Nintendo Switch software will be playable on its successor
Nintendo already confirmed earlier this year that they will be announcing the successor to the Nintendo Switch by the end of March 2025. Today, the company released its latest software and hardware sales and stated that remains to be the case. On Tuesday evening, Nintendo President Furukawa announced that Nintendo Switch software will be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. He also confirms Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2. Furukawa also says further information about their next console including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch will be announced at a later date. https://twitter.com/NintendoCoLtd/status/1853972163033968794 It was announced the Nintendo Switch has sold 146 million units and is on pace to reach 150M by the end of December 2024. The console is still on pace to reach the 160 million units sold to reach the PlayStation 2, but how long until that happens may depend on the release of the Switch 2.
Fortnite OG is reportedly returning permanently in December
It has been reported that Fortnite OG will be making its return once again and this time it will be permanent. According to insiders HYPEX and ShiinaBR, Fortnite Chapter 1 will return in December bringing all Chapter 1 seasons and they will return monthly. This announcement is also expected to be at The Game Awards on December 12, 2024. Fortnite OG will also feature Zero Build and the Loot Pool will be just like when Fortnite started. We saw Fortnite OG return last year, but it was short-lived and it did seem to bring the player numbers up across all platforms. In November 2023 when the temporary update came out, Fortnite had its highest player count ever since its release in 2017. As always with reports like this we have to take it with a grain of salt until Epic Games makes it official. Source: HYPEX
Bioware Confirms Its Post-Launch Plans For Dragon Age: The Veilguard Will Instead Focus On The Next Mass Effect
For roughly a decade now, BioWare has been transparent towards regaining the trust of its consumers. After the release of both Mass Effect Andromeda & Anthem, the firm pledged to do right by its players. Since then, we learned that the developer was working on two new projects for its tentpole IPs – Dragon Age & Mass Effect. While the new Mass Effect is still in its infancy, Dragon Age on the other hand has been publicly revealed. Originally, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, BioWare went ahead retitling the game to ‘The Veilguard’ instead. Following the same pricing as current AAA projects, it shipped with a $69 price tag this Halloween just last week. But when speaking to Rolling Stone, it was revealed that efforts to further expand The Veilguard is not in the playbook at BioWare. Although most major games – especially Dragon Age – anticipated some sort of story DLC, that is not the case for the newest title. Instead, BioWare has confirmed in the interview that its focus is aimed towards the next Mass Effect. Creative director John Epler does go on to elaborate that plans for multiplayer from BioWare is being considered internally for new projects. “It’s possible to tell a strong story in a multiplayer game. Final Fantasy XIV does an excellent job. Multiplayer also introduces some complications around world states. I make a giant choice in my world, and the world changes.” Although not confirming it is happening, he is certainly interested in the challenge with the available IPs. This is certainly no the first time that BioWare has shifted its focus to work on its flagship franchises. Previously, it was reported that Electronic Arts was considering BioWare to move past its MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic to instead put energy towards Dragon Age & Mass Effect. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you surprised by this new reveal from BioWare? Dragon Age: The Veilguard is out now for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Source: Rolling Stone
Apex Legends Season 23 – From The Rift Adds ‘Launch Royale’ Mode, Lifeline Rework, Titanfall’s EPG-1 Launcher, And Raptor’s Claw Universal Heirloom
The arrival for Apex Legends Season 22 – Shockwave arrived with perception to undo some of the pushback of the current state for the battle royale. However, the lack of content only distilled this sentiment towards the live-service. With a reworked battle pass adding more to grind each season, players are still hungry for more interactive experiences in Apex Legends. Instead, players were faced with fairly shallow events this season. The most in Shockwave was the ‘Space Hunt Event’ which offered a new universal heirloom – Serpent Sting. Additionally, support for Apex Legends was actually removed this past season. Recently, it was revealed in an effort to challenge the growth in cheaters to outright sever support for Linux. This isolates players that use the operating system or who play on the Steam Deck. In a new trailer on Tuesday, Respawn Entertainment shared the next chapter for Apex Legends. Unveiling Season 23 – From The Rift, there is plenty to celebrate Apex Legends this season. For one, the original state of 2019’s Apex Legends is now available with the new season arriving today. You can watch the new trailer in the video below: “This new LTM drops players into the original Apex Legends circa 2019—it’s the old school weapons, Legends, abilities, ruleset, and map that started it all. That means no EVO Armor or Ability Upgrades—just pure skill and your wits to survive the Apex Games. If you’re craving that old-school Apex vibe or just want to see how it all started, this is the best time to jump in and see where Legends were born. Conquer Launch Royale Challenges to unlock Legends and earn rewards like Apex Packs and more. Ready up, because we’re going back to experience that first drop once again.” The blog post also expands on the new rework for Support Legend Lifeline. “The original medic is now a frontline menace! Lifeline dives into action with an aggressive new kit, the ability to teleport D.O.C. to your allies, glide for unmatched mobility, and deploy an indestructible force field that amps up healing efficiency for your squad. She’s not just saving lives—she’s fighting her way to the Champions Podium.” More interesting is the addition of a weapon from the Titanfall arsenal – the EPG-1. “Grab the EPG-1 Launcher with splash damage and rocket-jumping capabilities. Unleash exotic Hop-Ups like Lifesteal, healing with every hit and instantly refilling health and armor on headshots.” There is also a new universal heirloom – the Raptor’s Claw. Are you excited for Season 23 – From The Rift? Apex Legends is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Source: Respawn Entertainment
Former Gears Of War Boss Reveals Initial Plans For Gears 6 And Explains The Cliffhanger Decision Of Gears 5
While the Gears of War franchise is not done for good, it has been almost a handful of years since the last major entry from The Coalition. The last entry came in 2020 with Gears Tactics. “Gears Tactics succeeds in adapting the existing formula for a new genre, and it hopefully provides an excellent foundation that they can hopefully build off for the future,” our review for the game read then. In 2024, however, The Coalition unveiled that Gears of War is returning to where it all started – literally. Prequel ‘Gears of War: E-Day’ was announced revealing that the event which jump started the lore for the series is on the way. According to creative director Matt Searcy in an interview, the title will embrace its linear roots which steps back from the more open approach in Gears 5. But what about the events for Gears 6? Speaking to IGN recently, former studio head Rod Fergusson explained that the intention for the next installment would be exploring an entirely new world. The plan he had conjured included evading the hostile planet Sera for a new setting amid the stars. But this choice would instead be solely a vessel for the plot and “not Mass Effecting [the series]”, in his own words. Fergusson also went on to elaborate that the decision at the end of Gears 5 was not created with a predetermined outcome for the sequel. Instead, he pressed that the community’s choice was the driving force that would be explored for Gears 6. “We kind of wanted to be through player choice,” Fergusson explained. “I was actually shocked that there was a- it was pretty close – like neck-and neck. It wasn’t like sort of ‘everybody chose JD to die or chose Del to die’, it was sort of very much neck-and-neck.” He adds: “It was sort of one of the challenges of 6 was like, ‘how do we deal with choice that we’ve never had in the franchise before’. Even when I was doing it, the team wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Would you have preferred this approach to the next Gears of War game?
Xbox Celebrates Halo 2’s Birthday With Remade Maps For Halo Infinite, Out Today
The new footpath Xbox is tackling for Halo is one to be excited for. Already, it was confirmed the franchise is moving over to Unreal Engine 5. Additionally, the series’ anniversary come 2026 for 25 years will certainly be celebrated as well. According to Microsoft itself, it was shared that plans are ramping up to celebrate the IP as well as the birth of the platform then. This month especially, Xbox is going all out for Halo 2 turning 20 years-old. Recently, it was revealed that Playground Games & Halo Studios are collaborating to bridge Halo with Forza Horizon 5 very soon. Additionally, Halo 2: Anniversary is getting a special update this week as well. In that, the iconic E3 2003 Demo will be added via Steam Workshop on PC. In the same blog post, Halo Studios shared that over a handful of Halo 2 maps are being remade for Halo Infinite. Altogether includes 7 different arenas as part of the Delta Arena update: Ascension, Boulevard (Turf), Canopy (Lockout), Conjurer (Warlock), Inquisitor (Midship), Serenity (Sanctuary), and Beaver Canyon (Beaver Creek). The process began by looking at what had been recreated by the community and seeing what could work in tandem with the modes we were developing internally. We ultimately strived to find fan favorites that were faithful to their original designs and that could play well within the Infinite environment. Each of these recreations have been given new life by the extraordinary Forgers behind them. Evan Colson, Halo Infinite Designer “While utilizing custom game settings to recreate Halo 2’s movement is relatively easy, capturing that classic ‘feel’ was a bit harder to nail down. Considering all the subtle difference between Halo Infinite and Halo 2, a 1:1 recreation was never quite in the cards, but what we did come to was that of an amalgamation between the two, with settings that move like legacy Halo, but plays with elements of the modern sandbox,” Colson added Halo Infinite producer Nick Treitman also says: “Beaver Canyon feels exactly how you remember it and Conjurer takes the magical/wizard theme and cranks it to 11. “Midship has been one of our most requested maps and after finally getting the Covenant forge objects in game, it was a matter of time before a true-to-H2 version came together.” Delta Arena arrives today – November 5th. Are you excited for these classic maps coming to Halo Infinite? Source: Xbox Wire
Halo: The Master Chief Collection To Welcome The Notorious Halo 2 E3 Demo This Week On PC
The current foundation for Xbox’s Halo franchise is being restructured in the coming future. While established entries like Halo Infinite & Halo: The Master Chief Collection are to remain in their current form, new installments will follow by a different creed. This is namely due to the rebranding of 343 Industries at Xbox Game Studios. Moving forward, the team will now be addressed as ‘Halo Studios’. What’s more, all new projects are now being constructed with Unreal Engine. Specifically Unreal Engine 5, the team has explored this option fully and even showcased some concepts for the future of the series. However, that does not mean attention will cease for pre-established games. According to Halo Studios, the long-promised Halo 2 E3 Demo for Halo 2: Anniversary is officially coming this week. On Xbox Wire, the game studio shares that this plans to arrive this weekend in a new update on PC – November 9th. This put us in a bit of a quandary. Even the original executable is difficult to work with, as you need an Xbox developer kit to get it to boot, which is in increasingly short supply even within the studio. But now, in 2024, we have the Digsite-developed tools to analyze and automate up-porting old assets, and the unearthed knowledge to know why Bungie built things the way they did in the demo. Kenneth Peters, Halo Senior Franchise Writer “Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital in getting this scenario stood up and even improved over the original. He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels,” Peters further explained. The effort comes as part of a collaboration with modders within the community to realize for players. Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches to replicate the original demo experience and test for bugs. Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it.” This will arrive as part of a client via Steam Workshop. There is no detail if this plan is intended to extend to console. Are you excited for the Halo 2 E3 Demo coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection? Halo: The Master Chief Collection is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Source: Xbox Wire
Black Ops 6 Season 1 goes live November 14 bringing new multiplayer maps
Activision and Treyarch are preparing for the first season of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer and on Monday morning they teased what’s to come. While all the details haven’t been revealed, Black Ops 6 Season 1 will go live on November 14 and it will bring at least three new maps for its multiplayer. The three maps that were teased are Hideout, Extraction, and Heirloom. All of these maps will be 6v6 while Heirloom will also support 2v2 modes. Season 01 takes Black Ops to the the criminal underground on November 14. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the new maps coming to #BlackOps6 Multiplayer this season 👇💰 Hideout – 6v6🚁 Extraction – 6v6🖼️ Heirloom – 6v6 & 2v2 pic.twitter.com/7RhjAmvQnh — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 4, 2024 Just like all other Seasons for Call of Duty games, we can expect there to be a lot more such as new operators, game modes, and a lot more especially with Warzone getting an update soon. Have you been enjoying Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?
LEGO Horizon Adventures Is Reportedly A Short Game
LEGO Horizon Adventures is set to release on November 14, 2024, and the media have gotten their hands on the game already for reviews coming within the next week. According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, LEGO Horizon Adventures is a short game. “Don’t expect a 40-hour+ game with LEGO Horizon Adventures; it’s a relatively short game,” said Tom. He goes on to say that it’s probably around 6 hours for the story, but if you are a completionist it might be around 15 hours. Surprisingly, LEGO Horizon Adventures has a multiplatform release as it will be available for Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 5. According to the ESRB rating for the game, it’s going to feature a curse word at some point in the story. Will you play LEGO Horizon Adventures?
Nintendo Switch has now sold 146M units
Nintendo released its latest hardware and software sales this morning sharing that hardware sales were down 31% for hardware and 27.6% for software in the latest quarter. The Nintendo Switch has reached lifetime sales of 146.04M which is still up from the 140 Million reported back in May 2024. Nintendo Switch is projected to reach 160 million units sold, but this depends on Nintendo, which states that the announcement of the Switch successor will be made by the end of March 2025. It’s still expected to reach 150M consoles sold by the end of December. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom since its release in September has sold 2.58M units which is above Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake which has sold 1.94M units. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had even more sales this quarter selling 2.31M units and now reaching 64.27M lifetime sales being the clear winner of the Nintendo Switch era. Do you think the Nintendo Switch will beat the PlayStation 2 in sales? Source: Stealth40K
