EA’s long-awaited Skate reboot finally has an early access release date, and the good news is you’ll be able to play it for free in less than a month.
Skate’s early access launch begins on September 16 via PC (EA App, Epic Games Store, Steam), PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
As previously announced, you will need an internet connection to play the game, as well as an EA account to log in. Skate developer Full Circle previously explained the need for an online connection as something required for its vision of a “living, breathing, massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving.”
“You’ll see bigger things evolve, like changes to the city over time,” the developer continued, “as well as smaller things, like live events and other in-game activities.”
Indeed, today’s release date trailer focuses firmly on multiplayer gameplay, with squads of skaters seen traversing the streets of San Vansterdam. The game’s open-world features traffic, and what look like custom-made objects hung in the sky for you to try and skate upon.
Skate was originally announced by publisher EA way back in 2020, and development has continued slowly but surely ever since. The game has previously been playable by fans within closed community playtests that have even seen the introduction of microtransactions for cosmetic items, if you were wondering how EA plans to monetise the game. All purchases will be reset at the game’s impending early access launch — though if you’ve paid anything before then, your money will be refunded.
“I can clearly see the direction developer Full Circle is taking the series, but I can also say that Skate is shaping up to be a game worthy of being the long-awaited sequel to 2010’s Skate 3,” IGN wrote in our Skate hands-on preview earlier this year. “The gameplay seems refined and lives up to its predecessors, the world is big and fun to explore, and the overall sandbox’s ‘do what you want’ vibe is really making me look forward to diving back in.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Prior to getting a big, fat, four-hour demo with it at Gamescom, I was worried that banging on about Silent Hill f’s newfound enthusiasm for monster fighting – with all its parries, zippy dodges, and slow-mo focus meters – would be doing a disservice to its bolder, more ‘interesting’ series departures, like the new 1960s setting or its deep embrace of homegrown Japanese culture and myths. A certain missing of the point, like setting out for a lovely drive through the Scottish highlands then stopping to gawp at a lightly crashed Peugeot on the hard shoulder.
But no. Combat is as deeply ingrained within Silent Hill f as guilty moping was to Silent Hill 2, and from what I’ve played, doesn’t work nearly as well.
The original 2006 Gears of War is the classic case of “don’t judge a book by its cover;” this seemingly meatheaded, bro-forward game has cemented itself as not only one of the best third-person cover shooter series with its iconic gameplay and weapons, but also one that shrugs at its stereotypes to both embrace them (when was the last time you heard someone called a dickwad?) and defy them with great storytelling and fantastic voice acting. Ten years after its first makeover, it’s gotten another with Gears of War: Reloaded. Unlike some games that get a premature remaster treatment a few years after their release, this one looks and feels like a noticeable improvement.
As we’ve come to expect from Xbox Game Studios developer The Coalition, the PS5 and Steam crowds are welcomed to the first game in this iconic series with gorgeous modern graphics and framerates, and no more waiting around on long load screens. Before we get into the details of Reloaded, here’s what IGN said about Gears of War’s first remaster from 2015:
From playing about seven hours, I can say that the glowing review of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and its few faults still stand true with Reloaded. The story begins by throwing you into the thick of a losing war. Things go from shit to shittier for Marcus Fenix and crew as they try to accomplish one task that spirals out of control, and while that may not be fun for them, it sure is exciting to play, especially with the technical updates. Here are the highlights:
Reloaded plays in 4K with up to 120Hz output (if you’ve got the screen for it).
The 60fps is a nice upgrade on consoles for the campaign, which previously only went up to 30fps at its launch and 60fps with the Series X performance boost, and 120fps in multiplayer is equally welcome.
There are more options to change up controls, audio, and more Reloaded than were in Ultimate Edition.
A Touch of Color
The 2015 Gears of War: Ultimate Edition did a great job upgrading the notoriously drab look of the Xbox 360 original with color adjustments, lifting the muddy grey and brown fog from the planet Sera. Reloaded takes that a step further, with an even more lively color palette and better lighting that resembles what we saw in Gears 5. The uplifted style gives extra vibrancy to splurting blood during a chainsaw kill, and the blue skies clouded by smoke and dust look nice, too. The Coalition added extra detail to the environment as well, like additional paintings in legal buildings, dense bookshelves, fridges with rotting food, more corpses, and other fitting decor like that.
Welcome to Delta Squad, PS5
It’s still mighty odd seeing Xbox Game Studios on the screen while I hold a DualSense, but I can only say that the shredding of exclusivity lines hasn’t hurt Gears of War one bit. If anything, it’s made a strong case for me to do a co-op run on PlayStation 5. The core of Reloaded is the same between all three platforms, but the DualSense adds a twist with the adaptive triggers and any comms done through radio output through the controller’s speaker. It was a neat surprise having dialogue and sound effects – like hitting the perfect active reload – presented this way.
That being said, the adaptive triggers can be off-putting in some situations, like when hopping on a Troika where the triggers feel like they’re on max resistance for firing the turret or when driving a vehicle, so I could see them being unwelcome to some. I got tired of it in the second act during a long driving section, so I ended up turning adaptive triggers off for a bit.
Another aspect of Gears that’s evolved over time is the heavy screen shake with the roadie run. It’s less pronounced in other Gears games that’ve come along since, but The Coalition kept the exaggerated effect for Reloaded by default. I appreciate its unique touch and that the shakiness encourages tactical use. Running around an encounter isn’t the way to play Reloaded, and if you do, you’ll likely be punished for it. Instead, you’ll want to run and bounce between cover, keeping yourself protected from the onslaught of enemy fire. If you don’t like screen shake, though, it can be turned off. It’s good to have options!
Some Minor Bugs
The cool additions are also joined by some minor bugs I’ve seen in the roughly six hours I’ve played on PlayStation 5. There was weirdness in checkpoints jumping me forward and facing a different way, characters’ voices would drop for a line randomly, and I saw some enemies get stuck in between cover. Those bugs have appeared infrequently and weren’t too bothersome, though, and are probably nothing a patch or two won’t fix. I didn’t see these happen much during my time with the Xbox version, but just because I didn’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Bugs are tricky like that!
Bad Squad AI
The one actively annoying gameplay issues I came across was how incompetent and overall wonky my AI companions were on the Hardcore difficulty level, which is a noticeable downgrade from how they performed in Ultimate Edition. In Reloaded, they go down constantly, whereas in Ultimate Edition they still went down occasionally, but seemed to be helping more. Hardcore is only a step above normal and below Insane, so I expected they should be able to hold their own at least a bit. I noticed Dom waltzing into the dark and dying to the lurking Kryll that shredded him in seconds in one mission, and every now and then, Dom or the other two companions, Cole and Baird, would get stuck far behind, unwilling to leave a doorway. I love Delta squad, but I’m not reviving them every encounter only to put myself in danger.
Cherry on Top: Extras for Gears Fans
Gears of War: Reloaded includes a nice Extras section, which is something you’d want to see in a remaster like this to reward returning fans who’re buying it for the second or third time. What’ll interest most folks in the Extras section are the five different issues of the Gears of War comic. Grabbing the collectible COG Tags throughout the campaign unlocks pages in five different issues of the Gears of War comic, which is a nice reward for those who haven’t read them. This was available in the Ultimate Edition, and it’s a welcome return. Completing acts of the campaign also unlocks neat concept art.
And, while multiple sets of credits may not be what someone who’s new to this game cares about, for folks like me, seeing the credits available for Reloaded, Ultimate Edition, and the original are in line with Gears’ respect for teamwork.
Multiplayer Only Has Minor Tweaks
Multiplayer hasn’t changed (in terms of what content is included) between Ultimate Edition and Reloaded, though The Coalition upgraded to 60Hz dedicated servers, as opposed to the 30Hz we’ve had in previous versions. The maps got the remaster treatment too, with better lighting, visual effects, and best of all, an upgrade to 120fps on consoles (PC players also get a 240fps option). I expect weapon tuning to be in flux after launch; The Coalition already noted it’s making some improvements to the Gnasher, making perfect active reload damage fixed, and more tweaks based on feedback from the beta.
Get Your COG Tags
If this is your first time playing Gears of War, I recommend finding a friend to join you – the Gears of War teams have always designed these games with a partner in mind (and as I mentioned, the AI doesn’t really pull its weight on the higher difficulty levels). The Coalition thankfully maintained the option to play Reloaded couch co-op, which we don’t see enough these days, and of course, you’ve also got the option of online crossplay if your co-op buddy is on another system. I’m still undecided on whether or not I want to spend my next co-op replay on Xbox or PS5 or bounce between them (thanks, cross-progression!), but I’m excited to dive back in again either way.
Helldivers 2‘s homaging of Starship Troopers and/or parodying of real-life fascist interventionalism continues with Into the Unjust, a sizeable game update that will take you out to the Terminid Hive Worlds for a spot of cave combat. According to multiple geographers interviewed by RPS, caves are located underground. That’s going to cause problems if, for example, your entire military strategy depends on being able to call in air support whenever you choose. The same geographers also allege that caves are dark. That’s going to cause problems if you like to see the things you’re shooting at.
Helldivers 2 Into the Unjust launches 2nd September, and why read the rest of this evidently stupid news piece when you can just watch this seven minute “deep dive” (comedy whoopee cushion sound effect)?
This is the second premiere in two weeks, following last week’s unveiling of Mega Victreebel. This time, the hook is a little more obvious – no purple goo, no darkly-lit areas, simply a piece of art (or video, from Instagram) showing a Hawlucha facing off against a Machamp.
Since we first announced Lumines Arise during the State of Play in June, we’ve been inundated with the same question from fans: When will the demo be available?! And the answer is…right now! You can play the limited-time Lumines Arise Demo on PlayStation 5 now through September 3 and try out three single-player stages and help us network test the all-new multiplayer Burst Battle mode.
We also have a release date for the full game—November 11, 2025. Pre-orders start today (and include a 10% discount for PS Plus subscribers!)—go to the PS Store page for that and to download the demo.
Lumines for all
Never played a Lumines game before? Or forgot how it works? Or never “got it” in the first place? Good news: Arise is incredibly easy for anyone to get into, thanks to an excellent interactive tutorial that walks you through everything, step-by-step. (And even old pros won’t wanna miss the intro to new mechanics like Burst!)
The Demo only features one difficulty (Easy – the final game will have four different levels), but you’ll also find robust options to fit every play style under “Accessibility” in the Options menu. Want to just groove to the music and not worry about time pressure, or a “Game Over” when you top out? Try the “No Stress Lumines” options for that! Want to strip away the visual flourishes to focus more on the gameplay? There’s options for that! Or playing on your PlayStation Portal and want to zoom in to get the most out of your portable screen real estate? There’s options for that, too!
An all-new multiplayer experience
Burst Battle represents a complete reinvention of multiplayer Lumines, borrowing from the competitive-puzzle-game greats, but adding a twist all its own.
Now, both players have an entire playfield to themselves and can send garbage blocks to attack their opponent. You generate these attacks by clearing 2×2 (or larger) Squares, or by triggering the all-new Burst mechanic (where you have a few Timeline passes to build a single color match as large as possible). The bigger the Burst, the larger the deluge your opponent will face! Meanwhile, garbage blocks can pile up on the sides, shrinking the available playfield—only matching blocks adjacent to garbage will clear it out. This ebb and flow can get super tense and really fun, I hope you try it out!
The Demo features a taste of Burst Battle via matchmaking, but the full version of the game will offer friend / CPU matches, custom matches, and local play. And you’ll get to select your favorite stage music / block-visuals that you unlocked in the single-player Journey mode to use in multiplayer; it’s kind of like having your own theme song as you head into battle!
The Digital Deluxe Edition (also available as an upgrade to the Standard Edition) includes the full game and four exclusive Loomii in-game avatars. You can customize your Loomii in-game to match your personality, and the set in the Digital Deluxe Edition includes skins based on Tetris Effect: Connected, Rez Infinite, Humanity, and, what’s this—Astro Bot is appearing as a guest as well! A big thank you to our friends at Team Asobi for making this crossover possible. The image above is just a preview—the final look of these avatars will be revealed soon.
Also, because it wouldn’t be Lumines Arise news without some new music, a new single from the soundtrack has been released. Hydelic’s hypnotically thumping anthem “Dreamland” is the sonic backdrop of the Chameleon Groove stage from the Demo, and is available now on Bandcamp with a release soon on your favorite streaming services. We know that after you play the demo, you’ll want to add this to your favorite daily playlist.
A quick note for PS VR2 owners: unfortunately VR mode couldn’t make it in time for this demo, but we can confirm it will be available at launch on November 11! Thank you for all your passion and excitement for VR, and in this case, for your patience. (And maybe you’ll get a glimpse of Arise in VR somewhere sometime before launch after all…?)
We hope you’ll check out the Demo, tell us what you think, and get ready for the launch of the full game on November 11.
A fresh report has detailed the difficulties faced by some developers keen to launch games for Switch 2 — but who remain unable to do so due to a lack of Nintendo support.
According to Digital Foundry, Nintendo is still restricting its supply of Switch 2 development hardware and instead telling some studios to launch their titles as Switch 1 games that can then be played via backwards compatibility.
This has sparked frustration among a number of developers, including at least one major AAA studio unable to launch a Switch 2-native version of their game, while hardware is given to some indie creators — including the team behind a campfire simulator.
“There’s been a lot of talk about this lately, that Nintendo seems to be almost discouraging Switch 2 development to some degree,” Digital Foundry’s John Linneman said during the team’s most recent podcast. “I’ve spoken with plenty of developers where they were told that their game, they should just ship it on Switch 1 and rely on backwards compatibility.
“There’s a lot of developers that are unable to get Switch 2 dev kits,” Linneman continued. “We talked to a lot of devs at Gamescom this year, and so many of them said the same things. They want to ship on Switch 2. They would love to do Switch 2 versions. They can’t get the hardware. It’s really difficult right now.”
One particular frustration has been the lack of transparency from Nintendo on why some studios have been given Switch 2 development kits, while others have not. IGN has contacted Nintendo for comment.
“I don’t really know what Nintendo’s mindset was with these sets of decisions,” Digital Foundry’s Oliver Mackenzie said. “I don’t really understand the strategy because, like you said, even now developers are struggling to get systems, and I know that some months ago when we were hearing things through the grapevine and talking to people, there were some weird exclusions with some big developers struggling to get kits for games.
“From what we’ve heard, there were some weird inclusions as well,” he continued. “Some indies were included, which is nice to see. But there’s that campfire game, you know, the camera campfire game, and they’re getting kits. And some big developers, on the other hand, who developed AAA stuff, aren’t necessarily in the pipeline there for kits.”
The camera campfire game here in question is Chillin’ by the Fire, an indie hangout game set around a campfire which makes use of the Switch 2 camera. On the one hand, the simple fact this makes use of GameChat and the Switch 2’s camera capabilities makes this impossible to launch on Switch 1, meaning that development hardware for Nintendo’s newer console would be required. On the other, it’s understandable why some AAA developers might be surprised to see this launch, after being told they wouldn’t yet receive a Switch 2 development kit for themselves.
“There’s weird stuff about discouraging Switch 2 development explicitly for some games, a limited subset of games like if you’re doing a pixel art game at 240p, you probably don’t need a Switch 2 kit,” Mackenzie added. “But there are very few games on the Switch 1 that wouldn’t benefit from being ported explicitly to Switch 2.
“The thing that’s really stark to me too is, at this point, we’ve seen very few proper Switch 2 Editions post-launch. I don’t think we’ve seen any, hardly at all really, from third-party developers in particular. Obviously we saw No Man’s Sky, I think one or two other games in the mix there. But really, it’s been a very slow trickle of titles earning that Switch 2 Edition badge.
“I really want to see more movement on that front. I hope it’s a temporary thing,” Mackenzie concluded. “I hope that in a year or two, we’re looking back and we’re like, that was a really weird decision, but it was fixed in time. I hope that’s what we’re looking at.”
Free-to-play hybrid action RPG Duet Night Abyss recently revealed in a special program that it will launch globally on PC and mobile on October 28 and that it’s making significant changes to its core monetization system.
For the uninitiated, Duet Night Abyss is developed by Pan Studio, a studio under Hero Games. It was first announced in 2023, and the story is told through a dual narrative from the perspectives of two protagonists. Pre-registration is open now, and you can sign up here. You can also get more info about the game’s world, characters, and weapons on the official website.
With the latest update, the dev team announced some major changes designed to make the game more player friendly. All weapons and characters are now free to acquire, there are no banners to pull for and hope for luck. Weapons no longer have star ratings, and all can be forged or acquired for free through grinding. And all stamina for commissions has been removed, so there’s no time limitation on grinding.
To get some deeper insight into these changes, as well as info about the game and its development process, we got together with two key figures in its development — Hero Games CEO Daniel Wu and game producer Deca Bear — to chat about it.
How would you describe Duet Night Abyss? Where do things stand with the game as of now?
Deca Bear: Duet Night Abyss is a thrilling hybrid action RPG, featuring a dual narrative. Our goal is to provide players with pure, enjoyable gameplay in a relaxing, stress-free environment.
Globally, we have conducted one Technical Test and two Closed Beta Tests. Based on player feedback and data performance, we have continuously refined the game. Today, we are excited to announce that the global launch is scheduled for October 28, 2025.
For this release, we have made significant adjustments to the stamina system and monetization model. In the release version, all characters and weapons will be fully accessible for free. Meanwhile, we are actively working on future updates and will continue to deliver high-quality content to players in the coming versions.
The anime-style game market has been expanding in recent years. What inspired you to support this project, and what do you see for the future of these types of games?
Daniel Wu: The team behind Duet Night Abyss is a perfect fit for Hero Games — they carry that bold, slightly rebellious creative spirit, with a remarkable artistic vision. This reflects a deep passion for, and understanding of, the ACGN (animation, comics, and games) culture, enabling them to craft content that truly resonates with fans of this genre.
For content-driven ACGN titles, the core lies in the “content” itself. I believe that truly exceptional content — whether in ACGN or any other form — will always find its moment to shine in this era.
Before Duet Night Abyss was greenlit, we had already built extensive experience through investments in leading studios. Kuro Games, for example, had released the globally acclaimed Punishing: Gray Raven and was, at the same time, preparing the development of Wuthering Waves. Meanwhile, Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong — another project we backed — was already generating tremendous anticipation among players worldwide.
The strong, positive feedback from these investments inspired a new ambition: to create a project that could truly be called Hero Games’ own. That ambition became the starting point for Duet Night Abyss.
When was the concept of this game first brought to you? Has it changed or evolved since then?
Deca Bear: Duet Night Abyss is inspired by the deep understanding of anime-inspired culture and high-quality action games. As both a producer and a passionate gamer, I have observed the growing demand for anime-inspired game titles that combine engaging narratives with thrilling combat experiences. I believe this niche market will continue to expand, and that outstanding content, innovative gameplay, and player-friendly systems will become key factors in a game’s success. It was with these ideas in mind that we created Duet Night Abyss.
The core concept and vision of the game have remained consistent throughout development. Through continuous refinement and effort, we aim to convey our creative philosophy and passion to players worldwide.
The story is told from the perspectives of two protagonists. How did the idea of this dual narrative originate, and what benefits does this approach provide?
Deca Bear: The story in Duet Night Abyss is complex, and experiencing it from a single perspective only offers a limited view. By introducing an additional viewpoint, we add another dimension, allowing players to perceive the world in a more nuanced and multidimensional way. This was the very reason we chose the dual narrative in Duet Night Abyss.
With a dual narrative, players can experience the story through the eyes of different protagonists. Each character has their own storylines, roles, and connections, allowing players to experience two perspectives within a single game. At a certain point, when these storylines intersect, players will encounter unexpected and exciting surprises.
In the upcoming version, we have also made the protagonists playable characters, aiming to give players a stronger sense of immersion as they experience the story.
Could you give us an overview of the game’s hybrid action RPG combat system? What makes Duet Night Abyss unique in the genre?
Deca Bear: In addition to basic movements like jumping, we have added Helix Leap, allowing characters to traverse long distances at high speed. Each character can equip both melee and ranged weapons, seamlessly switching between close- and long-ranged attacks in battles.
Regarding skills, we opted for a short cooldown system — and in some cases, even no cooldown at all — so that most characters can continuously unleash skills as long as they have sufficient Sanity.
Additionally, both characters and weapons can be equipped with Demon Wedges, which not only provide stat boosts but also introduce changes to mechanics and attack patterns, offering a wide range of options for flexible and customizable builds.
During commissions, players can select two characters as AI companions to assist in battles, significantly reducing gameplay pressure.
Some of the most common issues players have with gacha games are pay-to-win mechanics and excessive grinding. What does Duet Night Abyss do to address these problems?
Deca Bear: Drawing on years of experience in art and design for anime-style games, I’ve long dreamed of creating an action RPG with a distinctive anime aesthetic. At the same time, I’m aware that the current anime-style game market often has a reputation for grind-heavy and pay-to-win mechanics. That’s why we set out to develop a truly player-friendly free-to-play (F2P) RPG, where players can enjoy the game freely at their own pace.
With this goal in mind, balancing monetization and player experience has been a core focus for our development team. In the latest updates to Duet Night Abyss, we’ve made major changes on the monetization system: character banners and star ratings for both characters and weapons have been removed, and all characters and weapons are now completely free to obtain.
From the perspective of reducing player burden, the Demon Wedge system provides fixed stat boosts and can be applied universally within its category once obtained. In commissions, the Sigil System allows players to summon AI companions to assist in combat, improving efficiency and reducing grind. Additionally, the stamina system for commissions has been completely removed. Our goal is to ease player’s burdens while maintaining a player-friendly experience for F2P users.
Those changes are pretty significant. What went into that decision? As producer, did you have any concerns about that choice?
Deca Bear: As mentioned, our core vision for Duet Night Abyss is to build a high-quality, long-term, and truly player-friendly game ecosystem for users around the world. Monetization has to serve the gameplay experience, not compromise the fun.
The choice to remove character banners and weapon star ratings was driven by extensive player feedback and our team’s commitment to creating a fairer, more sustainable progression system.
While this may mean letting go of certain short-term monetization opportunities, I believe that, over time, it will deepen player engagement and trust, paving the way for a healthier and more enduring business model.
These changes mean giving up some common monetization methods. As the CEO, what were your feelings on that decision?
Daniel Wu: On this matter, I share the same vision as our producer. As a gamer myself, I truly value player-friendly design, which is why we place such importance on player feedback. The direction of our adjustments is focused on meeting player expectations and delivering an experience that genuinely resonates with them.
From a company perspective, while this may mean forgoing certain quick monetization opportunities in the short term, I believe that in the long run, it will help strengthen player engagement and reputation — ultimately building a healthier, more sustainable business model.
Throughout the process of development, how important has player feedback been? What areas of the game have been most popular, and what areas do you still need to improve based on the feedback you’ve gotten?
Deca Bear: We’ve always placed the highest importance on player feedback. Some players have previously expressed concerns about our monetization system. For a live service game, we believe a business model built on player trust is essential. That’s why, in this update, we made those adjustments — aiming to improve player experience while ensuring the game’s long-term sustainability.
Naturally, there were discussions and concerns along the way — whether these changes might impact our revenue model or affect core player engagement. But we’ve remained committed to the belief that a healthy ecosystem and strong player goodwill are worth far more than short-term returns.
We’re fortunate to have the full support of our leadership — especially our CEO, Daniel — as well as our publishing team. We all share the goal of creating a game that players genuinely want to stay with and can form lasting connections around — this is where our efforts invested most. We’ll monitor the new designs and refine them to ensure they deliver.
You’ve now announced the upcoming global launch, so what’s next on the roadmap? Do you have a set cadence for the release of new information going forward?
Deca Bear: The next step, of course, is preparing for the global launch, which is a critical moment for our entire team. We need to ensure that the upcoming version is stable and delivers a smooth, enjoyable experience, and we’ll continue to make optimizations and adjustments leading up to the launch.
All the content for this version is currently in development. The special program already showcased some of the new visuals, but this is just a small part of what’s coming. There’s still a lot more new content, including trailers and characters, which we’ll be sharing on Duet Night Abyss’ social channels — stay tuned!
What are you most looking forward to hearing from players about once they get their hands on the game after launch?
Deca Bear: For us, every piece of feedback from players is extremely valuable — whether it’s about the story, combat, characters, or visuals. We welcome all feedback and will continuously refine and improve the game based on it.
We know about the PC and mobile versions of the game. Are there plans to bring it to other platforms?
Deca Bear: We are working to make the game fully compatible with controllers, and the previous CBT included an initial trial. Apart from this, we also aim to expand the game to more platforms, giving players more ways to play.
What does success for Duet Night Abyss look like to you? What is your goal for the game, and how do you expect it to grow in the future?
Daniel Wu: From a business perspective, return on investment may be the most straightforward measure of a game’s success. However, for me, chasing short-term gains is neither the core goal nor the main focus. I have always believed that a product’s true success should go beyond purely commercial metrics. What we value more is the team’s continuous growth and capability accumulation throughout the process, technological iteration and innovation breakthroughs, the long-term health of the product’s ecosystem, and building deep, meaningful interactions with players.
As long as we stay aligned with the right overarching direction and keep improving along these dimensions, the likelihood of achieving success naturally increases.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to players who are interested in Duet Night Abyss?
Deca Bear: We sincerely thank all players for their continued attention and support. With the global launch of Duet Night Abyss just around the corner, we hope players give it a try. If any gameplay issues are encountered, please let us know — we’ll keep refining the game and developing more fun and engaging content to deliver the best possible experience for everyone.
The key improvement here is the game’s frame rate, which at launch failed to maintain its 60fps target at frequent intervals. The patch adds in a ‘Frame Rate’ option to stabilise the performance, and this will be turned on by default, which perhaps just goes to show how terrible it was before.
A fresh Nintendo Direct broadcast will air in September, according to a new report.
Speculation around the next major Nintendo Direct date has been rife following a series of other presentations over the past few months focusing on third-party games or individual titles, including a recent deep dive on Kirby Air Riders. Now, VGC has said it has heard of a mid-September date for the next Direct.
Such a showing would be timely, as several major questions currently hang in the air for Nintendo fans — including, most importantly, a release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Previously promised to arrive in 2025, Nintendo has not shown anything new of the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 since the Switch 2’s full unveiling back in April. The silence has led some to fear the game could suffer a fresh delay — something Nintendo will likely want to avoid if at all possible.
And then there’s the small matter of Super Mario Bros.’ 40th anniversary, which comes at an interesting time for Nintendo’s mascot plumber. Nintendo celebrated the game’s 35th anniversary with its time-limited Super Mario 3D All-Stars package and Super Mario Bros. 35, plus the opening of the first Super Nintendo World theme park.
How will Nintendo celebrate Super Mario Bros.’ 40th? Well, we already know that the coming year will include the launch of Nintendo and Universal’s Super Mario Bros. Movie Sequel. On the game front, what plans Nintendo might have remain to be seen — but there are other 3D Mario games Nintendo could serve up for a fresh re-release, if it so chooses. Could we even get a glimpse of Switch 2’s big new 3D Mario, also?
The stage is set for a strong Nintendo Direct in September, should the company officially announce plans. Alongside all the speculation, there remains the fact that Nintendo has broadcast a major Nintendo Direct every September since 2016 (except for last year, when it held news back for the announcement of Switch 2).
Currently, Nintendo’s Switch 2 line-up for the remainder of 2025 looks like this: Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World arrives on August 28, before Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition launches on October 16. After that, Kirby Air Riders is up next on November 20.
If it makes this year, could Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sneak into September, or will it squeak into 2025 just before Christmas in December? Here’s hoping fans don’t have too much longer to wait and find out.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
