Get your spiciest takes at the ready, because it’s time to dive into another edition of Box Art Brawl!
It was a special edition affair last time, as we celebrated the 35th anniversary of the SNES by matching up three boxes for the SNES Mini. There was one clear winner in our eyes, and you lovely lot agreed with us! The simplistic Japanese design comfortably walked away with the win, taking 48% of the vote and leaving Europe and North America with the remaining 26% and 25%, respectively.
In case you missed it, this week Nintendo released a new update for its Switch mobile app, bumping it up to Version 3.2.0.
This latest update features some notable changes, including notifications displaying what software friends are playing, and the ability to send friend requests to players you’ve spoken to in GameChat sessions.
Nintendo released a new firmware update for the Switch 2 earlier this week, and it’s now followed this up with more compatibility fixes for select Switch titles.
Apart from the update for NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition, several other titles have reportedly received compatibility fixes. Here’s the rundown via Nintendo Everything:
With manufacturers looking to raise prices to fuel the AI age we’re sleepwalking blindly towards, Black Friday weekend might offer the last chance to save on PC hardware for a while.
I understand why walking sims aren’t really a thing any more. Some of the earliest big names like Gone Home, Dear Esther, and arguably The Stanley Parable all came at a time where indie games were growing in popularity, but were still predominantly 2D. Something simple like a walking sim is obviously quite resourceful compared to contemporary AAA games, but now the indie scene has blown up to the point where mechanics-first genres like roguelikes are dominating. Except I like walking sims! So when a game like nophenia, a walking sim where you’re a wolfgirl with a flip phone exploring different dream worlds, shows up, I’m going to pay attention.
Crikey, it’s been a long time coming, but it looks like The Long Dark is finally coming to a close… next year. Up until earlier this week, the fifth and final episode of The Long Dark’s Wintermute DLC was due to be released by the end of the year. As you’ve probably gathered, the end of the year is very close now, so as a result, episode five has been delayed, but it is a delay that at least comes with a concrete release date.
Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that 10.5 million players just tuned in for Zero Hour, the highly-anticipated live event that featured heroes from the world’s biggest franchises turning up Avengers: Endgame-style to save the day. Online, at least 3 million more watched the event via streaming platforms.
Iron Man, Superman, Godzilla and the KPop Demon Hunters were just some of the characters who made appearances within the event, as Fortnite’s finest gathered to defeat the Dark Presence, the game’s latest Big Bad. Many of the characters appearing in the event had been teased ahead of time, though exactly what would happen was left uncertain. And indeed, despite going multiple rounds with King Kong and a Star Destroyer, the Dark Presence was still left standing.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the event was quite how much Fortnite celebrated its own beloved lore, with the Dark Presence finally defeated thanks to a last-ditch decision by Jonesy to call in the game’s villainous Cube.
Full Fortnite Zero Hour live event gameplay! 🎬
Epic just pulled off its own version of Avengers Endgame 🔥
Fans are now sharing gameplay of the event and finding numerous Easter eggs, such as characters from Steal the Brainrot being featured in the background, and Hatsune Miku joining the battle while perched on Godzilla’s head. I particularly love this fan creation, which overlays Avengers: Endgame’s score on top of Zero Hour’s “portals” sequence:
There’s plenty here, too, for Fortnite lore fans to digest. As Hope herself questioned, who was piloting the Mecha Team Leader mech? (A member of the Seven?) Will the destruction of the Cube lead to its mothership reappearing? (Yes, see below!) And how is Epic Games going to top this next year?
With the event’s gameplay portion complete, some players reported seeing their games abruptly crash as an unexpected cutscene began to air. The cinematic, which you can watch in full below, quickly sums up Fortnite’s clearly now-revived original storyline and makes absolutely clear that the game is returning to its focus on its heroic Seven, and their battle against the Cube’s civilization, dubbed The Last Reality.
After that, players were treated to a quick glimpse at what’s next for the game (and yes, Epic Games couldn’t resist making a 6-7 joke in the process). Fortnite Chapter 7 will begin with our heroes enjoying life on a new map themed around the southern US. There are Fortnite-y versions of Hollywood and Area 51 to explore, while fresh gameplay changes include wingsuits and drivable Reboot Vans. Everything seems pretty chill, until The Last Reality’s mothership does indeed turn up (and promptly blows up Fortnite’s beloved Battle Bus!)
And after that, for those still connected, Fortnite really did call it a day. The game is now offline for a number of hours, with the launch of Chapter 7 due as the game comes back online later tonight.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
When I first caught a very quick glimpse at Into the Fire, the kind of glimpse where you more just see a character design amidst a bunch of fire, I thought it was a new simulation game. A fireman sim, that kind of thing, the kind of game I’m sure exists already without needing to Google it. Into the Fire is not that at all. There is fire, and there is rescue, but there are also ancient mysteries amongst natural disasters, fiery, destructive jellyfish-esque spirits, and a tantalizing mix of science-fiction, folklore, and the supernatural.
All that trouble going on with Monster Hunter Wilds aside, for a good long while now Capcom has been doing quite well for itself. Multiple quite well liked Resident Evil games, fresh new bits like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and the upcoming Pragmata, and even a few remasters, namely for the Ace Attorney games (throw a dog a bone and give us a new one of those, though Capcom), but also for series like Dead Rising that also haven’t had a new entry in a while. Well, for now at least, as a new report suggests a new Dead Rising might be in our future.
