Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead have unleashed the latest twist in the game’s Galactic War, with urban battles against the Terminids now on the cards. Rather than defending cities on Super Earth, this time the task is swatting bug invasions of population centres across multiple planets.
A tough assignment, but to be fair, successfully protecting their home planet against the still-at-large Illuminate should have given players plenty experience of street fighting (not the Ryu and Chun-Li kind).
Dune: Awakening won’t release on console until some point in 2026, developer Funcom has said.
The survival MMO launched as planned on PC on June 10, and it had been hoped the console version would release not far behind. But it sounds like fans will have a bit longer of a wait than expected.
Funcom failed to expand on why the survival MMO had been delayed on console, only writing in a press release that while the game “will be coming” to PlayStation and Xbox, that release is expected “sometime in 2026.”
The team was able, however, to confirm that the Dune: Awakening Season Pass is now live, offering the Wildlife of Arrakis DLC which boasts four in-game statues celebrating some of the planet’s most “tenacious” creatures: the sandworm, chiroptera, kulon, and Muad’Dib.
Three more DLCs are scheduled over the next year or so — expect one in Q4 2025, Q1 2026, and another in Q2 2026 — with free updates peppered between those bringing “new content, features, and enhancements.” Funcom also strengthened its commitment to “no subscription fees or microtransactions.”
We’re still in the process of reviewing Dune: Awakening. While there’s no score at yet, and we’re still a little unimpressed by the gunplay, our reviewer wrote: “After more than 35 hours I still feel like I’m fairly early into my Dune: Awakening adventure, and still have new zones to visit, haven’t gotten very far into the main story, and have only had a few encounters with PvP. There’s a ton for me to do, so look for an update sometime this week as I work my way through to the endgame.”
Did you know that you can (sort of) ride sandworms in Dune: Awakening after all? It turns out that if you’re super patient and don’t mind a little screen-tearing or clipping through assets, it can be done if you’ve the right equipment. Here’s how.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Here’s a Switch game we thought would get a little boost on Switch 2 — Splatoon 3! While it wasn’t part of the initial free update line-up, Nintendo (via the Nintendo Today! app) has announced that the game will be receiving a Switch 2 update later this week, on 12th June.
That’s not all, though — 30 new weapons in the form of the Splatlands Collection (based on older weapons), a raise on freshness caps, new badges to earn, and a new stat in Anarchy Battle which will help with matchmaking.
Nintendo has announced Splatoon Raiders, a brand-new Splatoon spin-off exclusive to the Switch 2. The surprise reveal was made with a trailer that was released first on the Nintendo Today! app.
Hey, everyone—you might have seen this in the Nintendo Today! app, but we thought you might want to hear it straight from the squid’s beak: SRL has prepared a little trailer for you. Take a look! pic.twitter.com/sOEaHor5yX
— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) June 10, 2025
Splatoon Raiders is the first ever Splatoon spin-off game. Nintendo failed to announce a release window, but said to keep an eye out for more information in the future.
Splatoon Raiders revolves around a mechanic adventuring with the Deep Cut trio to the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. This new protagonist for Splatoon Raiders is described as an “expert mechanic with a mysterious background.”
The new protagonist for #SplatoonRaiders is an expert mechanic with a mysterious background. That ink tank and walking robot look rather intriguing, wouldn’t you say? pic.twitter.com/XeP9t75JAW
— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) June 10, 2025
We’ve identified a variety of interesting findings, including a floating ship-like structure that serves as the mechanic’s base and an island with a unique atmosphere. We’ll keep investigating! #SplatoonRaiderspic.twitter.com/huFy5BlF4Z
— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) June 10, 2025
Meanwhile, a significant free update for Splatoon 3 is also coming, due out on June 12. Splatoon 3 ver 10.0.0 includes 30 new weapon kits from the Barazushi and Emberz brands (the Splatlands Collection), the return of the Urchin Underpass stage from the original Splatoon game on Wii U, and performance and visual improvements for Switch 2. Nintendo said Switch 2 players will notice more detailed visuals, and the game will appear smoother in certain locations such as Splatsville and the Grand Festival Grounds. Switch 1 and Switch 2 Splatoon 3 players will still be able to play together.
Plus, all weapon Freshness caps will be raised and players can earn new in-game Badges, Nintendo said. A new stat will be added for Anarchy Battle (Series) called Series Weapon Power. It will track a player’s effectiveness per weapon based on their win/loss ratio in battles – and will then match them with players of a similar power. This makes it possible for players to try new weapons without being disadvantaged and push the limits their favorite weapons.
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.
As the name implies, this not only comes with both Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, but with a special gold-themed steelbook adorned with Legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon, with dual cartridge slots, so you can store both games together.
What’s more, if you prefer the standard-coloured cover art of both games, the My Nintendo Store of this listing also includes individual Pokémon Scarlet and PokémonViolet steelbooks as bonus items.
This dual pack has been sold out everywhere else for quite some time, and is only available elsewhere via an at least £20 mark-up on eBay, making it the best time to buy both games and get a gorgeous trio of steelbooks at the same time.
As said, this is the perfect buy for new Nintendo Switch 2 owners, given the massive performance upgrades that allow the games to run in 4K at 60 FPS on the new console.
While plagued with performance issues on the original Nintendo Switch, our performance comparison video shows just how buttery smooth both titles look on the new system now, finally making them play as they should, two and a half years after release.
This only bodes well for the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which is launching on both the base Switch and Switch 2 on the 16th of October, 2025.
Now available to preorder at retailers, you can preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Pokemon Legends Z-A for just £52.95 at Amazon UK, an over £7 saving compared to other retailers like Very and Game UK.
While you can buy Pokemon Legends: Z-A for cheaper on the base Nintendo Switch, like for £49.99 at Amazon UK, the Switch 2 version comes with “improved performance with higher frame rate and resolution” on the newer console, as Nintendo states on its list of upgraded games.
While you’ll be able to buy an upgrade pack, it seems like it will be more expensive than just buying the Switch 2 Edition outright. Although the game isn’t out yet, Nintendo has the Legends: Z-A upgrade pack listed at £7.99, just like it costs for Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom.
So, if you don’t want what could be a repeat of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s performance problems at launch by basing the base Switch version, preorder the Switch 2 version of Legends Z-A for less by securing the physical version right now at a lower price tag.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
Wizards of the Coast knows the people thirst for more more Baldur’s Gate 3-ish CRPGs, and the company’s president has made it clear they still plan on making those kinds of things, even if the D&D action game they recently announced will be a different kettle of magic frogs
“Don’t get me wrong,” said President John Hight when speaking to Polygon about the different possibilities making a D&D game offers being a factor in going that route with this latest game, “we are going to do CRPGs that are going to be as serious as BG3.”
As a “Soulslike” game, Lies of P can be punishingly difficult, especially for inexperienced players perhaps attracted by Lies of P’s dark story and setting. Director Jiwon Choi had previously said the team didn’t think Soulslike games should have difficulty options and it shipped without any, but has since had a change of heart, saying: “We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could play the game.”
For those attempting the Overture DLC on the “intended” difficulty, Legendary Stalker, however, things seem tougher than ever. There have been so many comments — both for and against the DLC’s difficulty spike — that the Lies of P subreddit has had to merge them all into a “megathread” to stop the community from being overwhelmed by complaints.
Some comments and reviews on Steam echo this, with one writing: “I’m at level 300 and should not be getting 2-shot from basic enemies. It doesn’t help that the enemy grouping is designed for you to have to deal with multiple at once. This wouldn’t be a problem if even one of those enemies doesn’t take out half your health with one hit.”
“We’re reviewing all of [the player feedback] carefully and are already looking into when to implement some of your suggestions,” Choi said, as spotted by Eurogamer. “Among all the feedback, we are paying the closest attention to the combat experience.
“We identified areas that did not turn out quite as we intended. Therefore, we are reviewing various adjustments, including difficulty reduction. However, combat is one of the most fundamental experiences in Lies of P, so any modifications or changes require meticulous work and thorough testing.” It’s perhaps because of that “fundamental” issue that Neowiz has not given an indication of when the game will be patched.
We had a good time with Lies of P, awarding it 8/10, and Overture itself also secured a 8/10. “Even if it’s clearly dancing on the same old strings, Lies of P: Overture is an excellent expansion that adds a whole lot more to a game that was already great,” we wrote.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Okay, it’s not the HD version we were perhaps hoping for, but if you’re particularly fond of the GameCube original, you can now play it via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. It’s even better with the new wireless GameCube controller, too, but it does have a little gameplay quirk that might feel a bit odd if you’re not used to it.
While sandworm-riding is usually the first thing we want to try, and then fail at, in Dune: Awakening, it turns out that if you’re super patient and don’t mind a little screen-tearing or clipping through assets, it can be done.
No, it isn’t an official feature that can be unlocked — although developer Funcom did apparently consider it for a while before discarding the idea — but it turns out that if you have lightning-quick reflexes and study the sandworms’ behaviors and attack patterns like they’re an Elden Ring boss, you can climb aboard.
Redditor SgtDolphin has now shared not one but two videos of him riding the worm, using a combination of skills and equipment like the super-sprint Bindu Sprint ability, the Full Suspensor Belt, and Emperor’s Wings to help move quickly and better control his player in the air (thanks, PC Gamer). Once you’re on, no, you can’t control the worm any more than you can stop yourself flying off it from time to time, but Dolphin shows it can be done.
“It’s very glitchy at times especially on the sand that’s being displaced,” SgtDolphin explained in the comments. “Many deaths from the worm to get these rides, it’s a pretty dangerous sport!”
We’re still in the process of reviewing Dune: Awakening. While there’s no score at yet, and we’re still a little unimpressed by the gunplay, our reviewer wrote: “After more than 35 hours I still feel like I’m fairly early into my Dune: Awakening adventure, and still have new zones to visit, haven’t gotten very far into the main story, and have only had a few encounters with PvP. There’s a ton for me to do, so look for an update sometime this week as I work my way through to the endgame.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Video game voice actor union SAG-AFTRA say they’ve reached a “tentative agreement” with a group of games companies that could bring an end to the latest voice actor strike, providing it gets approved by the union’s National Board and members.
This tentative deal “puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the A.I. age, alongside other important gains,” say SAG-AFTRA. That’s been the key issue at the heart of this strike, with the union citing a desire to push for protections against VAs being replaced or imitated by AI, though it has previously faced some criticism for how it’s handled striking deals with companies that use AI.
