Gaming
Surprise! Pauline is your companion in Donkey Kong Bananza
Can be controlled by a second player
The undisputed champion of platforming in the original Switch generation is Super Mario Odyssey. In the blossoming Switch 2 generation, Nintendo aims to recapture the magic with Donkey Kong Bananza, the titular character’s first foray into the world of 3D platforming in the modern era. To do so, the upcoming title just revealed a crazy surprise it’s been saving until now: Pauline.
When the title was first announced, Donkey Kong came with an interesting companion called Odd Rock. The sentient rock followed the tried-and-tested formula of 3D platforming: a grander protagonist accompanied by smaller companion. Now, during the recent Nintendo Direct dedicated to Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo revealed the rock’s staggering secret. Pauline, a franchise staple, was actually hiding inside.
Pauline stems from the very first game featuring both Mario and Donkey Kong, simply called Donkey Kong. She was the damsel in distress that Mario had to rescue by avoiding Donkey Kong’s barrage of barrels. She also recently made an appearance in Odyssey as the mayor of New Donk City.
In Bananza, Pauline is just someone who wants to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer in the real world. As a companion, a secondary player can control her by sending out onomatopoeic sound effects against enemies or the terrain.
Besides Pauline’s reveal, Nintendo also announced the game’s mechanics. Donkey Kong’s goal is to collect Golden Bananas in a quest to reach the core. Golden Bananas are hiding everywhere including the terrain. Part of the game, then, is destroying the terrain to uncover secrets.
Donkey Kong also has a skill tree, similar to an RPG. He can also turn into other animals as hidden abilities found throughout the map.
Donkey Kong Bananza is coming exclusively to the Switch 2 starting July 17.
SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch 2 is FINALLY HERE!
Gaming
Elden Ring Nightreign is getting a DLC update this December
The update introduces two new Nightfarers and bosses.
After Shadow of the Erdtree concluded the Elden Ring saga, FromSoftware kept the fire going with Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer-focused standalone roguelike set in the same universe. It was a unique experience that breathed new life into the studio’s tough-as-nails dynamic. Now, before the year ends, FromSoftware has announced The Forsaken Hollows, a new DLC coming for Nightreign.
Even from launch, it was apparent that FromSoftware had content updates in store for Nightreign. The studio promised new maps and Nightfarers for the multiplayer game.
Yesterday, an earnings report hinted that the DLC was shipping out potentially early next year. Today, the studio dispelled all speculation and said that the DLC is definitely coming before the year ends.
The announcement expands the already-meaty game with two new playable Nightfarers: the arcane-wielding Scholar and the strength-slash-faith-focused Undertaker. Both characters, featured in the trailer, will introduce their special set of skills in the continuous battle against the Nightlord.
Besides the two new characters, two new bosses are coming to Limveld. We don’t know much about the two bosses. However, knowing FromSoftware, the studio is likely keeping them under wraps, so they can stomp on us harder.
Finally, the update introduces a new Shifting Earth area called The Great Hollow. The area is filled with “exotic ruins and temples; sacred towers denoting the remains of an ancient people; and crystals that exude a cursed, life-draining miasma.”
The Forsaken Hollows is a paid DLC coming to Elden Ring Nightreign on December 3. Though the DLC can be purchased separately, it’s already included in the Deluxe Edition and the Collectors Edition. It’s also available for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.
SEE ALSO: New Elden Ring Nightreign patch will make it easier for solo players
Gaming
PlayStation might soon let you buy PC games
Cross-Buy might bundle your PS5 games with a PC version.
Maintaining a gaming library between different platforms is a chore, especially for multiplayer games. It’s way too common to buy a new game on one platform, only to find out that your friends bought it on another. This could lead to double buying or forever missing out on playing with friends. Now, PlayStation, if a new leak is to be believed, will finally help cure the curse of platform mismatches.
Last week, @yAmethxst, an X user, posted leaked screenshots of new icons coming to PlayStation. The leak was also confirmed legit by Dealabs. Though some are less interesting (like a touchpad button), a couple of the new icons are hinting at a Cross-Buy function coming to the platform.
New Symbols will be added soon (website & tool), but here some nice new features from PlayStation (yes, some are old, other are unseen):
– A kind of "echo mode"
– PS5/PC games
– "Cross-Buy" pic.twitter.com/YxIAXp750g— Amethyst (@yAmethxst) November 4, 2025
Based solely on the name, Cross-Buy doesn’t offer much. However, a complementary icon, which shows the PS5 logo and a PC logo side by side, confirms how Sony wants this to work. Cross-Buy will likely allow players to purchase two copies of the same game: one for the PlayStation and another for their PC.
There are a few gaps and questions to be answered, though. For one, which games are compatible with this feature? Is it exclusive to PlayStation’s first-party games, or are third-party games included?
Secondly, which platform on PC will the feature support? The likeliest suspect is Steam, but how about users who prefer the Epic Games Store or GOG?
There are so many mysteries about this feature. Heck, we don’t even know if this will actually work as we described. If anything, this is a welcome feature in the world of cross-platform gaming.
SEE ALSO: PlayStation announces a new duotone DualSense color
Gaming
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed to November 2026
Back in September, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched, ending an almost seven-year wait. Now, the next holy grail of gaming that’s set to launch is Grand Theft Auto VI. However, the wait is now a tiny bit longer. Rockstar Games has delayed the launch of its upcoming game to November 2026.
It’s been over 12 years since the launch of Grand Theft Auto V. In that time, the title has gone through three generations of the Xbox and the PlayStation. It even has an enhanced edition already. That said, the highly anticipated sixth outing is a long time coming.
In the tail end of 2023, Rockstar Games released the first trailer for the anticipated sequel, teasing a launch in 2025. Further reports pinpointed a fall 2025 window. Since then, the studio delayed the game to May 2026 for extra polishing.
Today, Rockstar Games has announced another delay. This time, Grand Theft Auto VI will launch on November 19, 2026. The studio is once again citing the need to polish the final product a bit more.
Hi everyone,
Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026.
We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and… pic.twitter.com/yLX9KIiDzX
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 6, 2025
Besides the game itself, there is a lot riding on its launch. For one, other game developers are notorious for patterning their games’ release windows away from Grand Theft Auto VI (or other major games). They naturally don’t want their games to be the one known for being overshadowed by Rockstar’s surefire hit.
Secondly, publishers are patiently waiting for how much the game will go for. There’s speculation that the title might push the boundaries of videogame pricing. If the game is a hit while going for 90 to 100 bucks, then other publishers might follow suit.
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