If you’re into fighting games, chances are you’ve probably seen – or maybe even used – a bunch of leverless arcade controllers. They’re taking the fighting scene by storm, and now 8BitDo, one of the most consistent accessory manufacturers in the business, has launched its own Arcade Controller for the Switch, Switch 2, and PC, priced at $89.99.
But what the heck is a leverless arcade controller? Well, some folks call them Hit Box controllers, but Hit Box is actually just one of many branded products released over the years, so it’s kinda like calling a games console ‘a Nintendo’. In reality, they’re largely referred to as ‘leverless’ thanks to the obvious lack of a joystick / lever in favour of an all-button setup. If you’re dead set on a more traditional setup, 8BitDo also has its own Arcade Stick available for purchase.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Available on day one with Game Pass! The original Gears of War returns, faithfully remastered, natively optimized for more platforms than ever before, with full cross-play and cross-platform support. Gears of War: Reloaded delivers all post-launch content for the original title, including a bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, plus characters and cosmetics — at no additional cost. Jump into Campaign Co-Op, fight with your squad in Versus Multiplayer, and enjoy cross-play across all supported platforms, allowing you and your friends to squad-up, regardless of where you play.
Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter. You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible. Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat.
The core experience of the original, evolved and more immersive than ever. A remake of the 2004 game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, with the same gripping story and engrossing world, now with all new graphics and 3D audio that enhance the jungle atmosphere. Get ready for the ultimate survival stealth action experience. The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles. This evolutionary leap breathes new life into every cutscene and rebuilds every corner of the world.
Play as the legendary Shinobi Joe Musashi, master of the ninja arts. After finding your village burned to the ground and your clan turned into stone, you must set off on a quest for vengeance, ready to face an unparalleled evil and avenge your clan.
UBOAT is primarily a crew management game, where your success depends on leading your men, not manually controlling the submarine. In UBOAT you control the crew in order to control the boat. You look after their physical and mental health, because if the sailors are hungry, tired and their spirit is low, there’s no chance of winning even a skirmish.
A 3rd-person adventure game where you explore a world made entirely of particles. Use special abilities to manipulate those particles, solve puzzles, avoid detection, and navigate this sinister and beautiful land.
Descend into the depths of madness and terror in this disturbing pixel-art graphic adventure. Explore a haunting universe through the eyes of Josef Petrescu, a man scarred by tragedy who awakens horribly burned, voiceless, and memoryless. As Vlad Petrescu’s brother and co-heir to Vlad Circus, Josef embarks on a harrowing journey to uncover the truth behind his past.
Play as Cobra, the space pirate, in an action platformer. Along with Lady Armaroid, your loyal partner, and equipped with your iconic Psychogun, you must solve a mystery that could threaten the entire universe. Pre-order the game and receive an exclusive bonus skin for Cobra, inspired by the iconic jacket he wore in the very first episode of the anime series.
In Axobubble you control a friendly axolotl in a world of platforms and creativity. Your main ability is to create floating bubbles that act as temporary platforms. Use these bubbles to jump higher, cross dangerous distances, and collect shells while advancing to the big star shell at the end of each level.
You are Captain Bones, a pirate captain who worked your way up from the bottom. In a world full of danger and opportunity, you must use your skills and determination to survive and thrive.
Embark on a unique journey in this 2D roguelike-survivor where you control a parade truck, a sound-powered carnival machine full of attitude. Your goal? Recruit musicians with unique abilities, each adding different powers and a new layer to the soundtrack that evolves as your band grows stronger.
Gold Goblin Hunt is a 2d casual platformer about collecting coins and treasures. Beat each level and collect every shiny thing you see, but taking damage will make you lose some coins. Reach the final levels while collecting everything you can and avoiding all the danger so you can get a high score!
Take the role of Maki as you explore a world of unique islands, meeting new friends and dashing through the waters using 3 different shark forms. Makis Adventure is a side-scrolling action platformer that lets you decide how to tackle its unique challenges. Whether you prefer to fight or focus on exploring, there’s plenty to discover and decide your play style.
Discover the most commonly used words in English with Mini Words, a unique mix of puzzle, word search, and hangman. Enjoy a minimalist and relaxing environment, free from distractions. Unscramble them by connecting all letters on the board, ensuring no paths repeat or cross.
On an unsettling night, Agent G awakens after a brutal car crash. Disoriented and alone, she notices two mysterious lights drifting into the forest. Compelled by an inexplicable force, G ventures deeper into the unknown. Only by reaching the end of this haunting path will she uncover the true reason for her adventure—and the secrets that await in the shadows.
Legends of Amberland II: The Song of Trees is a classic western dungeon crawler RPG. Using the classic first-person perspective, over grid movement, turn-based system to travel in an open world with fast travel options and a quick combat.
In a forsaken world of radiation and secrets, one AI stands between salvation and collapse. Explore Toska, a haunting nuclear labyrinth, where the echoes of the past meet an otherworldly twist. Can you outsmart the unknown and save us all?
Sir Lionstone, the most powerful knight and protector of the great city of Clesseia, hasn’t returned from his latest quest. As Sir Lionstone’s trusted knightling, it is up to you and the legendary shield he left behind to become the hero the people need and find Lionstone before lurking threats endanger the realm. Explore the many regions and secrets of the lands of Clesseia, fend off bandits and monsters, and uncover the truth of the shield’s unparalleled power and the realm’s illustrious past.
Welcome to Ash Pines – a peaceful vacation spot nestled deep among whispering pine trees… or so it seems. What begins as an ordinary night soon unravels into a terrifying mystery beyond imagination. Stranded at the eerie Ash Pines Motel, you’ll explore abandoned rooms, uncover cryptic clues, and slowly piece together the haunting secrets buried within the motel’s forgotten past.
On your quest to find a beautiful new home you will discover distant places, friendly calm animals, and amazing and dangerous habitats. You are a tiny bee in a giant environment and move continuously forward. You are free to fly wherever you want and explore the level to your heart’s desire.
A 2D platformer set in sunny Mexico. Fight enemies, use power-ups like flavor enhancements, and uncover the mystery of the kidnapping. Carlos is armed with ketchup and mustard tubes, as well as a stylish sombrero. Are you ready to help Carlos save his love and bring some spicy Mexican justice to those skeletons? Let’s go, amigo!
Use your head and arrange colored liquids to solve unique puzzles. Master the art of water sorting and rise to the top as a champion. Strategically move the water until every color is separated, proving your puzzle-solving prowess. Immerse yourself in the challenge of sorting water into tubes with the same-colored liquid on top.
A series of murders follows a mysterious ritual dance in rural China. A narrative mystery game set around rural Chinese religious rituals and serial murders. When ancient beliefs and modern horror collide, can you uncover the truth behind the mask? A rich and fully realized story unfolds like an interactive novel. Multiple choices and branching paths lead to dramatically different endings.
Compass of Destiny was created using meticulous research, to give you an authentic glimpse of the Ottoman Empire at its peak. But this realm is more than just violence: You’ll need to explore in depth, tackle challenging puzzles and show off your agility in platforming sections, if you want to learn the complete truth. The Compass will be your irreplaceable aid.
Detail Detective is the ultimate spot the differences game that combines stunning cartoon colorful visuals, mind-engaging puzzles, and captivating storylines. Explore diverse and vibrant environments, choose your difficulty level, and use hints strategically as you race against the clock. Uncover hidden secrets, and become the ultimate detective in this immersive, relaxing, and socially competitive experience.
Gang Blast – August 29 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery/ Xbox Play Anywhere
Take to the skies and bring the boom in Gang Blast, an explosive arcade shooter that puts you in the cockpit of a heavily armed helicopter. Wipe out gangs across a stylized city teeming with chaos, where every missile, and explosion sets off satisfying destructions.
Enter the chilling world of Goosebumps in Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek! Step into the shoes of Sloane Spencer, a young teen caught in a town of nightmares, as you unravel eerie mysteries, confront sinister monsters, and navigate haunted locations inspired by R.L. Stine’s legendary book series. Solve puzzles, evade creatures, and uncover the dark secrets lurking in the shadows.
Flee your fear and carve your story. Blaze a trail across mythic American highways, where choices twist your tale and danger’s always in the rearview mirror. With roguelike routes, limited resources, and breakneck chases, this isn’t just a drive—it’s your legend in the making.
You’re a humble genius scientist who gets invited to become the chief engineer at an abandoned Factory on Mars, designed to produce and sell exquisite goods for cats. It was conceived to learn everything about cats and make them happy, but it is desolated now, and cats are leaving Factory Stores unhappy and empty-pawed.
Funded on Kickstarter with backers including legend of the genre Ron Gilbert, The Mystery of Woolley Mountain is an otherworldly adventure game filled with strange beasts, evil witches, confused automatons and wacky ropemen. Join a renegade crew of time-travelling audio scientists on a hilarious and fantastical quest. A malevolent witch has captured a group of children, and it’s up to you to save them from the mysterious island of Woolley Mountain!
In this casual puzzle with a creative kitchen atmosphere, your mission is to organize the ingredients, or rather, toys, in pans styled like gift boxes. The objective is to fit all the pieces onto the board and meet demanding customer requests.
Double Fine is poised to release a brand new game called Keeper in October, but what comes after that? According to development chief Tim Schafer, he’s working on multiple projects at the Microsoft-owned studio, none of which are sequels.
Keeper is an atmospheric puzzle adventure in which a long-forgotten lighthouse is awakened and goes on a journey. It’s led by Double Fine’s Lee Petty, which means Tim Schafer is hands-off and free to work on other things.
What are those other things? Speaking to IGN at gamescom 2025, Schafer of course wouldn’t divulge Double Fine’s upcoming games, but did say the studio has multiple projects in the works and they’re all original IP.
“I’m working on other stuff,” he confirmed. “The studio is doing multiple projects right now and they’re all original IPs, because we did Psychonauts 2 and that will hold us for sequels for a while.”
So, that rules out Psychonauts 3 or — and this was always an unlikely one — Brütal Legend 2, at least in the short to mid-term. As game developers are fond of saying, never say never, but Schafer’s rather definitive comment gives us an idea of what to expect from Double Fine in the coming years — and that is the unexpected.
Psychonauts 2 eventually came out in 2021. Now, four years later, Double Fine is about to release its next game. Keeper comes out October 17, 2025, on PC and Xbox Series X and S.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images.
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.
The Rogue Prince of Persia celebrated its 1.0 release yesterday with a remarkably honest behind-the-scenes video from developers Evil Empire, detailing the ups and downs of a year-long Early Access period, including the decision to completely overhaul the game’s art style and redesign its purple-skinned protagonist.
Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has revealed he doesn’t ask for any compensation when his fan-favorite farm sim collabs with other franchises, saying he only does them because “[he] was a fan of the other games, or because [he] genuinely thought players would like it.”
The statement comes as fans prepare for a crossover event between Stardew Valley and Infinity Nikki, which goes live on September 1. Although we still don’t really understand what this will involve, exactly, there are already some surprisingly mixed reactions coming from the community, with some players upset about the timing, suggesting it’s an all-too-convenient distraction from the recent controversy around leakers.
“There have been a few collaborations between Stardew Valley and other games over the years,” Barone posted on X/Twitter yesterday. “To be clear, I never receive any money from these collabs. I’ve only done them because I was a fan of the other games, or because I genuinely thought the players would like it.”
Interestingly, Infinity Nikki responded directly to Barone from its official X/Twitter account.
“We really appreciate you sharing your feelings on this. Any unintended stress was the last thing we wanted. It was our way of saying thanks — a free love letter to Stardew Valley from our team and for the community,” the message said.
“Working on it felt like we were all tending a little farm together. The care and detail you pour into your world is exactly why we want to make cozy games too. We’re still learning from you every day.”
To be fair, it feels as though the fallout from the Stardew Valley collab is just a matter of bad timing here. The Infinity Nikki community has been unhappy ever since update 1.5 added some controversial changes to the game, such as retconning Infinity Nikki’s story, and ramping up the money and time investments required to collect full outfits.
It’s not that Barone does this all that often, either. Stardew Valley has only ever worked with a handful of other games, such as Balatro and Terraria.
Back in May, Barone admitted that he “didn’t want to just be the Stardew Valley guy,” explaining that was why he’s currently working on Haunted Chocolatier. We shouldn’t expect a release date anytime soon, though — there’s “still a lot to be done,” Barone recently admitted, particularly as he feels it’s “got to be better” than Stardew Valley.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
DICE has outlined what it’s learned — and what it’s changing — following the open beta test for Battlefield 6.
With “tens of thousands connecting on Discord to play together, over 600,000 hours streamed, and over 30 million hours watched,” the Battlefield team said it would “like to take a moment to look back at the recent Open Beta to share our key learnings and in-game changes we’re making based on your feedback and in-game data,” including tweaks to weapons, movement, maps, modes, player counts, and playlist options.
Perhaps one of the biggest complaints from players was around movement mechanics, particularly the speed of movement, and moving out of a slide into a jump. DICE says it’s now “adjusting” this “to create a more balanced and traditional Battlefield experience.”
“Momentum, especially horizontal speed, carried from a slide into a jump has been reduced,” the team wrote. “There is now a greater penalty for consecutive jumps, which lowers jump height when jumps are spammed. Firing while jumping or sliding will result in increased inaccuracy. These changes are designed to make sliding and jumping more situational, so they are no longer ideal options for engaging in gunfights, and will contribute to a gameplay pace that rewards skillful movement without becoming too fast or unpredictable.
“Parachute physics have also been re-tuned, with reduced initial acceleration when opening the parachute for more controlled aerial movement.”
The team was also keen for you to know that it heard your “strong feedback” about larger-scale maps, and says that while the Open Beta intentionally featured smaller, more fast-paced maps, “larger-scale maps are already part of our package, delivering action-packed gameplay and memorable, unique moments for every player.” As Battlefield Labs continues — that’s the closed test available to select players who sign an NDA — it’ll introduce two new multiplayer maps: one set in Mirak Valley, the other a remake of the fan-favorite from Battlefield 3, Operation Firestorm. These two maps “include the full complement of vehicles, like Liberation Peak, along with a more vast combat space.” Details about Mirak, you may remember, leaked earlier this week.
For those who aren’t aware, Rush was initially known as Gold Rush in Bad Company, where matches typically ranged from 12v12 to 16v16 players.
“We’ve experimented with larger player counts over the years, such as 64- and even 128-player versions. While these matches created intense, fast-paced moments, they also led to issues: Overwhelming defenses, stalled frontlines, and too many games ending in the first sector,” DICE explained. “Rush is especially sensitive to higher player counts due to its tactical and strategic requirements; when a player tries to arm the M-COM while more than 20 opponents are defending, the intended gameplay becomes less tangible. Based on feedback throughout recent titles, we’re lowering the default player count for Rush to improve the flow of combat and restore the tactical, methodical experience that defines the mode.”
Those who enjoy a “large-scale” Rush, however, will still be able to “experiment” with different player counts via the Portal from launch. “Finding the right balance is an ongoing process as everyone gets familiar with map size, lanes, and combat spaces,” the team added. “For now, we’ve found that 8v8 provides a solid starting point for small-scale, fast-paced modes like Team Death Match, Squad Death Match, Domination, and KOTH.”
“With the insights gathered during the Open Beta play sessions, we will be introducing in-game adjustments in upcoming Battlefield Labs events. Stay tuned for progress updates and future opportunities to get involved,” the team concluded. “Lastly, thanks again for joining the Battlefield 6 Open Beta. Your feedback and participation made it an incredible experience.”
We’re having a great time with what we’ve played so far, writing in our Battlefield 6 review-in-progress: “We are still in the beta period, but I’m already having an absolute blast with Battlefield 6’s multiplayer. The action is sublime, with a cinematic quality to the constantly raining debris that is enhanced by how legitimately effective it is to take strategic advantage of that destruction.
“Right now, even in beta form, Battlefield 6 might be the most fun shooter I’ve played this year.”
Don’t forget that from now until October 7 — Battlefield 6’s launch day — EA has a “wave of content” planned for Battlefield 2042, including a free new pass “celebrating the legacy of Battlefield,” new hardware, and a reimagining of the fan favorite Iwo Jima map. As you progress through the ‘Road to Battlefield 6’ pass, you can expect 50 “exclusive cross-rewards,” including 20 for Battlefield 6 that will be ready for you on launch day.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Earlier this week, we were lucky enough to head to the Nintendo booth at Gamescom and go hands-on with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Switch 2. Bandai Namco didn’t allow any footage to be recorded from our handheld session (and we quickly saw why), but it seems such recording rules are not in place at Canada’s Fan Expo, which kicked off yesterday and was allowing over-the-shoulder recording of the docked demos.
One visitor, MDee14, recorded footage of their entire play session and has quickly shared it online, giving us our first proper look at how this thing runs when the Switch 2 is up on a big screen. Fortunately, it looks better than the handheld offering seems to be.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater contains a secret mode developed by PlatinumGames, the studio behind the likes of Bayonetta and Nier: Automata.
Warning! Spoilers for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and the original Metal Gear Solid 3 follow:
Fans of the original Metal Gear Solid 3, which Konami has remade for this Delta version, may be aware of Snake’s Nightmare. Dubbed Guy Savage by fans, it’s a time-limited third-person hack and slash sequence in which ‘Guy Savage’ cuts his way through a demon-filled hellscape, triggered by saving while Snake is in prison and then reloading.
Guy Savage was in the original Metal Gear Solid 3 on PlayStation 2, but was removed for most of the versions that followed. Now, Guy Savage is back as ‘Guy Savage Delta,’ courtesy of PlatinumGames. Even better, you’re able to unlock the secret mode to replay it via the main menu screen once you’ve beaten the game (or you can trigger it the old-fashioned way).
IGN’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review returned an 8/10. We said: “Between its old-school stealth-action gameplay and engaging spy-thriller story, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater largely succeeds as a faithful, visually impressive remake of the 2004 classic.”
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater launches Aug 28, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.
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.
For as long as Call of Duty campaigns have existed, so has the option to play them at whichever difficulty suits you best. Whether recruit, normal, hardened, or veteran, long-term COD players know their level. But this year’s entry, Black Ops 7, won’t let you pick.
Black Ops 7 has a campaign that can be played solo or in co-op for up to four players. As part of that, the difficulty scales based on how many are playing, and cannot be adjusted in the settings.
“For the difficulty, it’s baked in,” associate creative director Miles Leslie told IGN in a recent interview. “We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players — we’re not forgetting about you, we love you — but also because it is a social experience we want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well.”
So, no more veteran-level runs for single-player fans in this year’s Call of Duty. Are you someone who enjoys testing yourself with the toughest challenges COD campaigns have to offer? Are you disappointed by the fact that Black Ops 7 won’t have this option at launch?
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.
I feel for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. If it was named something like Fang Bastard: The Punching Of The Many, the trailers wouldn’t have so many views, but those who’d watched them would probably be quite jazzed for that new bitey-talky game that looks a bit like Dishonored with more story branching. It isn’t, and they aren’t. Instead, it’s called Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, a name packed with some of the weightiest words in RPGdom.
I don’t pity it, though. Three hours and change into Bloodlines 2, I’ve determined that I’d quite enjoy a Dishonored with more story branching, actually. Not as much as if I could express my roleplaying chops outside of very specific dialogue menus, or if I cared more about the fellow nightcrawlers on the other side of those conversations. But for all the tricky development and heavy heritage, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed being The Chinese Room’s version of a souped-up vampire prowling a snowy, bisexual-lit Seattle.
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