The Sega Villains Stage DLC is bringing Yakuza’s Goro Majima, Sonic’s Dr. Eggman, and Death Adder from Golden Axe to the game’s world via mysterious rifts that Joe Musashi is trying to close by the most obvious method: Defeating the source of their power. That’s going to lead to some memorable showdowns with the aforementioned characters, who are in a decidedly different element than what we’ve come to expect.

There are five new stages aside from the three bosses, alongside new music tracks inspired by them. Aside from two Boss Rush modes featuring the new threats, there’s a trio of ninpos and skins each to round things off. We were very happy with the base game last year, and there’s no reason to believe that the DLC is going to be any different. It’s time to let your katana sing as you side-scroll through some chaotic fighting against familiar yet formidable opponents,

If you’re still on the fence, perhaps watching Joe take on an assortment of its new additions in the launch trailer below can help you decide if you’re diving in right away.

Samson: A Tyndalston Story

Growing up is never easy, yet there’s a bittersweet feeling in returning to your childhood town, older and wiser. Not for Samson, though. His goal in Tyndalston is to pay off a debt that increases each day. Time is money, literally – you have limited hours to choose different jobs, whether it’s a getaway driver for a bank job or tuning up some local thugs. With a combat system that’s more about fighting dirty and vehicular mayhem that would make Mad Max proud, Samson promises a lot for its $25 price when it launches on April 8th.

DarkSwitch

Think Against the Storm, but expanding vertically – that somewhat explains Cyber Temple’s DarkSwitch. With a giant tree as your base and a malevolent fog slowly creeping in, you need to build, construct defenses and sometimes venture into the unknown to survive. It probably isn’t a coincidence that Akira Yamaoka is composing the soundtrack, probably hearing the word “fog” and asking nothing more. But with a full-fledged story mode that promises over 20 hours of thrills, DarkSwitch could end up a dark horse when it launches on April 9th.

Replaced

AI trapped in a human’s body, an alternative United States under the thrall of megacorporations, post-nuclear panic – all of this and more await in Replaced, Sad Cat Studios’ long-in-development cinematic platformer, which launches on April 14th. It also features stunning 2.5D graphics and a Free Flow combat system akin to Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham franchise. Over its eight-hour runtime (11 to 12 if you stay and smell what’s left of the roses), there’s a harrowing, unpredictable experience with more than its fair share of bleak commentary on the world as we know it.

Starfield (PS5) and Terran Armada

Bethesda’s new – and not at all controversial – IP is finally coming to PS5 on April 7th alongside the latest story DLC, Terran Armada. At $49.99 for the base game ($10 for the new DLC), it’s the best time for PlayStation players to explore the Settled Systems, especially with the Free Lanes update. Besides expanding on space travel, it introduces new companions, outpost improvements, new points of interest, more upgrade systems, and more. Meanwhile, Terran Armada promises a more interesting story, its own exclusive Incursions, new ships, and even an HK-47-style companion in Delta.

Regions of Ruin: Runegate

As intriguing as the pixel art style and sheer number of systems could be, I never expected 2018’s Regions of Ruin to get a sequel. Runegate is out on April 14th and follows pretty much the same premise – venturing out into a ruined world, helping your Dwarven brethren, obtaining resources, and ultimately, establishing a place to call home. With more varied locations, sleeker visuals and much more to do, it promises to be the definitive Regions of Ruin experience.

Road to Vostok (Early Access)

If you can’t wait for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s first story DLC to hit this Summer, Road to Vostok may tide you over. Entering early access on April 7th, it tasks players with exploring the post-apocalyptic areas between Finland and Russia, ultimately culminating in Vostok. You’ll need to loot supplies and build a formidable arsenal, dealing with changing seasons, rough weather, bandits, and even the military, with death in Vostok causing you to lose everything. It’s a ways off from full release, but those looking for another challenging survival FPS may find it worthwhile.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred

Vessel of Hatred was a steaming hot pile of whatever, but Lord of Hatred, Diablo 4’s next expansion, looks more promising. Available on April 28th, it sees the world in peril once more because Mephisto. You’ll likely be the one to lay the smackdown on him after venturing to Skovos, a scintillating new region full of new points of interest and plenty of demons to scour. Two new classes, the Paladin and Warlock, bring even more unique playstyles and build variety than before, while Blizzard is reworking the Skill Tree, bringing back the Horadric Cube, and more. Maybe this will be the release that finally elevates Diablo 4 to the next level. We can only hope.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire

What if you combine the rubber-hose animation of Cuphead with boomer-shooter-like gameplay? You get MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, a hard-boiled noir adventure focused on Jack Prepper, as he investigates a missing persons case and ends up discovering more than he bargained for. The slick hand-drawn animation is undoubtedly the appeal, as it brings Mouseburg to life in astonishing detail. Of course, this is a shooter as well, with weapons ranging from the grounded – pistols, shotguns, machine guns – to the wacky like freeze rays, corrosive turpentine and more. It’s out on April 16th and promises 12 to 20 hours of gameplay for $30.

Pragmata

Moon’s haunted, but instead of ghosts, there are homicidal robots out to get you. Launching on April 17th, Pragmata isn’t a Resident Evil-style survival horror – it’s the journey of Hugh, investigating a lunar base after lost contact and becoming swept up in the robot uprising. Together with the android Diana, he seeks a way out, providing the firepower while she hacks through an enemy’s defenses. The twist is that you have to do both simultaneously, creating a mix of puzzle-solving and tense shooting. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, and after the demo, we only want more.

Saros

Death is only the first step in Housemarque’s latest, and protagonist Arjun Devraj has miles to go before he can sleep. Investigating Carcosa for any sign of previous Soltari expeditions, he and his crew are caught up in the Eclipse, which twists the planet’s surface, culminating in the sun’s death. And yet, death won’t let them escape. Cue close encounters with tentacled monstrosities, discovering new weapons and clues that could help. And while Saros leans much further into rogue-lite progression than Returnal, it’s also expanded on the bullet dodging with a new shield that lets you absorb some damage and send it back with a vengeance. Saros arrives on April 30th, and even if you haven’t played its predecessor, it’s looking like another killer PS5 exclusive.

Invincible VS

Seemingly addressing the lack of 3v3 fighters, Quarter Up’s take on the brutal superhero epic packs 18 playable characters – including favorites such as Invincible, Omni-Man, BattleBeast, and of course, Conquest. And if the prospect of different classes, active and counter tags, and rollback netcode for online play doesn’t interest you, there’s a story mode to experience every bloody skirmish. It’s available on April 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Spark in the Dark (Early Access)

As typical of a dungeon crawler as Stellar Fish’s latest title appears, there’s an inherent charm and grittiness to Spark in the Dark. Maybe it’s the isometric perspective or more methodical pacing, coupled with how inherently dark the endless Dungeon appears (which makes it all the more scary when monsters show up). It’s available on April 7th via early access and only includes the initial tiers of the Dungeon, but we’re keen on plundering its depths.

MotoGP 26

Credit where it’s due to Milestone, as this will be its third consecutive racing game in three months. MotoGP 26 is all about the thrill of competitive bike racing at the highest level, although you can opt between Arcade and Pro Experiences to determine the difficulty. With an in-depth career mode, cross-play between all platforms (Nintendo not included, sadly), and new disciplines like Minibikes, Flat Tracks, Production Bikes, and more, this could be the series’ most feature-packed entry yet.

WILL: Follow the Light

Cropping up more than once during Steam Next Fest and impressing with its visuals, WILL: Follow the Light is a hard-hitting adventure focused on a seemingly simple goal: Returning home. It’s far from easy, however, as Will must brave islands, mountains and even the sea to reach his hometown and save his son. Puzzles and environmental storytelling abound, but it’s all about the atmosphere and how deep you’ll go to learn the truth. WILL: Follow the Light launches on April 28th for PC.

Kiln

Listen, I’m not saying this is exactly what I expected from Double Fine, which has delivered some of the finest platforms to date. But Kiln is…curious in a way that fits the developer’s profile. After all, what other multiplayer title invites you to become a pot, finely sculpted by your hands and scuttling off into an arena for some ceramic destruction? The fact that a pot’s design influences its playstyle is even more intriguing. Whether it figuratively blows up or not, Kiln is out on April 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Darksiders Warmastered Edition won’t really bring anything new with them since the remaster’s 2016 release across PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Wii U. As such, the trailer gives us quick glimpses at the ruined Earth that serves as much of the game’s primary setting, as well as a few of the several combat encounters that players will get to fight their way through.

Darksiders puts players in the shoes of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who also happen to be survivors of a legendary war between heaven and hell. The protagonist, War, is accused of having started the End War too early, before the Seven Seals were broken, and has been tasked by the Charred Council to hunt down those truly responsible for kicking off this war. War’s siblings – Fury, Strife, and Death – couldn’t help him out at the time, since they were busy with their own stories, as could be seen in other Darksiders games.

War, as one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, travels to Earth in his hunt for those responsible for the End War, which in turn leads to him coming face-to-face with various archangels as well as denizens of hell.

While primarily revolving around hack-and-slash combat, the original Darksiders was also quite inspired by older The Legend of Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time, complete with “dungeons” where the player could unlock new tools and weapons which often had to be used to solve puzzles and gain access to further parts of the game.

The announcement of Darksiders Warmastered Edition coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S comes less than a year after THQ Nordic, along with developer Gunfire Games, officially announced Darksiders 4. While not too many details about the title have been revealed, one of the key aspects confirmed is that all four Horsemen will be playable, complete with the ability to play the entire title in co-op or solo.

Darksiders Warmastered Edition coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S could be an indication that we are going to see more Darksiders 4-related news in the coming months. While THQ Nordic is yet to make any confirmation, we could also see the other three titles – Darksiders 2, 3 and Genesis – making their way to modern consoles as well.

Gunfire Games is known for its work on Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2, which showcased the studio’s experience with co-op modes and challenging gameplay. The team is also already familiar with the Darksiders universe thanks to it being founded by David Adams, who worked with many of its other developers at Vigil Games, which was the studio behind the original title.

“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.

AdHoc studios dropped a reveal trailer for the game’s Xbox debut, and we can’t really say that it’s a surprise considering just how successful the “workplace comedy” has been since its release. It managed 2 million copies sold in its first month, and managed to accrue 3 million players last year. We found it to be an amazing title that was quite enjoyable to play in a day and age where episodic releases might not get the traction that they deserve.

It follows Robert’s story as he finds himself stuck behind a desk working for the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN), dispatching other superheroes to battles that he once dominated after being forced into retirement by his arch nemesis. Things take several drastic turns from there, and this one’s a story you don’t want to miss if you haven’t played it before.

The reveal trailer below should give you a good idea of what to expect, but you’d be wise to expect a whole lot of surprises and twists along the way if you’re thinking of diving in when it launches for the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud.

As a sequel to the critically and commercially acclaimed Hades, Supergiant Games’ sequel focuses on Melinoë, the sister of Zagreus. Thanks to the re-emergence of Chronos, the House of Hades has been taken over, and her entire family seized. Raised by the mysterious witch Hecate, Melinoë trains to venture to the Underworld and slay Chronos.

Of course, there’s a lot more going on than that, and unlike the first game, players can now venture to Olympus, assisting the Pantheon with the threat of Typhon. Various new weapons and aspects are available for even more combat options, and Hades 2 introduces several other new systems, including farming, incantations, and the Arcana for equipping different passives. The combat system has also seen numerous changes, including new charged abilities that require mana.

For more details, check out our review of the PC version here. You can also learn more about the first post-launch patch, which changed the True Ending after a mixed response to the original.

If you haven’t been looking out for this one, it allows you to bring your family and friends along, transforming them into adorable Mii characters who you can then place on your island and watch them navigate the complexities that such a lifestyle brings. You have a lot of customization options at your disposal that let you create the perfect character, and a lot to do for them once you let them loose on the island.

The demo, dubbed the Welcome Version, is a great way to get started if this one sounds like a fun way to unwind after a long day. And yes, your progress is going to carry over to the final game when it releases on April 16.

The demo’s release was accompanied by a new overview trailer that dives deeper into the gameplay. You can check it out below if you’re wondering if this one’s up your alley, which is quite likely if you happen to be an Animal Crossing fan.

Of course, neither Sega nor Sonic Team has officially confirmed this, nor have they hinted that a Definitive Edition was in the works. After launching in November 2022 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, the 3D platformer received three major free updates in 2023, including The Final Horizon, which added nine new Cyber Space levels and a new challenging final boss.

Aside from potentially offering new content, this could mark the title’s debut on Nintendo Switch 2. Time will tell, but an announcement tomorrow wouldn’t be surprising.

Sonic Frontiers is far from the only major success that the franchise has seen in recent years, with Sonic X Shadow Generations launching in 2024 and going on to sell over two million units. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was released last year and sold over one million units relatively quickly, but Sega Sammy CFO Koichi Fukuzawa says it fell short of internal projections.

It continues to receive updates, though, with Mega Man out today for paying players. Goro Majima from Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Red from Angry Birds will be added for free in April, followed by Puyo Puyo’s Arle in May.

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.

While the video starts off by showcasing a standard race in first-person view, we then get to check out more variety in the time of day in the second race. This is then followed up with some third-person racing action in the midst of heavy rains, giving us an idea of how weather will impact the game’s driving physics. The third race, once more in third-person, showcases a different discipline of bike racing, before we go back to the high-speed racing that the sport is known for, with 1000cc production bikes as part of mono-race events.

One of the key features highlighted throughout the video is MotoGP 26‘s new rider-based handling system, which was built on top of a revamped physics model. Players will have more control over their bikes in various situations, and the title features a suite of new animations for rider models. Other features showcased throughout the trailer are the new UK-based location for the returning Race Off game mode, which will include two new tracks where players can ride using Motard, Flat Track, and Minibikes. We also get a good look at tracks like the Circuit of the Americas and the Portimão Circuit in sunny conditions and Silverstone in the rain.

MotoGP 26 was officially unveiled earlier this month with a trailer, where Milestone also announced the new Racing Card feature for each rider. The system revolves around four key attributes – lap time, pace, head-to-head, and reliability – which in turn form a larger rider rating that gives players information at a quick glance before they make decisions. These values will be dynamically updated based on how well the rider performs in real-world races, and will apply to racers across game modes.

Career mode will also be getting some upgrades thanks to the introduction of a fully 3D paddock, where players can hang out or jump between their on-track and off-track lives. The latter includes new Thursday press conferences and a personal manager, with the former allowing players to set long-term and short-term goals like calling out rival racers in public. The personal manager will be the main conduit through which players will manage their progression and contract negotiations, among other things.

MotoGP 26 is coming to PC (via Steam, Microsoft Store and Epic Game Store), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. Interestingly Milestone has also specifically mentioned the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handheld gaming systems, indicating that the racing title will also feature some optimizations to be playable on the go. MotoGP 26 is also set to feature full cross-platform multiplayer for 22-player grids across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Switch and Switch 2 players, however, will not have cross-play options, and online races on the platforms will be limited to 12 players.