Nintendo Switch 2 sales over the holidays reportedly fell short of those recorded by the console’s predecessor back in 2017, during its first end-of-year season.
As revealed by The Game Business, Switch 2 sales in the US and within key markets in Europe fell behind the equivalent pace of Switch 1 — something an unnamed senior Nintendo source blamed on a “complicated” economic climate today, and the “absence of a major Western game” during the year-end period.
That particular analysis will likely raise eyebrows among Nintendo fans, as the company launched the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond during the period — albeit to a more muted critical response than the franchise’s beloved original trilogy. Nintendo has so far made no announcement on how that game has fared.
The Game Business reports that US Switch 2 sales over the holiday period were down around 35% versus the Switch 1’s sales performance back in 2017. In the UK, a similar comparison saw Switch 2 lagging Switch 1 by 16%. Even in Nintendo’s homeland of Japan, Switch 2 holiday sales couldn’t match Switch 1, and were down by 5.5% over the year’s final nine weeks.
In France, 2025’s final tally of Switch 2 sales was down by “over 30%” versus the amount Switch 1 notched up back in 2017, meanwhile.
While these numbers may take some of the shine off of a successful first year for Switch 2 overall, it’s not all doom and gloom. Switch 2’s lifetime sales in Japan are still above what Switch 1 managed in its first year, with less time on sale. And in the UK, Switch 1 continued to sell well enough that it made up Switch 2’s holiday sales deficit.
Looking ahead, Nintendo has a smattering of first-party games already planned for 2026, including Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, as well as Switch 2 upgrades for Super Mario Wonder and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There’s also the FromSoftware exclusive The Duskbloods to look forward to, and the promising-looking Pokémon Pokopia life sim.
But as the Switch 2 prepares to celebrate its first anniversary in June, all eyes will be on Nintendo to roll out a truly new blockbuster entry in one of its biggest franchises. Back in 2017, Switch 1’s first year was marked by the launch of both Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo has not released a major new 3D Mario platformer since, while it will soon be three years since the arrival of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Switch 1’s other top-selling titles include Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Animal Crossing: New Horizons — and for now, there’s no suggestion a big new entry in either franchise is forthcoming. Smash Bros. series boss Masahiro Sakurai has only just finished work on Kirby Air Riders, while Nintendo is opting to update New Horizons for Switch 2 this year, as previously mentioned.
Could we see a new 3D Mario in 2026? Nine years on from Super Mario Odyssey, now feels like the right time. And then there’s Pokémon, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next month. Could we get a glimpse soon of the series’ long-awaited 10th generation? The arrival of these titles would certainly help Switch 2 keep its momentum, following last year’s explosive launch.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Famitsu has published the latest boxed charts data from Japan, and it’s once again another success story for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World. Both headline the hardware and software charts respectively, with Mario Kart World shifting another 94,645 units to total 2,668,381 lifetime sales.
Meanwhile, Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition has managed to surpass the 1 million milestone, totalling 1,004,154. The OG Switch version is still dominating, however, shifting a total of 1,529,823 units. This balance will begin to lean more toward Switch 2 in the coming years as more and more people upgrade, but the remarkably high install base for Switch means that Pokémon games its successor will, for the time being, struggle to keep up.
CES 2026 doesn’t technically end until tomorrow, but then if it were a football match, it’d be the kind where the home side gets battered 4-0 and the cameras keep cutting to a stream of season ticket holders slumping towards the doors with 20 minutes left. An all-timer in the history of Consumer Electronics Show, it has not been.
These next few months of winter are a great time to settle in with big games until spring arrives. Recently, Amazon’s been offering some great discounts on a variety of options to help you stock up your library this January for a little less than usual. Among some of the games on sale right now is Assassin’s Creed Shadows for PS5 (see it here at Amazon), which has dropped back to its lowest price so far of $34.99 at the retailer.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (PS5) for $34.99
This makes for a huge 50% discount from its usual list price of $69.99, which is an excellent offer to make a move on. This limited edition Amazon Exclusive copy also comes with the Sekiryu Character Pack, which gets you a gear and weapon set for Naoe, the Sekiryu Beast, and a Dragon Tooth trinket alongside the base game.
We think it’s a game well worth picking up, too. Our review gave it an 8/10 score, with writer Jarrett Green saying it, “takes a flashing blade to the series’ established norms, trimming them to a more precise form in lieu of chopping them down outright.”
The review continues on to say that, “Combat is aggressive and requires more intentional parrying and skill management than in the past, and exploring the gorgeous provinces of Sengoku-period Japan is encouraged thanks to the revamped map that deemphasizes collecting icons and checking off lists.” Not to mention, “Naoe and Yasuke are well-realized and memorable protagonists, even though most of the story they drive follows pretty predictable paths.”
Minecraft‘s getting marginally cuter with its next update, as it continues to pretend it isn’t designed for the express purpose of teaching innocent children that in order to survive, you’ve sometimes got to beat some pigs and trees to death with your bare hands. Baby farm animal mobs, long just mini-mes of their adult versions with slightly different head/body size ratios are getting their own unique appearances.
The long-running Trails series needs little introduction, as Falcom has been chipping away at this JRPG narrative for the better part of two decades across a variety of arcs and perspectives spread over more than a dozen interconnected games. While newcomers have traditionally been discouraged by the mountain of homework necessary to ‘get it’, Trails Through Daybreak offered a nice on-ramp for the series a couple of years ago, kicking off a fresh arc. After a somewhat disappointing sequel, many hoped Falcom would right the ship with Trails Beyond the Horizon and start offering some payoffs for the many plot threads it’s set up. Luckily, Falcom has started to get things moving, and this entry overall feels like an improvement over Trails Through Daybreak II, though it isn’t without its flaws.
Centred on the initiation of humanity’s first steps into space, this is narratively a continuation of the ‘Calvard arc’ that started with the first Daybreak game, but there’s also a good reason why this wasn’t simply called Trails Through Daybreak 3. While Van is (debatably) the primary character of this release, there are also two parallel story routes starring Kevin and Rean, two protagonists from previously concluded arcs who still have a role to play in the all-encompassing storyline now approaching a grand conclusion that the technological developments of Zemurian space exploration are bringing into focus.
2026 is going to be an incredible year for Xbox players – you might even call it a… fabled year. To celebrate, we’re kicking it off with the fourth installment of our Developer_Direct broadcast on January 22, bringing you news, new gameplay, and insights directly from the incredible teams working on titles coming this year.
Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct will once again give you an inside look at not just the games, but the studios working to bring them to life. Fittingly for Xbox’s 25th anniversary year, that includes the return of some of our most legendary franchises, which rub shoulders with a brand new title from one of Japan’s most beloved studios.
The show includes not one but two titles from Playground Games, with the UK studio bringing us a first extended look at Fable, as well as the debut of gameplay for Forza Horizon 6. We’ll also be taking a trip to Tokyo to visit the legendary Game Freak, offering a first in-depth look at Beast of Reincarnation, which we revealed at Xbox Games Showcase last year.
You can tune in at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK on January 22 to see all the latest on:
Fable – Playground Games welcomes players back to the fairytale land of Albion, with the first in-depth look at Fable – one of 2026’s most anticipated titles. Devs from the Playground team will unveil the magic and mischief that awaits players in this fresh new beginning for the franchise, including a first look at some stunning new gameplay. Of course, the core themes of Fable will all be there – choice, consequence, drama, action, British humor and (of course) chickens, all reimagined for existing fans and new players alike.
Forza Horizon 6 – The Forza team from Playground Games will share a deep-dive on the much-anticipated Forza Horizon 6 as the open world racer takes players to the beautiful and contrasting landscapes of Japan. The segment will deep-dive into a very first look at gameplay, including reveals of new features – and how Japan comes to life in this stunning new installment.
Beast of Reincarnation – Join us as we delve into Game Freak’s intense one-person, one-dog action RPG. For the first time, Game Freak will reveal details of our protagonist Emma’s innovative plant manipulation actions and gameplay with her canine companion, Koo. In Beast of Reincarnation, a profound and dangerous world unfolds in post-apocalyptic Japan. Discover the development secrets behind its creation in Developer_Direct.
Stay tuned to our official social channels for more from Developer_Direct, airing on Thursday, January 22 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.
Code Vein II, launching for PlayStation 5 on January 30, is the newest entry in the dramatic exploration action RPG series, Code Vein. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it depicts the drama of Revenants and humans who fight to defy their doomed fate. Players confront relentless foes and treacherous locations alongside a trusted partner, while their choices rewrite history and shape the destinies of both the world and its characters.
We recently got a chance to go hands-on with the upcoming title and have a chat with the game’s producer, Keita Iizuka, and the director, Hiroshi Yoshimura.
Keita Iizuka, Producer, Bandai Namco Entertainment (left) & Hiroshi Yoshimura, Director, Bandai Namco Entertainment (right)
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Follow a hero’s journey that transcends time to rewrite fate and history
PlayStation Blog: Your studio has worked on action RPGs like the God Eater series, the Tales series, and Scarlet Nexus. What aspects did you focus on to set this title apart from those games?
Yoshimura: I think one of Code Vein’s defining features is its challenging difficulty.
Iizuka: Another crucial aspect of Code Vein is that you can only bring one companion on your journey. Even when facing deadly environments or powerful enemies where a single mistake could mean death, it’s just the two of you. That may feel isolating at times, but the unique bond and trust that form between you and your partner is unique to Code Vein.
Yoshimura: Code Vein also places a strong emphasis on creating a world grounded in realistic backgrounds. The team made thoughtful design choices to blend anime-style characters naturally into these detailed environments. This commitment to a distinctive visual style is another hallmark of the game.
Yoshimura-san, back when you were developing God Eater 2, you talked about how you organized your ideas by carefully putting them into words. Did that approach carry over or influence your work on this project?
Yoshimura: The “verbalization method” I used during God Eater 2 has been applied not only to this title, but also to the previous Code Vein. It involves the enormous task of writing out every game element and clarifying how they connect to one another. We repeatedly iterated on the core action systems from the prototype stage. As projects grow in scope and development periods stretch, the market and player expectations keep evolving. If the team does not continually update its mindset during development, the game risks feeling outdated by the time it launches. The action in this title is the result of extensive iteration; while respecting and carrying forward the sense of camaraderie with your buddy that was so well received in the previous game, we rebuilt the system around two new strategic concepts – “Summoning,” where you fight alongside your partner, and “Assimilation,” where you become one with them. We hope players will enjoy this new approach.
When it comes to the game’s worldbuilding, were there any elements you carried over from the previous title or specific aspects you chose to emphasize?
Yoshimura: Code Vein II establishes a new setting while still retaining core elements from the previous game. Because this title is built around the idea of rewriting history, directly linking it to the previous game’s world would risk overturning the established history and player experiences. That said, it’s not an entirely separate world either; fans will notice familiar items, weapons, gifts, and other small callbacks scattered throughout the game.
During the hands-on demo, the design differences between Josée as your Revenant buddy and as a boss really stood out. What’s the concept behind the Revenant’s bosstransformations?
Yoshimura: Those design differences are intended to make players wonder what happened to the character. While their appearance changes drastically, there are still subtle elements shared between the two forms. You might miss them during battle, but as the story unfolds, you’ll begin to understand the reasoning behind the transformations. We’d love for players to look back at the character designs after those revelations.
Player choices play a big role in this game. Does altering history result in multiple endings?
Iizuka: The core gameplay revolves around traveling between the present and past to progress the story. When you intervene in the past and return to the present, relationships with characters or the world itself will change. The game has multiple endings, so even after reaching one ending, you can go back in time to alter it.
Yoshimura: It’s a pretty unique structure. There are multiple endings, but the way players approach them is different. What really defines this game is how players actively shape the story through their own choices.
Iizuka: There’s also New Game+ that lets you carry over your levels and certain progress for those who want to revisit the story from the beginning.
The history-altering system must be challenging to maintain story consistency. What were your key focuses or struggles when crafting the narrative for this title?
Yoshimura: I took it on myself, but it was far more challenging than expected. As I built out the narrative, I found myself wanting to push the boundaries further. I want to create living, breathing characters, so I refused to make them act like puppets that were convenient to the game’s system. Maintaining narrative consistency was tough, but character integrity mattered even more. My core rule was ensuring that player experiences were reflected without any contradictions. The complexity made it difficult to convey my vision clearly to the team, so I just powered through it myself (laughs).
Iizuka: The story went through extensive rewrites. However, the final version achieves solid consistency and a smooth flow, making the history alterations feel seamless without any sense of disconnect.
Character creation has expanded with adjustable body types, new hair options and broader gradient options. You can mix-and-match outfits with on/off toggles to unlock even more variety. Cloaks and hoods are separate parts of vampire gear, and there are no longer accessory cost limits.
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What are the standout features of the new Rune Blade and Twin Blades? Are there any changes to weapons carried over from the previous game?
Yoshimura: The Rune Blade is a tricky weapon that leverages formae power to levitate swords. With specific formae, you and the blade can move independently to attack, pulling off solo coordinated assaults. Twin Blades, held in both hands, prioritize speed and spin. It was highly requested by fans of the previous game, so we’re excited for the new addition. In Code Vein II, you can stack wounds with every hit to maximize Ichor from blood drains, so hit count is key.
It’s difficult to pinpoint changes to the five returning weapon types, but the animations have seen a major quality upgrade, so nothing feels exactly like the previous game. Every move, from weighted swings to combos, has been fully rebuilt to match the elevated animation standards.
Iizuka: This game now lets you equip formae directly onto weapons, with many more type-specific options. This makes tailoring builds to each weapon’s strengths far more intuitive than in the previous title.
After Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty teased the return of Microsoft’s now-annual Xbox Developer Direct showcase last month, the publisher has now confirmed the details. The 2026 Dev Direct will air live on Thursday, January 22 at 10am PT. You can watch it live here on IGN or on IGN’s YouTube channel.
Booty had already confirmed the presence of accomplished Xbox Game Studios developer Playground Games at the event, and now we know for certain that both its upcoming blockbusters will be shown: Forza Horizon 6 and Fable.
Given that both are expected to release this year and they are two of Xbox’s biggest first-party offerings – and that we’ve yet to see proper gameplay from either one – we’re due a proper look at gameplay. And that, according to Microsoft’s announcement this morning, is exactly what we’ll get.
There’s no confirmation of any other games under the Microsoft umbrella being included, such as Gears of War: E-Day, the prequel that’s bringing back Delta Squad to the time period before Emergence Day; or Halo: Campaign Evolved, the Unreal Engine 5-based remake of the original Halo’s campaign. I played it, if you’d like to read or watch my first impressions.
Typically Microsoft does include at least one surprise title, however. Could this be where we get a glimpse at the newly-leaked Life is Strange: Reunion? It’s perhaps worth noting that the franchise’s previous game Life is Strange: Double Exposure was unveiled back during the Xbox Showcase in June 2024.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Right, so, Starcraft. A new shooter in the series is reportedly set to be revealed this year, possibly as the big headline act of Blizzcon in September.
The existence of such a secret shootery thing in the works at Blizzard was first reported by Jason Schreier last year, being one of the revelations to come out of his book on the publisher, titled Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.
