the ease of play, and the story. I have been reviewing a lot of twitchy games like Star Fox and others you will see on the site soon, so I am in the mood for something a little slower-paced and thoughtful. Maybe you are, too.
Rhythm Heaven Groove Demo
Kyle Hilliard
I am a big fan of the Rhythm Heaven series and reviewed both Fever and Megamix. I remember looking up pre-YouTube videos of the Japan-only Rhythm Heaven for Game Boy Advance (Rhythm Tengoku) on the computers at my college library and pantomiming the button presses to remove the onion’s beard thinking, “Man. I wish I could actually play this.”
Thankfully, you don't have to suffer like I did because there is a free demo featuring the first collection of rhythm minigames available to download on Switch, and I highly suggest you do. It's a game that is hard to appreciate in trailer form, as it is all about the feeling of "playing" music. And it's weird as hell.
Dark Scrolls
Marcus Stewart
The latest joint by Doinksoft, makers of fun, quirky titles like the Metroid 2-inspired Gato Roboto and action platformer Gunbrella, is back at it with this unexpectedly engrossing auto-scrolling action game. As one of three starting characters, you’ll blast through barrages of incoming enemies either as a wizard lobbing magic orbs, an axe-tossing barbarian, or a dagger-throwing rogue. Being forced to constantly move forward due to the auto-scrolling stages while dodging tricky enemy patterns makes survival challenging, especially since the run-based structure means starting from scratch after each failure.
However, unlocking various upgrades, such as imbuing weapons with elemental damage, faster attacks, or even shooting fire from your feet, helps extend runs. I wasn’t hot on Dark Scrolls during my first run; auto-scrollers don’t usually do it for me as a platforming fan. But after the third attempt, the hooks started to dig in. The itch to reach a castle at the end of the game, a path that splits along the way by fulfilling certain conditions, is real. I felt genuine excitement when I lasted longer than a previous run, and avoiding attacks while blowing away foes is satisfying. Thanks to its format, I’ve enjoyed fitting in a run or two of Dark Scrolls between bigger games and look forward to conquering my current roadblock: the second-level boss.
Tabletop Pick – Jungo
Matt Miller
For a fast-playing card game that can be slotted in after dinner, or between rounds of a more involved and bigger game, Happy Camper Games Jungo has become one of my go-to options. It's a hand-building game where you're trying to get rid of all your cards. The twist is that you can't rearrange the cards in your hand once they've entered it, creating novel challenges for how to get closer to victory. Additionally, you can only play cards that all have the same numerical value, and if the cards played depict a higher number or it's a larger number of cards than what is currently played onto the table. It's simple to grasp once you start in, and even inexperienced or younger players can grasp the concept, but more experienced players will love the unique structure and flow of play.
Dead Or Alive 6 Last Round
Brian Shea
When it originally launched in 2019, Dead or Alive 6 didn't exact rise to the top of our franchise ranking. While our 6.75 out of 10 review for the base version of the game was critical of the online suite and absolutely eviscerated the story, the core fighting mechanics remained strong, just as they have for much of the series. Dead or Alive 6 Last Round doesn't reinvent the story, but it does make this the best place to experience the sixth mainline entry of the long-running franchise, and the mission-driven DOA Quest mode is still as fun today as it was back then. Optimized for current-generation hardware, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round includes 29 characters, including 5 DLC fighters. On top of that, a free-to-play "Core Fighters" edition allows players to sample the package with limited offerings. If you've ever been curious about the Dead or Alive series or are just looking for a good excuse to jump back into the fight with Kasumi, Ryu Hayabusa, Ayane, and the rest of the roster, DOA6 Last Round seems like a decent starting point.
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Vancouver Release: June 19, 2026 Rating: Mature
Legendary boxer Marvin Hagler once said, “It’s difficult to get up and do roadwork at five in the morning when you’re sleeping in silk sheets.” While this refers to getting rich through combat sports and therefore losing the work ethic you once had, the notion could also be applied to EA Sports and its lack of competition. The Madden franchise, with its NFL exclusivity, has long drawn the ire of fans for a perceived lack of innovation due to its monopolization of the NFL video game space, and after spending many hours with EA Sports UFC 6, I’m starting to worry the same problem might have transposed to this franchise as well.
To be clear, the gameplay in UFC 6 is the best this franchise has seen. Thanks to new ways of differentiating the fighters, either via animations, movements, tendencies, or signature ways of attacking, EA Vancouver finally cracked the code on making combatants feel distinct. And those fighters largely look incredible; though your mileage will vary based on fighter popularity, the biggest stars’ likenesses are often dead-on in UFC 6. This permeates the experience, whether you’re playing a quick one-off fight in the game’s capable online suite or diving deeper into longer-tail modes.
UFC 6 carries forward the series’ pedigree of action-packed fights inside the cage; though grappling options are always available, in my experience, wrestling-heavy affairs are rare. That’s a good thing, as grappling continues to be a sore spot, straddling the line between being too cryptic and too mindless. Instead, fights often quickly develop into high-speed chess matches and violent car crashes. Thanks to improved blocking and more variance in striking, it pays to be strategic, particularly as you manage your stamina over the course of an extended bout. And thanks to an evident focus on approachability, anyone can ease into the action with optional features like slow-motion in-fight moments, beginner control schemes, and simplified grappling.
This entry also introduces a Flow State mechanic, which uses a charging meter and aims to emulate the feeling of a fighter being in the zone. Once you enter Flow State, activated with a push of the d-pad, the background noise fades away, and your fighter temporarily gains a performance boost. This addition effectively captures the momentum shift that can occur when everything starts clicking, but it also veers the action heavily to the arcade side of the fence.
However, like many UFC stars past and present, the in-Octagon performance isn’t the problem – it’s everything that happens outside of the fights. The M rating affords more blood in the cage, but it’s more often used to listen to (mostly) uncensored rap and nu metal songs on repeat in the poorly optimized menus. You still have access to all the modes of recent games; I enjoyed putting together my dream fight card, setting up a one-night tournament like the early days of the promotion, or pulling off fantasy matchups between two legends in their primes, but I’m always drawn to the longer-form experiences.
UFC 6 touts two distinct career modes, but unfortunately, both fall flat. The standard career mode features the same loop as past games: You sign to fight a specific opponent, then manage your week-by-week bandwidth by completing a combination of sparring and promotional activities. However, this quickly becomes repetitive, as you complete the same few activities multiple times per fight with a career spread across 30-plus fights. You can simulate some of the activities you’ve already completed, but you get fewer benefits, and with all the promotional activities simply being menu items you select, it doesn’t take long for the tedium to set in.
Even the new player-agency elements fall woefully short of expectations, giving you occasional binary choices that range from how you trash-talk to whether you want to fall for your coach’s get-rich-quick scheme. These feel inconsequential at best and outright annoying at worst; by the end of the first couple of years, I was hoping to change camps like in past games, but that is one area of player agency that’s missing. Normally, I’m glued to this mode with each new entry, but since I’ve played all previous UFC games, UFC 6’s career mode quickly gave me an unshakeable sensation of “been there, done that.”
It’s perhaps why I was so hopeful for The Legacy, a narrative-driven twist on career, where you take control of a fictional UFC prospect. This mode, with its M-rated story and promise of fights that spill outside of the Octagon, has a ton of potential, but once you get past the short, forgettable story, it’s just the standard career mode without your custom fighter. After seeing the story through to the end, you can continue playing career mode as the narrative’s protagonist, but I left The Legacy shortly after its narrative conclusion, likely never to return.
The one UFC 6 mode that impressed me is the Hall of Legends, a new interactive museum that highlights three current UFC fighters. Walking around a lovingly crafted museum themed after Max Holloway’s home of Hawaii or one that pays homage to Zhang Weili’s Chinese origin in third person delivers a cool immersive experience, giving you bite-sized documentaries of each fighter and tasking you with re-creating iconic moments from their careers in-game. It’s here that the dev team’s love of the sport really shines, but when there are only three fights to relive per fighter, and the documentary footage seems to be all repurposed from past UFC content, I was left wanting more.
Instead, the one area that feels completely excessive and largely unnecessary is perhaps the most baffling: The Gym. This area serves as a menu-based training system, where you navigate some of the laggiest and most unwieldy screens to assign trainers to fighters to arbitrarily unlock cosmetic items. It almost serves as a chart-your-own-path daily login bonus, with each new level for every fighter unlocking new items to equip, but it all feels so tiresome and unnecessary. In fact, the menus throughout the entire UFC 6 package are so laggy that they bring the menu-heavy experiences of The Gym and both career modes down in noticeable ways. In some cases, they’re so poorly optimized that the music even skips as the next screen loads.
UFC 6’s incremental gameplay improvements and bewildering stagnation fly in the face of the fact that it’s been three years since the last entry in the series. With annualized sports franchises, you almost expect iterative innovations year after year, but after such a long wait, I expected a bigger bump with UFC 6. The improved character models, graphics, and fighter distinctions are welcome improvements, but when almost everything else feels so familiar or inessential, I can’t help but wonder if EA Sports’ UFC franchise has experienced too much time uncontested at the top.
Score:
6.5
Somehow Star Fox returned. Yesterday. With the release of Velan Studios' remake of Star Fox 64 for Switch 2. And it's good! It is, expectedly, making us reflect on the larger Star Fox franchise. We originally published this list around the launch of Star Fox Zero back in 2016, but we've updated today with new games and have reconsidered our order.
You can check out our list below.
10
Star Fox Guard
Release Date: April 22, 2016 – Platform: Wii U
Its inclusion on this list is somewhat up for debate, as it shares little in common with any of the other Star Fox games in terms of mechanics, but it is called Star Fox and features Star Fox characters. It’s a bonus game included with Star Fox Zero and could also be purchased on the Wii U’s eShop, and there simply isn’t much there. The game stars Slippy and his uncle Grippy as they play tower defense with a series of turrets connected to security cameras. It’s a relatively shallow experience that can be skipped.
9
Star Fox 2
Release Date: September 29, 2017 – Platform: SNES Classic Edition
Nintendo can be a bizarre company, but the saga of Star Fox 2, its development, and eventual release, is arguably the strangest way Nintendo has ever released a video game. Following the success of the 1993 Star Fox, development on a sequel began fairly quickly. The game was reportedly 95 percent complete and nearly ready for release, but Nintendo decided to shelve the game and focus on the upcoming Star Fox 64. And it lived on that shelf for about 20 years until it was included in the SNES Classic Edition, the miniature Super Nintendo console that included a collection of beloved SNES games. And now the game is also available on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.
But how is the actual game, and how does it rank compared to the rest of the Star Fox series? Technically, it's a very impressive game considering it was being created right before the transition into widespread 3D gameplay, but playing it today feels dated even when you put yourself in the headspace of the potential timeframe it would have released. As a point of reference, the PlayStation would have already launched before Star Fox 2 was released. We are glad it was finally released and wasn't cursed to never officially exist.
8
Star Fox Zero
Release Date: April 22, 2016 – Platform: Wii U
Star Fox Zero is half remake of Star Fox 64 and half series reboot, but the pieces don’t quite fit together. There are moments where the awkward motion controls come together to create a compelling space-combat experience, but those moments are intermittent and difficult to consistently recreate. But even without the motion-control barrier, Zero often feels dated. It does fly closer to the true classic Star Fox experience fans want, however, than Star Fox Assault or Adventures’ entries in the franchise.
7
Star Fox: Assault
Release Date: February 15, 2005 – Platform: GameCube
Developed by Namco, Assault served as an almost-return-to-form Star Fox sequel after Star Fox Adventures. The game featured some on-rails Arwing sequences, but was pulled down drastically by its myriad on-foot segments. Those sections were hampered by loose controls, bad AI, and repetitive mission objectives. There was some fun to be found in the multiplayer, but overall, Assault ranks low in the Star Fox series.
6
Star Fox Command
Release Date: August 28, 2006 – Platform: DS
Directed by Dylan Cuthbert, who was instrumental in the creation of the original SNES Star Fox and its sort-of-cancelled sequel, Command is the Star Fox game that many often forget. It’s part strategy game, as you have to map out your Arwing's routes turn-by-turn, and part standard Star Fox shooter, as all the encounters play out like all-range-mode fights of other Star Fox titles. The game features a hefty amount of story, with Slippy preparing to get married, Peppy’s daughter Lucy making an appearance, and a struggling romance between Fox McCloud and Krystal from Star Fox Adventures. The game uses touch-screen controls for the action, which was an understandable barrier for some, but it’s the Star Fox game many skipped that’s worth a look.
5
Star Fox Adventures
Release Date: September 23, 2002 – Platform: GameCube
Star Fox Adventures started its life as a different game called Dinosaur Planet before Team Star Fox injected themselves into Rare’s reptilian adventure. The Arwing moments are few and far between, but the Adventures portion of the game is a solid experience that holds up today. It shares some commonalities with the puzzle-solving and exploration of Zelda and offers the closest look at these characters and their world that the series has ever offered.
4
Star Fox
Release Date: March 23, 1993 – Platform: Super Nintendo
Seeing the original today may not impress those who didn't grow up with it, but at the time of release, Star Fox was a mind-blowing powerhouse. No one knew the Super Nintendo was capable of rendering three-dimensional objects, but here was a whole game dedicated to the surprising technology. Today, the game’s framerate is laughable, often clocking in at the single digits, but it is still a highly playable and impressive game.
3
Star Fox 64 3D
Release Date: September 9, 2011 – Platform: 3DS
The 2011 3DS game, Star Fox 64 3D, is a remake of Star Fox 64, but it’s a good update that goes the extra mile to add new elements. The game received a complete visual overhaul, and its on-rails nature made it an excellent showcase of the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the fairly new-at-the-time 3DS handheld. The game also included the option to use motion controls, but those could thankfully be turned off at any time.
2
Star Fox 64
Release Date: June 30, 1997 – Platform: Nintendo 64
After a teased Star Fox 2 that disappeared, and rumors of a Star Fox for the doomed Virtual Boy, 1997 finally saw the release of a new Star Fox game four years after the original. The game came about a year after the launch of the Nintendo 64 and proved to be well worth the wait with no reliance on gimmicks (though it did come included with a Rumble Pak), great controls, realized personalities with full voice acting (a rarity for Nintendo 64), and plenty of surprises down each of its assorted paths. The game continues to be fun to replay today as it relies fully on what Star Fox does best.
1
Star Fox
Release Date: June 25, 2026 – Platform: Switch 2
Another remake of Star Fox 64 wasn't exactly what we wanted when Nintendo unexpectedly announced it was going to share some Star Fox news earlier this year. We also weren't sure what to do with the new look of the characters. But, we couldn't deny the power of Star Fox 64 when we finally got to play through the whole game.
Star Fox (2026) is a great remake of a great game, and the result is that we're happy to award it the number one spot on our Star Fox ranking list. When the re-orchestrated music kicks in while firing lasers that cast beautiful modern shadows against the giant spaceships that just can’t hit me, and the bad guys complain about how cool and good we are at flying a spaceship right before they blow up, we'd be lying if we said we weren't having a great, nostalgic time.
We're not including it on this ranking because, frankly, it is not a Star Fox game. But Starlink: Battle for Atlas is absolutely worth mentioning when it comes to discussing the Star Fox series. Playing the Switch version of the game contains much more than a Fox McCloud cameo – he is integrated into the game's story in a big way. And, the game also included a physical Arwing toy. It was the most exciting thing we had from Star Fox between the release of Star Fox Zero and the release of Star Fox (2026).
To learn about the assorted gimmicks that have invaded the Star Fox franchise, head here. For our review of Star Fox Zero, head here. For our review of Star Fox (2026), head here.
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 crash related to wearables leaking when weapons are dropped (community fix from Sean McGeehan)
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 crash related to KeyValuesFixed Mk.II Botkiller eyes not glowing in the dark (community fix from Whurrhurr)Fixed Halloween spell attribute text being grayed out during full moons (community fix from FrozenDragon)Fixed attachments on dropped weapons having broken textures for certain war paints and skins (community fix from Piogre)Fixed automatic "Control Point Lost" lines not playing (community fix from robbilookatme)Fixed spacing issues for item descriptions (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed many cases where Spy disguises were broken (community fix from Sean McGeehan)Fixed The Fancy Spellbook's large backpack icon not matching the small versionUpdated VScript to allow set damage for force calc (community fix from doclic)Updated the Snow Merc to count as an assister in the death noticeUpdated the prop for Taunt: Dead Mann's Drink to fix a problem with LODsUpdated the Die Regime-Panzerung to add a 'No Bullets' styleUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated the Mann of the HourRestored missing rim maskMade shapekeys for a few problematic face flexesReplaced incorrect normal mapAltered hair mesh to ensure compatibility with Voodoo-Cursed Scout SoulUpdated backpack icon to represent above changesUpdated koth_demolitionFixed some lighting issues with the pipes next to the control pointReplaced some textures in the radio roomsAdded a clipbrush on the radio rooms to avoid players getting stuck when going in the air (thanks Big Wiggy)Reworked the nobuild on the crane platform to allow Engineers to build on the concrete area (thanks Uncle Dane)Fixed a leftover prop being inside a wallFixed a texture in the jumppad using the wrong cubemapMade the catwalk behind the office building a bit biggerAdded a clipbrush to the pipes on the furnace rooms so players can climb up to the barrelsUpdated plr_hacksaw and plr_hacksaw_eventRemoved attic balconies overlooking the capture zoneMoved a small pickup location into the atticFixed clipping errorsUpdated cp_process_finalFixed various collision issues across the mapMost of these involved changing existing collision from player_clip to bullet_block to prevent splash damage from getting caught on small pieces of level geometry Some of these involved closing off open areas where explosions could vanishSome of these involved making collision areas more clear by including new geometry to better indicate what would collide and what wouldn'tIncreased skybox height across the map to be consistent with other 5CP mapsChanged the small prop pipes at last to be nonsolid, but still block stickiesPlayers should be able to cleanly walk and jump along these pipes without getting stuckAdditionally, rockets and other explosions should collide cleanly through the pipes so they don't block splash damageStickies will adhere to the pipes as expected, rather than clipping through and being hidden by the pipe modelChanged the level geometry around the large pipes on the ground near the last control point. They are now enclosed in glass and have a layer of bullet block so that collision is correct.Increased the height of numerous doors across the entire map. Players should be able to jump normally through the door without hitting their heads. Removed some rocks near the angled ramp at 2nd and replaced them with cratesAdded angled player clipping underneath some of the large awnings at middle to prevent players from getting stuck under the awnings Made exterior fences more consistent with the bounding of the levelChanged some metal textures to better match the mirrored symmetry of the levelAdded some additional detail behind the starting spawn roomCleaned up the displacements in the middle and second to better handle splash damage, and reduced the amount of grass poking through concreteReplaced some small pipes at the 2nd spire to make a more consistent platformMade many existing light props nonsolid to prevent movement issuesMost were already nonsolid, but this should make most props consistentUpdated cp_metalworksFixed various collision issues across the mapMost of these involved changing existing collision from player_clip to bullet_block to prevent splash damage from getting caught on small pieces of level geometryChanged the level geometry at last to have more consistent collisionWhile there are small gaps and holes in the windows/doors of the new bunker and the stack of wood/chickenwire, they are covered with bullet block to prevent collision issuesChanged the way shadows work on certain walls throughout the map to prevent shadows leaking throughRedesigned the second forward spawn for both teams. The spawn has now moved back and into a larger hut structure in the yard before the second control point. Increased the door size of the first forward spawnThe various small door brushes throughout the map have been turned into func_brushes and have had collision turned off so they don't catch splashMade adjustments to the truck ramp at middle. The ramp is now a displacement, which should catch splash damage correctly and allow player to walk up to the wall cleanly. Changed the collision around the very tall light poles throughout the map. Players should no longer get caught on them while in midair (but they still can't land on top of them). Fixed a section of displacement where players could get stuck in the groundSlight visual tweaks throughout the level
An update has been released for Left 4 Dead:- Fixed several exploits that could be used to crash servers or remote players.
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 client crash related to material proxiesFixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sounds in Mann vs. Machine not playing because of a typo in the volume (community fix from That Hat Guy)Fixed The Spy-cicle not using its icicle lightwarp (community fix from BreavyTF2)Updated material for cp_coldfront to fix compression issueUpdated the prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker to fix a missing materialUpdated koth_demolitionFixed a player clip on the helipad allowing players to stand outside the playable area (thanks Midnite)Fixed some player clip pixel walks on some doorsFixed a blockbullets floating above BLU spawn (thanks True_Boredom)
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 an issue where players could impersonate TF2 system messages by exploiting color control codesFixed a bug where certain custom maps would not load assets correctly on LinuxFixed some crashes relating to singleplayer TF2 SDK modsFixed a memory leak on long running servers related to dynamic modelsFixed client crash related to invalid D3D texture flagFixed hearing teleporter spin sound when carried (community fix from Brandon Little)Fixed objects sometimes using the incorrect activity when being placed (community fix from Brandon Little)Improved Medi Gun heal target selection to prioritize teammate directly under crosshair when teammates are close together (community fix from wget)Improved targetid selection to replicate Medi Gun heal target selection (community fix from wget)Added missing Steam Controller inputs for loadout menus (community fix from Ashetf2)Fixed 3D HUD using the incorrect animations while holding the PASS Time ball (community fix from gidi30)Fixed network state changes for player condition vars (community fix from ficool2)Fixed sentry rockets not sending the object_deflected game event when deflected (community fix from The Fatcat)Fixed Stat Clocks not drawing correctly in UI using playermodelpanel (community fix from rabscootle)Fixed flipped initial pitch/yaw on thirdperson switch (community fix from ficool2)Fixed Short Circuit projectile offset ignoring cl_flipviewmodels (community fix from birchish)Fixed Dragon's Fury fireballs having incorrect projectile path (community fix from wget)Fixed for mismatched cl_flipviewmodels values between client and server (community fix from birchish)Fixed cloak and rage meters being mispredicted (community fix from ficool2)Fixed prediction issues with Spy watches and cloak (community fix from ficool2)Fixed Casual doors player list sometimes using wrong size (community fix from nemmy)Fixed missing alpha mask for generator_01 (community fix from BreavyTF2)Fixed BuildingRescueLevel proxy overwriting TextureScroll on Rescue Ranger oscilloscope (community fix from Voids29)Fixed Botkiller team color bugs (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sound not playing because of a typo in the volumeRenamed sd_marshlands to htf_marshlands (hold the flag) to accurately describe its game modeUpdated the Festivizer model for The Overdose to fix a problem with the LODsUpdated the Mann of the Hour to make the hair blend better with the hat and Scout's skinUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated The Bare Necessities to fix not moving correctly while tauntingUpdated the rigging for The Headliner to fix the pocket and tie stretching during some taunts and default posesUpdated alpha channel for Hydro water texture to remove inconsistenciesUpdated the Case of the BluesUpdated rigging to fix intense stretching during taunt posesUpdated materials to look less flatUpdated the taunt prop for Taunt: HeartbreakerUpdated the materials to add ambient occlusionUpdated the phong and rim lighting to show albedo tintUpdated the materials to add more depthUpdated the model to fix missing facesUpdated the model to fix stretching on lower LODsUpdated pl_frontier_final to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)Updated cp_frostwatch to fix first point death pit being survivable with ÜberCharges on Stage 1Updated cp_manor_event to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)Updated koth_demolitionUpdated map lighting to make it more like a sunset, as well as giving it a more golden colorReplaced the models used for the capture point lights with a different one which has better collision and illuminationReworked the capture point platform to give it a stronger designReworked all the catwalks to give them a more stylized lookReworked the lighting in all the furnace rooms to make them less dark and have a more neutral lookReverted a previous change to the capture point team change steam whistleRemoved all ambient_generics near the furnaces and fire pipeReworked the soundscapes to make them more efficient and work properlyReworked the control room of the crane to give it a better designReworked some ropes from the crane to give them a better lookFixed some props fading out incorrectlyFixed ships in the 3d skybox casting shadowsFixed cubemaps missing on parts of the mapFixed reflective surfaces not having a cubemap attached to themAdded a 128x128 cubemap on the control point so it is more reflective (thanks Zythe)Improved water cubemapsRestructured the spawn platform so players spawn looking at the shortcut, and don't need to pull a U-turn to exit spawn (thanks Lizard of Oz)Improved the visuals on the spawn platform to fit the previous changeFixed a blockbullets allowing players to stand on the exterior side of the helipads (thanks Yazoo)
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 Team Recognition Unusual effect to fix a console warningUpdated The Fists of Steel to use the RED team version for the backpack imageUpdated backpack images for Festivized versions of The Killing Gloves of Boxing, The Gloves of Running Urgently, The Apoco-Fists, and The Fists of SteelUpdated 2koth_abbey to fix the Engineer being able to build in the respawn room raftersUpdated cppl_gavleSignificant optimization pass, especially around the first pointFixed a large number of small visual issuesFixed some clipping issues/ bugs around the mapUpdated pd_nutcrackerFixed out of bound exploit at BLU spawnAdjusted clipping outside of RED spawnFixed misaligned fence prop in BLU loungeAdded nobuild to middle route on both sidesRemoved steps from Pipe rooms and adjusted clippingMinor detailing and clipping adjustmentsFixed Nutcracker voice being cut off at start of round
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 smoke effect to the Scrooge McCrocketFixed prediction error when crouch jumping (community fix from ficool2)Updated the Snow Dome Unusual effect to decrease brightness and opacity of the glass and floor texturesUpdated the Festive Fleece to fix LOD issuesUpdated the Puncher's Polar Puffer to fix some skinning issuesUpdated The Conscientious Objector to fix missing material parameters (community fix from Lindon)Updated koth_winter_ridge to fix a collision error with projectiles on the dead tree at midUpdated 2koth_abbeyFixed small gaps in doorways outside of spawnUpdated tall crates to add nobuild triggers and make it more obvious they cannot be stood onUpdated clipping in the riverFixed Snipers wearing the Razorback being immune to freezing
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 minor z-fighting issue with the Wrap Assassin FestivizerFixed the Taunt: The Critical Fail ending at the incorrect time for the MedicUpdated the Hard Carry Unusual effect to fix detachment issues when using the "adjust unusual" sliderUpdated the Scorching Sensation and Burning Sensation Unusual effects to improve visibility in bright areasUpdated the Team Recognition Unusual effect to fix a problem with the parent-child particle systemUpdated the Frostfire, Spectrum Inferno, and Chromatic Blaze Unusual effects to fix issues with the trail and brightnessUpdated the Cryogenic Unusual effect to fix obscuring parts of the charactersUpdated the Air Head to fix a problem with mipmappingUpdated 2koth_abbeyFixed broken cliff displacementsSwapped expensive water for cheap water to improve FPSVarious fixes and improvementsUpdated plr_matterhornFixed hole in spawn barrier (thanks Ctena!)Fixed a desync issue with lifts (thanks Skin King!)Disabled team swap on new roundClipping improvementsBread optimization
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:Happy Smissmas 2025!All players who play TF2 during the event will receive a Stuffed Stocking as a gift! Stockings contain goodies for good little Mercenaries.Featuring 6 new community maps: Nutcracker, Sidewinder, Abbey, Winter Ridge, Matterhorn, and Gavle (pronounced yeah-vleh)Added the Winter 2025 Cosmetic CaseContains 23 new community-contributed itemsThe Festivizer can be found as a bonus drop when opening the caseAdded 3 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. StoreTaunt: The Critical FailTaunt: Dead Mann's DrinkTaunt: ChairholderAdded 20 new community-created Unusual effects11 new effects for Unusual hats9 new effects for Unusual tauntsAdded lots of weapons to the list that can be Festivized (community-created changes!)Added community-created Smissmas material for the beach ballAll cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Smissmas 2025 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include crates.Mann Co. Store winter sale!Smissmas runs through January 7th, 2026GeneralAdded 'No Bullets' style for The Gift BringerFixed The Accursed Apparition hiding the Scout's headphonesUpdated the Sizzling Aroma and Toxic Aroma Unusual effects to fix problems with DirectX80Updated the Backbiter's Billycock backpack icon to reflect RED team versionUpdated the El Gigante's Gunbelt to fix a problem with the LODsUpdated the Seamann's Stubble to fix an issue with the materialsUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated cp_cowerhouseUpdated some custom props with further optimizationsAdded playerclip "ladder" to both trucks' rear bed to make climbing more consistent/predictableUpdated ctf_doublecross_eventFixed out of bounds bug (Thanks Dr.TwentyTwo!)Fixed a few minor visual glitchesUpdated cp_gravelpit_snowyAdded a screenshake effect to the laser gun finaleAdjusted holiday events to reduce edict countFixed model panels not encoding pose parameter values (community fix from copperpixel)Fixed Halloween spell projectiles not adjusting to flipped view models (community fix from copperpixel)Network player's handedness preference to spectators (community fix from copperpixel)Fixed Ullapool Caber explosions not counting as melee kills and ignoring damage/radius attributes (community fix from Bitl)Fixed disposable sentries playing denial sound for useful wrench hits (community fix from AJMickey)Fixed Armageddon Pyro taunt not properly cleaning up all particle systems (community fix from Churkinator)Fixed logo spinner from breaking after prolonged rotation (community fix from Horiuchi)Fixed Minigun not spinning, or spinning very slowly, outside of first-person (community fix from wget)Fixed broken view model after switching from the Medi Gun while healing someone (community fix from Vlad)Allow server admins to change powerup mode convars without forcing cheats to be enabled (community fix from Pieter Bijl)Replaced bitwise or operator in CHealthAmmoKit (community fix from CosminPerRam)Fixed MoveableSubPanel showing in Sentry targetID panel while dead (community fix from Horiuchi)Fixed tracer rounds from rifles not being affected by cl_flipviewmodels (community fix from birchish)Fixed Pyrovision nullifying other voice pitch attributes (community fix from LizardOfOz)Fixed being able to throw the Gas Passer through walls (community fix from Bakugo)Fixed IncrementAmmo removing ammo if m_iClip1 was already at Max capacity (community fix from kingofings)Added TF-specific search path tags to TF mod gameinfo (community fix from Thomas Kain)Fixed view punch not being interpolated (community fix from ficool2)Fixed disguise_on_backstab not functioning for stab targets that become ghosts (community fix from FlaminSarge)Fixed chat input using chat_party instead of chat_say_party (community fix from gaelcoral)Fixed overlapping footstep sound when in the third person view (community fix from TheNotoriousFrogposter)Ensure no buffer overflows when sscanf to char buffer (community fix from Dmitry Tsarevich)Fixed players sometimes getting stuck in team unassigned when joining a server (community fix from Bakugo)Fixed sentry gun not performing rocket fire animation when Wrangler controlled (community fix from Horiuchi)Allow impulse 101 on The Ullapool Caber (community fix from alvei)Fixed disguise kit resetting multiple times in high ping situations (community fix from nosoop)Fixed Detonator jumps not being considered self-dmg jumps (community fix from mastercoms)Fixed Detonator making world-detonation sound when attempting to fire underwater (community fix from FlaminSarge)Removed knockback-attribute-specific animation overrides for CTFScattergun (community fix from FlaminSarge)Fixed net_graph not rounding interp to nearest tick (community fix from treacherousfiend)Fixed broken class select animation for The Soda Popper (community fix from Piogre)Fixed $envmap parameter using the wrong mask for The Solemn Vow (community fix from Churkinator)Fixed barbell prop not using phong (community fix from Churkinator)Fixed the Kill-a-Watt and Terror-Watt Unusual effects sometimes stretching (community fix from Ronald_D_D)Fixed Disco Beat Down Unusual effect growing in size when viewed from large distances (community fix from Ron Friedman)Fixed MatchMakingTooltip label using the wrong alignment setting (community fix from Squid-Eevee)Fixed training mode HIT! material alpha channel (community fix from DiskIntegrity)Fixed Bear Necessities not using its normal map (community fix from Churkinator)Fixed prediction errors with modified player gravity (community fix from ficool2)Fixed render box of tf_flame_manager using wrong vectors (community fix from by Hamn)Updated the Energy Orb Unusual effect (community fix from Cipherlock)Fixed particles being orphaned Fixed Medi Gun view model using the third-person particles
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:Reverted recent Thermal Thruster change