Popular leaker CentroLeaks slammed the release in a post on X, lamenting the poor Switch 2 performance (keep in mind that this is a Switch 1 game), a lack of popular Pokémon in a limited roster, not being able to automatically add friends over from your Switch list, and so on. “Tons” of competitive items are also missing and there’s no support for local wireless play. Others have since chimed in, with a 30fps lock on performance, along with tedious menus, standing out the most among all the other issues.

While there is hope from a section of the player base who expect additional Pokémon to make their way to the game, and potential fixes coming along, it’s still disheartening to see what could have been a serious contender for competitive Pokémon play get such a lukewarm response. Pokémon Pokopia, by comparison, has received a very encouraging response, one that now seems a little out of Pokémon Champions‘ reach.

https://x.com/CentroLeaks/status/2041751437047161194

This one’s free to play for those of you who haven’t kept up with it, and you can dive in on your Switch, Android, or iOS. It takes you to the Frontier, where you’re going to have to capture Pokémon and train them to take on opponents in battles that put a fresh but familiar spin on the formula to enable varied strategies for both newcomers and veterans alike.

If you’re on Pokémon Home, you’ll be pleased to know that you can bring over your Pokémon. While the trailer is somewhat light on the details, the battle-focused multiplayer title includes familiar abilities and mechanics, including Mega Evolutions. In fact, some, like Mega Meganium, Mega Emboar, and Mega Feraligatr from Pokémon Legends: Z-A even get “never-before-seen abilities.”

You can learn more here, but if you’ve ever wanted to prove your mettle as a trainer, Pokémon Champions is a sure-fire way to do that. It’s free to play and can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop. For those seeking a more traditional Pokémon experience, Pokémon Winds and Waves is launching in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2. Head here for more details.

The embattled studio probably caught his eye when it laid off more than a thousand of its employees and had to work quickly to turn public sentiment around when it discovered that one of them was terminally ill. CEO Tim Sweeney’s assertion about layoffs having nothing to do with AI has been called into question in Dreunen’s analysis of why Epic and Fortnite are at the beginning of their end. He argues that gaming companies outside the US are looking into generative AI and creative ways to use it, which has yet to be done satisfactorily.

He also points to factors outside the purview of any gaming studio, such as an increased cost of living and one that Epic is already familiar with: an imbalance in platform holder rights that has been eating the studio’s profits while increasing its spending through legal costs.

“Empires don’t collapse all at once…They hollow out, slowly, until one day the walls come down and everyone acts surprised. We are currently somewhere in the middle of that process.”

Dreuner’s words may be a bitter pill to swallow for Epic, a studio that seemed like it would live forever. However, we’re hoping that it can confront its own mortality and find a suitable middle ground, keeping Fortnite and all the fun it brings alive in the process.

If you think the best defense is a good offense, this one’s going to have you shredding your enemies with style – as long as you can time your parries and use its varied move set as effectively as possible. It gives off some serious Sekiro vibes, enabling a lot of moves that give it a distinct flavor.

It’s looking quite handy against a few enemies and bosses that will be debuting in Chapter 2. Players traverse across Liangzhou in the upcoming updae, which is touted as a “refreshing frontier landscape” with a lot of new things to explore, including some snow-capped landscapes. We’re going to be trying out the Heng Blade as soon as it drops on April 2, 2026, and hope to be sheathing it with a flourish after taking down formidable enemies with deft precision.

Where Winds Meet is available for PS5, iOS, Android, and PC. You can learn more the Hexi Expansion’s second chapter here, including new activities, quests, bosses, and much more.

Headlining chapter 2 will be the new zone, Liangzhou, which players can access on completion of the Hexi Campaign – Whitecrown Fortress quest. The area has been described as “a refreshing frontier landscape” thanks to its snow and a “city shaped like a jade cup”. The atmosphere of the area is also noted as being “entirely different” when compared to Jade Gate Pass.

On wrapping up pre-requisites, players can access the Lost Chapter: Ten Through the Pass to unlock Liangzhou. There are also new collectibles to find—Liangzhou poems—which can be used to gain rewards from the Gilt-Fin Collection, including things like Echo Jade, and Recipe – Snowy Stone Lantern, among other things.

The introduction of a new zone also brings with it a new chapter to the main story. Players can access the new chapter, dubbed Hexi Main Chapter – A Lonely Moon Over Chang’an, after having reached level 14 and completing Hexi Main Chapter: The Burlap Sack. The story will revolve around a young musician who, after being on a poignant journey, finds his home of Chang’an feels unfamiliar.

The update will also bring Chapter 3 of the main story, dubbed Paper Moon, which will revolve around a shared longing for Chang’an. Rewards include Accessory – Paper Moon and Inscription – Observe Freedom, among other things.

There are also plenty of side quests to take on, like volumes 4 and 5 of the Jianghu Legacy series, and Death of the Governor, which revolves around an old mansion “shrouded in wind and snow”, complete with a mysterious conspiracy surrounding it. A brand new World Boss will be roaming the realm of Liangzhou—the Moongazing Maiden—which rewards Helm – Swaying Jade Osmanthus, and Accessory – Verdant Sonata as rewards for the first time you beat it. Subsequent attempts through the Sword Forge Challenges in the Trial interface will offer even more rewards.

Two more world bosses—the Everdeer and the Pocketrupt Circus—will join the Moongazing Maiden in offering players intense challenges. Much like other world bosses, these two will also offer unique rewards on your first victory against them, along with cosmetic rewards on subsequent attempts. As for end-game content, hitting level 86 and having a group ready will allow you to take on Bloodstained Sands.

For players looking forward to expanding their wardrobe, the new Raging Tides sect can be joined at level 10 and gives you access to new appearance sets and decorations, among other things. A new martial art—Stonesplit – Strength—can be learned, giving players access to the Phalanxbane Blade and Snowparting Blade moves.

Those looking for non-combat challenges can partake in the Landlords mode of Wandering Paths—a new three-player card game. The only requirements are reaching level 32 and completing the Kaifeng Main Chapter: New Arrival in Kaifeng – Begin the Journey quest.

Where Winds Meet is a free-to-play game available on PC, PS5, Android and iOS. For more details, check out our thoughts on its Hexi expansion so far.

You get to bring your buddies along to New York, which needs all of its Agents to get out onto its streets stat. The city is under threat, if the first game is any indication, and it’s up to you and your allies to stop it.

Of course, you’re going to want to look your best as you embark on intense battles, and the game offers extensive customization options to make your character truly feel like an extension of you. A unique look also makes you easier to find in crowded battlefields, the likes of which are looking like an everyday thing in this one. The gunplay looks quite good as well, which can make combat feel quite immersive as you tear through enemy ranks with calculated precision.

The Division: Resurgence could be just what you need to scratch that itch until the monster that is The Division 3 finally makes its way into your hands. While the latter still doesn’t have a release window almost three years later, fans shouldn’t worry, even if executive producer Julian Gerighty is no longer at the helm.

“All players receive a free bundle of Gems and Sigils, so you can enjoy all content Blades has to offer,” reads the in-game message. “Thank you for playing, and we hope you have enjoyed your time in Blades.”

The Elder Scrolls: Blades was released in May 2020 on Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. While free-to-play on the mobile platforms, the game had a $14.99 price tag on the Switch. It is worth noting that, in light of this announcement, The Elder Scrolls: Blades has been delisted from all platform stores.

In the same Reddit thread announcing the end of service, many commenters discussed its various issues, with most comments criticizing Bethesda’s monetization practices. “I never got into the game because of the monetization but it is a shame it will be unplayable,” wrote one. “I played it and it’s not terrible for a mobile game, but you pretty quickly hit a wall where you are stuck waiting for days long upgrades and the second it was like ‘real money will make this faster’ I stopped,” wrote another.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades was originally announced all the way back in 2018, where Bethesda described its various gameplay aspects, like combat, questing, dungeons, and a customizable town. The company had also mentioned that it would be a multiplayer experience, where players could invite friends to their towns. While the title is now shutting down, initial ambitions were larger, with the company having plans to bring it to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and even VR headsets.

The story of The Elder Scrolls: Blades is set between the events of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The title offered three main game modes: Abyss, Arena, and Town. Abyss revolved around players taking on an endless dungeon to see how far they could get. Arena, on the other hand, focused on PvP combat. And finally, the Town is where most of the in-game story is found, with players taking on quests and interacting with various characters.

In our 3 out of 10 review, we noted that the drawbacks of The Elder Scrolls: Blades largely stemmed from the fact that it was never meant to be a full-fledged new entry in the franchise. Despite this, however, we praised the Arena mode and the process of rebuilding the town. However, the negatives far outnumbered the positives, with issues ranging from combat lacking any real depth and dungeons being small and linear, to its grindy nature felt designed to force real-world money spending.

The trailer, clocking in at over a minute and a half in length, first gives us a glimpse at some fantastical-looking areas, which the trailer’s title implies will be Liangzhou. After the protagonist spends some time exploring the new area, we get thrown into what appears to be a boss fight. The encounter is an intense one, with the boss capable of summoning lightning strikes that players can deal with by either dodging or parrying.

Everstone Studio revealed the April 2nd release date for chapter 2 just last week. Its story picks up where the first chapter left off, with the player having experienced the complex political landscape in the Jade Gate Pass desert. While details about the upcoming chapter’s story haven’t yet been revealed, a previous trailer gave us a look at some of its new characters.

The Hexi expansion for Where Winds Meet was released earlier this month, and was made available to all players across PC, PS5, iOS and Android through a free update titled Home Afar. Along with giving players an entirely new region to explore, the expansion also brought gameplay additions, like new Mystic Skills, Taichi and Moonleap Morph. The former is a combat-oriented skill, while the latter aids the player in traversing the vast desert’s sands.

The Hexi expansion can be accessed by players quite simply, by completing the Qinghe Campaign – Still Shore quest and picking up the Hexi Main Chapter – By Lamplight quest. Doing so unlocks the entire new region, giving players plenty of new things to do, like finding appearance sets and other cosmetic items. Players who enjoy exploration can also set out to get their hands on Hexi poems, which can be used to open the Gilt-Fin Collection that includes recipes and enhancement items.

The first chapter of the expansion also brought with it a new World Boss—the Wandering Ark—which roams around in the sandstorms of Straying Steed Sands. Beating it for the first time offers rewards like the Withered Twig hair ornament, along with a host of other things, including Echo Jades, Medicinal Tales, and Inner Way Note: Custom Chests. More rewards are available through Sword Forge Challenges, accessible through the Trials interface.

We found the Hexi expansion to be a great addition to Where Winds Meet, referring to its first chapter as a solid start. The story also left us eagerly awaiting Chapter 2, as well as other future content, like the Heng Blade. Generally speaking, we recommended the expansion to anyone who already enjoyed the base game.

Following the first chapter’s foray into the sprawling desert of the Jade Gate Pass, you’re going to be thrust headfirst into a complex political landscape this time around, with interesting characters bookmarking a journey that pits you against some fearsome opponents. There’s a sycophant who seems to live on every word his emperor tells him, and a massive snake that’s looking quite nasty even though it only shows up for a couple of seconds.

Overall, it seems that Liangzhou could follow in the footsteps of the chapter that preceded it, which we found to be an enjoyable addition to an already solid title. The latest additions to the Hexi expansion continue to bring more sub-regions and bosses to the game, and are sure to help it sustain some astounding player counts that its managed since launching in 2025.

The trailer is below if this one has caught your eye, and you’re going to enjoy the glimpse of Liangzhou that it has to offer.

Gameplay producer Robby Williams described the event as “a brutal day at Epic,” noting that “what comes next is very hard and painful” for those affected by the lay-offs. On the subject of now having to make do with a team that is now smaller by around 1,000 developers, he said that the crew will have to “pick up the pieces and try to keep moving forward.

“Our teams will have to pick up the pieces and try to keep moving forward,” wrote Williams on social media, “but we cannot even fully understand what kind of impacts this will have on the game for the rest of the year and likely beyond.”

“I’ll continue to do my best to keep making the best game for you,” he continued, “and I’m confident that my peers feel the same, but please be patient with us as we navigate this tough time and do our best in spite of these truly gut-wrenching losses.”

In announcing the lay-offs, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeny said that the company was “spending significantly more than we’re making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded. This layoff, together with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles, puts us in a more stable place.”

As for the future of Fortnite, Sweeny said that the company will have to focus on offering players “awesome Fortnite experiences with fresh seasonal content, gameplay, story, and live events.” He also said that Epic Games has to work on its developer tools “with greater stability and capability as we evolve from Unreal Engine 5 and UEFN to Unreal Engine 6. And we’ll be kicking off the next generation of Epic with huge launch plans towards the end of the year.”

The lay-offs were far from the only things coming about at Epic Games in light of Fortnite seeing a downturn. The company is also shutting down three popular game modes available in Fortnite: Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage. The modes will be shut down in a staggered manner, with Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage being on their way out in April, and Rocket Racing remaining live until October 2026.

“We’ve built a lot of Fortnite modes, and in some cases, we failed to build something awesome enough to attract and retain a large player base,” said Epic Games when it announced these shut downs. “We are going to shut these modes down on the schedules outlined below – we’re grateful for everyone who played.”

What the future holds for Fortnite might seem murky for now. However, Epic Games likely has plans already in place. The company’s partnerships with others might also play a role, like the deal it had signed with Unity to bring in the latter’s game engine capabilities into Fortnite.