I love it when a machine whirrs and clunks and bzzts in just the right way. Kaizen: A Factory Story is the next mechanical puzzler from the people who made Opus Magnum and Exapunks. A demo hit Steam a few weeks ago, but it fell down the wrong side of a conveyor belt here at RPS and we all forgot about it until it jammed up our meticulous assembly line of articles and I had to jimmy it out with a big salad fork. “Ah,” I said, “there’s yer problem. Nobody has played this excellent developer’s new game yet.”
Red Dead Online is showing signs of life after Rockstar added new missions to the game, and as you’d expect fans are once again speculating that a next-gen update for Red Dead Redemption 2 is in the works.
Most fans had come to terms with the idea that Rockstar had moved on from Read Dead Online back in 2022, but the developer has unexpectedly released the new Strange Tales of the West update, which includes four new missions and a tease of more to come.
The new trailer, below, is the first Rockstar has released for Red Dead Online since 2021.
Here’s the official blurb:
Author Theodore Levin can’t believe the rumors and missives he’s been receiving from the four corners of the American frontier. He’s working on an anthology of these unexplained and weird phenomena and he needs your help investigating the wildest claims that cross his desk.
Strange Tales of the West will require steely resolve and courage in the face of the odd, twisted, and downright supernatural. Embark upon these four new Telegram Missions by picking up Mr. Levin’s letter at any Post Office or from your Camp’s Lockbox, then opening it via your Satchel or launching Telegram Missions from your Player Menu.
The four new missions are Strange Tales of The Plague, Strange Tales of Modern Science, Strange Tales of The Bayou, and Strange Tales of The Wilderness. As reported by @videotechuk_ on X / Twitter, the update adds a new zombie infected mode, the first mission of which takes place in Armadillo.
Rockstar has launched a new zombie “infected” mode in Red Dead Online as part of the new Strange Tales of The West telegram missions
The first mission takes place in Armadillo and the main objective to kill infected and bring them to a wagon as a team.
But what does this mean for Red Dead Online and parent game Red Dead Redemption 2? Given the zombie nature of the update, some are wondering if Rockstar has prepared an Undead Nightmare-style expansion for Red Dead Redemption 2. That would come as a huge shock given the studio’s all-hands-on-deck focus on next year’s Grand Theft Auto VI, but perhaps more likely is a next-gen port.
In May, GameReactor reported that a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Rockstar’s Wild West romp was on the way, along with a “next-gen upgrade patch” that would improve the game for current-gen systems (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S). Both could be released later in 2025, according to the site.
Fans have long called for an updated version of Red Dead Redemption 2, which is considered a masterpiece. IGN’s Red Dead Redemption 2 review returned a 10/10. We said: “Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open-world ode to the outlaw era.”
For now, Red Dead Online fans are enjoying digging into Strange Tales of the West, which is officially described as Vol.1. This suggests another content drop is coming. Whatever the future holds, it seems Red Dead Online is back from the dead.
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.
If you like getting Warhammered and having a scrap as a space marine, then here’s some good news. Following the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2‘s siege mode last week, developers Saber Interactive have confirmed that it’ll be getting second year of free and paid updates.
Hey, it’s something to help quench your bloodlust while you wait for Space Marine 3 to become more than a glint in the eye of a dev working on a big gun to be wielded by a big lad in big armour.
Microsoft has announced Wave 1 of the Xbox Game Pass July 2025 lineup, which includes Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, the return of High On Life, and more.
As revealed in a post on Xbox Wire, out today, July 1, is Little Nightmares 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard, and the return of Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC), also across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard.
Tomorrow, July 2, Legend of Mana (Console) and Trials of Mana (Console) enter Game Pass Standard. On July 3, Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard.
Cool cyberpunk action RPG The Ascent (Cloud, Console, and PC) returns to Game Pass on July 8 via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. A day later, on July 9, Minami Lane (Cloud, Console, and PC) enters Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Here’s the big one: on July 11 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) launches day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Members can get up to three days early access starting July 8, including the Doom Slayer and The Revenant playable skaters, with the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.
Moving on to July 15 and we have the return of High On Life (Cloud, Console, and PC) to Game Pass via Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. The comedy first-person shooter was a smash hit on Game Pass back in 2022, and a sequel is on the way.
Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 July 2025 lineup:
Legend of Mana (Console) – July 2 Now with Game Pass Standard
Trials of Mana (Console) – July 2 Now with Game Pass Standard
Ultimate Chicken Horse(Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 3 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
The Ascent(Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 8 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Minami Lane(Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 9 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
High On Life(Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 15 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
And finally, Retro Classics has a new batch of games for subscribers. This is Microsoft’s collaboration with Antstream Arcade to bring Activision games from the 80s and 90s to Game Pass members.
Cosmic Commuter
Heart of China
Skiing
Solar Storm
Subterranea
As always, a number of games are set to leave Game Pass this month. Members can get a 20% discount to keep the games in their library.
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on July 15:
Flock (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mafia Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Magical Delicacy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Tchia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Callisto Protocol (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Case of the Golden Idol (Cloud, Console, and PC)
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.
With the Switch 2 entering its second month, following his Switch 2 debut in the Mario Kart World roster, DK is back in his own game – and it’s looking bananas.
Coming to Game Pass: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Minami Lane, Ultimate Chicken Horse, and More
Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
*Waves hands in front of your face* Watch me do a magic trick – in a few days all these games that are “coming soon” are suddenly going to appear as “available today” in your download queue. Pretty neat, right? Let’s get to the games!
Available Today
Little Nightmares II (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Return to a world of charming horror in Little Nightmares II, a suspense adventure game in which you play as Mono, a young boy trapped in a world that has been distorted by the humming transmission of a distant tower. Will you dare to face this collection of new, little nightmares?
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Making a return to the Game Pass library! Featuring epic, high-octane action moments set in the most beautifully hostile environments on earth, Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers a cinematic survival action-adventure where you will join Lara Croft on her first tomb raiding expedition.
Coming Soon
Legend of Mana (Console) – July 2 Now with Game Pass Standard
Set off on a journey to find the mystical Mana Tree in Legend of Mana. Meet a colorful cast of characters, square off against fearsome monsters, and complete quests in the vast world of Fa’Diel. Discover the classic title, remastered with a rearranged soundtrack, graphical improvements, and more!
Trials of Mana (Console) – July 2 Now with Game Pass Standard
Trials of Mana is the 3D remake of the classic RPG. Experience the beloved adventure with graphic improvements, character voiceover support, a remastered soundtrack, and a new episode, in addition to an ability system and a new class that reconstructs the character levelling system plus more active battles!
Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 3 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
A party platformer where you and your friends build the level as you play, placing deadly traps before trying to reach the end of the level. Play online or locally with your animal buddies and experiment with a wide variety of platforms in all sorts of strange locations to find new ways to mess with your friends.
The Ascent (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 8 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Making a return to the Game Pass library, The Ascent is a solo and co-op action-shooter RPG set in a cyberpunk world. The mega corporation that owns you and everyone, The Ascent Group, has just collapsed. Can you survive without it?
Minami Lane (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 9 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Welcome to Minami Lane! Build your own street in this tiny, cozy, casual management sim Minami Lane is a small, wholesome management game set on a Japanese-inspired street. Create and manage your own street, make sure everyone is happy, and watch the villagers live their lives!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 11 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! Get hyped for the legendary franchise to return with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. Everything you loved is back, but revamped with more skaters, new parks, gnarlier tricks, eardrum-shattering music, plus a whole lot more. Members can get up to 3-days early access starting July 8, including the Doom Slayer and The Revenant playable skaters, and more with the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.
High On Life (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 15 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
High On Life is returning to Game Pass! Humanity is being threatened by an alien cartel who wants to use them as drugs. It’s up to you to rescue, and partner with, charismatic guns to take down Garmantuous and his gang to save the world!
Celebrating One Million Retro Classics Players
We’ve got some exciting news for you. Retro Classics, our awesome collaboration with Antstream Arcade, keeps getting better. We’ve added a new batch of games recently for Game Pass members and want to share a big thanks to the more than 1 million players who have already checked out Retro Classics since launch!
So, what’s new? Check out these recently added gems:
Cosmic Commuter
Heart of China
Skiing
Solar Storm
Subterranea
Be on the lookout for new tournaments, community challenges, and even more games soon. Click here to learn all about Retro Classics.
DLC / Game Updates
Diablo IV: Sins of the Horadrim – Available today Uncover the buried truth; the arcane magic of the Horadrim awaits – Discover new permanent Nightmare Dungeon updates and activities across Sanctuary, create unique spells, and prepare to face a familiar foe, Astaroth, with fresh fury in Diablo IV‘s new season: Sins of the Horadrim.
Palworld: Tides of Terraria – Available now The long-awaited Palworld x Terraria update is out now bringing fishing, salvaging, bigger towns, Pal trust and much more! But beware, impending doom approaches…
In-Game Benefits
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members get access to these in-game benefits with your membership. Benefits can vary by game, region, and time.
Mecha Break: Mashmak Rocket Bundle (PC and Xbox Series X|S) – July 2 Kickstart your Mecha Break experience with the Mashmak Rocket Bundle, Exclusive Pilot Outfit, Exclusive Striker Paint, and Exclusive Insignia.
Splitgate 2: Meridian Obex Ace Skin – (Console and PC) – July 3 Splitgate 2 is the only free-to-play shooter with portals and an all-new arena/battle royale hybrid mode. This Ace character skin is designed with Xbox Green.
Asphalt Legends Unite: Exclusive Monthly Gift Bundle (Console and PC) – Available now Unlock card packs, credits, and tokens! Obtain 10 Card Packs, 250 tokens, and 250,000 credits to upgrade your collection and take the lead on the track!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Get even more game Perks with Game Pass Ultimate. Find them in the Game Pass section of your console, PC app, and mobile app — new Perks are added all the time.
3on3 Freestyle: Xclusive Play Package – Available now Step onto the court in style with exclusive Xbox-only outfits, 50 Points to spend in-game, and 3 Random Platinum Card Packs to boost your character’s performance. Base game 3on3 FreeStyle included with this Perk.
EA Sports UFC 5: Heavyweight Icons Bundle – Available now Step into the Octagon throwing haymakers with the Heavyweight Icons Bundle, available with your EA Play membership.
Leaving July 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Jump back in before they go or use your membership discount to save up to 20% on your purchase to keep them in your library.
Flock (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mafia Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Magical Delicacy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Tchia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Callisto Protocol (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Case of the Golden Idol (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We’re adding more games over time to the Stream Your Own Game collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Visit Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
Full Metal Schoolgirl is an exhilarating action-shooting game in which machine girls, armed and mechanized from head to toe, storm a giant exploitative corporation and wreak havoc with non-stop shooting and slashing.
Two cyborg high school girls rise up to destroy Meternal Jobz, an evil corporation that rules over Japan in a not-so-distant future. The game releases on October 23.
The player becomes stronger through trial and error
The battle takes place in a 100-story skyscraper. Standing in your way are the working dead, corporate slaves who have been turned into cyborgs and forced to continue working even after their death.
The floor layout and security systems, including traps, change every time you attempt to advance, so you’ll have to go through tons of trial and error as you make your way to the top floor.
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
The machine girl can instantly transform her arms into weapons and wield them with ease. She gradually becomes stronger as she acquires more powerful weapons and modification programs (MODs). She can use firearms such as Gatling guns and shotguns, or melee weapons such as chainsaws and blades. Choose the right weapons according to the situation.
If you get a game over, you’ll lose your weapons and equipment and will have to start over from the first floor. However, you can use the materials and rewards you obtained from defeating enemies, as well as the money you earn from your livestream(?!), to perform enhancement modifications and improve the basic performance of your Machine Girl.
There are over 100 types of weapons and equipment. Power up your machine girl and player skill to destroy the president who awaits you on the top floor.
“You there! Have you ever wanted to become a machine? Have you ever wanted to be reborn as a cute, lively girl? Have you ever wanted to become a famous streamer and make money? Have you ever been dissatisfied with your company and wanted to cause a ruckus at the office or factory? I’m sure you have, right? Full Metal Schoolgirl will make all your wishes come true. A huge exploitative corporation doesn’t give its employees days off and forces them to work even after they die. The only ones who can save them are the machine girls, fully armed from head to toe. This intense game takes place in the skyscraper of an evil corporation, where you engage in close -quarters combat in confined spaces. Fire guns, slice enemies into pieces with chainsaws, and destroy everything in sight. Fulfill your desires and relieve stress—that’s Full Metal Schoolgirl.”
– Nobuyuki Okajima, Producer, Full Metal Schoolgirl
A wardrobe of cosmetic DLC options
Pre-orders for the digital version will begin on the PlayStation Store tomorrow. There will also be a Deluxe Edition, which includes the main game as well as various DLCs such as costumes and accessories for the characters.
Additionally, the early purchase bonuses will include Akemi Costume: Saki’s Battle Suit from OneeChanbara Origin and Ryoko Costume: Aya’s Battle Suit from OneeChanbara Origin (Deluxe Edition only).
If you preorder at least one day before the release date, you will also receive the accessory Furball in 3 Color Varieties and “Now I’m Pissed Cat” in 3 Color Varieties (Deluxe Edition only). PlayStation Plus members also get a 10% discount.
Full Metal Schoolgirl is scheduled to be released on October 23. Please look forward to new information in the future.
Nintendo has finally confirmed the development team behind Donkey Kong Bananza — and as many fans had suspected, the upcoming Switch 2 blockbuster is being made by the team who previously worked on Super Mario Odyssey.
In a presentation attended by IGN ahead of a new Donkey Kong Bananza hands-on preview, Nintendo said that the same staff who worked on Odyssey also developed this new DK title.
The confirmation comes after Nintendo previously held off from stating which of its teams were behind the game, even after Bananza was playable publicly at the Switch 2’s global launch tour.
Still, the news will likely come as no surprise. Fans had suspected Odyssey’s talented developers were likely working on DK’s impressive-looking turn in the spotlight, and had pointed to various links between the two titles — not least their shared focus on the character Pauline — as clues to their creators.
Odyssey, released for Switch in October 2017, was helmed by Super Mario 3D World director Kenta Motokura, and produced by both Super Mario Galaxy director Yoshiaki Koizumi and Super Mario Galaxy 2 director Koichi Hayashida.
Nintendo did not state specifically whether all or only some of the Odyssey team were back for Donkey Kong Bananza — and fans will likely be keen to know about Koizumi’s involvement here in particular.
A key figure involved in the creation and promotion of the original Nintendo Switch, Koizumi was surprisingly absent from the announcement of Switch 2. A Nintendo veteran with more than three decades of experience at the company, Koizumi began his career as an illustrator, before rising through the ranks to serve as director on the GameCube’s flagship platformer Super Mario Sunshine. Koizumi has continued to work as a key figure on every subsequent 3D Mario game, including as director of Super Mario Galaxy, and then producer for Galaxy 2, 3D Land, 3D World and Odyssey.
Odyssey remains Nintendo’s most recent 3D Mario effort, with no suggestion as yet on when the company plans to launch another. Confirmation that Odyssey team members have been busy building Bananza will inevitably spark questions over whether a new 3D Mario game for Switch 2 is also being developed in parallel, or is still further off than some had expected. A closer look at Bananza’s staff list and their roles, once the game launches, may provide further clues.
For now, it’s simply interesting to note that Nintendo’s blockbuster Mario team have built a Donkey Kong game for Switch 2’s launch year — a slot that’s often reserved for Mario platformers.
As for Bananza’s links to Odyssey, the Switch platformer notably reintroduced Pauline as a major Mario character for the first time in years, and cast her as the music-loving mayor of New Donk City who performs the game’s toe-tapping Jump Up Super Star! track.
Donkey Kong Bananza launches on July 17, 2025 as this summer’s key Switch 2 title from Nintendo, before the arrival Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A later this year.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Playside are pitching Game Of Thrones: War For Westeros as an RTS for Age of Empires lovers, but it may also hook your fancy if you’re into vicious bastard boardgames. Speaking to me shortly after the new strategy project’s announcement at this year’s Summer Game Fest, game director Ryan McMahon explored how the requisite filthy traitor element of this latest George R.R. Martin adaptation will percolate through the project’s main “sandbox” mode, in which four players vie for supremacy over the Seven Kingdoms.
Howdy, pardner. Been a while, ain’t it? Red Dead Online‘s just gotten a fresh update that surprisingly adds some new missions, three or so years after Rockstar gave up on delivering major updates to the cowboy sandbox. Oh, and one of them looks to involve you investigating some zombie plague outbreaks.
Sounds a bit Undead Nightmare-ish to me, and these sudden new additions have folks wondering if Rockstar’s trying to bring the game back from the grave.
