In a statement published on Twitter, Second Dinner has said that Marvel Snap will remain unaffected by any structural changes made at Nuverse, and that the game will “continue to operate and flourish in the future.”

“Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse,” Second Dinner wrote. “We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future.”

Marvel Snap launched for iOS and Android in October last year, as well as for PC in early access, before releasing for the latter in full earlier this year. Currently, there’s no word on when (or if) it will release for other platforms.

Dear SNAPPERS,
Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse.
We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future!

— MARVEL SNAP (@MARVELSNAP) November 27, 2023

#15. BATMAN: THE ENEMY WITHIN

The first iteration of Telltale Games had a spotty track record with licensed properties in its latter years, but one in particular where the studio knocked it out of the work was Batman. And though the first Telltale Batman game was solid enough in its own right, its sequel, The Enemy Within, took things to much greater heights. Its portrayal and characterization of Batman and the Joker deserves all the praise in the world, and the complex, nuanced dynamic between the two characters is something every Batman fan needs to experience.

Upon its launch last year, Marvel Snap was available on Windows in early access. Now, it’s been confirmed that the game has launched in full for PC via Steam. The news was announced by developer Second Dinner’s head Ben Brode, who took the stage at Gamescom Opening Night Live to confirm that the acclaimed free to play title is available via Steam now- so those who were waiting to dive into Marvel Snap’s offerings until it came to Steam can now finally do so. Check out its PC launch trailer below.

Marvel Snap is also available on iOS, Android, and Mac.

LEGO Bricktales

While LEGO Brawls was all about combat, Clockstone’s LEGO Bricktales is a more chilled-out experience. You explore gorgeous LEGO dioramas, from deserts and a castle to Caribbean islands, solving puzzles and receiving new skills to spice up your grandfather’s aging amusement park. The main appeal is being given bricks and figuring out the solutions.

It’s an interesting mix of engineering and sandbox gameplay with five biomes to explore, multiple collectibles and side quests and a dedicated Sandbox Mode to tinker around in. LEGO Bricktales launches on October 12th for Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Persona 5 Royal (Xbox, PC, Switch, and PS5)

After garnering critical acclaim on the PS4 for two years, Persona 5 Royal is finally coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch and PS5 on October 21st. As an enhanced version of Persona 5, Royal offers new story events, a new Palace, Ultimate Persona, quality-of-life features, a third semester, and a new party member in Kasumi. All previously released DLC is also included for free, and it’s also launching on day one for Game Pass.

If you’re yet to fall in with the Phantom Thieves and experience one of the best RPGs ever, then Persona 5 Royal is worth a look.

Dragon Ball: The Breakers

Ever wanted to play an asymmetrical, Dead by Daylight title but with Dragon Ball characters, running in fear from overpowered villainous beings? Dragon Ball: The Breakers is your oddly specific ticket, pitting seven ordinary humans against the likes of Frieza, Buu and Cell. Venture to different regions for keys to activate the Super Time Machine and either avoid the villains or use Dragon Change to fight back as legendary heroes like Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks.

The villain’s role is simple: Hunt down the survivors, level up and become stronger, and destroy any means of escape. That means decimating entire parts of the map, wrecking the time machines and beating survivors to a pulp. Dragon Ball: The Breakers is out on October 13th for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

New Tales from the Borderlands

Gearbox Entertainment returns to the adventure-style format (sans Telltale Games) with New Tales from the Borderlands. Out on October 21st for Xbox and PlayStation platforms along with PC and Nintendo Switch, it features three new characters – scientist Anu, her brother Octavio and Fran, the owner of a frozen yogurt store. Together, they’ll search for a Vault Key while hopefully surviving against Pandora’s various hazards and corporate entities.

As with the first game, quick-time events and dialogue choices can affect the narrative, resulting in different outcomes. Will it have Rhys and Vaughn in cameos? One can always hope.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was already a stellar title that fused two unlikely intellectual properties together in a strategy RPG bonanza. But Sparks of Hope looks to be even bigger, featuring multiple planets to explore, massively expanded exploration with puzzles, side quests, and secrets, and a new antagonist in Cursa. Combat has been overhauled, doing away with the grid-based movement and adding new abilities along with the Sparks for elemental damage.

If that weren’t enough, new characters like Edge, Rabbid Rosalina and Bowser join the roster for even more unique squads. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 20th.

Gotham Knights

Batman is dead, guys. For really real. As a result, it’s up to the Fumbling Four – er, the Bat Family to protect Gotham in his absence. Unlike the Arkham series, Gotham Knights is an action RPG with four playable characters – Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl – each with unique abilities and play styles, gear, and stories to experience. As you fight crime, you’ll encounter classic villains like Harley Quinn, Mister Freeze, Clayface, and the mysterious Court of Owls.

Gotham Knights is out on October 21st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC with support for two-player co-op.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

As the follow-up to Asobo Studio’s breakout action-adventure title, A Plague Tale: Requiem sees Amicia and Hugo on the run again. This time, the siblings must travel to a mysterious island, seeking a cure for Hugo’s disease before it consumes him. Things are far from ideal as mercenaries hunt them, and the plague rats are as hungry as ever.

With new weapons like a crossbow, alchemical potions, and Hugo’s ability to control the rats for devouring any foes, A Plague Tale: Requiem promises a much bigger experience. It releases on October 18th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch via the cloud, along with Game Pass.

Scorn

What do you get when you combine “ick” with a whole lot of “yuck”? Probably Ebb Software’s Scorn, a first-person survival horror title with a biopunk aesthetic inspired by the works of H. R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. Explore fantastical, disgusting structures made of machines and flesh, implant various weapons into your body, and seek answers for this whole mess across a non-linear story.

Scorn may require around 6-8 hours, probably more, on your first playthrough, but there’s nothing like it. It launches on October 21st for Xbox Series X/S and PC, along with Game Pass.

WRC Generations

KT Racing’s final WRC racing game is out on October 13th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5, with the PC version releasing in November. It’s the biggest one yet with brand new hybrid model cars and revamped physics, 37 Legendary Cars, and 750 km of tracks spread across 22 countries. Progression has also been revamped, tracking tasks completed across the game, and the Livery Editor returns with more options and the ability to share your creations with other players. There sadly won’t be any post-launch content, but at least the new Leagues mode should satisfy fans for the long haul.

Dakar Desert Rally

If one rally racing game isn’t enough, there’s Saber Interactive’s Dakar Desert Rally. Promising the “biggest and most epic off-road rally racing adventure ever developed,” it offers 30 stages from the 2020-2022 Dakar Rally races. Players can race across a massive open world with officially licensed SSVs, quads, trucks, and much more while tackling dynamic weather like rain, snow, and the blazing sun.

With a Career mode, online multiplayer events, and four seasons to experience, Dakar Desert Rally launches on October 4th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Marvel Snap

Are your current Hearthstone and/or Marvel needs not being met? Worry not, because Marvel Snap releases on October 18th for PC, Android and iOS. Developed by Second Dinner Studios, which consists of Hearthstone veterans, it’s a 1v1 multiplayer CCG with over 150 unique cards to play (and more coming post-launch).

Matches play out in random locations with different effects and players can “Snap” to effectively double down in a match. Whether it overtakes Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra, the fast-paced gameplay and gorgeous comic book illustrations make Marvel Snap worth checking out.

Overwatch 2

Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch 2 finally launches on October 4th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch…as an early access, free-to-play title. It’s pretty much an update to Overwatch 1 with three new heroes – Junker Queen, Sojourn and Kiriko; six new maps; and the new Push mode. Assault is out, and teams now consist of five players with only one Tank. A seasonal model of content releases is also in effect, meaning no more loot boxes but yes to an in-game store and Battle Passes.

Time will tell how it pans out. All players will need to enable SMS Protect while new players have to unlock each hero and play 50 Quick Play matches to unlock Competitive (not to mention unlocking Kiriko and future new heroes in the Battle Pass). But at least it supports crossplay and cross-progression with all Overwatch 1 cosmetics carrying over.

PGA Tour 2K23

Two years after PGA Tour 2K21, the next edition of 2K Games’ golfing simulator will release on October 14th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, and PS5. Aside from the usual PGA Tour mode and MyPLAYER (which offers new skills and archetypes), male and female pros are now playable. The Course Designer also returns with cross-platform support and online sharing. With multiple control options, online multiplayer (including Divot Derby) and Online Societies for Clubhouses, it should be a sizable leap over its predecessor.

NHL 23

Also launching on October 14th is EA Sports’ NHL 23. Along with mixed women’s and men’s teams in Ultimate Team mode, the hockey sim offers new gameplay features like Last Chance Puck Movement. It allows for hitting the puck even after tripping, with players taking advantage of new Stumble Actions to score. Enhanced goalie AI, on-ice projections, more customization in HUT to go with new reward tiers in the rotating HUT Rivals playlist, and more also await. NHL 23 will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 at launch.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is IllFonic’s latest asymmetrical multiplayer title, which sees a squad of four Ghostbusters taking on a single mischievous Ghost. As the Ghostbusters, one must explore a map and track down the Ghost, taking care to calm civilians in the process. Meanwhile, the Ghost must terrorize everyone, possessing objects to stay hidden and ultimately evading capture to haunt a location.

With crossplay, original actors like Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson reprising their original roles, and co-op and offline play, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed should be a fun diversion when it launches on October 18th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. And remember – don’t cross the streams.

Bayonetta 3

The Umbra Witch finally returns as Bayonetta 3 launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 28th. While the basic hack and slash combat remains, the sequel introduces several new mechanics. Demon Slave allows for directly controlling Infernal Demons to bash giant foes, while Demon Masquerade sees Bayonetta fusing with a demon to gain new abilities. Throw in new weapons, a new playable character Viola, and a multi-world threat in the form of the Singularity, and Bayonetta 3 promises to be the series’ most explosive title yet.

Second Extinction

Systemic Reaction, which has been in the news for its upcoming open-world rogue-lite Ravenbound, will finally release its co-op dinosaur shooter Second Extinction on October 20th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The idea is to survive against hordes of dinosaurs with two other players, and there are six heroes, 11 weapons and multiple missions to tackle.

The real twist is War Effort where the threat level of a region increases or decreases based on how the community performs. If you’re still holding out for a new Dino Crisis, then this could make the wait easier.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Along with the campaign, fans can look forward to multiplayer with new modes and weapons along with a revamped Gunsmith. There are also co-op missions for two players and Raids that offer in-depth puzzle solving and firefights for three players. If battle royale is more your speed, Warzone 2.0 will launch just a few weeks later and offer a new Gulag and AI foes.

Before we kick off- it’s worth mentioning that Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is headed to PC later this year, while Marvel’s Avengers, for all of its many troubles, continues to get updated, with more content apparently being in the works at Crystal Dynamics. From this point forward, however, we’re only talking about full new upcoming releases.

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2

Let’s start off with the one that’s probably the biggest of all the games Marvel currently has in the pipeline. Insomniac’s open world Spider-Man title in 2018 was a massive critical and commercial success, so obviously, there’s no shortage of people who’re keenly anticipating the launch of its sequel. Starring Venom as one of the central antagonists (and possibly Carnage, based on hints in its reveal trailer), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will bring back both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as playable characters in what will hopefully be yet another spectacular single player adventure. Up until this point, details on the game have been scant, but with Sony currently planning a 2023 launch for the superhero title, the hope is that we’ll be learning more very, very soon.

MARVEL’S WOLVERINE

Of course, Spider-Man 2 isn’t the only Marvel title that Insomniac currently has in development. Within seconds of unveiling it, Insomniac and Sony also announced Marvel’s Wolverine last year, and even though all we’ve seen of the game so far is a very brief cinematic trailer, the excitement surrounding it is already palpable. Insomniac is promising an original story with a mature tone (which makes sense, given that this is a Wolverine game), and if the developer can adapt the iconic property as well as it adapted Spider-Man, we’re going to be in for an absolute treat. Here’s hoping we get to learn more about the game in the not-too-distant future.

EA’S IRON MAN GAME

Given how massively popular Iron Man has been in all media over the last decade and a half, it’s honestly a little surprising that we’ve yet to see a major AAA video game adaptation of the property- but hey, better late than never, right? Of all the games in this feature, this is the most freshly announced title, with EA and Marvel Games recently having confirmed that Motive Studio – the developer behind Star Wars: Squadrons and the upcoming Dead Space remake – is working on a single player AAA Iron Man action-adventure game that will tell a new and original story. Details on the game are very scant right now, what with it only recently having entered pre-production, but the prospect of a AAA story-driven single player Iron Man game developed by a competent studio is an exciting one, to say the very least.

SKYDANCE NEW MEDIA’S CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BLACK PANTHER GAME

Now this is an interesting one. Last year, Skydance New Media confirmed that it was working on a new story-driven single player action-adventure Marvel game, with its development team being led by the legendary Amy Hennig, creator of the Uncharted franchise. And while concrete details on the game are still largely missing, more recently, it was confirmed that the game will be set in the Second World War and star Captain America and the Black Panther of that era. With two beloved Marvel superheroes sharing the spotlight with two other regular characters with no superpowers – all four of them being playable – the potential for the game to deliver a very unique story and gameplay experience is immense. Again, details are scant here- we don’t know the game’s name, we don’t know when it will be out, and we haven’t seen any gameplay at all yet. But the developers have confirmed that it’s going to be a very cinematic experience with high production values – which, of course, is very much in Amy Hennig’s wheelhouse – and that it will be a purely single player experience, which should probably spell good things for the game’s storytelling (on paper, at least).

MARVEL’S MIDNIGHT SUNS

Marvel clearly loves action-adventure titles, seeing as every game we’ve spoken about up until this point falls in that category, but another major Marvel game – the one that’s closest to launch, in fact – is going to be a rather different experience. Firaxis is taking its turn-based tactics expertise and applying it to the upcoming Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a game that will star an ensemble cast featuring beloved names like Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Captain Marvel, and many more.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is, of course, going to be an RPG, which means players are going to get a much greater degree of control over how they want these iconic heroes to progress- while building relationships and friendships with them and getting to know them better on a much more personal level is also going to be a crucial component of the experience. Meanwhile, we’ll also get to create our very own original Marvel superhero dubbed The Hunter- which is a massively exciting prospect in and of itself. There’s a ton of potential here for this game to turn out to be something truly special, and developer Firaxis’ excellent track record over the years certainly inspires plenty of confidence about the same.

MARVEL SNAP

Sure, there’s a bevy of major console games coming out based on Marvel properties in the coming couple of years, but a game in the mobile space (and PC) that’s also worth keeping an eye on is Marvel Snap. A collectible card game developed by former Hearthstone devs, Marvel Snap is being billed as the fastest CCG on the market, and given the talent behind it, there’s every reason to be optimistic. As is the case with pretty much every free-to-play game, the monetization factor is a bit of a worry – and sure enough, Marvel Snap has already come under fire for that very reason – but if developer Second Dinner Studios can get the balance right on that front, we’re likely looking at a game that one could easily sink dozens (if not hundreds) of hours into.

RUMOURED: EA’S BLACK PANTHER GAME

EA’s Iron Man game isn’t the only Marvel game the company has in the works. The publisher has confirmed that it is working on several projects based on Marvel properties, and if leaks are to be believed, one of those games is a single player open world Black Panther game. You don’t need us to tell you why that’s an incredibly exciting prospect. Black Panther is, of course, a fascinating character, while you can’t help but salivate at the idea of a AAA open world game set in Wakanda, where you’re free to move about and act as the nation’s king. Given the fact that rumours of EA’s Iron Man and Black Panther projects emerged around the same time, we’d say there’s plenty of merit to these claims. But of course, until such time the game gets officially confirmed to be in development, we can’t be too sure. Here’s hoping, then, that we do hear more about it in an official capacity sometime relatively soon.

And in that time, it’s seen significant backlash from players thanks to its Nexus Events and the way they’re monetized. With their best rewards – including a Jane Foster base card – having incredibly low drop rates and common rewards not including any base cards whatsoever, it’s not surprising to see why Nexus Events have been criticized so widely. Thankfully, however, developer Second Dinner isn’t deaf to those criticisms.

Taking recently to Twitter, Second Dinner announced that it is removing Nexus Events from Marvel Snap, and reversing some of its more controversial features. This means any and all gold spent by players on Nexus Events will be returned to them, while the Jane Foster base card will be given to all players, regardless of whether or not they participated in the events (though new players following the launch of this patch will have to unlock the card in Pool 3).

“Thank you for your feedback and sticking with us as we continue to improve the game,” the developer wrote.” We have big dreams for the future of Marvel Snap– we want to build a game that’s here to stay and players love! To do that, we’re exploring fair and fun ways to add new cards to the game. As we test new monetization features, we’ll strive to provide value and create a player-friendly experience. We don’t have all the details quite yet, but we’ll be hard at work until we do.”

Marvel Snap is currently available in beta for Android. It’s also in development for PC and iOS.

An update regarding Nexus Events pic.twitter.com/QQcReZ8Xr4

— MARVEL SNAP (@MARVELSNAP) August 2, 2022

Ranked matches sees players wagering Cosmic Cubes – based on the outcome, you either win or lose one Cube. Even in competitive play, the matches are very quick as you compete to control two out of three areas. Cards have their own unique abilities and the unique Snap mechanic allows for raising the rewards (even if you’re only bluffing about your chances).

Marvel Snap is coming to PC and mobile devices with a closed beta currently live for Android (head here to sign up). The game will have more than 150 cards at launch with each deck having about a dozen. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Marvel Snap is being billed as the fastest CCG out there, and based on what’s been shown of it so far, it seems like it’ll live up to that billing. Each match will only be three minutes long, and players will be allowed to take their turns simultaneously, which means there’s going to be very little downtime, and the action will be moving at a quick pace constantly.

There’s some interesting gameplay mechanics in there on top of the general CCG structure as well. The titular Snap mechanic, for instance, is a sort of risk-reward system that’ll let you snap your opponent if you’re really confident that you’re headed towards a victory. The goal in each match is to control areas by placing cards and battling other players, with the first player to control two of the three areas being declared victorious.

Each card will have its own attack and defense stats and its own abilities, and those abilities will be triggered in combat and by other events during matches. Each deck, meanwhile, will consist of a dozen cards, with the game featuring over 150 unique cards at launch.

You can get more details on the game in its reveal video below.

Marvel Snap is in development for PC and mobile devices. A closed beta is also coming (a date for it hasn’t yet been announced), and Android users can sign up for that starting now.