10 Tips To Help You Survive Your First Runs in Marathon, Available Today on Xbox Series X|S

Nikki Brown, Principal Communications Manager, Bungie

Summary

Enter the world of Marathon’s Tau Ceti IV, a planet full of rival Runners and hazardous environments.
Scavenge for valuables, experiment with different gear, and build uneasy alliances.
Marathon is available today via the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X|S.

Starting today on Xbox Series X|S, you can begin scavenging the planet of Tau Ceti IV as a cybernetic mercenary in the new survival extraction shooter, Marathon.

From Bungie, the makers of Halo and Destiny, Marathon places you the shoes of a Runner where you can crew up, run solo, or make uneasy alliances as you battle enemy players, collect powerful loot, and experience Bungie’s signature gunplay.

Your goal is to exfil to advance your seasonal power, advance your contracts for rival faction groups, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run. The ultimate challenge? The derelict Marathon ship hanging in orbit above, promising the best loot and answers to world’s mysteries… if you can survive.

Ready to touchdown on Tau Ceti? Use these tips to get ahead:

They Can Hear You
Everything makes noise. Moving, looting, activating exfils, opening doors, using items, healing, swapping weapons, and of course shooting things. If you think you got killed out of nowhere, someone probably found you through the noise you were making.

…But You Can Hear Them
Keep your ears open. You can often hear threats—or targets—before you see them.

Come Prepared
Bring plenty of ammo and healing items; you aren’t going to find a lot of it mid-run. And remember: A better weapon is only an upgrade if you have bullets to shoot.

Plan Your Exit
All the gear you’ve collected is lost if you don’t make it out alive. Check your map for active exfils — they’re your ticket off Tau Ceti with your hard-earned loot.

Fight or Flee?
The best Runners know when to take the shot and when to walk away. You don’t need to shoot everything you see. Whether it’s a UESC combatant, wild fauna, or a rival Runner crew, use the information you’ve got before you pull the trigger.

Down on Your Luck? Play as Rook
If you’re low on supplies, head on a scavenger run as Rook. You’ll drop into a match in-progress as a solo player. Sneak by enemy UESC units with your camouflage ability, then make it alive with your scavenged goods to replenish your gear and credits.

Progress Your Contracts and Unlock Bonus Stats
You can hover over contracts on the map for information on how to find their objectives. But if you’re still learning, don’t rush them right away — playing slow can help you get your bearings and avoid conflicts with rival crews until you’re ready.

Built for Success
Experiment with different Runner shells, body implants, and weapons — you can freely swap weapons, implants, and weapon mods both in and out of game. And something is always better than nothing, so if you’ve got an empty slot, slam whatever you find.

Uneasy Allies
Build alliances with the Runner crews, solo players, and Rooks you meet on your runs. Just don’t let your guard down — you never know when your new friends might turn their sights on you.

Loot is a Means to an End
Gear comes and goes. Don’t be too precious about it. Learn to use what you’ve got, and it will help you reach greater heights.

Runners are deploying now. Take your new knowledge and use it to get ahead of your opponents on your first runs in Marathon, available today on Xbox Series X|S. Tau Ceti awaits.

Marathon Deluxe Edition

Bungie

☆☆☆☆☆
188

★★★★★

$59.99

Get it now

Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and hazardous environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, time to kill is low, and preparation is rewarded.

Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.

Purchase to receive additional bonuses:
1x Premium Rewards Pass Voucher
200 SILK Rewards Pass Tokens
Weapon Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Misriah 2442 Pump Shotgun Style]
Weapon Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Overrun AR Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Vandal Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Destroyer Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Assassin Shell Style]
Runner Cosmetic – MIDNIGHT DECAY [Thief Shell Style]

Pre-order Marathon and receive the following:
ZERO STEP 004 [CE Tactical Sidearm Style]
ZERO STEP RC [Weapon Charm]
ZERO STEP SHIFT [Weapon Sticker]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Background]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Emblem]

Plus the following Destiny 2 rewards linked to your Bungie.net account:
UESC Echo-type Shell Exotic Ghost
UESC Rover Exotic Ship
UESC Sprinter Exotic Sparrow

Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.

Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).

Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.

Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.

Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.

Marathon Standard Edition

Bungie

☆☆☆☆☆
215

★★★★★

$39.99

Get it now

A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES
Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens.

POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE.
Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives.

ENEMIES EVERYWHERE
Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death.

Later in Season 1, compete in Rated mode to measure your skill and build a name for yourself.
INFLUENCE IS POWER

Liaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot.
DEFRAGMENT THE TRUTH

No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony.
DEATH HANGS ABOVE

Once the way into orbit unlocks, bring your endgame build to Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears.

Plus the following Destiny 2 rewards linked to your Bungie.net account:
UESC Echo-type Shell Exotic Ghost
UESC Rover Exotic Ship
UESC Sprinter Exotic Sparrow

Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.

Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).

Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.

Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.

Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.

The post 10 Tips To Help You Survive Your First Runs in Marathon, Available Today on Xbox Series X|S appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Mouse: PI For Hire hands-on report — classic FPS action meets rubberhose animation

Mouse: P.I. For Hire‘s rubber hose cartoon art style brings it a whole lot of absurd, slapstick humor, which pairs perfectly with its “boomer” shooter gameplay. But underpinning it all is a noir detective story that can be dark and adult as well as goofy and comedic, giving Mouse a fascinating depth that goes beyond its toon inspirations.

I recently went hands-on with an early level from Mouse: P.I. For Hire and got a sense of its fast-paced combat, twitchy boss battles, and underlying narrative that mixes noir detective elements and slapstick humor.

In search of a mad scientist

The preview level I played sent protagonist private eye Jack Pepper to the hidden laboratory of Steve Bandel, a magician and friend of Jack’s who also appears to be a mad scientist. Bandel has gone missing, so Jack follows up on a tip to find the secret lab — accessed by taking an elevator hidden in an outhouse in the middle of the woods.

The lab itself is swarming with strange cultists, armed with weapons ranging from tommy guns and pistols to clubs and wooden shields. Like the shooters Mouse draws its inspiration from — games like Doom, BioShock, and Quake — your best defense is to always be moving. Jack can employ a quick dash move when you press R3 or a slide with L3, giving you a momentary burst of speed to dodge incoming attacks, and a double-jump on the X button that can help you take advantage of the verticality of most arenas. When you need a little space, hitting Circle lets you kick enemies to push them back.

Jack’s arsenal gives you a number of options for dealing with enemies, ranging from his fists to a semi-automatic pistol, the tommygun-like “James Gun,” and a powerful double-barrel shotgun. Each one can be upgraded between levels to power them up and add alternate fire modes. You can also fling sticks of dynamite at enemies and find special power-ups within levels, like a hot pepper that adds fire damage to your weapons for a short period.

And not long into your investigation, you uncover something Bandel must have been working on — a new gun called the Devarnisher. This weapon fires turpentine rounds that deal damage to enemies over time, eventually melting the ink right off their bones.

Bot Betty bosses

The level included three different boss fights. Each boss was a robotic version of Betty, Bandel’s former assistant from his magician days. You learn that Bandel attempted to recreate Betty after her death, and as Jack comments, he got a little weird with it. Each version of Betty is more complete than the last, bringing different elements into the fight before they all culminate in the most complete Robo-Betty, the final boss of the level.

Like with fights against other enemies, speed, positioning, and quick reactions are essential when battling Mouse: P.I. For Hire’s bosses. But unlike other fights, the arenas are more constrained, so it’s a lot tougher to get away from enemy attacks.

Jack’s dash is key to survival in tough fights. It can get him clear of the “gamma ray” laser beams wielded by the first Robo-Betty, or the devastating blades attached to the arms of the second.

The final boss fight brings it all together, with a Robo-Betty that’s fast, aggressive, and capable of dishing out cartoon bombs that will chase you around the arena while she tries to get in close and pummel you. Every so often, she’ll activate the gamma ray attack the first Betty employed, forcing you to hide from it behind a glass wall to avoid getting zapped. During that time, you have a chance to find and hit a button on the wall to blast Betty with a laser of your own, briefly disabling her and allowing you to unload on the bot until it’s destroyed.

A serious story in a cartoon world

Between the goofy animations that come with defeating enemies, absurd jokes like a sign marking a “Totally Normal Wall,” and the bounciness of everything from ammo pickups to your own weapons, cartoon-style comedy is baked into every element of Mouse: P.I. For Hire.

The level was also loaded with secrets, which often hide items that give you insights about the city of Mouseburg where the game takes place, and the political strife affecting its residents. To unlock safes and padlocks to find those secrets, you’ll have to use your tail to trip each lock’s tumblers.

The combination of elements creates a fun tone that’s both absurd and thoughtful. The story itself seems to be a complex one, drawing on noir tropes and ideas and bringing a twinge of adult-oriented thinking to the hilarious world. While Jack’s willing to throw out one-liners, he’s also thoughtful about the information and clues he’s coming across.

Searching for clues

Completing the lab earns you a clue about what happened to Bandel, but it’s just a piece of the puzzle. As the level wraps up, we get a look at Mouse’s world map, full of Mouseburg locations that will presumably house other levels.

In the center is Jack’s PI agency, and returning allows you to wander around the block, where you can visit other characters and upgrade your weapons.

In the office, you can put all the clues you uncovered on Jack’s case board, where hopefully, the picture of the case will start to come into focus. The preview build didn’t give much of a sense of how the investigation portion of the game works, but it’s clear from the story that you’ll be talking to a lot of characters to gather information and pick up leads, developing the case over time.

While the preview level I saw was mostly focused on gunplay, it also highlighted how much attention Mouse: P.I. For Hire is dedicating to its story. Between noir-style narration from Jack, journals and clues you’ll find that tell the story of each level, and characters you’ll meet who provide more insights into the politics and intrigue happening in Mouseburg, Mouse: P.I. For Hire looks to be delivering a deep, twisting mystery.

You can start hunting for clues when Mouse: P.I. For Hire releases on April 16 on PlayStation 5.

Pokémon Pokopia’s First Event Starts Next Week, But You Can Access It Right Now

Pokémon Pokopia is out today (hooray!), and if you somehow don’t have enough to do in that game already, there’s a limited-time event on the way later this month that will give you even more little tasks, items, and Pokémon pals, as it’s bringing Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff to the game. It starts next week, but if you don’t mind a little manipulation, you can just play it right now.

Per an official announcement, beginning March 9 at 1pm PT through March 24 at 12:59pm PT, you’ll be able to encounter Hoppip in Pokémon Pokopia, as well as collect a new “cotton spore” material. Cotton spores can be exchanged for picnic-themed furniture items, which you can then use to build habitats that will attract Hoppip’s evolutions, Skiploom and Jumpluff. The official announcement warns that you won’t be able to encounter these Pokémon outside the event, so you’ll want to make sure to play during these dates if you want them in your game.

What’s more, you’ll also need at least one rebuilt Pokémon Center in order to encounter Hoppip and friends. Rebuilding a Pokémon Center is an endeavor that can take a few hours of gameplay minimum, so you’ll want to get a jump-luff on that to make sure you don’t miss out.

But you don’t have to wait until March 9 to get started. If you open up your Switch 2 system clock and set it to a date and time within the event range, and you already have the finished Pokémon Center, Hoppip will just be chilling in your game right next to it. I managed to get Hoppip to appear in my game, and it sent me out to the Dream Islands to collect Cotton Spores for furniture. Be mindful that doing this can potentially muck with things in other realtime games, like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Animal Crossing, so it may be best to set it back to normal once you’re done and before opening any of those games.

In addition to the Hoppip event, those who purchased Pokopia early can get an in-game Ditto rug for free using the Mystery Gift function in the menu. The Ditto Rug is available until January 31 of next year so you’re not likely to miss out even if you wait to buy the game. And, as a heads up, you can get the Ditto Rug in-game without using this function too. This just gives you a free one much earlier than you’d otherwise encounter it.

Pokopia is amazing, and I said as much in my 9/10 review: It’s “an enjoyable building and town simulator that capitalizes on the charming personalities of its monsters in a way that appeals to both the creative and collector alike.” Wondering which Pokémon you’ll be able to live alongside? Check out our list of all the Pokémon in Pokopia, and take a look at our Things to Do First in Pokopia guide to make the most of your first few days. To help you get started, we’ve also got a list of 17 things that Pokopia doesn’t tell you, plus How to Raise the Environment Level and How to Raise Pokémon Comfort Level.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Two genres and seven years on, Remedy attempt to define what a Control game even is in the lead-up to Resonant

What is a Control game? It’s a fairly reasonable question to ask, as the only follow-up there’s been to the original 2019 game in the intervening years (apart from some DLC) was FBC: Firebreak, a live service FPS spin-off that… well, you know. And then last year Remedy revealed what was long dubbed to be Control 2 is actually Control Resonant, and that we won’t be playing as Jesse this time around, oh and also, it’s a Devil May Cry-esque action game. So with all these shifts, in a new interview some of the leads behind the sequel have shared their perspective on what a Control game actually is.

The developer of Marvel Rivals has addressed what it called the “disturbing trend” of “incentivized throwing,” where players are enticed by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches.

Last month, Marvel Rivals players called on developer NetEase Games to take action after the emergence of an unofficial bounty website that triggered fears it could harm the community it was supposedly trying to protect.

Fans of the hero shooter sounded the alarm when third-party site Intlist.org went live on February 22. Established by Marvel Rivals content creator and X/Twitter user EchoRivals, Intlist’s goal was to give players an avenue to name those who intentionally sabotage or “throw” multiplayer matches and “put a price on their head.”

“Put a bounty on griefers & throwers,” the first, now-deleted post on its X account read, promising a system that offered an 80% payout for those who successfully throw matches in retaliation. “Someone queues in, throws it back, gets paid.”

One Reddit user calling attention to the issue said they’d seen an increase in sabotaged matches for every kind of player, warning that “now every game is people throwing each other’s games.” The Intlist account replied to the criticism, insisting: “Collateral damage is an unfortunate reality of war.”

Now, in an official statement published to the Marvel Rivals Discord, NetEase threatened players who engaged with external bounties with a permanent ban.

Here’s the statement in full:

We have recently identified a disturbing trend within our community: “incentivized throwing,” where players are enticed by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches. This behavior not only undermines the integrity of our game but also tarnishes the experience for honest players who are committed to fair competition.

In light of this, we want to make our position clear:

We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of malicious disruption. To combat this issue, we are implementing a specialized investigation protocol focused on identifying and addressing negative gameplay linked to these external bounties. Accounts found to be violating our policies will face serious repercussions, including, but not limited to, permanent bans. We strongly advise players against jeopardizing their valuable accounts and hard-earned progress for the sake of temporary incentives.

Moreover, to reinforce the principles of fair competition, we have enhanced our regulations regarding negative gameplay. Accounts found to be engaging in disruptive behaviors, such as malicious idling (AFK) or intentionally throwing matches, will incur significant penalties following reporting and verification.

If you encounter players who are maliciously idling or intentionally throwing games, we encourage you to utilize the reporting feature immediately. Your reports are crucial and will be thoroughly investigated by our dedicated team.

Maintaining a positive gaming environment is a collective responsibility. Thank you for your continued support!

Intlist had already been pulled offline last month, promising “something big is coming.” At the time, EchoRivals claimed the site was locked down after they “detected unauthorized access to our database from a single bad actor.”

Today, March 5, EchoRivals posted in the Intlist Discord to say the website would remain offline “for the time being,” adding: “No ETA on when/if we will be back. This was my decision.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Forza Horizon 6: 9 Minutes of Exclusive Gameplay | IGN First

We’re dumping the clutch on our March IGN First “cover story” effective immediately with Forza Horizon 6! As such, feel free to slide into the passenger seat and enjoy nine minutes of exclusive gameplay from the next instalment of Forza Horizon: the reigning heavyweight champ of open-world racing series.

This never-before-seen gameplay features a Saleen S7, an American turn-of-the-century cult supercar, being taken on a brisk journey through a portion of Forza Horizon 6’s Japan-based map. Moving from the south, you’ll be able to observe segments of rural, rolling countryside and a section of Tokyo itself before reaching the base of the mountains. We’ll have much more exclusive coverage of Forza Horizon 6 all throughout March as part of IGN First!

Forza Horizon 6 takes the acclaimed driving delights of the series and finally sets them loose on the distinctive roads of Japan. With more cars than ever on day one, a progression system inspired by the original 2012 Forza Horizon, and long-awaited tweaks to customisation, Forza Horizon 6 appears it’ll be barrelling into our homes with its foot flat to the floor. After you’ve checked out the exclusive gameplay above, check out the first developer gameplay overview, as well as our initial interview with the Playground team following the game’s announcement.

Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam on May 19, 2026, though it will be available with Early Access for Premium Edition players starting four days earlier (on May 15). It’s also coming to PlayStation 5 later this year.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.

With Marathon’s release imminent, Bungie say it’s got “no pay for power” microtransactions and confirm seasonal rewards will stick around

I hope you’ve got some decent trainers and plenty of bottled water on hand. The time to run a Marathon is nigh, with Bungie’s shooter set to burst out of the blocks today, March 5th. Ahead of the starting gun going off the Destiny 2 developers have shared a bit more info on how Marathon‘s in-game currency and seasonal pass rewards work.

One Of The Switch’s Earliest eShop Titles Has Finally Got A Sequel

Out today.

All the way back in 2017 (which, yes, is nearly a decade ago now), a curious title called Bulb Boy made its way to the Switch eShop. Available from July of the Switch’s launch year, it was one of the earliest eShop titles for the new system at the time, and now it’s finally got itself a sequel.

Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair is available today on the Switch eShop and promises to expand upon the original point and click experience with visuals inspired by ’90s style cartoons. While the original had a consistent green tone to the overall presentation, this one looks all the more vibrant thanks to a much wider array of colours.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Messy Up: Unleash Pet Chaos on Xbox & Windows with Couch Co-op Fun

Category: ID@Xbox

March 5, 2026

Messy Up: Unleash Pet Chaos on Xbox & Windows with Couch Co-op Fun

He Qian, Game Creator, Liquid Meow Games

Hey pet pals and mischief-makers! (Θ３Θ)

We’re Liquid Meow Games— a small team of students who turned our love for playful chaos into a game. We’re so excited to finally bring Messy Up to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows Store, complete with Xbox Play Anywhere support!

The Story Behind the Mess

Every game has a beginning, and ours started in a rather chaotic way—just like the game itself.

It all began with 72 hours and a Game Jam.

Back in 2021, I gathered a small crew of four or five teammates for a Game Jam. 72 hours of caffeine, crunch, and pure creative madness. The result? A rough but lovable prototype we called Messy Up. To our surprise, it won Best Technology Award.

The inspiration? Pretty simple actually. Most of us grew up with pets—a hyper Husky who saw couches as chew toys, a cat who believed gravity was the enemy of anything left on tables. We thought: What if we turned that daily chaos into a game? And here we are.

From 2D Pixels to 3D Furballs

After the Game Jam, I couldn’t let go of this little idea. So, we spent the next six months—nights, weekends, every spare minute—rebuilding everything from 2D into full 3D. New characters, richer environments, more ways to wreck the house.

Then something unexpected happened. We shared a short gameplay video online, just to see if anyone else thought this was as fun as we did. Overnight, it hit over a million views across platforms. People actually wanted to play as naughty pets.

That support kept us going. Along the way, the 3D version went on to receive multiple awards from major game competitions—a huge encouragement for a tiny team just starting out.

And Now, the Moment we’ve Been Waiting for

Today, we’re beyond excited to bring Messy Up to Xbox players everywhere. After years of dreaming, prototyping, and playtesting on couches just like yours, our little pet chaos simulator is finally landing on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows Store—with full Xbox Play Anywhere support, so you can take your mess wherever you go.

Whether you’re teaming up with friends on the couch or playing solo with AI companions, we can’t wait for you to meet this furry crew and start your own happy chaos.

Tips from Me (Read These, Seriously)

Don’t just rush in. Learn to dodge. And your teammates aren’t just there for emotional support—they’re great at taking the heat for you.
Tired of wrecking? Try the parkour challenges. Stuck in the story? Hop into Arcade Mode and just vibe.
Playing solo? AI teammates have your back. And wait until you unlock the beach, the castle, the office—each level has its own tricks.
Use props. Use the debris. Use anything to block the Owner.
Different pets, different playstyles. Unlock them all.
Those little rewards—photos, flags, trophies, certificates—they’re not just clutter. You can actually use them to decorate.
And yes, you can build your own home.

I made this game with a lot of laughs and even more love for fluffy troublemakers. Whether you’re here for the couch co-op chaos, the creative building, or just to live out your inner mischief-maker—I hope Messy Up brings you and your friends some good silly memories.

Thanks for reading. Now go make a happy mess.

With paws and playfulness,

He Qian & the Liquid Meow Games team

Messy Up

E-Home Entertainment Development Company Ltd

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$7.99

$6.39

Get it now

“Messy UP” is a cute pet collaboration game featuring cats and dogs~

Due to the owner’s busy life after graduation and starting work, there is less time to spend with the pets. The pets plan to create a big mess at home to grab the owner’s attention and encourage them to spend more time together. After all, what mischief could a little dog possibly have in mind?

[Crazy home destruction!
Cooperative multiplayer!]

Take on the role of cats and dogs and go wild, wreaking havoc at home! Each pet possesses unique abilities and skills, with various types of pets waiting for you to explore~
When other pet companions are caught, you can go to rescue them~
Either cause mayhem alone or collaborate with friends to create trouble for the owner. Up to three players can cooperate in dismantling the house.
Play as either the owner or a pet, deciding whether to demolish or defend the furniture and lock up the mischievous pets.

[Rich game mechanics!
Numerous maps!]

Utilize various mechanisms to dismantle and destroy homes. Fans, soccer balls, doors, takeout food—everything around you can become your tool of destruction!
Whether it’s at home, on the beach, at the office, or in a castle, any place can become the target of the pets’ demolition！

[Abundant pets!
Extensive collection!]

Gather a group of adorable pet companions, each with their own distinct personalities that can be freely customized~
Collect photos, qualifications, prizes, keychains, and various unique and cute rewards await you~

The post Messy Up: Unleash Pet Chaos on Xbox & Windows with Couch Co-op Fun appeared first on Xbox Wire.

‘We Had to Take Nothing Out’ — Extreme Horror Game Hellraiser: Revival Gets Its ESRB Rating

If you’ve seen anything of the upcoming survival horror game Hellraiser: Revival, then you’ll know it isn’t for the faint of heart. Full of bloody violence, gruesome gore, and BDSM-themed sex and nudity, it’s a true translation of the pain and pleasure film series, which, despite all of these extremities, has managed to secure an ESRB rating.

Chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, Tim Willits, shared the news in a recent interview with IGN. “I can say that we have our ESRB rating, which was great, and we had to take nothing out for that,” he confirmed.

The fact that nothing had to be cut may come as a surprise to some. Of course, different ratings boards around the world weigh different aspects of mature games more than others. In the U.S. and Canada, the territories covered by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) are traditionally stricter when it comes to sexual content, something that Hellraiser: Revival certainly doesn’t shy away from — its opening scene is an extended sequence of sadomasochism involving hooks and other sharp objects. So, it’s somewhat impressive that the game has passed through with nothing needing to be taken out.

As for other regions around the world, that’s still very much work in progress for Saber. European ratings boards such as PEGI and the USK view graphic violence in a different way than America does, but are more liberal when it comes to the sexual side of things. Similarly, the Australian Classification Board is far stricter on games involving drug use, so it remains to be seen if just one version of Hellraiser: Revival will be able to be released globally, or if altered versions exist depending on where you live.

‘Oh my God, I can’t believe they did that.’ That’s the kind of emotion that we want to get out of people.

It’s something that Saber is exploring currently and feels confident about. “We’re working with all the other ratings groups now, and I think that we’re going to do really well,” said Willits. “It’s all context. It all fits with the IP. It is an artwork, and it is a mature game for mature audiences. We’ve stayed within those lines, and we’ve been very successful at moving the game through all rating boards.”

Willits and the team are not shying from the graphic side of the game either. “It’s an active goal for the team. Yes. You can actually say that,” Willits explained. “Because if you are familiar with the franchise, if you’re familiar with what Clive [Barker, Hellraiser creator] has done, it definitely pushes. And when we announced that we were making this, lots of people online were like, ‘They better do it right, they better not make some ‘whooshy’ game that’s all censored.’ So we’ve tried to embrace it as much as we can. I really hope that players, they’re kind of like, ‘What’s around the next corner? What crazy stuff am I going to see next? Where is this going to go? Oh my God, I can’t believe they did that.’ That’s the kind of emotions that we want to get out of people.”

Last year, we heard from Willits that Saber intended to push its M Rating as far as it could with the upcoming video game adaptation. In that interview with IGN, he said: “We are going to go as far as we possibly can, as far as the people that make rules will let us go.” Well, it looks like that’s exactly what the team has done, securing an ESRB rating long before we even know the game’s release date.

Having played a good chunk of Hellraiser: Revival at gamescom 2025, I can indeed confirm first-hand that the limits for what’s allowed in a video game are being stretched by this blood-soaked pain and pleasure fest, where internal organs more often than not end up becoming external ones. You can read my full Hellraiser: Revival preview here, where I called it “Resident Evil for sickos.” I stand by it, even following some of the gory sights I’ve seen in Capcom’s latest, Resident Evil: Requiem.

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.

Category: Video Games