The wait is finally over for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove owners as Shovel Knight: King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown are now available. They’re free updates for Treasure Trove owners across PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 and PlayStation Vita. The overall update should just be a few 100 MB.

First up is Shovel Knight: King of Cards which has players taking control of King Knight for a dedicated new story. You’ll partake in a card game, fight the Joustus Judges and of course, experience some great new music. If you love the base game, then King of Cards promises a whole lot to do with new Feats, Challenge Stages and much more. There’s even New Game Plus as an option.

As for Shovel Knight Shodown, it offers a PvP experience for 1v1 duels or four player free for all fights across a variety of modes. There are 16 characters to choose from Shovel Knight, Black Knight, The Enchantress and much more. The best part is that each character also has their own unique Story mode with different opponents and mini-games.

Yacht Club Games may bid farewell to Shovel Knight after December. Until then though, it’s hard at work with King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown, the latter focusing on four player competitive battles. In a new blog post, the developer has detailed some of the essential mechanics that players can utilize in the fighter.

Hit Flash is one of the more familiar mechanics – it grants the player invulnerability for a short period of time after taking damage. You have a brief window to counter-attack your opponent, but this will immediately cancel the invulnerability. The start-up time for the attack is also increased, so a skilled opponent could counter your counter if they know it’s coming.

There’s also Parry, which is enabled with a button press. Before an attack connects, Parry it and your opponent will be knocked back. The downside is that it does no damage and doesn’t trigger Hit Flash, so opponents can keep attacking. Finally, there’s Clash – when two opponents connect with their attacks at the same time, they’ll both be pushed back.

Shovel Knight Showdown will be a free update to owners of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove across various platforms. It can also be purchased standalone when it releases in December. Even more Shovel Knight is on the way with Nitrome’s Shovel Knight Dig, so stay tuned.

If you had any doubt that Shovel Knight was a bona fide sensation, today should have dispelled any of that. Not only did a full-fledged spin-off get announced in the form of Shovel Knight Dig, but a host of previously announced content got release windows, including the much anticipated physical release of  Treasure Trove.

First up, the last free expansion to the series, King of Cards, will come in December. It will bring 4 new worlds and 30 new courses as you play King Knight to see if he’s ready for the responsibility of ruling the kingdom. It will be available to all current owners of the game across all the many, many platforms the game is on.

Next up is Shovel Knight Showdown, a multiplayer fighter featuring characters from the series. In it you will have to scramble after gems to win, but there’s also a story mode to dig into. It will also come in December for all the same platforms as King of Cards, with the exception of 3DS and Vita.

And finally, rounding out the news, the physical edition of Treasure Trove will come to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch, also in December. It will include Shovel Knight and all of its expansions, along with Showdown. The physical release will also come with a free update with some minor tweaks that you can read all about through here.

All this content will come in December and will mark the end of the update schedule for the indie title. Talk about a run. You can also check out two new trailers for King of Cards and Showdown below.

Shovel Knight: Showdown

Fancy a Smash Bros. style showdown? Shovel Knight: Showdown is a competitive multiplayer fighting game which features beloved characters like Shovel Knight, Shield Knight, Specter Knight and even the Enchantress battling it out across different game modes. Up to four players will clash to either collect gems or eliminate each other in melee combat. Story Mode is also included with different rivals, minigames and encounters for each character. Shovel Knight: Showdown will release on April 10th for all supported platforms (except Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita) and will be free for those who own Treasure Trove.

Mortal Kombat 11

Don’t call it a comeback. NetherRealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat 11 boasts a more methodical yet bloodier fighting system where the past and future collide. Take control of series’ favourites like Raiden, Scorpion, Noob Saibot and many more while making use of devastating Fatal Blows and gory Fatalities. With a gear system, a brand-new story and stunning visuals, Mortal Kombat 11 is looking to dominate the competition when it releases on April 23rd for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Days Gone

SIE Bend Studio makes no bones about the gameplay for Days Gone. As an open world action adventure in a land full of zombies, players control Deacon St. John as he fights to survive. Keep that motorcycle fueled, upgrade your favourite weapons and battle hordes of zombies across a perilous map full of open roads and dense forests. Deacon will have clear out infected nests and deal with mutated forms of wildlife when he’s not fending off attacks from human adversaries. Even if it does nothing new, Days Gone still promises a gripping post-apocalyptic adventure with a gorgeous world to explore. It’s out on April 26th for PS4.

Super Meat Boy Forever

Team Meat’s beloved platformer is back and features heaps of changes to the traditional formula. More of an auto-runner, Super Meat Boy Forever features plenty of jumping, punching, sliding and dying like its predecessor. Using random generation for its levels and allowing players to control both Meat Boy and Bandage Girl, Super Meat Boy Forever promises a challenging experience for fans. It releases next month for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS and Android.

World War Z

A co-operative zombie shooter with multiple classes, each with their own abilities and play-styles, that takes place in locations across the world. Sounds fairly typical but in keeping with its connection to the film, World War Z will see players swarmed by hundreds of zombies at once. No two scenarios will play out the same and there are PvP modes where the zombies can suddenly invade as well. It all looks mildly intriguing but we’re still curious how World War Z will play when it releases on April 16th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Anno 1800

A return to the olden days of colonization and city-building, Anno 1800 takes place at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Players will construct elaborate cities with beautiful ornaments, introduce electricity to their citizens, maintain happiness (or suffer riots as a result) and manipulate the press when things aren’t going. Along with the sheer range of new and returning features like Blueprint Mode and Trade Routes, Anno 1800 will also feature a brand new session called The New World which players can explore and colonize. With several years worth of sequels to draw on, Anno 1800 should be the series’ best yet when it launches on April 16th for PC.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

If you’ve played any of the Earth Defense Force titles, you know what to expect with Iron Rain. There are aliens. They must be shot over a number of missions. Rinse and repeat. Iron Rain includes four classes – the Trooper, Jet Lifter, Heavy Striker and Prowl Rider – each with their own unique abilities and playstyles. With a more serious tone, 50 campaign missions and co-op support for up to five players, Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain could be a good time-waster with its pick and play mechanics. It releases on April 11th for the PS4.

Imperator: Rome

Paradox Development Studio is at it again with another grand strategy title, this time focused on the Roman Empire’s creation. Much like its Europa Universalis series, Imperator: Rome is about nation-building and expanding one’s empire, incorporating different military tactics and trade practices while dealing with rebels and rival nations in the process. Even if it isn’t easy to get into, the era of treachery and war could be one that grand strategy fans will sink their teeth into for years to come. Imperator: Rome releases on April 25th for PC.

Fade to Silence

Developed by Black Forest Games, Fade to Silence is a survival title in a world overrun by ice. If that weren’t enough, you have various monstrosities roaming about, making life even tougher. Along with surviving and gathering resources, upgrading gear and battling against these monsters, players will have to deal with the frigid temperatures. Bringing on followers and building up one’s base to access better resources and gear is also a must. Though it’s currently in early access, Fade to Silence will release on April 30th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Cuphead (Switch)

It seemed impossible but Studio MDHR’s tough-as-nails side-scrolling platformer Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Releasing on April 18th, the lovingly animated title sees Cuphead and Mugman on a journey to reclaim their souls from The Devil. To do this, they’ll have to battle a range of difficult bosses with numerous phases and wacky attacks along with clearing some run and gun stages across Fleischer Studios-inspired worlds. Though it’s tough, Cuphead is still an excellent experience and a great addition to the Switch’s library.

Without further ado then, let’s begin.

MORTAL KOMBAT 11

People have been looking forward to Mortal Kombat 11 for some time now, and after much anticipation, it’s finally almost here. Typically, it looks absolutely incredible. Promising much gore, Brutalities, and Fatalities, combined with what’s looking like a strong roster, as well as the kind of strong campaigns NeatherRealm Studios usually delivers, Mortal Kombat 11 is undoubtedly very close to the top of many most-anticipated lists.

The Shovel Knight hype train seemed to be rolling at speed, especially after the announcement of the fighting game-esque Shovel Knight Showdown. However, Yacht Club Games has announced a delay for Shovel Knight Showdown and Shovel Knight: King of Cards, the latter being the final story expansion for the game. Originally slated to release on April 9th, the developed has confirmed that they’ve been delayed by “several months”.

If that weren’t enough, the physical edition of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove has also been delayed. The developer said, “We need a little more time to make this happen, and so we are pushing the release back one last time. We’re still aiming to release everything at once, so this this delay applies to everything: physical editions, digital update, and Treasure Trove amiibo 3-pack.”

It did note that this wasn’t a “major delay” as much as “more space to bring everything together for a polished and complete finale. As always, these last steps require coordination with many teams beyond our own.” Due to any disappointment caused by the delay, the development team has confirmed that a new date will not be announced “until we know one for sure, from all partners involved. All builds shipped out, updates ready to launch, for everybody and everyone. We will announce it for good once it is 100 percent all across the board!”

Shovel Knight: King of Cards will feature over 30 courses – though they’re shorter than the base game’s levels – and King Knight as the protagonist. Shovel Knight Showdown is also fairly massive, with numerous characters, modes, configurations, and a Story Mode as well. If you own Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, then both King of Cards and Showdown will be free for you.

Yacht Club Games has unveiled its “all-new game” for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and it’s a real doozy. Shovel Knight Showdown essentially adds a four player battle mode with 16 different characters to battle with. This is one of two final components in the studio’s post-launch support, the other being King of Cards, which receives a release date later this week.

As for Shovel Knight Showdown, it will be coming to all platforms that have Treasure Trove for free. It will also be available as a standalone purchase, but not on the Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita. The content it offers is pretty extensive. Along with a 4 player battle mode that includes characters like Shovel Knight, Shield Knight, King Knight, Specter Knight and so on, there will be 1v1 duels as well.

Players can also team up cooperatively to fight AI enemies. Available modes will include Gem Clash, Showdown, and so on. Furthermore, the Story Mode will offer a “multistage journey” for each character with a “rival”, various opponents, minigames, and an “all-new final encounter”. New stages, new songs, and much more will be coming. For actual gameplay, check out IGN’s video below.