“I can’t really answer that right now,” he said on the subject of a new Bayonetta game. “We have a strong desire to further develop the character of Bayonetta and expand her world. Please look forward to seeing what form that takes in the future.”

The subject was broached thanks to Inaba talking alongside Hyung-tae Kim of Stellar Blade developer Shift Up as part of the two companies promoting the Bayonetta crossover with Stellar Blade for the latter’s Nintendo Switch 2 version. It is also worth noting that PlatinumGames hasn’t really worked on a Nintendo Switch 2 project, with its last Nintendo game being Bayonetta Origins. Since then, the company has worked on major releases like Ninja Gaiden 4.

PlatinumGames is also confirmed to be working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. A trailer for the title was released back in June, confirming that the Bayonetta developer would work on the action game. While we didn’t get too many details about the title from the trailer, it will presumably adapt the comic mini-series published between 2020 and 2022.

The story of The Last Ronin comics revolved around a dark future timeline where the Foot Clan was able to successfully take over New York City. In the meantime, only a single Ninja Turtle has survived the ensuing battles and, taking on the mantle of “the Last Ronin”, has sworn revenge against the grandson of Shredder for the death of his brothers.

Back in 2025, PlatinumGames celebrated the 15th anniversary of the franchise by releasing things like wallpapers and a limited-edition music box produced by Wayo Records that plays “Mysterious Destiny”. At the time, however, the company had said that there are “a few things in store to celebrate this milestone” with “various” planned announcements that are yet to come.

In the meantime, many of the developers who had worked on Bayonetta, including series creator Hideki Kamiya, have left PlatinumGames. Kamiya notably helped found a brand-new studio – Clovers – which is working with Capcom on a brand-new Okami game. Back in August, the company announced a major expansion to its audio team, bringing in Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Hitomi Kurokawa, and Aoba Nakanishi, among others.

The new additions to the audio team are long-time industry veterans and have even worked with Kamiya on projects ranging from the Bayonetta franchise to games like The Wonderful 101. Misaki Shindo and Hiroki Niwa have also joined Clovers, with the former having previously worked on The Wonderful 101 and NieR: Automata, and the latter having done sound design on Ninja Gaiden 4 and Bayonetta 3.

To counter this, Yoshida discussed a possibility for Xbox to pursue a subscription model that players could pay to get access to the console and multiplayer features. Assuming Project Helix costs over $1,000, however, Yoshida believes that a $ 200-a-year subscription fee would be too low.

“Well, $200 a year might not be enough, right? If it’s over $1,000 [for the] hardware price, and it basically comes with the services, maybe $300 a year or $400 a year. A $50 a month subscription – how’s that?” Despite this, however, he also believes that Xbox will need to go ahead with its next-gen console plans as part of its larger efforts to grow its business. Sony and Nintendo, on the other hand, shouldn’t be in such a rush, he said.

This also comes down to the fact that PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 owners are likely quite satisfied with their console purchases thanks to a mix of third-party releases and strong first-party support.

“While Sony and Nintendo have sold enough numbers of current-generation hardware, because of the cost of goods they might be looking [at] pushing back the launch of next gen. And I think they should try to keep the current generation as long as possible, because I think people are very happy using PS5 and Switch 2.”

“People have finite budgets, and it feels like PC and consoles, the components very specific to these devices have increased the price way more than all the other forms of entertainment. People who have systems like PS5, Switch 2, or good enough PCs probably will be happy to play games on them, and not necessarily consider replacing them.”

On the technical side of things, Yoshida doesn’t think that the full power of current-gen consoles has been tapped by developers just yet. Along with this, players also seem to be quite happy with the visual fidelity and performance on their PS5s and Nintendo Switch 2s for now.

“I, for myself, I have a gaming PC for work that I purchased five years ago, that was pretty good. And while I was thinking to replace my gaming PC, this price hike happened, so I was late to replace it. I wish I had made that decision a year ago. So, I think that kind of thinking will happen to many people.

“I don’t think lots of people are asking for ‘more power, we need more power’. Or even developers, I don’t think developers are asking ‘we need better hardware’, or [anything] like that. So, I think that means that the current generation, Sony and Nintendo, are going to do pretty well for many years to come, still.”

In the meantime, rumors have indicated that both Sony and Microsoft are on track to launch their next-gen consoles in late 2027. For more details, check out what it means for the upcoming consoles for their chips to have been “taped out”.

Having projected 57,628 job losses for the period, Satvat has now noted that a similar number of jobs have also been created. This has led to the industry growing “very modestly, by a small number of thousands of people.” Satvat’s ASGC Games Industry Layoffs Tracker has noted that 66 percent of the layoffs between 2022 and 2026 happened in North America, affecting 79 percent of the industry’s workforce. North America and Europe together seemingly account for 96 percent of all layoffs across the industry.

“There was a 12-to-18-month period where I estimated that over half of layoffs, globally, were in California,” explained Satvat. “I think this is as bad as the ’83 crash if you’re a game developer based in North America or western Europe, in a traditional triple-A studio. That is ground zero for the destruction.”

Japan, on the other hand, is seemingly doing much better. “Everyone calls out Nintendo, but you can look at Konami or Capcom – these companies all have staff retention of 97 per cent plus. My understanding is that, generally, Japanese teams tend to be much smaller and leaner. They didn’t get swept up in the live-service trend, or into these mega-blockbusters with 500-person teams.” The country also noted that while executives in Japanese gaming companies “still make great money”, they don’t tend to make as much as, for example, EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who made almost $40 million in the last fiscal year. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, in contrast, made $2 million.

Satvat’s mention of the video game crash of 1983 is also worth noting, since even that largely revolved around Western markets for the gaming industry collapsing due to a number of factors. The industry was largely revived only thanks to Japanese companies like Nintendo entering the market with their at-the-time brand-new console, the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The modern games industry might bear a striking resemblance to the crash, with many Western companies going through hardships, leading to several layoffs and potential studio closures. On the other hand, the popularity of games made by Japanese teams is quite high again, and companies like Capcom have even ended up releasing four critically acclaimed games in 2026 alone.

As for Western studios, Build a Rocket Boy went through a fresh round of layoffs, and questions have now popped up about the studio’s overall survival. Similarly, DON’T NOD announced a massive restructuring that will result in job cuts, with its survival beyond January 2027 having “material uncertainty”. And lest we forget, Microsoft went through massive layoffs just a couple of months ago with around 1,600 cuts, and another 1,600 planned for the rest of the fiscal year.

While he didn’t make any official announcement regarding the matter, he spoke about how Nightdive Studios would be well-suited to work on bringing the horror classic to a modern audience. “Eternal Darkness is one of my all-time favorites, and it deserves the treatment I know Nightdive Studios is capable of. Keep your eye on our Deep Dives…”

Over the last few years, Nightdive Studios has made a name for itself thanks to its work in remastering classic games, including many shooters like SiN Reloaded and Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition. The team’s most recent titles have even tapped into the horror genre, like System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster last year and a remake of the original System Shock from back in 2023.

As for why Eternal Darkness itself has been largely stuck on the GameCube, reports have indicated that Nintendo itself may have had a hand in the matter. Back in 2022, Kick said that Nightdive Studios had tried to sign a deal with Nintendo to remaster the project, but the console maker was seemingly “gun shy” about working with third-party developers.

“We’ve had discussions with Nintendo over the years about remastering a number of their games and they always get gun shy working with 3rd party developers even after Nightdive Studios released the first N64 game on *their* platform.” Kick went on to note that, “Eternal Darkness is#1 on my list BTW.”

Even the original director of Eternal Darkness, Denis Dyack, has interest in bringing the horror game to a new audience with a remaster or a remake. Back in February, he expressed a desire to work on the game with Nintendo, but also noted that the title would have to go through some changes to better fit the modern world.

“We would have to do different things, but you can do more effective things now with social media and the way things are working now, all kinda crazy things that you can do that would be super awesome,” he explained. “We often joke about sanity effects and stuff like that, what we would do today, and so there’s a lot of potential for sure. And then that begs the question: would you want to remake it, or why not just do a sequel, or another game – hate to say sequels – another game in the Eternal Darkness universe.”

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is well known for its atmospheric level design and gameplay, as well as how the title made effective use of fourth wall breaks to amplify its horror. As protagonist Alexandra Roivas experiences sanity-crushing encounters throughout the game, players can experience effects like glitches with their TV’s display and volume controls, strange hallucinations, and even their controller getting disconnected.

The feature is especially noteworthy for games that would otherwise be unable to maintain a stable frame rate due to inconsistent frame timing. With VRR Output enabled, displays can match their refresh rates to the output of the console, and thus ensure that the frame rate remains stable for the player, mitigating issues like stuttering or hitches that might pop up in low frame rate games.

On the GameChat side of things, the update now allows players to join a new chat without selecting any friends. Players can also check a list of chats they were previously a part of. Virtual Game Card has also gotten some improvements, with a separate Virtual Game Card list screen now being available.

Nintendo Switch players, on the other hand, can look forward to similar Virtual Game Card UI improvements. The update also allows players who are unable to transfer a virtual game card from another console to temporarily play the game using an online license with a “Play with Online License” option that will now pop up. It is worth noting, however, that this will only be available to those who had already purchased a copy of the game.

For more details, check out the full patch notes for both consoles’ firmware updates below.

Nintendo Switch 2 – Version 23.0.0 (10th September 2026)

• We took the following actions in “GameChat”:
  • We’ve added a feature that displays chats you’ve previously participated in in the list of chats you can join.
  • We’ve made it possible to join a new chat without selecting any friends.
  • We’ve added a button to change the screen size in the menu that appears when you press the C button during a chat.
• We’ve added a “Settings” option to the “Virtual Game Card” list screen.
• You can check the registration status of the device using the virtual game card.
• VRR output is now supported in TV mode. When both the software and the TV support it, the video will be output at a refresh rate that matches the game’s processing speed. An update to the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock is required to enable this feature.
• Nintendo Switch 2 now supports “complete data transfer” between two Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. You can transfer all your data, including save data and screenshots, from your Switch 2 to your new Switch 2 console.
• Made the following changes in “Settings”.
  • Under “Accessibility” → “Text-to-Speech,” we have added support for text-to-speech in Portuguese (Brazil).
  • Under “Accessibility” → “Voice-to-Text Conversion for Game Chat,” we’ve added Portuguese (Brazil) to the list of languages for “Text-to-Speech Conversion.”
  • We’ve made it so that the “Audio” -> “TV Sound” settings are saved for each connected TV.
  • The item name “Display” → “Dock Output Information” has been changed to “Video Output Information” to allow users to check in detail the video signals that the connected TV can display.
  • We’ve added a “VRR Settings” option to the “Display” section.
  • We’ve added a feature to “Mii” that allows you to create a QR code of your Mii and share it with other users.
  • We’ve added a feature that allows you to instantly play and check the sound when you change the volume under “Sleep” → “Sleep wake-up sound when playing on TV”.
  • We have added an item to “System” → “Switch Software Operation Mode” → “Toggle Handheld Mode Boost in Quick Settings”. Turning this setting ON will allow you to toggle the Handheld Mode Boost ON/OFF in the Quick Settings menu that appears when you long-press the HOME button.
  • We’ve added a new option: “System” → “Transfer all to Nintendo Switch 2”.
  • Even if you cannot transfer the virtual game card from another console when starting the software, you can now temporarily play the software using an online license. If another console is offline and you are unable to transfer the virtual game card, the “Play with Online License” button will appear. Only the person who purchased the software can play it using an online license.
• Added a feature to play background music in the Mii editing screen. You can switch or stop the background music (BGM) using the “BGM Settings” button in the upper left corner of the screen.
• Regarding handheld mode boost, we’ve made it possible to use other controllers even while Joy-Con 2s are attached to the console.
• In the “My Page” → “Profile” play record, play time when playing the same software on multiple consoles will now be aggregated. The games you’ve played since the update will be displayed in chronological order.
• We have fixed several issues and improved operational stability.

Nintendo Switch 1 – Version 23.0.0 (10th September 2026)

• We’ve added a “Settings” option to the “Virtual Game Card” list screen. You can check the registration status of the device using the virtual game card.
• Even if you cannot transfer the virtual game card from another console when starting the software, you can now temporarily play the software using an online license. If another console is offline and you are unable to transfer the virtual game card, the “Play with Online License” button will appear. Only the person who purchased the software can play it using an online license.
• We have fixed several issues and improved operational stability.

Others praised the gorgeous detail in the environments – how familiar locations felt brand-new but still contained the feel of their classic versions. The quality-of-life improvements were also quite something. Tired of rolling in Hyrule Field to get from one place to another, pre-Epona? You could now dash by holding down the button after a roll. Swapping between items? No need to pause and go into your inventory – simply hold down a button and use the D-pad to swap, à la Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. And if using the Switch 2’s built-in microphone to hum songs which end up being played on the in-game ocarina isn’t the darndest thing, especially for fans who have known those tunes by heart for decades, I don’t know what is.

Again, not everyone was feeling the premier, even if it came down to the character designs. No sooner had I accepted Young Link’s chubby face and seen how great his Adult version looked than I began to question what happened to Young Zelda. As always, however, my man Ganondorf is styling and profiling, somehow looking just as menacing in 2026 as he had nearly three decades ago. As much as the gameplay presentation had me intrigued, the trailer afterwards felt like a proper wave of nostalgia, highlighting the remake’s sheer visual splendor and all those classic moments. Truly, a trip down memory lane like few others, even as the “Nintendo hired That Man” jokes poured in.

Of course, the release date was also announced: November 5th. And it caused another flurry of discussion, because as everyone and their immediate family is probably aware, Grand Theft Auto 6 launches in the same month.

It probably wouldn’t be that big a deal if it weren’t for the fact that nearly every major publisher and developer got out of Rockstar’s way to avoid launching anywhere near it. That’s since resulted in one of the busiest release periods of the past several years, with August, September and October packed with titles. Blockbusters like Fable and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis outright skipped 2026, taking even more time to polish their gameplay than they probably dreamed was necessary.

And this isn’t a new phenomenon. When S-Game delayed Phantom Blade Zero to October 29th, it caused a stir for launching so close to Grand Theft Auto 6 – to the point where director/producer Qiwei “Soulframe” Liang stated that the team was focused more on creating a great game than anything else.

But for many others, this kind of confrontation, even if it is weeks apart, felt downright destined. I mean, imagine all these other games spending years, ensuring they were up to snuff. Some, like Control Resonant, began work, even conceptually, as far back as 2019. Others, like Gears of War: E-Day or Silent Hill: Townfall, were either desperately trying to revive interest in their franchise or continue their streak. Hundreds of millions of dollars are on the line, and if that means launching alongside so many other titles, risking attention being siphoned away, so be it. It’s better than going up against GTA 6, after all (and that’s even before the Extended Look and previews truly showcased how gargantuan of an experience it would truly be).

Then you have Nintendo, who simply saunters in, drops gameplay for one of the most anticipated remakes of the past several years to one of the greatest games of all time, diving straight into gameplay before announcing its launch in November. No fear, no question of what releasing so close to Rockstar’s magnum opus could mean, nothing. It’s not like no one speculated that this could happen. In fact, some believed that the two would go head-to-head on the same day because few other titles carried that same level of prestige, built on such a legendary (no pun intended) foundation, as to command such attention.

Of course, the reality is probably a lot more straightforward because of how Nintendo thinks about its release schedule. The company has purportedly finished titles and then held them back for a while before finally releasing them. But it also doesn’t view other games through the same lens, purely because its platforms function as separate ecosystems.

After all, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. It’s not just built for that specific audience of tens of millions who game exclusively on it, but for long-time fans of the Zelda series who would probably prioritise new entries over anything else. I mean, some people in this audience with access to more powerful platforms for some games choose to play them on Nintendo’s, even with lower frame rates and resolutions. Call it favoring on-the-go gaming, or simply being more comfortable within that ecosystem.

In some ways, it reminds me of what we saw in 2020 when Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Half-Life: Alyx launched, albeit on the same day. Two highly anticipated releases with two completely different audiences, so diametrically opposite in so many ways, and yet celebrated purely because of the fact. It was a camaraderie between sides, not unlike the Barbenheimer buzz that would hit Hollywood in 2023.

Granted, it’s not the same with Ocarina of Time remake and Grand Theft Auto 6, but again, there isn’t a concern that the latter will completely overshadow the former. Not because it’s releasing several weeks prior – which you could view as Nintendo simply wanting to put it out as close to the 40th Anniversary livestream celebration, much like the limited edition Switch 2 – but because the company isn’t viewing it in the same way.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is a juggernaut that’s estimated to sell tens of millions of copies within the first week of launch – perhaps more than there are Switch 2 consoles currently available worldwide. But that’s for an a different audience on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 that’s moving ahead with the franchise as much as dipping their toes into all the chaos and mayhem that’s defined previous entries. Comparatively, Ocarina of Time is banking purely on nostalgia, that too from an E for Everyone audience. Even with sharper visuals, the objective, per series producer Eiji Aonuma, was a faithful interpretation using modern technology (and the fact that it delivers snappier gameplay and more detail in classic locations certainly doesn’t help).

So as much as there’s going to be a frenzy whipped up about both titles competing against each other, either in terms of critical reviews or sales in their release month, or in December when it’s time to dole out awards, it’s really business as usual. That is, until two other major releases launch in the same month and the arbitrary comparisons over who could “beat” the other begin again, not unlike when Metal Gear Solid and the original Ocarina of Time launched a month apart in 1998. So it goes.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy features some new quality-of-life changes, like using the microphone to issue commands to Oatchi. Want him to jump? Simply say “jump”, and he’ll follow. GameShare is also supported for Dandori Battles, and you can play in up to 4K resolution in Docked Mode.

But the real meat of this edition is Dandori Academy. The new mode features challenges where you must collect as much treasure as possible in a stage within the time limit. Depending on your performance, you can earn medals for bragging rights. While there are three difficulty options, weekly challenges known as Exams will be available over the weekend to test your skills.

There will be 72 stages in total, but they all won’t be available at launch. Nintendo is releasing them over time, with six stages going live each month, which should ensure a year’s worth of steady content. For now, current owners of the Switch version can pre-order the Upgrade Pack today.

All tracks are available to play in VS Race and have received a significant visual overhaul (Ghost Valley now appears to take place in a harrowing swamp with docks). Though they don’t quite offer the same opportunities for wall-riding or grinding as the base game’s courses, you can still hop to take advantage of shortcuts. And just like the good old days, you can pick up items by running over “?” panels on the ground.

For those seeking other multiplayer content, Knockout Tour has been updated with two new additions: Propeller Rally and Turnip Rally. Interestingly, there are four more Rallies seemingly indicated at the bottom of the screen, represented as “?” icons, though Nintendo didn’t offer further details on the same.

Stay tuned for more updates on that front, especially since Mario Kart World has only been out for a year (and sold 15.39 million units since). You can also read our thoughts on the launch version.

Some familiar foes await, and as usual, Kirby can copy their abilities – including Cutter – to wield them as he pleases. Perhaps more intriguing is his new traversal ability, where he hops onto a spinning circular disc and cruises through the world. It’s also good for running into enemies and dealing damage, though it can separate from Kirby to attack on its own (as seen in the battle against King DeDeDe).

Of course, if you prefer a more explosive option, the Bomb ability lets him ride on an explosive, jumping off just before it explodes. Or you could whip out an umbrella and float around – it’s especially useful for getting behind waterfalls. But what’s most intriguing is the crack in the sky and the mysterious figure that seemingly emerged from beyond it.

Kirby also gets an upgrade to his Sword ability, turning the blade massive to cut down entire forests and giant trees to open paths or widen the crack. What awaits in this brand new world? We’ll find out next year when it launches for Switch 2.

There are also three new stages, each with their own objectives. On Katina, you’ll control platforms and destroy enemies with lasers. Sector X requires destroying asteroids while Venom sees you scanning data modules and escaping the ensuring surge. If that wasn’t enough, up to four players can form a team and participate in online battles.

Of course, if your tastes lean towards something decidedly more retro, Star Fox Adventures is coming to Nintendo GameCube Classics today. Developed by Rare, the spin-off sees Fox McCloud exploring Dinosaur Planet and helping its denizens survive against the tyranny of General Scales. Don’t worry – the usual Arwing stages still remain and there are more than a few surprises in store.

As for Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2, you can check out our review here. We gave it an eight out of ten, praising the visuals and new additions while criticizing the lack of any major gameplay changes.