Gaming

Everything announced at Feb. 9’s Nintendo Direct

Splatoon 3, Kirby, Switch Sports, Mario Strikers, and more

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After Pokémon Legends: Arceus’s red-hot launch last month, Nintendo wants to keep the hype going. To outline its future this year, the company hosted a Nintendo Direct recently, announcing new titles and updating previously announced ones. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming for the Switch.

Splatoon 3

Continuing one of Nintendo’s more recent tentpole franchises, Splatoon 3 comes to the Switch sometime during the summer this year. Though the Nintendo Direct did not include a definite launch date, Nintendo shared more teasers including a new Salmon Run Next Wave mode.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The upcoming title continues the story laid out by its predecessors. The open-world RPG takes players across a vast world filled with titanic monsters. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launches in fall.

Nintendo Switch Sports

Sports is back! When the Switch launched, the console was conspicuously missing its own version of the Wii’s most popular titles, Wii Sports. Now, the title will make its return to the Switch, bringing badminton, bowling, football, tennis, and volleyball to the console. Nintendo Switch Sports launches on April 29.

Mario Strikers: Battle League

Speaking of sports, Mario continues his career as an athletic superstar. On June 10, Mario Strikers: Battle League brings Mario and friends to the world of football. Once again, expect quirky superpowers and powerful pickups for this sports game.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

Much like the previous titles announced, Nintendo taps into its thriving well of franchises. However, this title switches it up a bit. Rather than the usual formula, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a hack-and-slash game coming on June 24.

Disney Speedstorm

One of the rare original announced this Direct, Disney Speedstorm is a Mario Kart-like racer but with Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Mulan, and Sully. The racing games arrives sometime during the summer.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Despite being one of the more anticipated titles coming this year, Kirby and the Forgotten Land doesn’t get a lot of the limelight this time around. However, the Nintendo Direct did showcase the game’s Mouthful Mode, a power similar to Super Mario Odyssey’s Cappy. Kirby is coming on March 25.

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition

Going past the new titles, let’s get into remasters and ports. A classic in the PlayStation pantheon, Chrono Cross is getting a visual remaster and some improvements over its first outing more than two decades ago. Besides the remaster, the game also comes with Radical Dreamers, a more obscure text-adventure game set in the Chrono universe originally released in 1996. Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition comes to the Switch on April 7.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Here comes another reboot. This time, it’s from the Game Boy Advance. Resurrecting a well-known series for the console, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp brings the first two games of the franchise, along with graphical and gameplay updates.

No Man’s Sky

Ports incoming! Nintendo is bringing one of the most controversial titles in the last ten years. Though the game, originally launched for the PlayStation 4 and PC, started off with a torrent of negative press, No Man’s Sky eventually became a darling of indie games with massive updates that brought it from zero to hero. No Man’s Sky is coming to the Switch this summer.

Portal: Companion Collection

The Switch is getting another giant from another console. Portal: Companion Collection is bringing both Portal games to the console. Coming later this year, the collection will support both the enthralling single-player mode and the wacky multi-player mode (local, online, and split-screen).

Earthbound

Here’s a blast from the past. Both EarthBound and EarthBound Beginnings have arrived in the Nintendo Switch Online library. The two games were originally released to the SNES and the Famicom, respectively.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch OLED Unboxing and Review

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Gaming

Grand Theft Auto VI delayed to November 2026

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November 7, 2025

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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.

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.

SEE ALSO: Grand Theft Auto VI gets its first-ever trailer

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The Nintendo Switch is nearing the end of its lifecycle

Nintendo will focus more on the Switch 2 going forward.

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November 6, 2025

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It’s the beginning of the end for the Nintendo Switch. After almost nine years of the original console, Nintendo is just about ready to move on to the next generation.

According to a recent earnings report, Nintendo has announced that the company will start focusing on the Switch 2. “Going forward, we will shift our primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2 and expand our business around this new platform,” the report said.

Since it was launched earlier this year, the Switch 2 exceeded the company’s expectations. The new console has already surpassed 10 million units sold worldwide, making it Nintendo’s fastest-selling console so far. In fact, the company is already worried about shortages in some parts of the world.

As pointed out by the report, 84 percent of current Switch 2 users transitioned from the original console generation. Owners of the first console are transitioning at a uniform rate.

Currently, there is no explicit plan to fully move away from the first generation yet. The issued statement, however, heralds the end. This will likely start off on a subtler note: fewer games coming out and fewer consoles available in the market.

So, there is no pressing need to switch over to the newer console immediately. However, this should be a warning for users that the end is nearing.

For what it’s worth, the Switch 2 offers backwards compatibility. If you have a shapely catalog of games from the first generation, you can still use them on the newer one. Also, there is a growing number of exclusive games that make use of the more powerful hardware, so it’s a worthy upgrade.

SEE ALSO: Assassin’s Creed Shadows is coming to the Switch 2

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Razer, JOOLA partner for limited-edition pickleball paddle

1st-ever crossover between gaming, pickleball

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November 6, 2025

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Razer has ventured into the world of pickleball, partnering with JOOLA for a limited-edition JOOLA Razer Perseus Pro IV 16mm paddle.

The paddle will officially be available on December 9. It is co-branded with Razer’s triple-headed snake trademark, as well as signature green accents.

The paddle already made its competitive debut at the 2025 Pickleball World Championships in Dallas. There, it was wielded by Ben Johns, who is widely regarded as the world’s top pickleball pro.

He also happens to spend his free time gaming, making the partnership very apt for him on a personal scale.

This groundbreaking crossover bridges the energy of esports with the fast-growing sport of pickleball. It unites two elite forces in competitive performance: JOOLA for pickleball pros and Razer for the gaming community.

And as part of the launch celebration, fans will have the chance to win a paddle signed by both JOOLA CEO Richard Lee and Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan.

The raffle will be done through a social media giveaway hosted by both JOOLA and Razer.

Game on with the JOOLA Razer Perseus Pro IV 16mm

The JOOLA Razer Perseus Pro IV 16mm is crafted for high-stakes rallies and fast-paced exchanges. Its raw carbon surface enhances spin control and dwell time. This allows players to shape their shots with precision and finesse.

A balanced swing weight also supports quick transitions and reactive play, making it ideal for competitive athletes.

Bringing smart tech to the court, each paddle is also embedded with an NFC chip that connects to the JOOLA Infinity App, unlocking exclusive content, pro tips, and extended warranty.

Only a total of 1,337 units of the limited-edition paddle will be made. The number 1,337 is a nod to gaming culture, where “1337” or “LEET” means short for elite and is used to signify top-tier skill and mastery.

The pickleball paddle will retail officially for US$ 299.95 and will be available exclusively via JOOLA.com.

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