Larian Studios’ multi-award-winning fantasy RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is set for its own TV series on HBO, and will be helmed by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin.
As reported by Deadline, a television adaptation of the acclaimed game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe is in development at the network, and interestingly, will be a continuation of the story from the Baldur’s Gate 3 game. The television show will reportedly take place after the events of Larian’s RPG and follow the characters players grew to love over time as they grapple with the aftermath of its world-changing ending.
The series will be helmed by Craig Mazin, no stranger to adapting video games to live action, following his work co-creating HBO’s The Last of Us with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann. A huge fan of Baldur’s Gate 3, Mazin told Deadline that “After putting nearly 1000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is a dream come true to be able to continue the story that Larian and Wizards of The Coast created”.
“I am a devoted fan of D&D and the brilliant way that Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it”, he continued. “I can’t wait to help bring Baldur’s Gate and all of its incredible characters to life with as much respect and love as we can, and I’m deeply grateful to Gabe Marano and his team at Hasbro for entrusting me with this incredibly important property.”
By taking on this project that has no ties to any other Baldur’s Gate game in the pipeline, Mazin will have free rein over what story he wishes to tell, but we do know that it will include both existing and brand new members of the BG3 cast. Shadowheart? Karlach? Astarion? Who are you most looking forward to seeing on your television screen? Mazin reportedly plans to reach out to the cast of the games to sound out how best to approach their roles in the TV show, and if they’d want to be involved, something The Last of Us did with Merle Dandridge reprising her role as Marlene, for example.
Of course, the ending of Larian’s multiple game of the year award-winning RPG can vary massively depending on how you chose to play the game, so it will be highly intriguing to see how Mazin and co. go about choosing which ending is canon for them.
It may well be a while yet before we see Baldur’s Gate arrive on the small screen, with Mazin still attached to complete production on The Last of Us, which is gearing up for its third, and maybe final, season.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
And it may well be a reworking of a mobile favourite.
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment during today’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, you may have caught a glimpse at a cute-looking RPG called Another Eden Begins. Coming to Switch 2 and Switch 1 this summer, it features time travel, turn-based combat, ten different endings, and New Game+.
What if we also told you that the creator was none other than Masato Kato, one of the writers of acclaimed ’90s Squaresoft RPGs Chrono Trigger and Xenogears, as well as the director of Chrono Cross? And that the game’s music is composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, who also worked on all three of those games? The pieces are starting to fall into place now.
Embark Studios has opened up about how it will make the second Expedition in Arc Raiders more enticing after the first left its community wanting more.
The developer behind the popular sci-fi extraction shooter updated fans with a blog post on its website. Included are a February 25 sign-up date and a March 1 departure date for the account reset event, as players are told to look forward to more worthwhile rewards before sending their beloved Raiders into the unknown and starting from scratch.
Stash value requirements were the first thing Embark addressed, telling fans that they’ll now need just 3 million coins to reach the maximum bonus of five skill points. That means you’ll need only 600,000 per point, a significantly more achievable task than the previous Expedition’s ask of 1 million per skill point.
What’s more, Raiders who participated the first time around but didn’t amass enough coins can benefit from a new catch-up feature. Missed points can be claimed for 300,000 each, with coins first going toward Expedition 2 before being used for the makeup points for Expedition 1. In other words, you’ll need the 3 million for the five new skill points and an additional 300,000 per skill point missed. As Raiders jump into Expeditions for the first time, they’ll need to start by unlocking rewards from Expedition 1, leaving the catch-up feature only for returning players.
Other new permanent rewards for the second reset include a new Scrappy outfit, an evolved Patchwork outfit with more toggles and colors, and, thankfully, 12 more stash space slots. Returning expeditioners gain 5% more XP (10% total), a 6% boost to Scrappy materials (12% total), and a 10% increase to repair value (70% total).
All of the upcoming changes to Expeditions arrive after Embark noted a somewhat disappointing reception to its first crack at the account wipe feature. Design director Virgil Watkins told PCGamesN last month that “a little over a million players” successfully cleared their accounts and suggested the studio would keep its ear to the ground going forward.
“We completely acknowledge that it isn’t the most engaging thing to just go for money,” he said at the time, “[and it has] the potential outcome of disincentivizing using your gear, which is kind of what people look forward to towards the end of a reset cycle. So yeah, we’re looking at revisions on that.”
Arc Raiders launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S October 30, 2025. Its Escalation roadmap laid out Embark’s early 2026 plans late last month, with Expedition windows planned for February and April. Headwinds kicked things off with a solo vs. squads queue option and the Bird City map condition when it arrived January 27.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer 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).
I am very much of the opinion that for the most part, video games do not have a very good relationship with food. There are plenty of games where you can eat food and get some delicious HP back for it, but rarely is food the focal point narratively. So, ever since its announcement I’ve been quite excited about Dosa Divas, a turn-based RPG where you play as two sisters piloting a cute robot whose goal is to take down an “evil fast food empire.” And I’m more excited now, as it has a release date!
Ubisoft has reportedly canceled a multiplayer, cooperative Assassin’s Creed title that has been in development at French studio Ubisoft Annecy.
This comes from a report by French publication Origami, which IGN has independently translated. According to the report, the project was codenamed “AC League”, was originally conceived as a DLC for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and would have potentially taken place in the same feudal Japan era. The DLC would have involved four assassins joining forces to take on a series of scripted missions with up to four players that would have ultimately concluded the story told in the game’s (canceled) Season Pass. You may have already heard of AC League if you pay close attention to Assassin’s Creed gossip, as it was previously rumored last year in a report from Insider Gaming.
The project, Origami reports, was apparently fairly ambitious and was intended to serve as a baseline for future multiplayer features throughout the series, such as a return to a hybrid solo/multiplayer playstyle as existed in Assassin’s Creed Unity or Black Flag (a remake of which has been rumored for some time now). However, as the AC League project progressed, directors at Ubisoft Annecy reportedly began to question whether it made sense to attach League to Shadows, as they worried it would take too long to make, and came up with a different plan that turned it into a small, standalone title borrowing pieces of the Assassin’s Creed: Shadows open world. Development on this progressed with an intended invite-only alpha planned for May of 2026.
Unfortunately, AC League was allegedly just the latest victim of the ongoing upheaval at Ubisoft. For several months now, the company has been undergoing a massive restructure alongside major cost-cutting measures, canceling numerous projects, closing studios, and reorganizing its creative houses. It was to this restructuring that AC League fell victim, with leadership at Ubisoft Annecy being informed just last week that AC League was being canceled.
However, there is still a sliver of hope for the project, Origami reports. Apparently, a handful of Annecy employees have been selected to transfer the technical advancements the team made back into the company’s proprietary Anvil engine, with the goal of eventually making it easier to add replayable multiplayer modes to future Assassin’s Creed titles that would be less expensive to develop. Unfortunately, that leaves more than a quarter of the 270 individuals working at Annecy without a project at the moment, leaving a lot of lingering anxiety that layoffs may be coming next.
IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for comment.
Ubisoft’s quarterly earnings will be reported next week, and all eyes are on the company to see if it can pull itself together amid some drastic financial times. Upon last reporting, the company had thrown out its previous fiscal year guidance for new, significantly reduced financial expectations, reflective of the fact that the company just closed two stories, laid off a lot of employees, and canceled six projects. It’s also handed off its three biggest franchises to Vantage Studios, a newly-created business entity owned by Ubisoft but with a 25% stake from Tencent to help keep the lights on.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
The Tales of series is on a bit of a roll at the moment, and Switch 2 owners have something to celebrate, as Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition is coming to the console on 22nd May 2026. it’s getting both a physical and digital release.
For those not in the know, Tales of Arise is the most-recent entry in Bandai Namco’s action RPG series; it came out on other platforms back in 2021, with the Beyond the Dawn expansion following in 2023. The Switch 2 release will include the expansion as-standard.
Experience FragPunk’s Paint-Splattered Future in the Pigment Realm
Kun, Producer at Bad Guitar Studio
Summary
FragPunk celebrates its first anniversary on February 1 with Season 4, Full Spectrum Bash, adding a major new mode and a new Lancer.
Pigment Realm is a new PvE mode that signals the future direction of FragPunk’s development, focused on replayability and progression.
Heiress/graffiti artist Wildstyle joins the Lancer roster with abilities based on spray paint and the “Stained” effect.
In the fast-paced world of FragPunk, players are used to the tactical chaos of Shard Clash. But for the game’s first anniversary, Bad Guitar Studio is Making more attempts. With the launch of Season 4, “Full Spectrum Bash,” The team is dedicated to enhancing the depth and replayability of PvE, introducing a fresh new play mode.
“The Full Spectrum Bash will be the ultimate playground for all FPS players to enjoy,” says Xin, Producer at Bad Guitar Studio. The centerpiece of this update is the Pigment Realm, a mode that moves away from pre-configured decks to embrace the unpredictability of a true roguelike experience.
Enterthe Pigment Realm: From Chaos to Creation
The transition into Season 4 isn’t just a mechanical update; it’s a narrative culmination. Following the Toy Frontline incident, Kepler successfully retrieved several toy monsters for study. However, a high-stakes swap occurred: a portion of the monsters destined for the Pathojen Laboratory vanished, only to reappear as a “mysterious package” at Wildstyle’s studio.
“This is where the chaos begins,” Xin explains. “Wildstyle, completely unaware of Kepler’s loss, mistook these monsters for harmless craftwork and used them as inspiration for her art.” The turning point came when she applied her signature paint. Infused with glunite, the paint acted as a catalyst, accidentally activating the monsters.
“We want to provide a gameplay mode that offers rich replay value,” Xin explains. “The Pigment Realm places a greater emphasis on a single-player experience where the core deck is constructed during gameplay rather than outside of matches.” This shift in philosophy is defined by four pillars: enhanced randomness, extended progression through talent trees, a rewarding “grind” with leaderboard rankings, and a richer loot experience.
Designing the Mechanics: The Roguelike Evolution
In the Pigment Realm, the traditional pre-match strategy is being replaced by real-time adaptation. Lancers will no longer use pre-configured card decks from outside the game. Instead, they must rely on an in-game card backpack, where power is earned through combat.
“We wanted the growth to feel organic to the fight,” says Xin. “Every monster you defeat has a chance to drop a card, and that drop rate actually scales with the number of players in your team. It encourages a squad-based momentum where you are constantly picking up and activating new abilities on the fly.”
To deepen this system, the team introduced several layers of strategy:
The Shard Card Crafting System: Players can spend Crystals to draw and select new Shard Cards. Unlike traditional modes, these cards have no usage limits or resource restrictions — if it’s in your hand slot, it’s active.
Card Synthesis: Lancers can combine three cards of the same name and level to create a more powerful version. The system even allows for “direct synthesis” from the ground if a dropped card completes a three of a kind with cards already in your hand.
The Blessing System: After completing a set number of waves, players must choose one of three powerful blessings to further define their build.
Strategic Exploration and Resource Management
The map itself requires resources to unlock gradually. In the Pigment Realm, certain zones are restricted at the start. “Venture forth and explore every uncharted zone to your heart’s content!” Xin encourages. This creates a tactical trade-off: do you spend your Crystals on drawing new Shard Cards, or do you use them to open up the map? Notably, enemies will not spawn in an area until it has been officially unlocked, giving players some control over the flow of the battle.
Persistent Growth: The Out-of-Game Build
While the in-game experience is about immediate survival, the new Perk System ensures that every match contributes to a Lancer’s long-term power. Each character now has a dedicated Character Level that can only be increased by using that specific hero in PvE mode.
“The progression is designed to reward your time and skill,” Xin explains. By leveling up, players earn Talent Points used to develop a permanent out-of-match talent tree. According to the developers, three key factors determine how much experience you gain:
Hero Used: Experience is character-specific to the hero played in that match.
Match Duration: The longer you survive, the more experience you accumulate.
Waves Cleared: In Endless mode, your progress is directly proportional to the character experience earned.
3 brand new maps (Acme Underpass, Art Town, Collège Alpin) will be used for Pigment Realm, and also a new map (Caesarea) for Shard Clash!
Meet Wildstyle
Background
While the Pigment Realm offers new ways to play, the new Lancer, Wildstyle (Melody Lovelock), offers new ways to win. Despite her prestigious family background, she is a legend in the underground graffiti scene, a fact the Lancer Association keeps a “quiet” secret. Her kit is built around the “Stained” effect:
Mechanics and Skills
Coat of Many Colors: Wildstyle sprays paint on herself or her teammates, granting 15 extra HP. This extra health continuously regenerates for the duration of the skill.
Spray Paint: Wildstyle fires paint from her graffiti gun that splatters on the ground. Enemies who enter the paint zone are slowed, exposed, and take increased damage. This Stained effect persists for a short period after leaving the paint zone, and the zone itself is temporary.
Wonderwall: Wildstyle places a graffiti device on the ground or on a door, creating a paint waterfall that blocks vision in one direction. The paint does not block bullets or projectiles. Enemies passing through it get covered in paint and are Stained. The waterfall disappears if the device is destroyed, or after a set period of time. This skill automatically recharges.
The Anniversary: It’s Raining Gold
Beyond the new content, the anniversary event is a “thank you” to the community. Lancers can earn up to 2,500 coins and a free Extreme-tier weapon skin set simply by participating in activities.
Looking ahead, the studio remains committed to its core philosophy. “We will expand with more creative Arcade matches and even bolder experimental content,” Xin concludes. “Through continuous updates, we aim to turn FragPunk into the ultimate playground — where you can experience everything you’ve ever wanted to play.”
FragPunk is available for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere and Cloud Gaming, and included in all tiers of Game Pass.
Break the Rules with Shard Cards
Dive into the action of FragPunk and break the rules with countless Shard Cards! Wanna give your allies some “motivation”? Shoot at them to increase their speed and fire rate! Need some HP? Just crouch, lay an egg and eat it! With Shard Cards, no rule stands in your way. They can also combine and counter each other, adding an exciting tactical layer to the classic bomb-defuse experience. And every Shard Card is completely and forever free for all players—no paywalls in sight! Jump in and unleash endless possibilities in FragPunk!
Be Any Lancer You Want to Be
Numerous diverse Lancers, each with unique skills, personalities and outrageous dialog and to suit your preference. Blow up your enemies with a rocket launcher, set traps, backstab while invisible, pilot a drone tank and more!
The One and Only Duel!
In FragPunk, you can be your own Lancer and a team player at the same time. The action reaches its peak when the exhilarating Duel phrase starts after a tie! In this intense 1v1 showdown, it’s all about your mastery as players face off in a true test of skills. Jump in and fight! Duel can also be played as an individual mode in the Arcade.
Variety that Fuels Replayability
Find your favorite guns, many of which have special abilities! Are you a sword, sniper or pistol fan? Explore and develop your personal combat style!
Every game lets you slap stickers on the guns. But what about on your name card, or even your Lancer’s head? Sticker-bomb every corner for that extra flair, before you step into the battlefield and showcase your style!
Explore Various Modes
With so many game modes available, the Arcade offers weekly rotations to keep the action fresh and exciting each time you play! Defend humanity, or turn as many humans as possible into zombies in the “Outbreak” mode! Or test your weapon skills in a variety of single-weapon-type modes, from melee battles to sniper duels, to pistol showdowns and rocket skirmishes.
Immersive Maps & Vibrant Visuals!
Maps in FragPunk are designed to immerse players in a vibrant multiverse, offering an array of different environments to explore. Feast your eyes on bold colors, sharp shapes and dynamic lines to provide you with diverse visual experiences while the bullets fly. Prepare to be captivated by the rich aesthetic and thrilling gameplay that await you in FragPunk!
Ah, live service games. You put out a new feature, everybody complains about one thing or another, you say something like “we’ve heard your feedback” and change it the next time around. This, almost word for word, is exactly what’s happened with Arc Raiders‘ and its impending second Expedition, the details of which have been outlined in a handy blog post from developer Embark.
We now have our hands on the Nintendo Switch 2, a new console from one of the biggest names in gaming. Alas, a new console is only as valuable as the library of games you can build on it.
Thankfully, Nintendo hasn’t been shy about planned releases over the next year, which include a mix of Switch 2 exclusives, third-party releases, and the benefit of backward compatibility with any games still launching on the original Switch. Without further ado, here are all of the new Switch 2 games we can look forward to in 2026.
All Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Release Dates
PGA Tour 2K25 (February 6, 2026)
If you found Wii Sports golf to be a little too easy, here you go. PGA Tour, 2K’s golf series, is coming to a Nintendo console for the first time since 2K21. Take on tournaments as your favorite pro player or build up your own character through the MyCareer mode. IGN’s 8/10 review gave the game some solid praise, highlighting that “new swing mechanics, paired with the significantly improved graphics, makes for a much more realistic ambiance.” Let’s hope that performance holds up on the Switch 2.
Tokyo Scramble (February 11, 2026)
Tokyo has been destroyed in a massive cave-in. In the aftermath, Anne wakes up underground to find a subterranean organization filled with creatures called Zeno. If they catch you, they’ll kill you. To escape, you’ll have to focus on stealth. Announced during the February Nintendo Partner Direct, Tokyo Scramble is launching on Switch 2 pretty darn soon.
Paranormasight: A Mermaid’s Curse (February 19, 2026)
Yuza Minakuchi is working as a pearl diver who encounters another version of himself on the sea floor. As strange incidents continue to plague his home island, he must investigate a curious cast of characters throughout the town as well as mysteries in the water.
Mario Tennis Fever (February 12, 2026)*
Mario Tennis is making its return with the first new release since 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces. The sports game will continue the more recent tradition of a Story Mode alongside Tournament, Trial Towers, and Mix It Up modes, all while featuring a whopping 38 playable characters.
Blazblue Entropy Effect X (February 12, 2026)
Next up, we’re getting an expanded, console version of the Blazblue spin-off originally released for mobile and PC in 2023. The action roguelite sets you on an adventure into the Sea of Possibility with new characters and story additions.
Reanimal (February 12, 2026)
From the creators of Little Nightmares 1 and 2 (not 3, keep that in mind), Reanimal is a new co-op horror game. Tap in a friend to play as siblings who must traverse through some incredibly creepy environments to rescue their missing friends. The game also supports a single-player mode.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties (February 12, 2026)
Yep, there are a lot of games coming out on February 12. To add to the bunch, RGG is releasing what we called a “much-needed” Yakuza 3 remake alongside a completely new companion story. Yakuza Kiwami 3 brings combat and QoL improvements to the original game, while Dark Ties lets you play out antagonist Yoshitaka Mine’s rise to power in the criminal underworld.
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown (February 18, 2026)
Have you ever wished you could take control of the USS Voyager? Well, here’s your chance. The latest Star Trek game throws you and your ship 700,000 light years into Deep Space, tasking you with managing resources and your crew to make your way out in one piece.
Pretty soon after the Fallout TV wrapped up its second season, the Anniversary Edition of Fallout 4 will be coming to Switch 2 consoles. The game lets you customize your character to your heart’s content, but ultimately places you on a quest through the wasteland to find your son, Shawn, after centuries of being cryo-frozen. While the Anniversary Edition has gotten some criticism for its pricing, this is the first mainline Fallout RPG to release on a Nintendo console.
Alongside the newest Resident Evil game, the Switch 2 will also be getting “Gold” editions of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village, available separately or as part of a Resident Evil Generation Pack collection.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse (March 5, 2026)
From PocketPair, Never Grave is a new 2D roguelite where you harness magic powers (as a hat, of course) to journey into the deep, working to help a young witch retrieve her soul. You also have a home base you can build and upgrade into your own little village.
Coffee Talk Tokyo (March 5, 2026)
We finally have a release date for the next iteration of Coffee Talk, a cozy cafe series developed by Toge Productions. Manage a new but familiar cafe while learning more about your human and yokai customers.
WWE 2K26 (March 13, 2026)
There may be a surprisingly large amount of sports games on the Switch, but one franchise that is only just starting their relationship with the Nintendo consoles is WWE. Following the Switch 2 Edition of WWE 2K25, WWE 2K26 will be launching on Switch 2 consoles the day of its official release.
We’re getting a third game in the Monster Hunter Stories series, a sub-series of Monster Hunter that we’re pretty big fans of (we gave the first one an 8.9/10, and the second got an 8/10). The next story will follow a civil conflict between Azuria and Vermeil, two nations threatened by a “crystal encroachment.” A demo is available now, with players able to carry over their save data to the full game.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (March 26, 2026)*
Nintendo knows they have some modern classics, and they’re giving them a lot of love with this Switch 2 release. Following up on last year’s Super Mario Galaxy remaster, Nintendo is releasing a Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which we originally said “establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like” in our 9/10 review. The Switch 2 edition will feature a new area called Bellabel Park, new playable characters, and tons of new mini-games.
Goat Simulator 3 (April 1, 2026)
A bit of a throwback to the 2010’s and the era of the screaming goats memes, but the latest Goat Simulator release from 2022 will be getting a Switch 2 edition this spring.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (April 16, 2026)*
Tomodachi Life was a particularly unique game under the Nintendo umbrella, and I was pretty darn excited to see the series coming back on the Switch 2. The concept of creating Miis and watching them interact on a little island has more novelty than you can imagine, I promise, especially given the range of customization. Nintendo has also fulfilled their promise to introduce more inclusivity after criticisms of the original 3DS game.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream happened to get its own dedicated Nintendo Direct, where you’ll find gameplay footage and plenty more information.
Pragmata (April 24, 2026)
After a series of delays dating back to 2021, Capcom finally “re-revealed” Pragmata with a firm release date and confirmation of cross-platform support. Hugh Williams gets injured while exploring a lunar-controlled space station, where he finds Diana, a Pragmata android. The two are classified as intruders, and must combine their hacking and shooting skills to find the truth of the space station. You can learn more about this one in our hands-on preview.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (May 12, 2026)
Set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, this MachineGames adventure game places Indy on a quest for the secret of the Great Circle. Travel the world, from the Great Pyramids to sunken temples, infiltrate historic areas, and beat up baddies during your daring escapes. We had a lot of love for this one when it originally launched on consoles and PC, calling it “far and away the best Indy story this century” in our 9/10 review.
The second part of the Final Fantasy VII revamp is coming to Switch 2 consoles this summer. After escaping the city of Midgar, Cloud and co. must traverse across a massive beautiful world in pursuit of Sephiroth. IGN’s 9/10 review describes the game as “both a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenge and depth, and as an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.”
Besides the graphics update, Rebirth introduces a new affinity system with allies and, yes, a ridiculous amount of side quests and mini-games.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales (June 18, 2026)*
The Adventures of Elliot is a new HD-2D RPG from the creators of Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default. While exploring ruins near his hometown, Elliot discovers an artifact that lets him traverse space and time. From there, you must travel across four ages, each with unique citizens and scenery, to try and save your home.
Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Unknown Release Dates
There are plenty more Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games in development that don’t have a solid release date yet. Here are some more games we know are on the way:
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