Building a Trusted Gaming Future: How Security Powers Fair Play
Xbox Platform and Windows Security Team
With the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it’s a timely reminder of the responsibility we share to uphold the integrity of play. We put together this guide on the latest security features and actions players can take to make sure they’re ready to jump into Call of Duty today.
We’re focused on creating environments where competition thrives. At the heart of every great game is a simple promise: everyone deserves an equal shot at victory. Cheating breaks that promise, undermining the excitement and integrity of the experience for players and developers alike. Through close collaboration with game developers, anti-cheat technology providers, and players, we’re committed to protecting fair play and ensuring everyone can enjoy a level playing field.
Why Security Features Matter for Fair Play
Cheat software isn’t like traditional malware that sneaks in unnoticed; it’s installed and run by players who deliberately disable and circumvent built-in protections to gain an unfair edge. That’s why Microsoft’s security features alone can’t stop cheating if someone turns them off. The real value comes when these protections stay enabled by all – they create a trusted state that developers can count on. Using that state, developers can better safeguard their games and their players, by reliably distinguishing systems that are more likely to have cheaters vs. systems that are configured for trust and security.
Cheating has grown increasingly sophisticated, moving from simple memory hacks to exploits that try to compromise a system before it even verifies your PC is in a trusted state through the hardware and Windows boot process. While most modern PCs include essential security features for gaming, Windows 11 takes protection a step further with advanced defenses tailored for players and developers. Working closely with hardware providers and anti-cheat providers, we have established a set of standards for hardware and software security, creating a root of trust. These technologies work together to make your PC ready for gaming, making it harder for cheats to take hold:
Trusted Platform Module (TPM)2.0: Creates a modern, hardware-based secure key storage and root of trust, from which the system and Windows can generate information that can be trusted with cryptographic keys.
Secure Boot: Ensures only trusted software loads during the boot process. So, when it is enabled, developers can have confidence that cheats weren’t inserted into the system early to evade detection by the anti-cheat providers. Plus, it extends the root of trust from the TPM all the way through the hardware initialization process to the time that Windows begins to boot.
Virtualization-based Security (VBS): Provides another layer of protection, strengthening security by creating a secure, isolated environment within your system where it is difficult to run unauthorized code that could interfere with your game or anti-cheat software. Like secure boot, when it is enabled, developers can have greater certainty that cheats are not interfering with fair game play.
Remote Attestation: Provides a well-documented and industry wide approach for remotely validating every important step of both the hardware and Windows boot process by leveraging the TPM and creating cryptographically secure evidence that verifies your PC in a trusted state as it initializes and boots into Windows.
These same technologies sit at the heart of Xbox console security, a proven and trusted model, and we’re excited to see anti-cheat providers leveraging them on Windows 11 today.
How You Can Help Game Developers Build Trusted Communities
We’re working with partners to build the tools and standards that make gaming safer, but players have an important role too. By keeping your firmware and security features up to date, you’re helping developers maintain a trusted environment for everyone. Enabling these protections sends a signal that you value fair play.
That signal matters because developers increasingly rely on these standards when designing multiplayer experiences. When security features stay on, it becomes easier for developers to differentiate genuine gameplay from cheating and keep the community competitive and fun.
Here’s how you can help ensure your PC is ready for secure, fair play:
Keep Windows Up to Date: Make sure to regularly install Windows 11 updates. These updates are delivered automatically through Windows Update and provide essential security enhancements to help safeguard your gaming experience.
Stay Current with Firmware/BIOS Patches: Be proactive about checking for and installing firmware/BIOS updates from your PC manufacturer. Firmware/BIOS patches aren’t always automatic, so reviewing your manufacturer’s support site or tools ensures your device receives the latest protections against emerging threats. We’ve included some links below for many of the top manufacturers to help get you started.
Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot: Most modern gaming PCs come with these features enabled by default. If you’ve built your own system or use an older device, check your firmware/BIOS settings and manufacturer’s or Windows’ instructions to activate them.
Review Security Requirements: Major titles such as Call of Duty and Valorant provide dedicated pages that outline the necessary protections needed for secure and fair gameplay. Check the official website for your favorite game to find its recommended security requirements before you play to ensure your system complies with the latest standards.
Stay Informed: Follow Microsoft’s official channels for guidance on best practices and the latest news. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. We’ll keep you updated so you can focus on playing, not worrying.
The fight against cheating is always evolving, and so are the tools we use to protect the gaming community. As new games and anti-cheat solutions adopt modern security technologies, you’ll see more titles requiring features like TPM, Secure Boot, and advanced protections such as VBS.
We’re here to listen to your feedback as we work toward our shared goal of fair play for all. Together, we can build a gaming ecosystem that’s secure, fair, and fun for everyone. See you in-game!
This week marks PS5’s fifth anniversary! To celebrate, we asked you to share unforgettable moments from the last five years using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s this week’s highlights:
Dande_Lion55shares the iconic fight between Kratos and Thor in God of War Ragnarōk
PattyGnandshares pixel-level celebration in Astro Bot
FrameCaptureVPshares Ellie swinging an axe through the shadows in The Last of Us Part II Remastered
ibis_monkshares Aloy taking to the skies in Horizon Forbidden West
secondcaptureshares an epic armor set in Demon’s Souls
sorathlunashares Higgs playing his battle guitar atop a pillar with a gigantic BT in the background
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Side Quests SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on November 19, 2025
Next week, we’re headed on a side quest. Share moments that transpire when you venture off the golden path in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and we’re hosting a launch day livestream to celebrate. The latest entry in the long-running FPS franchise is set in 2035, 44 years after the events of Black Ops 6. Omnimovement is back, but there are added movement options and new game modes in both multiplayer and Zombies.
The livestream is presented by Xfinity, where you can get reliable Wi-Fi at a reliable price for five years. And with Unlimited Data, you won’t miss a moment of action. It’s powerful and secure with fast downloads. Gaming is better with Xfinity.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream Date, Time, and Where to Watch
The livestream will start on Friday, November 14 at 5 p.m. Pacific / 7 p.m. Central / 8 p.m. Eastern. It will stream across IGN’s channels, and you’ll be able to watch it at any of these places:
If you’re not able to watch it live, that’s alright. You can still watch it in its entirety on our YouTube page after it’s over.
What to Expect in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream
The stream will run for an extended period, but we don’t have a specific amount of time in mind. We’ll feature as much as we can during the stream. You’ll see extended gameplay, get a look at what’s new in Black Ops 7, and different game modes to get a sense of everything on offer. See you there!
Cicadamata” – yes the rogue apostrophes are part of the official title, yes I will exclude them in future because they make my thalamus itch – is one of those games that makes me incandescently sorry I didn’t spend the past 20 years studying graphics design so that I could, for example, tell you what exactly is going on with that icecream bar HUD, those landscapes of bright diodes and cubes sliding through checkerboard obelisks, those twirling android digits, that wrist-rolling Muji paperweight of a shotgun.
Hands-on impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have hit the internet, bringing stinging criticism of an early human sidekick. And now, a new trailer published by Nintendo shows Samus will also interact with a wider cast of human characters throughout the game.
In IGN’s just-published Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview, we described Galactic Federation trooper Myles MacKenzie — who Samus gets lumbered with for a lengthy chunk of the game’s opening area — as “mildly annoying to downright infuriating” with “cringey” dialogue and contstant chattering through gameplay.
Alongside Myles, three other human troopers are highlighted in Nintendo’s new 7-minute Overview Trailer (which feels as close as we’re going to get to a dedicated Direct) seemingly from later sections in the game.
Beyond is structured with four major areas accessible via its desert hub (a forest area where you meet Myles, then an electrical power plant, frozen research center, and firey volcano area). The suggestion is that Samus will meet more of the main quartet in each.
“Like Samus, some Galactic Federation troopers were also transported to Viewros,” the trailer states. “Follow distress signals to help the troopers, and occasionally battle alongside them. They can provide useful upgrades. Teamwork is key if any of you hope to escape the planet alive.”
A montage then shows the other troopers in action, chatting away about getting back to their families, donning a mech suit to smash a wall for Samus, and even prising open a door. Huh — couldn’t Samus have just done that with a new suit upgrade?
Of course, Metroid games have featured other human characters before — even while Samus is typically a silent protagonist. But the real concern here, beyond it interrupting the core solitary exploration of most Metroid adventures, is that the human characters on offer in Beyond are simply too distracting, and too unlikable.
As we discovered in our hands-on preview, gameplay with Myles features escort-style sections and moments where you need to defend the hapless trooper while he hides behind the rock. Allow him to perish in a firefight and you’re given the chance to revive him using Samus’ psychic powers. Fail to do so (or try and refuse) and you get a Game Over screen.
“Of all the things Metroid Prime 4 could’ve been, I never would’ve guessed it would include outdated escort missions with a companion that never stops talking,” we wrote. For much more on the impact of playing alongside the game’s NPC characters, check out Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview now.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Uma Racing is based on the popular anime and game franchise, Umamusume: Pretty Derby. In this Roblox experience, you’ll play as a trainer who will raise and race uma – hopefully to victory. You’ll start with just one uma, so use these Uma Racing codes to give you a big cash bonus. In doing so, you’ll be able to purchase new uma to strengthen your team, MVPs, and intros. You never know, you might get lucky with your pick and get a Legendary uma.
Working Uma Racing Codes (November 2025)
The following codes are all active and working and can be redeemed for cash.
RELEASECUH – 1,500 cash
MBFORANOTHERDELAYBRO –2,500 cash
UFFUEWANTTOMATO – 1,000 cash
FIRSTBUGFIX –1,500 cash
THANKFORSUPPORTIN – 4,500 cash
FIFTYTHOUSANDLIKES –3,000 cash
IOOKMEMBERS – 3,000 cash
How to Use Uma Racing Codes
Ready to redeem the active Uma Racing codes listed above? Here are the steps you need to take:
Press Codes (it’s the fifth option on the Menu, next to Settings)
Copy the code from this article and press redeem
Expired Uma Racing Codes (November 2025)
These codes no longer work. We test all of our codes on a regular basis, so, as soon as a code is expired, we’ll move it into this section:
CINDERELLAGRAY
PLAYTEST
DELAYMBBRO
SORRYFORBUG
Why Isn’t My Uma Racing Code Working?
Codes for Roblox experiences are usually case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you’ve got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they’re working. Just double-check that you haven’t copied over an extra space!
Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.
Nintendo has been around for well over a century and has been an active part of the video game industry since the 1970s. The company’s impact on the realm of interactive entertainment is almost unprecedented, and its consoles and handhelds have played host to some of the most iconic titles of all time.
Nintendo Life has teamed up with our friends over at IGN to create a list of the best 100 Nintendo games of all time. I know what you’re thinking – we already have a list with the same title on the site – but this new list has a slightly different remit.
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for November 17 to 21
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
How do you stop the two biggest egos of the Seven Seas from fighting? A clash between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune has unleashed ghostly mayhem all over Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and Patrick will need all their skills, bravery and – dare I say – wit, to return life to what passes for normal in their undersea home. Join Bikini Bottom’s most notorious duo on their ghostliest adventure yet!
Dive deep into Action-RPG with roguelike elements and a tale about new beginnings. With no coin to your name, you and the other townsfolk find yourselves stranded in the distant village of Tresna. Now, it’s up to you to get back on your feet and turn your humble shop into the beating heart of the village’s wealth. Explore dangerous dungeons, gather relics, sell them, and reinvest in your friends’ establishments. Unlock new weapons, armor, shop decorations, and—more importantly—restore hope that things can one day turn around.
This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game.
In Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road, gather what resources you can to prepare defenses for an ever-moving city. Are you ready to take on a never-ending army of darkness in a tower-survivor, action-rogue-lite on wheels?
From the team that brought you Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster comes the return of the 1997 western FPS classic, Outlaws! Saddle up and ride back into the Wild West with the gunslinging ex-Marshal, James Anderson, and face off against the good, the bad, and the even worse this side of the Mississippi as you work to uncover a twisted plot of greed and corruption. With your trusty six-shooting .45 Revolver, Scoped .44 Rifle, 10-Gauge Shotgun, and good ol’ Sawed-Off 12-Gauge Shotgun, you’ll be packin’ plenty of firepower to take out all manner of outlaw varmints.
Step into a world of pixelated carnage with Terrifier: The Artcade Game, a gory retro fighting beat ’em up packed with intense action, dark humor, and tons of fun! Inspired by the classic beat ’em up games of the 80s and 90s. Become Art The Clown, the sinister and unpredictable villain from the Terrifier series, as you unleash chaos across a variety of locations. Each stage is a movie set where a film about Art is being produced, but you’re here to disrupt the show!
Dilara joins her father Malik, a handyman tasked with refurbishing an old apartment in the city of Berlin, Germany. In the course of their extensive renovation work, Dilara digs deeper and deeper into the history of the apartment. Relics from past times turn out to be silent witnesses and former companions of the apartment’s previous inhabitants. With each new find, Malik tells his daughter the story behind this trace of a past adventure – with its own protagonists, its own genre, and its own atmosphere, yet always set within the same four walls.
One day the world’s experiencing a golden age of technology, the next it’s forcibly merged with an alternate dimension. It happens. Now there’s a new reality, a world between worlds: The Bast. Remnants of the Rift is a roguelite tactics game where you can pause, plan, and play. You are Morgan, dimension-diving merc, delving deeper and deeper into The Bast at the request of the factions looking to exploit this new reality.
Classic Sokoban with a twist and a sci-fi theme! A scientific organization sends a robot-expeditor developed on artificial intelligence to the newly discovered exoplanet Xeran, on which, most likely, there are very valuable resources for humanity.
Sektori is an intense, fast paced twin-stick shooter infused with hard hitting techno music. Choose your upgrades carefully and create powerful builds to take on the relentless enemies and epic bosses on a constantly evolving battlefield. Sektori is a game that requires your complete focus, a game where the high-adrenaline visuals, music, and gameplay come together to transport you into another state of consciousness.
Spikeball Smash brings the party to your room. Tap into the real-life energy of Spikeball solo or with up to four players. Feel the sand between your toes as you serve from the beach or listen to the cheers from the party as you dominate in the quad. Play to win with authentic Spikeball rules.
Get ready for an ocean full of puzzles and charm. Guide a lovable whale through 30 handcrafted stages where strategy meets relaxation. Push the turtles onto the buoys and help restore harmony to the sea in this adorable adventure of logic and calm. Explore three peaceful worlds, the Caribbean Sea, Coral Reef and Deep Sea, each filled with cozy pixel art and soothing ocean vibes. Every move brings you closer to mastering the art of gentle thinking, as you plan routes, reposition turtles and find the perfect solution at your own pace.
Demonschool is a new-style tactics RPG where motion equals action. Defeat big weirdos in between the human and demon worlds as Faye and her misfit companions, while navigating university life on a mysterious island.
After the mysterious deaths of his three children, Augustus Blackrock hid his fortune so no one could claim it. But was that his only secret? What really happened to the Blackrock family? Observe, think, and connect clues to solve the eight escape rooms within the manor. Every object could be a hint. Keep your eyes open!
Sit back, relax, and follow the flow as you complete each puzzle to unlock the next story chapter. Experience it all in a unique mix of anime-inspired art, graphic novel storytelling, and soothing lo-fi music.
Blast swarms of enemies and charge your warp drives in retro shoot’em up style! Defend Earth in this fast-paced arcade shooter! Take command of the HyperJump ships and blast through swarms of alien invaders. Charge your warp engines by collecting reactors—but beware, the enemy strikes back harder the stronger you become!
Arcade machines in the universe of The Last Shot! In this collection, you can drive a bus, fly a fighter jet, shoot a bow and slingshot, tickle some dinosaurs, robots, and zombies, and defend your base from waves of enemies. A wild mix of arcades, strategy, shoot-’em-ups, physics-based games, and awesome music from street performers.
Wiz Quest: Crystal Power is a retro-style action survival game where you control a young wizard facing relentless waves of monsters. Defeat enemies, collect magic crystals, and unlock new powers to enhance your attacks. Each run is a new challenge — test your reflexes, master your magic, and see how long you can survive!
Bus World is a game about transporting passengers under various conditions – from regular daily routes to emergency rescue missions during natural and man-made disasters. Play through gripping scenarios or enjoy the freedom of creating your own routes in free mode.
Cat God Ranch is an animal-themed casual strategy roguelite game. Manage hundreds of animals to pay tribute to the Cat God! 8 animal families, 100+ animals, 10+ Cat Gods, 100+ items, and various animal combinations waiting for you to explore!
Tactics meet passion – lead your team to glory! From the modest soccer pitch to the large stadium: You’ll make history in Football, Tactics & Glory – Treble Deluxe Edition. Not only are you a coach, you’re also a strategist, motivator and the architect of your career. Every decision counts, both on and off the pitch, from line-ups and transfers to the next series of moves. This is not only a question of reflexes and button-mashing, but about sophisticated tactics!
Run the cozy, rain-soaked kiosk and serve the meals to some very “interesting” customers. Keep the orders coming, soak in the eerie atmosphere and try not to think too hard about what happened to the last guy who worked here (He’s… gone. Let’s leave it at that).
Neon Inferno is a hybrid side-scroller and gallery-shooter where the action takes place in both the foreground and the background. As warring factions battle for control of a dystopian New York City, you enter the fray as an assassin for the Family — a notorious crime syndicate determined to eliminate its rivals and dominate the metropolitan battlefield. Rendered in beautiful pixel art and backed by an evocative soundtrack, Neon Inferno delivers a stylish, modern 2D action experience with cyberpunk flair.
Get ready to bounce into action with Pad Quad, a lightning-fast platformer where padel meets pure arcade fun! Control adorable pixel mascots inspired by Quad Sports rackets and race across futuristic arenas packed with enemies, traps, and tricky jumps.
Saborus is a thrilling horror adventure in which you guide a brave chicken through a deadly slaughterhouse where everything wants to kill you! You, as the chicken, will solve puzzles and face the relentless pursuit of the Saborus slaughterhouse workers. Make your way through the sinister surroundings of a creepy slaughterhouse, full of suspense and surprises! Can you survive?
The village of Kakamucho is under attack by the Shogun’s cat armies! Join Hank, a dog samurai in a world of cats, and his friends as they reveal a sinister plot and save the day, samurai-style. Slash, dash, and laugh through this wacky third-person action adventure.
Solid Void combines classic nonogram puzzles with pentomino-like jigsaws. Uncover the art bits hidden in nonograms and finish them in the other puzzle style to see beautiful artwork! Solid Void delivers hours of relaxing but also challenging gameplay. Whether you’re a nonogram veteran or a newbie, the game is well-balanced and you’ll surely enjoy your time spent on solving the puzzles.
Aery – Peace of Mind 4 is an interactive game experience that is designed to relax your mind and soul. You jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes. Because there are no enemies or any other danger in this game you will be able to lean back and enjoy the scenery and the sensation of flying. It is a great game for relaxing and calming down after an exhausting day full of hassle.
A Maze Against Time is a dynamic game where you race in one labyrinth after another against a timer that gets smaller every time you win. To top that, if you rack high enough of a highscore the labyrinth gets more complex! Find the exit, accelerate and blow the maze walls up in this puzzler action game!
Step into the fast-paced world of sizzling patties and hungry customers in Burger Master, a deliciously fun cooking game where your goal is simple: become the top burger chef in the city! Test your culinary speed and strategy across 3 unique worlds, each packed with 60 exciting levels. That’s 180 levels of non-stop cooking action where timing and precision are everything.
Castle Heroes is a game where you need to create a team of heroes that will help protect your castle. You are entering an amazing adventure where you have to use all your skills in order to try and win. It’s a very engaging, fun strategy and action game where proper team management and state-of-the-art gameplay will make the experience more engaging and interesting than ever before.
Get ready for a wild and wacky multiplayer experience with Chompy Chomp Chomp Party: Ultimate Tournament Edition! Whether you’re chomping your way to victory or trying to avoid getting chomped yourself, this fast-paced action party game is pure, chaotic fun for players of all ages. Gather your friends, family, or even foes and dive into a colorful world where strategic munching meets frenetic competition.
Croc’s Dynamite Blast is an explosive arcade action game full of strategy, chaos, and fun! Join Croc and his friends in a fun game where dynamite is your best weapon! Choose between Croc, Baby Croc, Roodie or the clever Mole – each with their own charm, all ready to blast their way to victory. Fans of the beloved Croc’s World series will recognize these characters, but this time they’re leaving platforming behind for high-energy battles packed with dynamite, chain reactions, and endless surprises.
Relax as you follow the numbers and paint at your own pace! Dive into unique canvases full of unicorns, hearts, cakes, and other stunning images. Enjoy the satisfying ‘click’ as each diamond snaps into place, bringing vibrant colors to life! Bring a dinosaur back from the past or draw a diamond castle in 3D – whatever you imagine, you can paint it… with diamonds!
Have you ever wandered inside images? Images that blow your soul away? In Drizzlepath: Picturae, you embark on a journey of gorgeous landscapes. While some of these landscapes melt your heart, some will give you the chills. Do not fear though; at the end of the day, you will have a heck of a good time viewing a variety of beauties, listening to haunting music, and a real talent of a voice actor.
Empire Invasion is the ultimate test of your strategic mastery—a thrilling tower defense game where every decision can mean victory or destruction. Brace yourself to hold the line against relentless waves of enemies determined to breach your defenses. With 40+ handcrafted levels, each offering three escalating difficulty settings, you’ll sharpen your tactics and push your limits in a deeply satisfying progression. Every stage brings fresh challenges, demanding clever planning and quick reactions.
Raise your favorite fish and build your dream underwater world! It’s your very own aquarium. Buy the fish you love, raise them from tiny fry, and watch them grow and flourish. Create your dream underwater world—calm, colorful, and completely yours.
Explore the birthplace of drift and dive into Japan’s iconic car culture! JDM: Japanese Drift Master combines realistic, carefully-tuned physics in a simcade experience that’s as smooth on a controller as it is with sim racing hardware. Tackle hundreds of kilometers of open-world roads and uncover story-driven events and quests along the way. Hone your drifting skills, perfect grip races, take on challenges, and feel the thrill of authentic Japanese street racing.
In NeonBlast, the gamepad is used to control a ball that can be recolored via color fields and destroys blocks of the same color. Furthermore, there are sliding stones and skull fields that cost a life. A level is solved when all destructible blocks are destroyed, the faster this happens, the more bonus points you get.
An adventure blending exploration, fishing, and mystery. You play as a seeker helping a friend find their missing father on a pirate-legends archipelago. Discover islands, caves, and shipwrecks hiding artifacts. Even small details may unlock secrets.
Buy, sell, and acquire crucial items required for combat missions while interacting with the Save Room’s enigmatic weapons dealer. To progress through each level, you must possess specific elite and essential battle gear. In order to obtain the necessary goods, meticulously arrange your arms and treasures within your inventory. Then you’ll need to engage in the process of selling your treasures to the strange merchant. Can you build your war chest?
Hello, Rovers. Happy to see you again. This time, I’ll walk you through the latest updates of Wuthering Waves Version 2.8. In Version 2.8 To the City Set in Amber, set to launch on November 20, Rover will be joined by a new Resonator companion, Chisa, on a journey to the enigmatic fallen city, the Chronorift Metropolis — Honami. There, abnormal frequencies abound, and the loop of time awaits someone to set it free. Expect new stories, characters, locations, optimizations, and more content.
New main quest: Step into the fallen city in the looping crisis Honami
After the Rinascita arc concluded, Rover returned to the Black Shores and learned that they had unexpectedly captured a completely new frequency. During the Black Shores’ continued investigation, they found a rift leading to an unknown Sonoro Sphere. Rover will enter the mysterious Chronorift Metropolis through the Sonoro entrance.
The Chronorift Metropolis was once a thriving commercial hub, previously known as Honami City. But decades ago, it was destroyed by the Lament and permanently sealed within a Sonoro Sphere, eventually becoming what we see today. The once-bustling skyscrapers are now covered in overgrowth. Seawater has flooded lowlands and roads. But the Lament that brought ruin to this city never truly vanished. It still lingers in the city, sometimes giving rise to unstable anomalies.
The recurring Lament has trapped the city in a time loop, resetting and destroying it over and over. The people you see moving about are no longer who they once were. They’re now known as the Left Behind—phantoms repeating the habits of their former lives, reliving the same daily routine. The entire city, along with its Left Behind, is imprisoned within the Sonoro Sphere, cut off completely from the outside world. It’s Rover’s unexpected arrival that brings change to this sealed space.
In Version 2.8, Main Quest Chapter II Act XII Stagnant Dawn on Wastelands and Main Quest Chapter II Act XII Segue Flowing Starlight in the Iris will both become available on November 20. In this iridescent, end-of-days metropolis, break the Lament that engulfs the city.
New Resonators: Chisa & Buling
Long black hair, striking red eyes, and crisp, simple uniform, the mysterious science-minded stop student Chisa will debut in Version 2.8 and unveil the secrets hidden beneath Honami with Rover. Chisa’s Forte is Clipping. Though she arrived in Honami by accident, with her calm, serious nature and exceptional learning abilities, she adapted here quickly and managed to carve out a safe haven in this fallen city with her Forte.
Those giant scissors Chisa wields look heavy, but she handles them with ease. Chisa was born into a tailor’s family, so she could shift their form to suit her needs in different situations. She uses them not only to cut papers into shapes she loves but also as handy and versatile tools.
Chisa is a 5-Star Havoc Resonator who wields a Broadblade as her weapon. During battle, Chisa swings her massive scissors along precise geometric trajectories, with crimson trails flashing from the edges, pinpointing enemy weaknesses with calm, calculated grace. Under certain conditions, she can switch her scissors into a high-damage chainsaw form, allowing her to deliver rapid and devastating finishing attacks. When Chisa activates a specific skill, her red scissors project a semi-transparent giant phantom. She briefly steps back, then clips forward, cutting through the enemies. When unleashing her Resonance Skill, a unique vision manifests in Chisa’s eyes, marking all enemies within range. She then uses the winch on her scissors to pull some of the marked targets closer for a slicing attack.
Each of her attacks builds up her Forte Gauge. Once it’s full, Chisa can unleash Resonance Skill and transform her weapon. She steps firmly onto the winch, and as dark red particles burst from it, the scissors switch into Chainsaw Mode. Then, Chisa uses the chainsaw to unleash a flurry of swift and unrelenting slashes. When Chisa casts her Resonance Liberation, her eyes glow bright violet, revealing the weak spots of all things before her. She raises her giant scissors and delivers a rending strike to her foes while healing allies at the same time.
This young Taoist Buling from Huanglong, Mengzhou, sports a trendy look and excels in talisman divination, fortune-telling, and other mystical arts. As a free-spirited traveler and Black Shores’ Consultant wandering the world, Buling’s open and cheerful personality wins her friends and intel for the Black Shores wherever she goes. Buling wears something like headphones, which tie directly to her Forte. Her ears are incredibly sensitive to frequencies that haven’t taken shape, so she can often hear sounds others can’t. This special headset she wears helps filter out some of the noise. She can also use her Forte to sense potential danger nearby.
Buling is an Electro Resonator who wields a Rectifier as her weapon. Her combat style is fluid and lively. During battle, the talisman she draws from the casket seems casual, but there’s a method to the madness. The copper coins she flicks are actually lethal finishers, and the crisp-sounding magic bell can lock enemies in a formation. As Buling’s different attacks land, two types of Trigrams form around her, and she can gather up to four Trigrams.
By consuming two Trigrams, she can unleash different enhanced attacks and build up her Forte Gauge. When Buling unleashes her Resonance Skill, she moves as swiftly as lightning to set up a formation around her enemies and summon thunder to strike them. With the clear chime of her magic bell, the enemies are drawn into the center of her formation. When her Forte Gauge is full, Buling can unleash Resonance Liberation, casting a thunder spell and tossing a copper coin that shoots like lightning to damage the enemies. At the same time, the formation expands the magic bell chimes within, immobilizing enemies and continuously damaging them.
New Area: Chronorift Metropolis, Honami City
Version 2.8 introduces the new area, Chronorift Metropolis —Honami City. In this abandoned city, Chiasa used her Resonance Ability and clipped out this safe space—a cafe located at Honami Crossing, as a secret base—shielding it from the influence of the Lament. This Cafe isn’t just a safe haven for Rover and Chisa to catch their breath. It’s also a hub that connects to other parts of the city. In Version 2.8, Rover will set out with Chisa from here, head to more corners worth exploring, and live through the city’s stories firsthand.
In this city, you’ll see not only iridescent, blue skies, gravity-defying skyscrapers, but also the mysterious tower that rises at the city center—Neon Tower.
As you walk with Chisa, a soft breeze flows by, and pink petals drift across the sky like clouds. You’ll encounter sights that heal and give hope. As Version 2.8 launches, get ready to explore the beauty of this fallen city.
New optimizations: One-click absorption of all Absorbable Echoes & Auto Supplement
Besides new content, this update also introduces several QoL optimizations. First, we added the one-click absorption of all absorbable Echoes feature. After the update, with just one absorption action, you can absorb all Echoes within a certain area. Rovers will no longer need to absorb them one by one. Compared to regular overworld exploration, the absorption radius inside the Nightmare Nest will be a bit larger so that Rovers can gather all the daily Echoes in one go.
After the Version 2.8 update, Resonator Ascension, Weapon Ascension, and Skill Upgrade menus will receive a new Auto Supplement feature. When the required upgrade materials are insufficient, clicking this button will open the Auto Supplement screen, where you can directly see which materials you need and use Synthesis, Conversion, or Supply Packs—all without switching to other menus, making it much faster to fill everything you need.
Also, during Synthesis, if low-rarity materials are insufficient, the system will automatically search for lower-rarity materials and Supply Packs and auto-fill the list until the requirement is met. If Synthesis, Conversion, and Supply Packs still cannot provide enough materials, a shortcut button will appear to guide you directly to their acquisition sources.
Last, we have some more exciting news to share—Wuthering Waves PS5 Collector’s Edition Set is scheduled for release in Spring 2026. More details will be announced later on our official social media—follow us and stay tuned. Now, let’s continue this unfinished journey together. Wuthering Waves Version 2.8 To the City Set in Amber will officially launch on November 20. Rovers, see you in Honami!
After eight years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is just three weeks away, and honestly, writing that still doesn’t feel real. Maybe that’s partly because Nintendo has kept a pretty tight lid on specifics surrounding Samus Aran’s next adventure – we’ve only seen a small handful of trailers, and much of Prime 4 has remained a total mystery. That’s caused a lot of fans to think that they must be preserving some special surprise, right? Well, while playing over an hour of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Nintendo Switch 2, I discovered a seemingly major component that’s been completely absent from any footage we’ve seen so far: an extraordinarily talkative companion who’s constantly spewing unwanted hints, quippy jokes, and cries for help, breaking the isolated, atmospheric themes Metroid is known for.
His name is Myles MacKenzie, a specialist from the Galactic Federation stranded with Samus on the planet Viewros. Myles tagged along for a significant chunk of my play session, and the way Retro Studios has implemented this NPC companion is far and away my biggest concern about Prime 4 after my time with it. But we’ll get to him a bit later.
Because everything else was pretty encouraging: classic Metroid Prime exploration and combat, an intriguing setup, gorgeous art direction, and great technical performance on Switch 2 are coming together to create an adventure that likely won’t redefine Metroid in any meaningful way – or live up to the unrealistic hype built by nearly a decade of waiting – but one that could serve as a great return for a subseries that hasn’t seen a new mainline entry in 18 years, as long as annoying sidekicks don’t keep getting in Samus’ way.
Behind the Visor
Before we get too far, a word about spoilers. Everything I played takes place during the first 90 minutes or so of the adventure, so you really don’t have to worry that you’re going to see too much. It’s also worth pointing out this was all on Switch 2, no one outside of Nintendo knows how Prime 4 will perform on Switch 1 just yet.
But on Switch 2, it’s looking fantastic so far. I started my preview in handheld mode, where I replayed the same introduction sequence we got to play at the Nintendo Switch 2 Premiere event back in April. This was the final build of Prime 4’s opening, and it’s still an explosive introduction that sets the stage for the conflict between Samus and the Metroid-breeding bounty hunter, Sylux, as our hero is warped away to the mysterious planet Viewros. The biggest takeaway here is that Prime 4 looked fantastic on the Switch 2 screen, specifically at 120 fps in Performance Mode.
Once I was set up on the TV – playing in Quality mode at a crisp 4K 60 fps – things got started with a very familiar, nostalgic chain of events: the camera snaps behind Samus’ visor and I’m left alone to explore a lush forest region, so I – almost reflexively – start scanning everything in sight to add it to my logbook. Gameplay-wise, Prime 4 doesn’t seem to be reinventing the Morph Ball: this still looks and plays like Metroid Prime, and I really enjoyed falling back into its investigative flow: examining the local flora and fauna, locking onto floating gaseous spores or roots that leap out of the water and blasting them away with my arm cannon, scanning lore tablets to learn about the ancient race called the Lamorn, seeing Samus’ reflection in the visor as I open the blue and orange wireframe map all Prime fans will recognize… I felt like Retro Studios was picking up right where it left off, retaining the core DNA of the series in this first major area.
This still looks and plays like Metroid Prime, and I really enjoyed falling back into its investigative flow.
The forest is called Fury Green, and after making my way through several linear hallways I was formally introduced to it with a sweeping wideshot that showed how great Retro’s art direction still is. You can tell Prime 4 was built as a Switch 1 game in a couple ways – some background elements look a bit flat – but handing the added power of the Switch 2 to a studio with an artistic track record like Retro has resulted in what’s shaping up to be a really beautiful game.
At least in this self-contained area – my preview didn’t cover the open desert or Samus’ motorcycle we’ve seen in the last couple of trailers. It’s important to note that Nintendo specifically chose not to include that content at this preview event. Make of that what you will, but it leaves those two key components as our biggest unanswered questions that will have to wait for our final review.
But back to what I did actually see: in classic Metroid fashion, I soon ran into the first door I couldn’t pass, so I morph-balled over to a new area and unlocked one of Prime 4’s main new powers: the Psychic Glove. This gives Samus telekinetic control of psychic objects. I returned to the blocked door and used the glove to grab a psychic energy “mote” from a nearby statue and redirect it into the lock, allowing me to proceed. All examples of this were pretty simple so far, but this is the first major area, so it’s probably fair to expect they’ll get more complex as Samus progresses.
I’m hoping the same for the other uses of the Psychic Glove, which involve slowly tracing basic shapes to unlock an energy tank, or painstakingly pulling a lever to open the way to a Save Room. The animations felt sluggish and the actions were completely mindless – another thing I’m expecting to ramp up as we go.
Retro’s art direction is still great, and Prime 4 is shaping up to be a really beautiful game.
My map beeped, alerting me of a distress beacon from the Galactic Federation a few rooms away. On the way there, I passed some hardened tree resin I couldn’t yet destroy, and scanning it indicated that a missile would take the wall down. I appreciate that Prime 4’s blockades aren’t all the same familiar doors, and that in this case, it was naturally woven into the environment. We’d be back here later, but with a friend in tow….
Beyond Chatty
After tiptoeing through an eerie, condensed part of Fury Green, I came across a crash-landed Galactic Federation ship, where I was immediately taken aback by the tonal whiplash. My way here was filled with hauntingly beautiful choral melodies and isolated exploration – it was vintage Metroid Prime. But now, it’s finally time to get to know specialist Myles MacKenzie, who introduced himself with this honestly cringey monologue (and if you don’t believe me, watch it in the video version of this preview at the top of the page):
“Oh wow! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. What a mess. You’re alone, on a planet, with no hope of survival. But, you’re also not sitting next to Phil anymore in that cubicle… So… Win?”
He didn’t leave a great first impression, but I was still intrigued to see where it went. Samus and Myles got swarmed by some jungle monsters, and it became my job to protect Myles from them. After a close-quarters firefight that concluded with shooting the vines holding up Myles’ ship, he awarded me with the missile upgrade for being his savior. “This is fine,” I thought. I prefer isolation in Metroid, but I don’t mind running into a character here and there to flesh out the story with some voice acting and cutscenes. But then…
“If it’s OK with you, I’m gonna tag along. So, where to? It might be a good idea to check the map and get our bearings.”
I started to get a sinking feeling. In one turn, Samus not only gained an unwanted companion, that companion also instantly started chiming in on what I should be doing, like Atreus to Kratos in God of War, or Aloy to… Aloy in Horizon. The next 20 minutes of my demo ranged from mildly annoying to downright infuriating, as Myles constantly bombarded me with either awkward attempts at quippy humor…
“It’s about to get reeeeal nerdy in here!”
Unwelcome hints that directly defy Metroid’s spirit of exploration and discovery:
“Missiles are effective against a creature with a hard shell, you know.”
He would scold me for not stopping to save my game:
“Samus, there’s something interesting over there. Are you sure we don’t need to use that?”
Comment on everything I scanned:
“Can you read that? Does that say anything about this place? They really don’t want anyone in here. Must be a sacred space.”
State the obvious:
“I can see the door, Samus! Let’s get out of here.”
And he’d scream whenever an enemy popped out of the ground suddenly. I promise I’m not cherrypicking here – I was in complete disbelief at how Myles was constantly talking during gameplay, to the point where I dug around the settings menu to see if I could tone it down. The only option I found was to mute voice acting entirely, but I don’t see myself doing that when there are plenty of actual cutscenes I’d still like to see play out normally.
I don’t have a problem with Metroid focusing more on story or introducing important new characters. But that story and those characters still need to be good, and Myles was so annoying and overbearing that I honestly found it hard to focus on what I was doing. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption features other bounty hunters that Samus occasionally crosses paths with, but it’s never been this much of a focus. And, throw in as many cutscenes as you want, but I can’t help but feel a sacred line has been crossed when I’m playing Metroid and an annoying engineer tells me how to open my map, how to defeat an enemy, or reminds me to save without me asking for any of it. There are far smarter, more nuanced ways to onboard new players and push a franchise forward while still respecting the reasons people love it in the first place. And, the way Retro weaved Myles in caused a lot of dissonance that shattered the immaculate vibes the introduction set up. How am I supposed to soak in these gorgeous vistas, and this epic, serious music when this guy is asking me if that “strange smell” is “sweet or stinky?”
I’d had enough, and I tried to ditch Myles during a fight on a (very cool) bridge. I heard Myles yelling to not leave him behind, but before I knew it, he went down and my visor prompted me to use Samus’ psychic powers to revive him. When I failed to do so, Myles died, and I got a game over for letting a federation trooper fall in battle. Of all the things Metroid Prime 4 could’ve been, I never would’ve guessed it would include outdated escort missions with a companion that never stops talking. Samus doesn’t respond at all – which if you’re going to pick between Samus talking a lot or not at all, silence is the right choice in a vacuum, even if I think a few words here and there would work better than awkward silence – but there are three words I really wanted to hear her say: “Please shut up.”
I never would’ve guessed Prime 4 would include outdated escort missions with a companion that never stops talking.
Thankfully, this didn’t last forever. After earning the new Control Beam ability that lets Samus direct her charge shots to hit multiple targets, (to which Myles said: “You found something for your suit, didn’t you?”) we arrived in a Lamorn temple, where Myles decided to stay behind to work on fixing up some tech. Finally, some peace and quiet! I controlled a charge shot to open a blocked door from the other side, which reminded me of using Zelda: Skyward Sword’s Beetle ability – both in its close-up camera angle and use of optional Wii-era motion controls – and pressed forward on my own.
After enjoying the silence while working through a few more simplistic rooms, Samus was face-to-face with Carvex, Fury Green’s plant-based boss. I blasted its tail, opening its belly up for a serving of missiles. It entered its next phase with two tails, and I found that by the time I destroyed the second, the first one had grown back. So, in classic Metroid fashion where your most recent upgrade is often key to beating a boss, I had to use the Control Beam to destroy both its tails with one bullet. This was neat, and really felt like more vintage Metroid Prime game design shining through.
Defeating Carvex netted Samus the Power Bombs, which have received a psychic buff this time around. You can place standard bombs to blow up suspicious spots as usual, but placing one infused with psychic power essentially turns it into a mote Samus can telekinetically move. I grabbed the first of five Master Teleporter Keys Samus is collecting to escape Viewros, and…
“Booyah! Long-reange comms are back online!”
Myles was back, this time in my visor. But he didn’t stick around for long, just asking Samus to return to base camp to talk about what to do next. Once I returned, Myles shared that Viewros isn’t on any known star charts, saying we could be anywhere, or we could be nowhere, setting up an interesting story that – paired with Samus’ other main objective of preserving the history of the Lamorn civilization before it’s lost to time – I can’t wait to see play out.
With that, Myles and Samus agreed to be partners, sharing data with each other now that the comms are working, and Myles stayed behind as Samus returned to the desert area we still know so little about, bringing my time to an end before I could take a single step.
So, how big of a role will chatty companions play in the full adventure? It’s hard to say. The game over screen telling me a “Federation Trooper” was killed in battle rather than that “Myles” was killed in battle, coupled with the fact that the Federation page of the logbook had several blank entries to fill out after I scanned Myles, tells me that each major area of Prime 4 will likely have a companion to find. If that fear turns out to be true, I can only hope that they aren’t all as overbearing as Myles, that his section felt particularly frustrating because it was the opening area, and that Prime 4 won’t be afraid to let me explore and figure things out on my own, which is a strength of all the best Metroid games. Because other than that major exception, I really enjoyed my first big look at Prime 4, and I’m beyond curious to see how it all – finally – comes together on December 4th.
Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN’s Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favorite video game franchise of all time, and he is patiently awaiting the day Nintendo announces a brand new F-Zero. You can find him online @LoganJPlant.
