Gaming News

Power Rangers Return in Live-Action Trailer for Next Fortnite Season

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will take center stage in Fortnite's next season, a new trailer with live-action throwback vibes has revealed. Shock 'N Awesome, the game's next major season, launches this week on August 7 and sees the Fortnite battle royale Island overtaken by bugs. (These crawled out of a tentacle left over by a giant kraken-like creature defeated by Superman in last weekend's live event, but you don't really need to know that.) Today's trailer shows various Fortnite heroes being overwhelmed by the intrepid insects in dramatic fashion, until the Power Rangers turn up and save the day. Or, until a really big bug arrives, and then the Dino Megazord turns up to really save the day. A description for the trailer...

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Here's Everything We Know So Far About Phasmophobia's Terrifying New Map, Nell's Diner

Phasmophobia developer Kinetic has finally lifted the veil on its next small map — and it's a diner. Nell's Diner is described as a run-down, retro restaurant complete with a "classic diner counter, comfy booths, and a kitchen preparing some less-than-savoury encounters." Apparently, every meal at Nell’s "is an (un)happy meal." While we don't have a release as yet — yep, I'm sad about it, too — Phasmo's 14th map has been confirmed as a "small" venue "with its size akin to the game’s houses. This'll be excellent news for smaller teams who struggle to get much done on big maps like Brownstone High School or the Sunny Meadows Mental Institution. That's not all, of course; the long-awaited rework of Grafton Farmhouse is also set to...

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Nintendo Announces Indie World Showcase for This Week, and Hollow Knight: Silksong Fans Have Hope Once Again

Hollow Knight: Silksong is an indie game, right? Perhaps, then, we’ll see it at this week’s Indie World Showcase, just announced by Nintendo. The new Indie World Showcase is set for this Thursday, August 7 at 6am PT / 2pm UK time, Nintendo announced. Expect 15 minutes of new announcements and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and the OG Nintendo Switch. The showcase comes hot on the heels of last month's Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, which Silksong’s infamous fanbase struggled to cope with after yet another no-show. Perhaps now, with Silksong confirmed to be playable at Microsoft’s Xbox booth at gamescom later this month, and indeed at an Australian museum in September, now is the time for a release date, Of...

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Microsoft Announces Xbox Game Pass August 2025 Wave 1 Lineup

Microsoft has announced Wave 1 of the Xbox Game Pass August 2025 lineup, which includes Assassin's Creed Mirage, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Citizen Sleeper 2, and more. As revealed in a post on Xbox Wire, out today, August 5, is Rain World (Cloud, Console, and PC) across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. It's a cute-looking indie adventure where you play as a nomadic slugcat, which looks less terrifying than you'd think. Tomorrow, August 6, brings a quartet of games to Game Pass Standard subscribers, including dice-based RPG Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, wintry downhill racer Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, MechWarrior 5: Clans and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap — all for Xbox Series X/S. This month's headline...

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'Nobody Knows What a Soulslike Is' — Silent Hill f Sparks Heated Debate Within the Fandom

As Silent Hill f fans pore over the slew of previews that went live recently (you can read ours right here), two questions are consistently popping up on social media and fan communities: is the latest mainline Silent Hill really a 'Soulslike' game? And if it is, what does the term 'Soulslike' even mean anyway? As we described in IGN's Silent Hill f hands-on preview, combat itself has a similar feel to Silent Hill 2 Remake’s close-range combat. You can dodge enemy attacks with the DualSense’s circle button and activate a light and heavy attack with R1 and R2, respectively. Your limited reach and lengthy attack motions give a realistic, weighty feel to combat. Heavy attacks, especially, feel slow and need to be timed well, "contributing...

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FC 26 Developer EA Sports Actually Visited Content Creators' Homes to Test Their Internet Connections and Uncover the Real Reasons for Input Delay

If you’ve played FC 25 online, then chances are you will have encountered input delay, that fraction of a second between pressing the button and a pass or shot on screen being performed, which can often be the difference between a win and a loss. Just like any twitch FPS or frame-perfect fighting game, EA’s football simulation relies on the actions being performed by its characters feeling as responsive as possible in order for the playing field to feel fair. The developer knows this, and so has put an extensive amount of research into solving this often-vocalised concern among the Ultimate Team community ahead of FC 26’s launch. “We really needed to understand the root of the problem”, senior producer Sam Rivera told IGN. “We worked...

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Epic Games Boss Tim Sweeney Blasts 'BS' Report Suggesting Fortnite's Mysterious Disney Mode Hampered by Slow Decision-Making

Tim Sweeney, boss of Epic Games, has denied claims published by The Wall Street Journal of frustration within the company regarding its working relationship with Disney. Yesterday, a WSJ report offered fresh detail on Fortnite's mysterious upcoming Disney mode, developed following the latter's $1.5bn investment in Epic Games. The offering won't launch until "fall 2026 at the earliest," the report stated, with some Epic executives complaining about "the slow pace of the decision-making at Disney, with signoffs needed from so many different divisions." It's this claim that Sweeney has now refuted, via a post on social media that brands the suggestion as "BS." "The anonymous quote is BS," Sweeney wrote. "The speed of Disney and Epic...

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9 Kings Mini-Review: A Strategy Kingdom Builder With A Royal Touch

Kingdom builders are often notorious for taking an immense amount of time to play, requiring not only sharp strategic thinking but also meticulous resource management and a keen understanding of logistics. In short, they tend to be demanding experiences. However, that doesn’t always have to be the case. 9 Kings takes the familiar mechanics of a traditional kingdom builder and streamlines them dramatically, offering a more approachable entry point while still rewarding players who think carefully about creating effective synergies. Every game begins with just nine squares to develop and a set of buildings you can place on each one. After every battle, you’re allowed to pick a new card to add to your deck, sometimes expanding your...

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Dragon Is Dead Mini-Review: An Enjoyable And Fairly Forgiving Roguelike

Roguelike games come in all sorts of flavours and difficulty levels. While many lean toward the punishing end of the spectrum, every now and then, you come across one that lets you sidestep some of that challenge with a bit of time and effort. Dragon Is Dead fits firmly into that camp. While certain items are unique to each run, your core equipment carries over, giving you a sense of steady progression no matter how many times you dive back in. This means that if you stumble upon a legendary sword that tweaks one of your skills in a wild way – like hurling ice axes or calling down meteor showers – you get to keep it for as long as you like. Builds are crucial here, and legendary items in particular are game-changers. While regular...

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Battlefield 6 Producer Admits 2042 Was 'Missing' The 'Excellence' Of Predecessor Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Battlefield 6 producer Jeremy Chubb says fan-favorite Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was a "huge inspiration" for developing the shooter's upcoming instalment. In an interview with PC Gamer, Chubb identified Bad Company 2 as "excellence in [Battlefield's] legacy," and admitted prior instalment, Battlefield 2042, "was kind of missing" some of the destructive elements that the series is famous for. "When you look for excellence in our legacy, [Bad Company 2] is where you find it," Chubb said. "That game particularly delivered on a level of fidelity and a sort of intimate destructive experience. Blasting out a single wall, bringing down a partial building, or entire buildings. It was comprehensive, and it felt like the identity of that game...

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AU Deals: Massive Multi-Platform Savings Land with Gold, Gothic, and Karting Glory

Welcome back to yet another bargain hunt, friends. There’s no better way to recover from a weekend wallet blast than by diving headfirst into another one. I’ve been trawling through the digital bins again and, honestly, it’s a banger week if your console of choice begins with an N, S, X, or P. Below you’ll find a handful of my personal favourites across all platforms, cherry-picked for your backlog-growing pleasure. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm celebrating the 31st birthday of Earthworm Jim, a run 'n' gun platformer that's as iconic as it was bizarre. I can vividly recall being blown away by its slick character animations, as they were on par with the high [Agra]ba[h]r set by Disney's Aladdin from the year previous. Better...

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Silent Hill f Is Combat Heavy Because 'Challenging Action Games Are Gaining Popularity Among Younger Players Nowadays'

We've already heard a lot about how Silent Hill f hopes to set itself apart from its predecessors, particularly by honing in on its Japanese roots. But it's also hoping to stand out to avoid "clone" comparisons to Silent Hill 2, and appeal to younger players by racheting up the combat. Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto and Silent Hill f director Al Yang have been making the rounds just recently, and an interview has popped up at Game*Spark. Okamoto discussed that whilst his aims for the remake of Silent Hill 2 were to respect the source material, for f, he's interested in "more entertaining and thrilling action." "Inserting more entertaining and thrilling action into Silent Hill f was an idea I had ever since the early phases...

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Microsoft Celebrates Rare's 40th Anniversary With a Limited Edition Controller and a Sea of Thieves Virtual Hat, Weeks After Everwild Cancellation

Microsoft will sell a special edition Xbox controller to mark the 40th anniversary of legendary development studio Rare, just weeks after the company announced significant layoffs and the cancellation of the studio's long-awaited next project Everwild. Also available today to mark the occasion is a Sea of Thieves Ruby Hat, which you'll need to redeem via the Microsoft Rewards app. The offerings come at an uncertain time for the studio, which now looks to be doubling down on Sea of Thieves, its live-service pirate game launched back in 2018. Gregg Mayles, the veteran Rare designer and director, reportedly departed the studio following the end of Everwild, as did producer Louise O'Connor. Founded in 1985, British development studio...

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Call of Duty QA Workers Win First Union Contract With Microsoft After 3 Years

Quality assurance workers at Raven Software, one of the developers of Call of Duty, have officially ratified their first union contract with Microsoft three years after they first unionized. In a press release, the union shared several highlights of the new contract, including a guaranteed 10% wage increase over two years plus additional raises through merit and promotions, significant restrictions on mandatory overtime, layoff protections, expanded disability accommodations, and more. “After more than three years of organizing and bargaining, seeing it finally pay off feels incredible,” said bargaining committee member and QA tester Erin Hall in a statement. “From day one, we made it a priority to include every voice in the room...

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As Baldur's Gate 3 Turns 2, Larian Boss Swen Vincke Talks About the Studio's Next Game and Asks Fans for Their Patience: 'We'll Need a Bit of Time to

Baldur’s Gate 3 is two years old, and to celebrate Larian boss Swen Vincke has briefly discussed how its enormous success paved the way for the studio to work on its hotly anticipated next game. But don’t hold your breath for a reveal: Vincke called on fans to be patient as Larian "need a bit of time to make it all work." Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 was a breakout hit in 2023, dominating online conversation and setting sales records. Its wild success was a game-changer for Larian, and it has continued to perform strongly in the two years since launch, with mods helping to fuel seemingly never-ending interest in the RPG, especially on Steam. Vincke told IGN in September 2024 that the success of Baldur’s Gate 3...

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Fatal Fury Pro's Dramatic Reaction to Losing at EVO 2025 Goes Viral — but It Was Actually 10 Years in the Making

One pro fighting game player's reaction to losing at Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was so dramatic that it's going viral on social media and already showing signs of becoming a meme. If you’ve been looking at game-related sections of social media today, chances are you have stumbled across a picture or clip of Japanese player Kazuyuki 'Kojikog' Koji, mouth open in a scream and clutching his head, while fellow player Goichi "GO1" Kishida looks on with a mixture of concern and bemusement. A couple of stills were even shared by EVO2025’s official X account. The player in question is KojiKOG, an esports pro from Japan who mainly specializes in fighting games like Street Fighter, the King of Fighters and Guilty Gear. This weekend, he...

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Dynasty Warriors: Origins Set for ‘Large-Scale’ DLC, Koei Tecmo Announces Mystery Remaster of a ‘Classic Series Title’

Koei Tecmo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Dynasty Warriors series with a number of announcements. Chief among them is confirmation of a “large-scale” DLC coming to Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and a mystery remaster of a “classic series title.” That’s all we have for now. Koei Tecmo said further updates regarding upcoming games and special anniversary events will be gradually announced on the new website. Dynasty Warriors is a tactical action series of games that spans over 20 years and has shipped over 21 million units worldwide. Traditionally, players take on the role of officers from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms while battling through hordes of soldiers in 1 vs. 1,000 gameplay. The latest game is the aforementioned...

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What's the Point of Skyblivion — the Fan-Made Recreation of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion — When Bethesda's Official Remaster Already Exists? The Mod

Skyblivion — the upcoming fan remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion made by the TESRenewal volunteer modding group — has just dropped its first update since the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in April, confirming the fan-made project will still release later this year. Skyblivion uses Bethesda's Creation Engine to recreate Oblivion in the game's sequel, Skyrim. The project has technically been in the works for over a decade, beginning as a simple direct port and later expanding to a full remake with a number of improved features and even new content. IGN even interviewed one of the developers behind it back in 2021. Bethesda and the Skyblivion team have reportedly been on "very good terms," but as rumors of an...

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Tekken 8 Reveals Armor King Gameplay and Its First Original DLC Character: Miary Zo From Madagascar

Bandai Namco has revealed a first look at the upcoming Tekken 8 DLC character Armor King, and announced a brand new character. At the Evo fighting game tournament, fans got an in-depth look at Armor King, the next DLC character coming to the game, in an all-new gameplay trailer, below. Armor King hits Tekken 8 on October 16, with 72-hour early access for Season 2 Character & Stage Pass and Season 2 Character Pass holders beginning 13 October. The trailer also revealed the final DLC character for Season 2, introducing new fighter Miary Zo. Hailing from Madagascar, Miary Zo joins the roster in Winter 2025 as the first original DLC character for Tekken 8. The Winter DLC also includes a new stage set in Miary Zo’s home country. Here’s...

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Everything You Need To Know About Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Arguably one of the most requested and highly anticipated remakes of all time, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a balanced reimagining of 2004’s seminal stealth adventure epic that looks set to bring one of developer Hideo Kojima’s finest moments kicking and screaming into the present day. Put simply, if you’re a fan of the Metal Gear Solid series or the stealth genre more broadly, then Konami absolutely has your back with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Be sure to keep this guide in your favourites and bookmarks as we cover everything you need to know about Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, including the release date, pre-order bonuses, special editions, gameplay details, latest trailer, PC specifications and more...

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Stellar Blade Developer Drops Update 1.3.0 — Here's What's New

Shift Up has updated both the PlayStation 5 and the PC versions of Stellar Blade, addressing numerous bugs and glitches. There's not really much here to keep you playing if you've already completed it — there's no additional story content or costumes, for example — but the update does address a number of bugs and issues, including problems with the Photo Mode, dialogue, keyboard inputs, and missing hair and weapons. Here's what's new: Stellar Blade Update 1.3.0 Patch Notes Improved Photo Mode so that when selecting a logo, the logo control indicator is now displayed. Fixed an issue where players were unable to exit the shop after purchasing the 'Polarized Sunglasses' from Clyde’s shop. Fixed an issue where Eve’s hair would not...

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Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls PS5 Closed Beta Ends 2 Days Before 2XKO's Closed Beta Starts

Hotly anticipated fighting game Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches a PlayStation 5-exclusive closed beta September 5-7, which ends just two days before the closed beta for Riot’s upcoming League of Legends fighting game 2XKO starts on PC. Developed by Guilty Gear maker Arc System Works, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a 4v4 Marvel fighting game published by Sony on PS5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store at some point in 2026. It includes iconic Marvel heroes and villains such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) – each with Arc’s unique twist on their character designs and gameplay styles. The Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed beta includes...

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Deals I Found That Slap Harder Than a Blue Shell: Battlefield 6, Mafia Old Country, and Persona Savings!

I’ve played more games than I’ve had hot dinners, and let me tell you, some titles just hit different when they’re dirt cheap. There’s a fine line between backlog and hoarding, but this week’s sale lineup makes a compelling case for ignoring both. Whether you’re keen to pilot a mech, solve murders with a finger point, or just make a town of peasants mildly unhappy, there’s something here worth carting. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m lighting an 8-candle cake baked for Persona 5 using a fiery All-Out Attack. Back in 2017, this stylish slice of turn-based rebellion turned every battle into a graphic design masterclass, and every dungeon crawl into a psychological jailbreak. It wasn’t just an RPG. It was a velvet-lined call to...

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Guilty Gear Strive DLC Character Lucy From Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Can Quickhack Like She’s in Cyberpunk 2077 — Here’s How It Looks in Gameplay

At the Evo 2025 fighting game tournament, Guilty Gear Strive developer Arc System Works revealed a first look at Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and confirmed an August 21 release date for the DLC guest character. Lucy is the final playable character from Strive’s Season Pass 4, and is lifted from the hugely popular Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Netflix anime that followed the release of CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077. And anyone who’s played the game will instantly recognize the hacking mechanic we see in the gameplay trailer, below. Time pauses as Lucy selects from a number of Quickhacks, such as Algorithm Malfunction, Optics Inhibition, and Energy Siphon, using Cyberdeck Ram in the same limited fashion you do in Cyberpunk 2077. We then...

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Of Course Omni-Man Is a Playable Character in Invincible VS — Here’s Our First Look at Gameplay, and Some Info on How He Works

Invincible supervillain Omni-Man is a playable character in fighting game Invincible VS. The announcement came as part of the EVO tournament alongside a first look at gameplay. Invincible VS is the upcoming 3v3 tag fighting game set in the Invincible universe. It’s developed by Skybound Entertainment’s first in-house game studio, Quarter Up, and already has a number of confirmed playable characters, including Mark Grayson (Invincible), Atom Eve, Thula, Bulletproof, Rex Splode, and Battle Beast. Now we can add Omni-Man to the list. Here’s the official blurb on Omni-Man: Of course, this isn’t Omni-Man’s first foray into the world of fighting games. He was a popular guest character in the equally gory Mortal Kombat 1, which included...

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The Best Deals Today: Elden Ring Nightreign, Razer BlackShark V2 X Headset, and More

We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, August 3, below, so don't miss out on these limited-time offers. Elden Ring Nightreign Deluxe Edition for $39.49 Elden Ring Nightreign is a great time with friends, and you can save on the Deluxe Edition of the game this weekend at Amazon. This edition of the game includes additional DLC content, featuring additional playable characters and bosses, in addition to a digital artbook and mini soundtrack. Bandai Namco has continued to release new content for Nightreign, so this is a great time to jump in. M4 MacBook Air for $799 This weekend at Amazon, you can save $200 off an M4 MacBook Air. This 13-inch model includes 16GB of Unified Memory and 256GB of SSD storage, making it ideal for...

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Hollow Knight: Silksong - The Story Behind the Insanely Long Wait For a Game We Demoed in 2019

It’s become the new normal, unfortunately, to wait years for a follow-up to our favorite games. While the realities of modern game development mean studios are working harder than ever to meet ever-higher standards, that hasn’t stopped projects like Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6, Valve’s Half-Life 3, and especially Team Cherry’s Silksong from becoming the unwitting faces of the industry’s lengthening timelines. That last one is surprising because when it was first announced, it didn’t seem like the sequel to Hollow Knight was all that far away. Months turned into years, and until very recently, it felt like we were no closer to Silksong than we were in 2019, back when we played a hands-on demo of the mystical sequel. In the years...

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Darksiders 4 Announced With Teaser Trailer, Continues Where the Original Darksiders Game Left Off

Darksiders 4 is coming from developer Gunfire Games. We have a teaser trailer, below, revealed as part of publisher THQ Nordic's 2025 showcase event, as well as some high level gameplay details. Darksiders 4, like the previous entries in the series, is a third-person action adventure game featuring combat, traversal, and puzzle solving in a “lore rich” post-apocalyptic world. You play as one of the legendary Horsemen, each with their own unique weapons and combat styles. The “cinematic” combat is described as “fast-paced, visceral action blending melee, fluid traversal, and supernatural abilities.” The only story detail we have is that Darksiders 4 continues the saga of the Four Horsemen and picks up where the original Darksiders...

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Every New Nintendo Switch 2 Game Releasing in August 2025

August is here, and while Nintendo Switch 2 owners are still blitzing through Donkey Kong: Bananza, the latest Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase gave us a better look at third-party titles coming in 2025 and beyond. Without DK, August is a tad quieter, but still features a Nintendo first-party exclusive in Drag x Drive, the first Madden game on a Nintendo system in years, and the return of Kirby. Here are our picks, as well as a little peek into September’s earliest releases. Haven't picked up a console yet? The Pokémon Legends Z-A bundle is available now, or the console is in stock at Target with Mario Kart World. Switch 2 Games in August 2025 - At a Glance EA Sports Madden NFL 26 - August 11 Drag x Drive - August 14 Story of...

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PSA: Octopath Traveler 0 on Nintendo Switch 2 Is a Game-Key Card Only

Following the announcement of Octopath Traveler 0 during yesterday's Nintendo Partner Direct, some fans are seeing their excitement turning into irritation upon hearing the news that the Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition of the game is just a Game-Key Card, and not an actual physical game copy. This information comes from the various listings of the game across sales platforms including Amazon, Best Buy, and Square Enix's own website. All Nintendo Switch 2 editions of the game show the "Game-Key Card" indicator on the bottom of the box art, rather than a full box indicating a physical edition. Even the game's $230 Collector's Edition is a Game-Key Card on Nintendo Switch 2, but a physical edition for all other versions. The Nintendo...

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