We’ve updated the following with the addition of Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Enjoy, true believers!
Theatrical releases under the banner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might not come with quite the same level of bravado that they did in a pre-Endgame world, but that isn’t to say that all things Marvel are out for the count.
Hello reader who is also a reader! It’s time to upend another sackful of tomes over your head, care of another game developer. This week, we’re talking to Nadya Lev – co-founder of New York studio Aconite, and developer of the splendidly unsexy Fucksweeper, which I had the pleasure of trying not to be seen playing in a crowded airport lounge in 2024.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl.
Last week’s epic battle saw Europe and North America go up against Japan to see which Metroid Prime Pinball design is the very best. It was a close one, but in the end, Japan won the day with 55% of the vote. Bravo!
Nintendo released a new update for the Switch 2 earlier this week, bumping the system up to Version 21.1.0. Once again, it’s followed with Switch game compatibility updates.
One a them Star Wars was announced at the Let Geoff Have This He’s Got Nothing Else Going On Awards this week, from none other than Casey Hudson. It’s called Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a name that will instantly make any Knights of the Old Republic oldhead point at their screen that’s Chappie style, which also happens to be a game that Hudson was project director on. The only problem with Fate of the Old Republic is that the studio that’s making it only got started this year, calling into question how far away it is – a question that Hudson, kind of, answered.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is in development at Edmonton, Alberta-based developer Arcanaut Studios, which Hudson and his partners only founded in July. It stole the show at The Game Awards with a flashy, tantalising CG trailer that contained no gameplay. But fans are particularly excited because Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is billed as the spiritual successor to the much-loved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which Hudson directed while at BioWare.
So where did all the “not till 2030” posts come from? It seems a social media comment from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, in which he called a 2030 release window an “optimistic guess” based on the fact the studio was founded this year, ended up being framed elsewhere online as “Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic may not release until at least 2030.”
Now, Hudson himself has stepped in. “Don’t worry about the ‘not till 2030’ rumors,” Hudson tweeted. “Game will be out before then. I’m not getting any younger!”
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is in “early development,” so it still feels a fair while away. But based on Hudson’s comment, it will launch at some point in 2029 at the latest, which is four years away. In that time, Hudson will need to build out his new studio (almost certainly a factor in announcing the game so early), which will be a huge effort all on its own, as well as build what is expected to be a high quality AAA game with huge fan expectations.
Details are thin on the ground, but we do have some top-line information as well as enthusiasm from LucasFilm Games, which is collaborating with Arcanaut Studios on the project. Obviously Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is set in the Old Republic era, given its name. It’s a “narrative-driven single-player action RPG” where you “step into the role of a Force user on a journey through a galaxy on the edge of rebirth.” We’re told players can expect an experience “where every decision deepens their journey toward light or darkness.” It sounds a lot like KOTOR, and while it may end up feeling a lot like KOTOR, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is a completely new and different story that will introduce new characters.
“We’re still early in development, with many challenges ahead,” Hudson said in a blog post on StarWars.com. “I’m grateful to have enjoyed the support of KOTOR fans for many years, and I look forward to embarking upon this journey together, sharing more of what we’re doing as soon as we can!”
Despite Hudson’s comment reassuring fans, there is some debate about whether Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic will end up missing the current generation of consoles and end up launching on the PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox, as well as PC. Time will tell.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
There is something that lies in the belly of Metamorphosis that makes me recoil. The surface level concept is easy enough to follow. It is a 2D pixel art horror where you play as a “forsaken nun” who “walks the long road to absolution.” The world you find yourself in in the game’s demo is overbearing, crushing. Initially you find yourself in the depths of a church, and even that is worth questioning – what church has depths? When you come across a device, and what on the offset looks like gothic horror a la Bloodborne becomes perplexingly technological.
There has never been a time where the presence of a big Hollywood celeb making an appearance in a video game has drawn me in. Who cares! Most of the time they are not voice actors, and are just doing their own voice, maybe sometimes lending their face. And yet here we are with Matthew McConaughey, a man who is happily lending his voice to some AI software, in Exodus, a game that’s basically just another Mass Effect from some folks who actually made Mass Effect. But! Said folks would like you to know that McConaughey’s performance is all him, thanks very much.
It’s funny to think that RuneScape: Dragonwilds, one of those cosy-ish, survival crafty type of games doesn’t have farming just yet, but I suppose that’s understandable given it is an early access game. Doesn’t matter much either, as farming will be coming to the game next week as part of its Fellhollow update, which just got another look-in through a new gameplay trailer that also shows off all sorts of undead bashing you’ll be doing.
Following The Game Awards 2025, which was full of Switch 2 announcements, we’ve given this list a big overhaul and combined the Switch1 and Switch 2 games we’re most excited for in one big list. Enjoy!
Juggling two consoles is hard work for some, but not for Nintendo. While the Switch 2 is the primary focus for the Big N, don’t ever count the Switch 1 out.