Category: IGN

Today’s roundup is stacked with some of the biggest Nintendo Switch 2 releases of 2025, covering every confirmed first-party game and amiibo on the calendar.

Whether you’re eyeing Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the double-pack of Super Mario Galaxy titles, or Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, every major release is now open for preorder.

On top of that, Kirby fans can look forward to Kirby Air Riders and a fresh wave of themed amiibo arriving in November. It’s rare to see such a complete slate of first-party releases lined up this early, which makes today’s deals list worth bookmarking if you plan on building out a Switch 2 library.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

But that’s not all, today’s roundup also features Pokémon TCG deals that fall below market value. In several cases, Amazon’s pricing has dipped under TCGPlayer’s, which is usually the lowest benchmark for sealed product.

For example, the Unova Poster Collection is $39.98 on Amazon versus $28.77 on TCGPlayer, and the Prismatic Evolutions Mini Tin is $33.28 at Amazon compared to $24.87 on TCGPlayer. Those kinds of gaps show which items are trending under market value right now, and they’re the deals most collectors will want to move on quickly.

Amyet V9-G60 Electric Bike for $477.47

Pokémon TCG Price Watch

If you’re looking to stock up on sealed Pokémon TCG product, TCGPlayer remains the most reliable place for market-low pricing across the board. The vast majority of booster packs, tins, and trainer boxes are sitting cheaper there than on Amazon, often by $5-$15.

Bundles like the White Flare Binder Collection and the Shining Fates Collection Pikachu V Box are up to $40 off, deals that everyone should be snapping up right now. It’s worth keeping an eye on these dips, since Amazon tends to fluctuate prices more often than dedicated TCG retailers.

Pokémon TCG Below Market Value

While TCGPlayer is often the go-to marketplace for low Pokémon TCG prices, a handful of sealed products are currently cheaper on Amazon, making them below market value and worth grabbing. Right now, the Black Bolt Booster Bundle is available for $50.01 on Amazon, while the White Flare Booster Bundle has dipped under $46.

Collectors looking for nostalgic sets can also snag the Team Rocket Tin at $41.24, or the Paradox Pokémon Stacking Tin at $26.32. Even seasonal products like the Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle (2024) are under market at $21.22, and the Unova Mini Tin rounds out the list at just $19.99.

Invest In Silver Tempest Now

Silver Tempest has proven to be one of the most collector-driven sets of the Sword and Shield era, with prices pulled between nostalgia, competitive play, and limited supply. The clear winner is Lugia V (Alternate Full Art) 186/195, which has surged 68% since July to $427, cementing itself as the set’s chase card.

Trainer Gallery standouts like Rayquaza VMAX TG20/TG30 and Blaziken VMAX TG15/TG30 have also doubled or tripled in value thanks to strong artwork and nostalgia, while even Lugia VSTAR continues climbing on competitive strength. At the same time, cards like Regidrago V (Alternate Art) and Alolan Vulpix VSTAR have cooled as the meta shifted away from them, with values slipping back toward the $12–$14 range.

Snag Classic Mega Evolution Cards Before Market Rise

The market for XY-era Mega Evolution Pokémon cards is heating up fast ahead of Pokémon Legends: Z-A and the upcoming Mega Evolution TCG set. Collectors aren’t waiting for modern reprints, they’re chasing the originals, and prices are showing it. Some cards have exploded in value, while others have steadied after sharp climbs, creating both momentum plays and entry points for buyers. Leading the surge is M Rayquaza EX (Shiny Full Art – Ancient Origins), which has skyrocketed over 426% this year, from $275 in January to $1,450 today.

M Gengar EX (Secret Rare – Phantom Forces) isn’t far behind, up nearly fivefold to $415, cementing its place as one of the most sought-after Megas. Other heavy-hitters include M Rayquaza EX (Full Art – Roaring Skies), now at $656, M Charizard EX (X – Flashfire) climbing past $349, and Primal Groudon EX (Shiny Full Art), which has more than doubled to $349. These climbers show how nostalgia, unique mechanics, and iconic artwork are driving a collector frenzy.

But not every Mega Evolution is running away in price. Some cards have plateaued after strong early-year gains, leaving a rare buying window before the next spike. M Mewtwo EX (Full Art – BREAKthrough) climbed from $37 to $145 but has leveled off in recent weeks, while M Alakazam EX (Full Art – Fates Collide) sits steady just under $100 after jumping from $28 earlier this year.

Even Charizard is showing signs of cooling, M Charizard EX (Generations) and M Charizard EX (Full Art – Evolutions) have tripled since January but are holding in the $190-$200 range for now. These pauses don’t signal weakness; rather, they reflect consolidation before the broader Mega Evolution wave hits with new set releases. For collectors and investors, the message is clear: the grails are climbing fast, but the plateaued cards may be the smarter pickups before Mega hype takes over the market again.

Crown Zenith Prices Are Rising

The Crown Zenith market has been showing two very different stories this month. On one hand, several Galarian Gallery Ultra Rares are slipping as hype fades, with fan-favorites like Leafeon VSTAR and Suicune V dropping more than 20% from their peaks.

On the other hand, the gold Secret Rares are climbing steadily, led by Giratina VSTAR and Arceus VSTAR, as collectors chase the scarce, high-end pieces of the set. This split reflects a maturing market: casual collectors are less interested in mid-tier Eeveelutions and V cards, while serious players and investors are doubling down on the big four golds.

Among the crashers, Leafeon VSTAR has fallen from nearly $50 to the $43 range, and Glaceon VSTAR is down 26% since February, hovering in the mid-$30s. Deoxys VMAX has slipped under $37, while Suicune V and Raikou V both lost more than a quarter of their value since spring. These are still striking artworks, but set fatigue and limited competitive relevance are pushing prices down.

Meanwhile, the climbers are commanding all the attention. Giratina VSTAR (Secret) has surged nearly 20% since July to $180, making it the definitive chase of Crown Zenith. Mewtwo VSTAR is also up more than 30% this summer, with its Charizard battle artwork driving collector demand. Rounding out the gains, Arceus VSTAR, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR, and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR are all trending higher as well, thanks to their powerful abilities and limited supply. Taken together, the set still holds broad collector appeal, but it’s clear the market is consolidating around the golden Secret Rares as the safest long-term holds.

First Party Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders

Nintendo’s 2025 first-party lineup is shaping up to be one of its strongest in years. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to arrive in October, followed closely by Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundled together for Switch 2.

Then in December, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lands with its own set of new amiibo figures, alongside Kirby’s big return in Kirby Air Riders. Between new entries in cornerstone franchises and fresh collectible amiibo launches, fans will have plenty to keep their Switch 2 libraries stocked through the holidays.

Third Party Switch 2 Preorders

The third-party slate for Switch 2 is just as impressive, with several big franchises making the jump to the new hardware. Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection launches in December with a full set of classic fighters, while Borderlands 4 and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake hit this fall.

Beyond that, titles like Hades II, Octopath Traveler 0, and Cronos round out the lineup for RPG fans. Whether you’re into fighters, shooters, or sprawling JRPGs, the Switch 2’s preorder catalog already feels packed, and today’s deals cover every one of them.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

We can finally confirm that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to release for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on December 4. This time Samus is dispatched to Planet Viewros, where she discovers some interesting psychic abilities in addition to her standard ones. She also goes up against Sylux, another bounty hunter who isn’t happy with the Galactic Federation, or Samus. The game is now available to preorder in physical and digital editions (see it at Amazon). You can also preorder some awesome looking amiibo to go along with it. Let’s dive in.

Preorder Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Preorder Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Amiibo

Launching alongside the game are a trio of ridiculously awesome looking Metroid Prime 4: Beyond amiibo. There’s Samus solo, aiming her blaster arm. There’s Samus on the extremely cool Vi-O-La motorcycle you get to ride in the game. And there’s the villainous Sylux. Nintendo hasn’t announced what in-game functionality scanning the amiibo will offer, but they’re sure to do something.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Switch 2 Upgrade Pack

• Get it at eShop (digital) – $9.99

Let’s say you buy the game for the original Switch, and then you get a Switch 2 later. In that case, you can purchase the upgrade pack for $9.99 on the Nintendo eShop. This turns a standard Switch version (even a physical copy) into the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game.

The benefits of the upgrade include enhanced resolution, frame rate, and load times, plus the ability to aim by using a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse. Here’s Nintendo’s official description of the specifics of the upgrade:

“Two display modes let you choose how to experience the adventure. Enjoy more detail in Quality Mode, which runs at 60 frames per second in 4k while docked and in 1080p while in handheld, or prioritize super-smooth action with a higher frame rate in Performance Mode, which runs at 120 frames per second in 1080p while docked and 720p in while in handheld. Both choices are HDR compatible.”

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Preorder Bonus?

At the time of this writing, there are no preorder bonuses for buying the game. If that changes, I’ll update this section.

What Is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a long-in-the-works sequel to the 2007 Wii game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It’s had something of a troubled development cycle; after being announced at E3 2017, Nintendo announced in 2019 that development was being restarted. But here it is, six years later, finally coming out.

This game puts you in the boots of the bounty hunter Samus and sends you to planet Viewros. There, you’re equipped with a very cool-looking motorcycle called Vi-O-La that lets you zip around large areas quickly. You can jump off ramps and fight aliens while riding, skidding into them as a form of attack.

As with previous Metroid Prime games, exploration plays a big role. You can scan the alien flora and fauna to find out more about them. You also gain psychic abilities. If you buy the Switch 2 version, you get improved graphics and load times. You can also use the Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse for aiming, which may offer more precision than the sticks.

You can find out more in our Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview.

Other Preorder Guides

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.

Rockstar has some particularly grand hopes for Grand Theft Auto 6, with the developer referring to its upcoming project as “the largest game launch in history.”

The company’s claim — which few are likely to argue with — was published as part of a job advertisment viewable via Rockstar’s website. In it, the developer says it is seeking a lead software engineer to ensure everything goes smoothly when GTA 6 finally arrives next year.

Rockstar’s lucky candidate will work with “some of the most talented people in the industry”, the company said, to help develop the data platform behind the upcoming behemoth.

“With the continued growth of Grand Theft Auto Online and the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, the successful candidate will lead both the evolution and operation of the data platform supporting what will be the largest game launch in history,” Rockstar wrote, “ensuring it scales to deliver an exceptional experience for millions of players worldwide.”

At the time of writing, the most recent version of the job ad (first spotted on social media by TheGTABase) no longer includes this paragraph, though IGN was able to view an older, archived version of the page to verify it was previously present.

It’s unclear whether Rockstar is referring to GTA 6 as being the largest game launch in terms of how lucrative it will be, or how many players are likely to be flocking into the game during its first few days. Analyst firm Ampere previously estimated that GTA 6’s likely impact on the gaming industry will be worth $2.7 billion.

Currently set to launch in just eight months’ time, GTA 6 will mark the first new entry in Rockstar’s best-selling series in over a decade. There’s plenty of pent up demand for a fresh Grand Theft Auto, then, since GTA 5 originally launched back for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013.

A recent trailer showed off much more of GTA 6, including its dual protagonists Jason and Lucia, and finally set a May 26, 2026 release date. Still, though, there’s much about the game that’s being kept under wraps.

So far, Rockstar has not shared any details of GTA 6’s version of GTA Online, which presumably this job applicant will be working on if they are leading development of its data platform. Whether the new version of GTA Online launches day and date with the main GTA 6 campaign remains to be seen, however — and that’s if there are no further delays to the project overall.

Whenever GTA 6 does arrive, it’s fair to say that no other game developer will want to launch their project anywhere near Rockstar’s release. Indeed, earlier this month, Ghost of Yotei director Nate Fox said his team at Sucker Punch celebrated GTA 6’s previous delay out of this year, giving their game a clear run at the holidays. “We’re all still hungover, multi-month hangover,” Fox said. “That was a great day.”

Could GTA 6’s launch slip again? Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar parent company Take-Two, previously told IGN that “historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we’ve been very good about reaching it.” Here’s hoping Rockstar fills that job fast.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

The latest September Nintendo Direct had some very exciting announcements, from a release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 getting a bundle release for Switch. Zelda fans were even treated to a new trailer and release date for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and the good news is it’s now available to preorder for Switch 2.

It can be found at various retailers, which we’ve included below, for $69.99 and is set to be released in a couple of months on November 6 (see it here at Amazon). If you’re itching to add it to your library, now is your chance at the links below.

Preorder Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

It’s actually happened! After months of worrying speculation, we finally got a release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond during the recent Nintendo Direct. It’s confirmed for December 4, 2025 (phew!), and already up for preorder at Amazon.

But if you tuned into the Nintendo Direct, you may have noticed a couple of extra key details. Firstly, Samus on a bike (huh?), and secondly, Samus on a bike as an amiibo that you can buy (no way!).

After a preview session where I was able to play the first half an hour of LEGO Voyagers, the mandatory-two-player, what-if-Hazelight-made-a-LEGO-game adventure from developer Light Brick Studios and arthouse publisher Annapurna Interactive, I wrote, “LEGO Voyagers might already be my favorite LEGO game ever.”

Keyword: might.

One less-than-ideal thing happened between my initial preview and my 14-year-old daughter and I completing the full version of LEGO Voyagers – where we tumbled, built, and played our way through to the end credits in same-screen co-op: it ended all too quickly. Though we enjoyed it the whole way through – it left us disappointingly unfulfilled because it ended just as it seemed like it should be hitting its stride.

Short But Sweet

You see, we rolled credits after just three and a half hours – even less than the slim five hours the publisher told us to expect. I’ve never been one to knock a game just for being short. Heck, Playdead’s Inside is still probably the greatest game I’ve ever personally reviewed at IGN, and it, like LEGO Voyagers, is a dialogue-free adventure that ended in less than four hours.

But while Inside left my jaw on the floor in astonishment at the incredible masterpiece I’d just experienced, LEGO Voyagers left both my and my daughter’s jaws on the floor for an entirely different reason: We both said, “Wait, that’s it?” To be fair, this is a $25 game and not everything has to be a Silksong. But it did leave both of us wanting more in a, “No really, we actually thought there’d be more than this,” kind of way.

I’m getting that gripe out of the way up front to set expectations, because outside of the all-too-soon end of the campaign, I love almost everything else about LEGO Voyagers. I’ll start with the tone, which is quite different from Traveller’s Tales’ more whimsical licensed LEGO games and the slapstick-with-heart LEGO movies. Voyagers is instead playfully curious – delightfully so – right down to who you play as and how you move. You and your co-op partner are just nameless, voiceless 1×1 bricks – one red and one blue, both with a single, mildly expressive eyeball attached to one side – and you simply roll your way around the LEGO-built world with fairly believable physics bouncing you around the play spaces. And though it obviously makes no logical sense, you can jump by pressing A (on an Xbox controller) and snap yourself onto any nearby peg with B. Pressing Y rotates your orientation by 90 degrees when you’re in that B-button snap mode.

Actually, though, your avatars are not entirely voiceless. Your 1×1 bricks can make adorable little noises if you press the X button, which can occasionally be used to harmonize in certain spots but is more likely intended to get your co-op partner’s attention when playing online. (On that note, kudos to Annapurna for following Hazelight’s lead and offering a Friend’s Pass that allows you to play with a friend online using only one copy of Voyagers.)

Our adorable 1×1 bricks instantly make for likeable protagonists in an almost Pixar-ish kind of way. I appreciate the little touches, like how the blue one starts with a beach bucket on its “head.” The music – which doesn’t always play but makes an impact when it does – plays a big part in establishing Voyagers’s playful vibe, too. It’s mellow but varied, humming along in the background in a way that’s additive rather than just being forgettable noise. Most, if not all of it, would go on your “Chill” or yoga playlist and not anywhere else, but it totally works here.

Bricks That Shine

I also want to commend the authentic art direction and visual identity of Voyagers, which is decidedly less cartoony compared to the licensed LEGO games. It goes for a sort-of realism, with every piece in the diorama-like worlds looking like the shiny plastic its real-life counterpart is – complete with the LEGO wordmark stamped into every brick. The soft daytime lighting baked into many scenes has a warmth and serenity to it that gives it a relaxing, mellow, and playfully curious tone, and the use of light and shadow helped draw me in immediately. That these sets sometimes have water flowing through them or surrounding them only adds to the believability of these being actually constructed LEGO sets that you’re observing from above as an omniscient participant.

Furthering that easy-going atmosphere is the complete and total lack of any penalty for death whatsoever; when – not if – you tumble off the edge of a scene or miss a jump and plunge off the side, you’ll instantly reappear right where you last were prior to your mistake. It’s completely low stakes and encourages goofing off, so when you snap yourself onto your co-op partner and roll both of you off a ledge, or fling them off a bridge you’re supposed to be holding down for them to cross, they can’t even be too mad about it until the fifth or sixth time you pull the same trick.

There’s never any direction given, but intuitively we immediately understood that your goal in a game like this is to get from point A to point B. In the early part of the campaign, that’s accomplished by simply picking up loose bricks from around the scene and working together to assemble them into makeshift bridges to cross gaps. In true LEGO spirit, there’s no single right way to build your path forward: You could build a super-clean structure that a civil engineer would approve of, or cobble together a hodgepodge of pieces with no regard for aesthetics or efficiency but which gets the job done nonetheless. We tended toward the latter, and had a great time doing it. (Side note: a Photo Mode would’ve been a nice addition as a way to capture the digital memory of what you create and share it with friends and family – and the act of working together to solve whatever obstacle is in front of you is really enjoyable. But simple screenshots sufficed.)

Those puzzles ramp up a bit as the campaign progresses, though as I mentioned it felt like there’s a lot more room for it to grow into that it leaves unexplored. A favorite scene of ours had us driving a big dump truck of sorts around an industrial yard where train tracks are made. The locomotive we rode in on had to stop due to a gap in the tracks, so we got out, hopped in the truck with one of us steering while the other (effectively) worked the pedals. We roamed around, collecting raw materials into the truck bed before taking them to the foundry to be forged into usable track pieces, then satisfyingly snapped the new track into place and continued onwards. It’s still simple, but with a few more steps involved than just assembling a bridge or stairway.

We also had fun with a series of minigames near the end of the story that I won’t spoil here, except to note that they’re particularly finicky physics-based challenges that might be quite tricky for younger gamers that are likely to be drawn to Voyagers and its E-for-Everyone ESRB rating. Fortunately, none of these tricky tasks are required in order to progress – but we did have fun earning the Achievements that came along with completing them.

Play Time

Though puzzles make up the meat of the gameplay, there’s also a bit of freedom to play around in many scenes. My daughter and I found ourselves racing to be the first to “pop” every flower we came across by rolling over it (and there are a ton of them throughout the entire campaign) even though there are no actual rewards for doing so. There are also fun little “breaks” you can take, such as by each hopping on a teeter-totter or sitting next to each other on a bench. They’re absolutely not required, but they make for fun little pit stops along the golden path (and another idea that those of us who played Split Fiction earlier this year might recognize).

If I were to levy one more complaint against LEGO Voyagers, it’s that neither my daughter nor myself quite got what the meaning of the completely wordless story was supposed to be. In the opening moments, the 1×1 brick avatars watch a rocket launch go awry. They spend the next handful of hours trying to get to the rocket facility…and I suppose you’ll see what happens. But if there was a moral to the tale here in the way you might expect from watching Wall-E or playing a game like Tunic, both of us missed it.

Gearbox has confirmed it’s “exploring” how to add a field of view (FOV) slider to Borderlands 4 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S after complaints from console players.

When Borderlands 4 launched last week, console players were shocked to discover not only a lack of a FOV slider in-game, but no motion blur toggle, either. The PC version of Borderlands 4 has settings for both.

The lack of a FOV slider is the biggest issue right now with Borderlands 4 on console, if anecdotal evidence across the internet is anything to go by, with some complaining that not being able to tweak the FOV value is causing them to experience motion sickness.

Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford responded to the complaints to suggest fairness might have something to do with the lack of a FOV slider, although all that comment did was confuse fans given the PC version has it and there’s crossplay at launch.

Now, Gearbox has confirmed it’s working on the problem, saying in a statement published on social media:

“Vault Hunters! We have heard your feedback on FOV (Field of View) sliders on console. The team is currently exploring how to bring these sliders to both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions. We will continue to read your feedback and prioritize game updates with your experience in mind. Thanks all!”

There are suggestions the console version of Borderlands 4 lacks a FOV slider in order to maintain certain performance levels. By increasing the FOV, you’re putting the hardware under more strain and potentially impacting things like framerate.

Whatever the issue, Borderlands 4 got off to a big start on Steam, where it hit just over 300,000 concurrent player numbers on Sunday. No other Borderlands game has come close to that in terms of concurrent player numbers on Valve’s platform. The true number will of course be much higher when you add console players.

While Borderlands 4 got off to a big start in terms of player numbers, it’s not entirely plain sailing for Gearbox. The release was marred by complaints about PC performance that have resulted in a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam. Gearbox has issued an update to address the PC version of Borderlands 4 specifically, although without patch notes.

If you are delving into Borderlands 4 don’t go without updated hourly SHiFT codes list. We’ve also got a huge interactive map ready to go and a badass Borderlands 4 planner tool courtesy of our buds at Maxroll. Plus check out our expert players’ choices for which character to choose (no one agreed).

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.

The Final Fantasy series’ iconic victory fanfare has been a staple feature for the majority of the long-running RPG franchise since the very first entry in 1987. However, series composer Nobuo Uematsu recently revealed that a music programmer’s accidental discovery was what enabled him to give Final Fantasy’s battle themes and fanfare a truly punchy, driving drumbeat for the very first time.

At a recent sold-out event reported on by GameWatch, Uematsu talked in detail about Final Fantasy III’s score and its development. With a soundtrack that incorporated a wider variety of tunes including comical pieces, Uematsu credits Final Fantasy III as a turning point in which he established his approach to composing music for RPGs.

Uematsu emphasized that there was a stark difference in Final Fantasy III’s music quality compared to Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II, even though they were composed using the same equipment and for the same console (the Famicom / NES). Although most games only used four of the NES’s audio channels, Uematsu revealed that Final Fantasy III made heavy use of a particular drum sound on the fifth channel, which was discovered completely by accident during development.

Deltarune Chapter 5 will release in the second half of 2026, developer Toby Fox has said on Undertale’s 10-year anniversary.

In mid-June — after a three-year wait between previous chapter releases of Deltarune — Fox promised a faster turnaround on the next episode of the saga, and revealed Chapter 5 was set for a 2026 release.

Now, in a new update to celebrate Undertale’s 10th birthday, Fox has admitted that after “factoring [in] the localization and testing,” he “doesn’t think that the game will be released in the first half of 2026.”

“That’s not a surprise, right?” Fox wrote. “From last time’s updates, you guys have access to exactly how long each step of the development took. Anyway, we don’t have any external factors surrounding the release date this time. We’ll release it when it’s done, and we will continue to update you guys on the progress of its completion. Thanks!”

Fox also took the opportunity to describe exactly where in the development cycle Deltarune Chapter 5 is, revealing that the “early parts” are complete, albeit needing a little polish. The last “40%-or-so” is in a “rough first pass state, and the last 10% is in a prototyping state.”

“Probably around 85% of cutscenes have been created up to a first draft state, however, of those at least 20% or so will require more polish,” Fox said, adding that regular enemies are mostly done, with at least one programmer already working on the regular enemy bullet patterns of Chapter 6. The “direction of the boss battles” has been decided, and boss attacks have already been planned and completed. The next step is to “arrange the attacks and make adjustments to them if necessary to fit the atmosphere of the battle.”

“With Chapter 3 & 4, there were some creative ‘hurdles’ which made developing parts of the game difficult. How to do the Boards of Chapter 3, how to design the events in Noelle’s house, etc.,” Fox added. “Once we got past those hurdles and expanded the team, everything went much more smoothly. Chapter 5 was not without hurdles! But… we already passed all of the obvious ones, so there’s little to get in our way now! We just need to keep making the game.” Only one “main deadline” has been outlined for the rest of 2025, and that’s to kick off translation by the end of the year.

The good news is that anyone new to Deltarune still has time to catch up. We thought what we’ve played thus far is ‘Amazing,’ awarding it 9/10, writing: “Even though the journey is only halfway to completion, Deltarune’s incredible story is already bursting with hilarious charm, unforgettable characters, and an iconic soundtrack that make it worth investing your time in.” A “sequel” of sorts to beloved indie RPG Undertale, it has released chapter by chapter starting in 2018, with Chapter 2 releasing in 2021 and the two most recent chapters dropping alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year.

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.