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How Nintendo Switch 2 Will Improve Switch 1 Games

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here and as previously reported the Switch 2 will be largely backwards compatible with Switch 1 games. However, there appears to be a concerted effort from Nintendo to introduce specially enhanced versions of Switch 1 games to the Switch 2. And these seem to go beyond just a graphical boost and framerate bump.

What Games are Playable on Switch 2?

As Nintendo breaks down, there will be primarily three types of games playable on the Switch 2. Native Switch 2 games that are developed for the system and cannot be played on the original Switch. Compatible Switch 1 games whose cartridges can slot right into the Switch 2 and be played natively on the console. And Switch 2 Edition games which are Switch 1 games that will receive new features and performance enhancements when played on Switch 2.

This doesn’t include classic games that are available through Nintendo Switch Online which includes a library of games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and now GameCube.

So What Comes in a Switch 2 Edition Game?

The main takeaway from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is that Nintendo appears to be trying to throw in a little extra for anyone playing a Switch 2 Edition of a Switch 1 game.

For example, Super Mario Party Jamboree was a Switch game and the Switch 2 Edition will come with a new suite of content called Jamboree TV that will take advantage of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, Switch 2 microphone, and the Switch 2 USB-C camera that will be sold separately.

Along with upgraded resolution up to 1440p in TV mode and better frame rate, there will be new minigames and online functions as well.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which will be a cross-gen game, will support mouse controls with Joy-Con 2, and multiple display modes like Quality Mode which runs at 60fps in 4K when docked, or 1080p at 60fps on handheld; or Performance Mode which runs a 120fps in 1080p when docked, or 120fps in 720p in handheld mode. All modes will support HDR.

Other Switch 2 Edition titles will get new story content like Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Star-Crossed World add-on, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will gain additional support for the Zelda Notes service in the Nintendo Switch App that will give you guides and game help.

Some games, like Pokemon Legends: Z-A will only feature performance and resolution bumps as part of the Switch 2 Edition label.

When are the Switch 2 Edition Games Coming?

The Switch 2 is set to be released on June 5, 2025 and that’s around when the first batch of Switch 2 Edition games will arrive.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will get Switch 2 Editions on the day of the console’s launch on June 5, 2025.

Switch 2 Editions for Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV will arrive a little later on July 24, 2025. Same for Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s update which will arrive on August 28, 2025.

Neither Metroid Prime 4: Beyond of Pokemon Legends: Z-A have release dates yet so both Switch 2 Editions are scheduled for sometime in 2025.

How Much Will Switch 2 Editions Cost?

That depends. If you don’t own the Switch 1 version of the game, then you can purchase the Switch 2 Edition at retail, which will be distinct thanks to the new red-colored physical game case. The digital versions will also feature a prominent Switch 2 logo so you know you’re buying the right edition for your Switch 2.

If you own the game on Switch 1 and want the upgrades that will be added in the Switch 2 Edition you will need to purchase an upgrade pack from Nintendo. The upgrade packs will be available at select retailers, the official My Nintendo Store, and Nintendo eShop. However, Nintendo has not revealed how much an upgrade pack will cost just yet.

Some upgrade packs, like the upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will be included in a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. This is the same membership that gives Switch owners access to online features and the classic library.

So there you have it, that’s everything you need to know about the Switch 2 Editions of a game. We’ve detailed previously how Nintendo is making the jump to the Switch 2 fairly seamless thanks to its backward compatibility stance, and it looks like Nintendo is looking to bolster its launch library with improved versions of Switch classics.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2 check out all the news announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct as well as how much it costs, and when pre-orders go up.

Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.

James Bond Origin Story Game Project 007 Officially Coming to Nintendo Switch 2

GoldenEye hive, it’s time to rise up — because IO Interactive is officially bringing its upcoming James Bond game to the Nintendo Switch 2.

According to IO Interactive’s website, Project 007 will focus on an entirely new story in the Bond universe.

“Players will step into the shoes of the world’s favorite Secret Agent to earn their 00 status in the very first James Bond origin story,” the developer said about what to expect for the game’s story.

Head of IO Hakan Abrak opened up to IGN about building a brand new origin story for the beloved spy back in October. “What’s exciting about that project is that we actually got to do an original story. So it’s not a gamification of a movie,” he told IGN.

“It’s completely beginning and becoming a story, hopefully for a big trilogy out there in the future. And equally important and exciting, it’s a new Bond. It’s a Bond we built from the ground up for gamers. It’s extremely exciting with all the tradition and all the history there is there together to work on this together with the family of creating a young Bond for gamers; a Bond that the gamers can call their own and grow with.”

As for a release date, though, the jury is still out on that one. You can catch up on everything announced at the Nintendo Direct today right here.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Microsoft Reveals Xbox Game Pass April 2025 Wave 1 Lineup

Microsoft has unveiled a list of Xbox Game Pass titles set to join the service in the first half of April 2025, revealing a strong lineup of first- and third-party games, including South of Midnight, Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition, and more.

It’s a remarkably strong month that was detailed in a recent Xbox Wire post. Expect major hitters to start dropping in tomorrow, April 3, kicking off the month with Gearbox Software’s Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) for all tiers, while All You Need Is Help (Console), Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X | S), and Wargroove 2 (Console) all join Game Pass Standard. There’s more than enough in this first block to keep even the most dedicated Xbox fan busy all month, but you’ll only have five days before South of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) and Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) arrive for all Game Pass subscribers April 8.

South of Midnight, Compulsion Games’ Deep South-set folklore adventure, is poised to be one of Xbox’s biggest releases of the year, and its presence on Game Pass will no doubt have hordes of players seeing what it has to offer. Microsoft’s official description sheds more light on how it will bring some life to Game Pass this month: “Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and face the pain haunting your hometown.”

April 9 follows with Commandos: Origins (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with Blue Prince (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers April 10. Finally, Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PC) will round out the Wave 1 drops come April 15 when it is added for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Xbox Game Pass perks are also getting a refresh for the first half of April 2025. Highlights include the Beyond the Void Bundle for The First Descendant, the Sweet Starter Pack for Candy Crush Solitaire players on mobile devices, and an anniversary Seventh Serving Emote for Sea of Thieves fans. You can see the full list of everything coming to Game Pass in the first half of April below.

Xbox Game Pass April 2025 Wave 1 Lineup

Another month of Game Pass newcomers means another batch of games will soon be leaving, too. You’ll be losing access to these titles come April 15, so if you’re interested in playing but don’t think you’ll have time to reach the credits, Microsoft still offers a 20% discount for members looking to pick up a last-minute purchase.

Games Leaving Game Pass April 15

  • Botany Manor
  • Coral Island
  • Harold Halibut
  • Homestead Arcana
  • Kona
  • Orcs Must Die! 3
  • Turbo Golf Racing

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Fortnite Fans Rejoice as Nintendo Switch 2 Port Promises Long-Awaited Performance Improvements

Fortnite is getting a special Nintendo Switch 2 port that should keep those pesky technical issues from keeping players from a win, and the internet is already celebrating its potential.

Epic Games’ trend-setting battle royale showed up during a sizzle reel during today’s Switch 2 Direct to confirm that a new version is in development. What’s more is that it’s planned to launch day and date with Nintendo’s new hybrid console this June, meaning you’ll be able to check out all of the fancy new upgrades (whatever they may be) as soon as you unbox your Switch 2.

Fortnite fans have long complained that the Switch version of Fortnite has too many technical issues, keeping them from enjoying the massively popular free-to-play game on one of the most popular consoles of all time. Examples include drastically downgraded visuals compared to those seen on rival platforms, glitches that impact gameplay, and other annoyances that make it hard to justify spending time playing on Nintendo’s original Switch.

Epic has moved to improve performance in the past, but many Switch owners have found themselves wanting more – and now the Switch 2 is here to answer their prayers. With improved specs – including support for 120fps and up to 4K resolution when docked – Switch 2 will run beefier titles like Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Final Fantasy 7: Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, and many more, and players are expecting to see Fortnite get a significant bump when the Switch 2 launches this summer. It already seems to be running well enough based on its brief time in today’s new sizzle reel, so fans quickly dropped onto social media to share their excitement.

You’ll want to make sure you download that spruced-up Switch 2 version of Fortnite come launch, as Nintendo has already warned that the original Switch version of the battle royale experience may have a few issues when running on the new hardware. It was included in a recently published list of known Switch titles to suffer from drawbacks when running on Switch 2. Though it’s unclear what those issues may be, it sounds like you’ll be fine so long as you’re playing on the Switch 2 version of Fortnite.

We’ll know more about how Fortnite looks, feels, and runs on the new Switch as its launch on June 5, 2025, draws closer. In the meantime, you can check out everything else announced during today’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct right here.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Here’s Every Nintendo Switch Game With Compatibility Issues on Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo has confirmed which OG Nintendo Switch games will have issues running on the new Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches on June 5, 2025.

In lists published to the official Nintendo website, the company has revealed which games have “start up issues” on Nintendo Switch 2, and which games can start up but have “some in-game compatibility issues.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s very little detail at this stage about each individual game’s issue — most games simply say the problem is “being investigated” — but while it’s to be expected that some games may struggle to make use of Switch 2’s new hardware features, the list does include some surprising titles, including Rocket League, Pizza Tower, Warframe, Fall Guys, and NBA 2K25.

Interestingly, Fortnite is also included on the list, but Nintendo also revealed a bespoke Nintendo Switch 2 version is on the way.

Here’s the full list of Nintendo Switch games with start up issues on Nintendo Switch 2:

  • 112 Operator
  • a Boy and His Blob Retro Collection
  • Abyss Memory Fallen Angel and the Path of Magic
  • Aca Neogeo Art of Fighting 2
  • Aca Neogeo Samurai Shodown Ii
  • Ca Neogeo the King of Fighters ’95
  • Aca Neogeo the King of Fighters ’96
  • Airhead
  • Alchemy Garden
  • Another Crab’S Treasure
  • Arcade Archives Burger Time
  • Arcade Archives Crime City
  • Arcade Archives Dig Dug
  • Arcade Archives Gradius Iii
  • Arcade Archives New Rally-x
  • Arcade Archives Pac-land
  • Arcade Archives Xevious
  • Astral Flux
  • Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly
  • Batman: the Enemy Within
  • Beyond the Ice Palace Ii
  • Boot Hill Bounties
  • Boot Hill Heroes
  • Botany Manor
  • Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver
  • Cats Hidden in Italy
  • Crazy Strike Bowling Ex
  • Dadish 2
  • Darksiders Genesis
  • Dead by Daylight
  • Death Coming
  • Doom: Eternal Bethesda
  • Eggy Party
  • Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
  • Everdream Valley Untold Tales
  • Everspace
  • Fables Mosaic: Snow White
  • Felix the Cat
  • Final Fantasy Square Enix
  • Fitness Boxing
  • Floor Kids
  • Fortnite
  • Framed Collection
  • Gal Guardians: Demon Purge
  • Gang Beasts
  • Gas Guzzlers Extreme
  • Grid Autosport
  • Guns Gore and Cannoli
  • I Got Isekai’D Into a Shmup
  • Inferno 2
  • Island Flight Simulator
  • Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection
  • Kids Vs Parents
  • Kill La Kill – if
  • Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island-1
  • Kosmokrats
  • Library of Ruina
  • Little Nightmares Complete Edition
  • Manticore – Galaxy on Fire Plaion This Issue Is Being Investigated. Mexican Train Dominoes Gold
  • Monster Loves You Too!
  • Model Debut #Nicola
  • Monster Energy Supercross – the Official Videogame
  • Musynx
  • Nascar Rivals
  • Nba 2k18
  • Nba 2k25
  • Nelly Cootalot: the Fowl Fleet
  • Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
  • Nobody Saves the World
  • Nova-111
  • Oddworld: Stranger’S Wrath
  • Ok K.O.! Let S Play Heroes
  • Omg Police – Car Chase Tv Simulator
  • Onigo Hunter
  • Palia
  • Perseverance: Complete Edition
  • Pineview Drive
  • Pizza Tower
  • Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
  • Raiden Iii X Mikado Maniax
  • Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
  • Rims Racing
  • River City Girls Zero
  • Rocket League
  • Roller Champions
  • Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited
  • Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition
  • Slayin 2
  • Soul Dog Td
  • South of the Circle
  • South Park: the Fractured but Whole
  • Sportitions’24
  • Star Wars Episode I: Racer Aspyr
  • Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
  • Strania -the Stella Machina- Ex
  • Summer Pockets
  • Super Mega Baseball 3
  • Super Neptunia Rpg
  • Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
  • Taito Milestones
  • the Cube
  • the Jackbox Party Pack
  • the Jackbox Party Pack 2
  • the Journey Down Trilogy
  • the Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
  • Touhou Gouyoku Ibun　 ～ Sunken Fossil World
  • Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
  • Tricky Towers
  • Trip World Dx
  • Trove
  • Trover Saves the Universe
  • Tt Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3
  • Under Night In-birth Exe: Late[Cl-r]
  • Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi
  • V-rally 4 Nacon
  • Warface: Clutch
  • Warframe
  • Warp Shift Kyrkudden
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  • Wolfenstein Ii: the New Colossus
  • World of Tanks Blitz
  • Xtreme Sports
  • Victor Vran Overkill Edition
  • Senran Kagura Reflexions
  • Star Melody Yumemi Dreamer
  • Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon
  • Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
  • Process of Elimination
  • Tokyo Xanadu Ex+

Here’s the full list of Nintendo Switch games with in-game compatibility issues on Nintendo Switch 2:

  • Alan Wake Remastered
  • Alien: Isolation
  • Arcade Archives Ordyne
  • Arcade Archives Phelios
  • Arcade Archives Tetris the Absolute the Grand Master 2 Plus
  • Arcade Archives Tetris the Grand Master
  • Asphalt Legends Unite
  • Dadish
  • Dex
  • Dust: an Elysian Tail
  • Elderand
  • Factorio
  • Fall Guys
  • Family Chess
  • Games Advent Calendar 25 Days 25 Surprises
  • Godlike Burger
  • Harvestella
  • Hitman 3 Cloud Version
  • Hot Wheels Unleashed
  • Just Dance 2019
  • Klondike Solitaire
  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • Matchpoint Tennis Championships
  • Mega Man Legacy Collection
  • Motogp 21
  • My Brother Rabbit
  • Noir Chronicles: City of Crime
  • Overcooked! All You Can Eat
  • Pocoyo Party
  • Port Royale 4
  • Raiden Iv×mikado Remix
  • Real Car Driving Simulator & Parking 2022 Games
  • S.N.I.P.E.R. Hunter Scope
  • Saints Row Iv: Re Elected
  • Smilebasic 4
  • Steven Universe: Save the Light
  • Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
  • Stumble Guys
  • Pilot Sports
  • Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars
  • Failure to Adapt Effectively to Market Trends’

You can catch up on everything announced at the Nintendo Direct today right here.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Mario Kart World Costs $80, $30 Cheaper if You Buy It Bundled With the Nintendo Switch 2

At today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo finally confirmed its highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 system will release on June 5, 2025.

While the Nintendo Switch 2 system itself will retail for $449.99, a bundle is also available with Mario Kart World included for $499.99.

If you’d prefer to purchase Mario Kart World separately, however, Nintendo’s recommended retail price for its fan-favorite racer is an eye-watering $79.99.

Up until now, Nintendo only launched one $70 game on the original Switch, and that was the Legend of Zelda: Tears Of the Kingdom. Interestingly, the just-announced Donkey Kong Bananza is $70.

You can catch up on everything announced at the Nintendo Direct today right here.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Kirby Air Riders Revealed During Nintendo Switch 2 Direct

Kirby’s racing spinoff Kirby Air Ride is making a tremendous comeback after more than 20 years, thanks to a new entry for Nintendo Switch 2: Kirby Air Riders.

The project made its grand debut during today’s special Switch 2 presentation, revealing a cast of colorful Kirbys and new spacey vehicles to travel with. No gameplay was revealed, with Nintendo instead choosing to reveal the project with a cinematic trailer and the promise of a 2025 release window. We likely won’t have to wait too long to see how the sequel builds on the original GameCube game, but we can at least rest easy knowing Kirby creator and Super Smash Bros. mastermind Masahiro Sakurai is serving as the project’s director.

The last original new Kirby game was Kirby and the Forgotten Land for Nintendo Switch. This was Kirby’s first adventure in a full 3D perspective, and we gave it an 8/10. We said that it “successfully warps the series’ already fun mix of ability-based combat, platforming, and secret hunting into the third dimension. The post-apocalyptic setting may not be as thematically interesting as Planet Popstar, but it is still lovely and vibrant, with cleverly designed levels that make consistently smart use of Kirby’s abilities.”

You can catch up on everything announced at today’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct right here.

Developing…

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart Game Officially Revealed as Mario Kart World

During today’s Nintendo Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct, Nintendo officially revealed its new Mario Kart game coming to the console, which we now know to be titled Mario Kart World. It’s Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and it’s a launch day release.

The trailer today was a fast-paced explosion of neat new elements. Rapidfire, we got a look at a number of returning characters, new tracks, and feature such as jet skis on water, rail grinding on the edges of courses, the ability to bounce off walls, customizable characters with hats and outfits, changing weather and time of day on courses, a photo mode, and the ability to play as the cow from Moo Moo Meadows. You heard me!

The biggest feature of World is the ability to drive off-road essentially anywhere you want on the course in what seems to be a large open world, with drivers having to drive from course to course in each four-course Grand Prix.

The last “mainline” Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 8, originally came out way, way back in 2014 for the Wii U, and was later re-released as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. Since then, it’s become the definitive Mario Kart game, selling nearly 65 million copies and getting numerous updates over time with new racers, tracks, karts, and more. While other Mario Kart games have come out during that time, such as Mario Kart Tour on mobile and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, this new Mario Kart release on Switch 2 is a major step forward for Nintendo as it says goodbye at last to one of the best-selling games of all time. Can Mario Kart World surpass it? We’ll have to wait and find out.

You can catch up on everything announced at the Nintendo Direct today right here. More information is coming on Mario Kart World in a future Nintendo Direct dedicated to the game.

Developing…

Gameplay of EA’s New The Sims ‘Concept’ Appears to Leak Online, and It’s Not Going Down Well With Fans

A video purportedly taken from the next iteration of The Sims has popped up online, and fans have expressed their concern about what it may mean for the much-loved series.

Project Rene – the codename sometimes used interchangeably with The Sims 5, although EA maintains Project Rene is, in fact, a spin-off project – has been bubbling around for a few years now, but early access footage from a game entitled “City Life Game With Friends” has many players thinking that this could well be the next Sims game.

The video itself is a full 20 minutes long and shows the player clicking through text prompts to select their outfit, hair, watch, activities, and so on. He then spawns into a sunlit Plaza de Poupon where he buys some food and mingles with the locals. He later goes to work in the outdoor café.

Characters are clearly called Sims throughout the playtest, talk in Simlish, and are adorned with The Sims’ tell-tale Plumbob.

“I am terribly disappointed with Project Rene. Yes, I know, according to EA, ‘this is not the final game.’ Is this a joke or what?” said one unhappy player on The Sims’ subreddit on a post entitled “I think Project Rene is a redflag (I hope not)” that has been upvoted hundreds of times.

“EA clearly wants to kill off normal Sims games and push people toward the mobile-style experience. So in their mind, a reboot literally means this — at least that’s what I THINK.”

“This is not going to be for me, I can tell already,” said another. “It just seems so basic and I don’t want to play The Sims on my phone.”

“The funny thing is, making a PC/mobile cross-compatible Sims game isn’t a bad idea,” posited a fan. “EA just believes that mobile games HAVE to be ugly for some reason. They’re chasing all of the design trends of the past decade, but it means that this thing already looks dated and it’s not even out yet.”

“The way The Sims was a literally [sic] satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness…. And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness,” suggested another.

Project Rene — the codenamed game initially thought to be The Sims 5 until EA distanced itself from those rumors — was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. It’s a free-to-play Sims game that features multiplayer inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. It hasn’t yet been formally revealed or received a release date, but EA has been holding small, invite-only playtests for the game since its announcement, with the game’s latest playtest presumably spawning these recent leaks.

The name Rene was chosen because it references words like “renewal, renaissance, and rebirth” that “represent the developer’s renewed commitment for the Sims’ bright future.”

Last October, however, images of Project Rene leaked from a closed online test, prompting complaints about the art style, limited features, and the use of microtransactions. It was the addition of a café that drew the most skepticism, primarily due to the smiliaries to 2018’s The Sims Mobile. It was then that EA said Project Rene was not The Sims 5 but would, in fact, be a different “cosy, social game” released under The Sims franchise.

Don’t forget that The Burglar, a familiar sight for those of us who’ve spent time with any of the older Sims games snuck back into our lives as part of the latest update for The Sims 4.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Tekken 8 Community in Uproar Over Season 2 Balance Changes, Pros Threaten to Ditch the Game, Steam Reviews on Fire

The Tekken 8 community has reacted in anger after the Season 2 update changed the game in a number of controversial ways.

Patch notes revealed an across-the-board buff to character damage potential and offensive pressure, which has caused some within the community to complain that Tekken 8 has strayed too far from the classic Tekken experience.

Pro Tekken player JoKa said the Season 2 update means “this does not feel like Tekken AT ALL.”

“Characters getting buffed even in the slightest is not the way along with more stance-based transitions where 50/50 situations are enhanced. Some of the new moves added are insane with little to no counterplay. Characters getting their weaknesses patched and identities being removed by homogenisation is lazy balancing. Oki being gutted and heat just getting buffed makes no sense. Combo damage is too much across the whole roster. I definitely think the sidesteps are better but does that really matter when moves exist with crazy tracking/hitboxes? Chip damage is still excessive with most heat smashes remaining the same. Removing strategy in favour of more 50/50 situations isn’t interesting gameplay and is moving away from the foundation of Tekken.

“Where are the defensive options that were mentioned?”

T8 now hit the most negative reviews in a day since the day the Tekken Shop launched one year ago
byu/YourGameTVlol inTekken

As you’d expect, Tekken 8’s Steam page has become the avenue through which players are expressing their frustration. The game has seen a flood of negative reviews (over 1,100 in the last two days), resulting in an ‘mostly negative’ user review rating for recent reviews.

“Genuinely good game held back by schizophrenic insane developers sent from hell,” reads the current ‘most helpful’ review.

“New season dropped and they made every character into a braindead easy mix up machine without a single buff to defense,” reads another.

“After promising changes to open up defensive options, the balance team has doubled down on extremely powerful offense that takes away all agency from the defending player,” another negative review reads.

“Not every character needs to be able to force 50/50 canned mixups constantly, but it seems like the balance team doesn’t have any other ideas for how to build characters at this point. It’s just a shame to see another legacy fighting game become entirely defined by character offense and situations with little to no response from the defender.”

Some Tekken fans are so upset with what’s happening that they’re ditching the game in favor of Capcom’s Street Fighter 6. Others are calling Season 2 the “worst patch in Tekken history,” with some pro players threatening to walk away from Tekken 8 entirely.

The community is now hoping for some communication from the development team responding to the complaints. Some want the patch rolled back in its entirety. Others want an emergency follow-up patch to make key changes.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.