Key Note Gaming

Octopath Traveler 0 is set to release for PS5, PS4, Switch 2, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 4. Like the previous entries in this turn-based RPG series, it’s made in the visually striking “HD-2D” art style that uses pixelated 2D characters and gorgeous HD environments, with visual effects only possible on modern platforms. The game is available for preorder now in several editions. Read on for details about what comes in each one, how much they cost, where you can preorder, and more. Preorder Octopath Traveler 0 PS5 Get it at Amazon - $49.99 Get it at Square Enix Store - $49.99 Get it at PS Store (PS4 and PS5) - $49.99 Switch 2 Get it at Amazon - $49.99 Get it at Square Enix Store - $49.99 Switch Get it at Amazon - $49.99 Get it at Square Enix Store - $49.99 Xbox Series X|S Get it at Amazon - $49.99 Get it at Square Enix Store - $49.99 Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $49.99 Note that physical Switch 2 copies include a game-key card, w...

The Nintendo Switch is going out in a blaze of glory, with some exciting games launching to make way for the console's successor: the now officially released Switch 2 . Whether they’re exclusively developed for the Switch or ported over from other platforms, these upcoming Switch games will likely wrap up the Switch era while also being compatible with the Switch 2. In the second half of 2025, we'll hopefully be getting our hands on well-known in-development titles as well as a host of new games announced at the most recent Nintendo Direct . Here are all of the new Switch games we can look forward to this year. If you managed to secure a Switch 2, you might be more interested in our list of Switch 2 games , including what games launched in July . All Upcoming Switch Games With Release Dates Gradius Origins (August 7, 2025) Gradius Origins collects some of M2's finest shoot 'em up games, including Gradius, Salamander, Life Force, Gradius II, Gradius III, Sala...

It and Annabelle writer-producer Gary Dauberman is set to bring Bloober Team's The Medium to the big screen. As reported by Hollywood Reporter , Dauberman has secured the screen rights to Bloober's tense horror. A writer and director have yet to be announced. “With its compelling story and incredibly cinematic visuals, The Medium is a natural for a feature film adaptation,” Dauberman said in a statement. “When I talked to [CEO] Piotr [Babieno] about it, we immediately connected on our mutual love of horror and his vision for where the genre is headed. I have no doubt anything Bloober develops is going to push horror forward in unique and terrifying ways, and I’m excited to be working alongside them." Babieno added: "Adapting games into films often involves balancing many interests, but with The Medium, I have a deep sense that Gary is the perfect partner for us. From our very first conversation, I felt we were completely in sync. And every conversation since ...

The Land of Shu is full of dangers, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t always explain its mechanics. We’ve teamed up with the experts at Maxroll to bring you a beginner’s guide, builds to crush the game’s hardest bosses , additional resources and mechanical overviews, and much more. Beginner's Guide Get started with Maxroll’s Beginner's Guide . Combat in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is different from a lot of other Soulslikes, as your main resource Skyborn Might revolves around getting “perfect dodges” called Shimmers (think Sekiro but with hitting B instead of LB). You can then spend Skyborn Might to empower your weapon skills, or instantly execute a charged heavy attack. This is particularly useful because you can use charged heavy attacks to stagger foes, opening them up to a powerful Obliterate attack. Maxroll’s Beginner’s Guide also covers topics like leveling up using the Impetus Repository system, how the game’s unique Madness system works, and the various character...

Xbox just had a great Q2...and it might have PlayStation to thank. Or is it PlayStation that should be thanking Xbox? Per data shared from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella , six of the ten best-selling games on PlayStation consoles in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2025 (April through June) were published by Microsoft. Most of those games were new. Forza Horizon 5 debuted at No.2 for the quarter (just behind Elden Ring Nightreign). The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered was right behind it. Doom: The Dark Ages debuted at No. 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle came in at No.8. They were joined by returning titles Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at No.4 and Minecraft at No.9. Sony only had two first-party games in the top ten: MLB: The Show 25 at No.4, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach debuting at No.7. This news comes as Xbox announces its Q2 earnings, which saw gaming revenue up 10% year-over-year and Xbox content and services revenue up 13%, driven by growth in fir...

Developer NetEase Games has pulled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals Season 3.5, revealing a first look at Blade and many of the other additions coming in August. The studio offered a breakdown for everything included in the mid-season refresh today, including how players will be able to use the legendary comic book Daywalker’s abilities to cut through the new content included in the upcoming August 8 update. It follows the launch of Season 3: The Abyss Awakens – and Jean Grey – just weeks ago and is a sign that NetEase intends to stick to its quick content release schedule. Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Adds Blade and New Team-Ups Next Week Blade’s introduction into Marvel Rivals as an actual playable character and not just a creative bit or world-building has been a long time coming. The infamous vampire-hunting hero first made his debut all the way back in Season 1, but has been sidelined as an NPC since. Now, players finally have the chance to control Blade for themselves, and ...

FromSoftware has delayed Elden Ring Nightreign patch 1.02 due to the ongoing tsunami warning in Japan after a massive earthquake off Russia triggered evacuations across the Pacific. The first waves triggered by the massive 8.8 earthquake off Russia's coast have reached Hawaii, with a 1.2 meter (4 feet) wave recorded off Oahu. In Japan, 1.9 million people have been told to evacuate and a tsunami wave of 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) has reached the northern Iwate prefecture, the BBC reported . Amid the developing situation, FromSoftware, whose head office is situated in Tokyo, issued a statement announcing the delay to the latest Elden Ring patch, which was due out today, July 30, as well as the second cycle of Everdark Sovereign. “Due to the tsunami warning following the earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula, we have decided to postpone the distribution of the Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.02, which was scheduled for today to tomorrow, July 31 (Thursday) after 10am CEST | 1am PDT...

Last weekend, a global beta test began for Where Winds Meet, the open-world game published by NetEase that is already available in China. This free-to-play game takes place around the year 1000 between the great Tang and Song dynasties during what's known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In it, players take the role of a lone wandering hero during this time of upheaval where one's own strength matters more than the rules of society. IGN readers may not be too familiar with the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, but don’t worry – the same even seems to apply to players in China. We know that the game takes some influence from Ghost of Tsushima and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild thanks to a past interview with lead designer Chris Lyu, but it can be difficult to imagine exactly what the gameplay will be like. According to Lyu, it is "the world's first wuxia-themed open-world" game. Once I got my hands on the game, I found Where Winds Me...

The CEO of Electronic Arts is teasing the return of EA College Basketball, just one month after a cryptic EA Sports tweet put the idea back into the heads of video game basketball fans. Bring the Madness. Let’s run it back. #CBB #ItsInTheGame pic.twitter.com/iBNhGxn2yj — EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) June 30, 2025 During today's Q1 earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson was asked about the potential return of College Basketball, likely in response to the above tweet. Per reports back in June and the above clever tease , College Basketball is indeed slated to return from EA, though it will be a while yet before we see it - it's not expected until 2028 . Here's Wilson's vague, yet promising, response in full: We can't say too much about it yet, but if I think about the opportunity, going back to where we are on College Football, college sport has one of the most vibrant fanbase in the world. And that trickles over to basketball certainly. We're seeing momentum of fand...

As Nintendo takes the first step toward selling full-priced, AAA games at $80 and Xbox starts to follow suit but backs off, EA has now also made its position clear: no $80 games...for now. "We're not looking to make any changes on pricing at this stage," said CEO Andrew Wilson during today's Q1 earnings call. He said this in response to an investor question regarding publishing competitors beginning to release $80 games, and where EA sees itself in relation to them. Wilson continued: That's in the construct of, we already offer a fairly broad pricing scheme across our various products. When you think about everything from free-to-play through to our premium products and deluxe editions, our orientation is always to capture the full spectrum of pricing so that we can serve players in the best way possible and offer them the greatest value. We'll continue to look at opportunities to deliver great value to our players thorugh various pricing schemes over the...

Mario Paint is the latest Nintendo game to be added to the Nintendo Switch Online library. A SNES classic, Mario Paint encourages all forms of creativity, including art, music, and animation, and — up until now, anyway — was entirely unplayable for anyone who didn't have the game and the console system from the first time around. Interestingly, the 1992 OG release permitted players to plug in a mouse controller, which could be why Nintendo has chosen to resurrect the long-lost classic; one of Nintendo Switch 2 's most hyped features was its new mouse controls, making this a natural, and exciting, game to add to the NSO library. Nintendo says that Nintendo Switch players who've yet to upgrade to the new system can also get involved if they have an OG Switch and "a compatible USB mouse (sold separately)." Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription-based online gaming service for the Nintendo Switch gaming platform. Memberships include online functionality, all...

Ubisoft's next big patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows is available today, July 29, 2025, and the publisher has now given a detailed rundown of everything included. As previously announced , Title Update 1.0.7 adds New Game Plus mode, which will unlock as soon as you hit the credits after completing the game's story. From here, you have a couple of options: either to restart the game from scratch, or pick up the action from when Naoe first arrives at the game's hideout. Either way, your hard-earned gear, skills, allies and hideout progression will carry over. Whether you're playing New Game Plus or not, there's a level cap increase from 60 to 80, and a boost in the Knowledge Rank cap from 8 to 10, allowing you to counter the game's higher-level enemies with the ability to unlock more skills. You can also now upgrade gear at your Forge to level 4, too. Sweat your way through Shadows' story a second time via New Game Plus and you'll unlock a gold...

Getting a group of friends together to learn and play a board game can be a daunting task. Not only does it require everyone in-person, but between setting up, learning the rules, and actually playing through the game it can end up taking multiple hours. Thankfully, there's an online solution that solves many of these issues. Board Game Arena might be one of the best-kept secrets, despite having more than 10 million registered players. Still, the flexibility to play many of the most popular games today whenever you desire makes it a must for board game enthusiasts. With a massive catalog spanning every genre, it's got plenty to offer for both casual and hardcore players alike. Check out our full breakdown below to learn more about Board Game Arena, some of the included games, pricing, and what devices are supported. What Is Board Game Arena? Board Game Arena is a website that allows you to play more than 1,000 popular board games —completely free. What's the catch? Su...

It's no secret that while Nintendo Switch 2 has some excellent games already available, many of these are quite expensive. While the console just launched in early June, Woot has an ongoing sale where you can save a few dollars off some of the biggest Switch 2 games out now. This includes Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Save on Mario Kart World and Zelda Switch 2 Editions First, Mario Kart World is on sale for $71.99. As the first new Mario Kart experience in over a decade, World has a ton of new courses and mechanics to discover. For the first time ever, Mario Kart enters an open world, with each track interconnected on one landmass. The trick system has seen a massive overhaul, with support for wall riding, and the new Knockout Tour mode is an excellent battle royale-style way to play Mario Kart. Moreover, the Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of...

Both Black Bolt and White Flare have made a huge impact since launching together on July 18, 2025. Celebrating the full Unova roster, these Pokémon TCG sets stand out not just for gameplay but also for their pure focus on the beloved Gen V. While every card in the expansion has an Illustration Rare or better, a few have emerged as both highly collectable and competitively viable. As a result, some cards have been selling out more over at dedicated card marketplace TCGPlayer than others. Let’s dive into the standout cards and the artwork that have collectors scrambling for singles. TL;DR – The 10 Most Popular Cards From Black Bolt Black Bolt’s top sellers blend power, nostalgia, and jaw-dropping art, also sharing some of the most expensive cards in White Flare and Black Bolt too. N’s Plan leads the Trainer hype with a serene illustration. Meanwhile, Zekrom ex shows up three times, with the coveted Black White Rare version being the most in-demand — and expensive — of them all...