Nintendo's 2025 price hikes surrounding the launch of the Switch 2 are being called into question in a new lawsuit. First reported by Stephen Totilo, two US-based gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against the console maker, alleging that the company will be "unjustly enriching" itself after it sued the US government last month in an effort to recoup fees paid on tariffs. Screenshot captured by Destructoid “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit says. The US-based complainants, Gregory Hoffert or California and Prashant Sharan of Washington, paid a bit more for their Nintendo Switch 2 consoles and peripherals after the company raised prices on just about everything for the new console, like all of us. The suit alleges that Nintendo receiving any refunds on the tariffs would violate Washington state consumer protection law. The refunds appear highly plausible to happen, considering some massive repayments are already being facilitated to a number of other large companies affected by tariffs, according to CNBC. Walmart may be getting $10.2 billion in refunds, while Target could get $2.2 billion, and Nike may receive $1 billion. It's unclear what amount Nintendo would stand to gain from refunds, but according to the lawsuit, players who spent more for their gaming consoles and peripherals are owed something back, too. The gaming industry has seen a big upswing in pricing since tariffs took hold. Switch 2 launched at a higher price than expected, including its peripherals and games. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have also seen price increases, making this the most financially trying times to be a gamer in history. The PS5 Pro now costs $899, as one of the most stunning examples. The post Nintendo is being sued for tariff-related Switch 2 price hikes appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
After reducing its price by removing Call of Duty from the offer, it seems Microsoft now wants to reform Game Pass altogether through offering a "pick your own plan" deal to gamers. According to rumors, Game Pass could soon let you choose what you want to have included in your plan, allowing for flexible and custom costs. This is according to Jez Corden, who, citing Microsoft sources, claims that Game Pass is going to be reformed down the line after its price was slashed following the removal of CoD from the day one program. "Microsoft sources tell me that the longer-term goal for Xbox Game Pass is to make it more flexible," he claims, adding that "a sort of 'pick your own plan' formula for Xbox Game Pass is on the cards, essentially, where users can effectively decide what packages of content they want to see as part of their plan." CoD was removed from Game Pass, driving the price down. Image via Activision Through this, Game Pass users would essentially drop and pick up select features from their plan, allowing them to tailor it to their own needs and wants instead of being "forced" to pay for that stuff they don't usually use. As Corden says, one could remove cloud gaming from the offer to lower the price while keeping the rest, or exchange it for some day one games, or tack on other bonus subscriptions on top like Netflix, without changing the cost too much. It'd be a flexible way of approaching the subscription model, which many major corporations seem very interested in these days. Under chief executive Asha Sharma, Xbox seems to be going through a much-needed overhaul. While we do not know where that'll end up, these first moves by this new leader seem rather promising. Xbox Game Pass price hikes were a major controversy whenever they happened, and at nearly $30 per month, it really didn't seem like a worthwhile investment. Now, Game Pass is at $22.99 per month for the Ultimate tier, and having more cost-effective options will certainly do wonders for the subscription. In fact, Sharma confirmed Xbox is working to increase the flexibility of Game Pass in a post about a new Discord partnership, but she did not share much else about these purported changes, nor what future plans might entail. Either way, we'll have to wait and see. Game Pass is an excellent option on paper, but how it's been executed hasn't always produced the best results. More choice and buyer freedom are always welcome, and I hope that we'll see some of the stuff above implemented on some level down the line. The post Xbox is reportedly taking a ‘pick your own plan’ approach to Game Pass appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Fallout: New Vegas writer and former Obsidian creative officer, Chris Avellone, has given a new interview to Fallout content creator TKs-Mantis, and it's a hefty one. Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising assertion is that Bethesda doesn't have the source code for New Vegas (I've asked Bethesda about this, and haven't had a response yet), but there's plenty more: including one particular road not travelled for the series, alongside a healthy crank on the specul-a-tron about where Fallout might go next... Read more.View the full article
Heroes of the Storm news in 2026. I know, I didn't really expect to be writing about Blizzard's MOBA either. Well, despite being put on life support back in 2022, HotS has just received a new major patch, which not only reworks the long-suffering Arthas, but also brings back one of its OG maps, Haunted Mines. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Heroes of the Storm fans are determined to keep it alive Heroes of the Storm's defensive structures are deadlier now More Heroes of the Storm characters are in development, but no more original heroes for now View the full article
Magic: The Gathering is returning to Middle Earth in August with a Standard set based on The Hobbit, and I for one am hoping to see some great new dwarf cards. Despite being one of the most prolific fantasy races across all media, dwarves have never got as much attention in Magic as they deserve. It's not just that they play second fiddle to elves; compared to the pointy ears, they're barely part of the orchestra. At most, they get a triangle. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: MTG card that plays perfectly with two new Elder Dragons spikes 225% The 6 top commanders in MTG Secrets of Strixhaven This surprising scholar is currently more valuable than the Elder Dragons from MTG's Secrets of Strixhaven View the full article
Intel has already raised its prices twice this year, while AMD is reportedly planning two price hikes for its server chips – one in Q2 and another in Q3 – totaling around 16 – 17%. Supply chain insiders attribute these increases to capacity bottlenecks, with new products from Intel and... Read Entire Article View the full article
Filming for the Elden Ring movie is underway in London, and several set photos making the rounds tease what to expect from A24's adaptation of the 2022 FromSoftware instant classic. Look away now if you're avoiding spoilers, but I have to say, I do like what I've seen thus far from the pictures taken. Several photos taken at the set were posted to Reddit over the past day, and I'm happy to say that The Lands Between won't be entirely recreated in CGI. [Hidden Content] One photo shows what looks like several of the excessive amount of bird cages that can be found in Raya Lucaria Academy, so we will likely be getting some Glintstone magic, and maybe even Rennala and the Red Wolf of Radagon. Hell yeah. Other pictures show banners bearing the Erdtree symbol, what looks like a Leyndell Knight's helm from afar, and other gilded adornment that you may find in the more regal areas of The Lands Between. And so far, the aesthetic looks to be nailed perfectly, and best yet, in physical and practical form. One other set photo, however, has some interesting implications. Seen below, it looks a lot like the gallows used in the game's epic intro where the none other than the loathsome Dung-Eater was hanged. Will we be eating dung in theaters? One can only hope. Dung-Eater was part of their own questline in Elden Ring, and players could unlock them as a summon to help in certain battles or as an NPC invader, so it's possible that they could appear as a character in the movie. The gallows could also indicate that we may be getting that memorable introductory cutscene recreated fully in live-action. [Hidden Content] I'm honestly really excited by what I've seen thus far, including its promising cast, Alex Garland as director, and apparent $100 million-plus budget, making it the biggest undertaking for A24 thus far. Update on April 22 at 12:10pm CT: We have Dung Eater confirmation. A new set video from today shows the loathsome one in all their dung-eating glory being strung up for all to see. [Hidden Content] The post Elden Ring movie set photos inspire hope with physical scenery and some loathsome dung eating appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
There are all sorts of hidden cute moments with Diana and Hugh in Capcom’s Pragmata. But some players have recently spotted a Japanese comedy reference that Diana makes when handling the Globe REM collectable. Pragmata sees you switch between space mercenary Hugh and his human child-like android companion, Pragmata D-I-0336-7, whom he dubs Diana, as they try to escape a lunar base overrun by a hostile AI. As you explore the base, you can collect REMs (Read Earth Memories), 3D holographs of items from back home on Earth that you can give to Diana as presents to decorate the Shelter with. The first REM you come across is a globe. This unmissable item comes with a Japanese comedy reference that eagle-eyed Japanese-speaking commenters on X have been pointing out (as spotted by Automaton). “It’s so over-the-top gorgeous that it’s funny, but it’s also hilarious because overseas players won’t get the joke as it's aimed at Japanese audiences,” commented the poster below. ゴージャスすぎておもろいけど日本向けで海外の人には伝わらんの含めておもろいなw#プラグマタ [Hidden Content] — ぽど (@POTY0521) April 17, 2026 Diana’s globe spinning antics are actually a reference to a well-known sketch by Gorgeous, a Japanese comedian who dresses as a space pirate. In the sketch, Gorgeous acts out the situation of being stranded on a mountain top, with his companion in danger of succumbing to the cold. He mimes trying to shake his invisible companion awake while proclaiming “mada tasukaru” (“we can still make it/be saved”), before dramatically spinning a globe and saying “Madagascar!” as his finger lands on the African country. Madagascar is ‘Madagasukaru’ in Japanese, which kind of sounds like ‘mada tasukaru’- and this wordplay is the short skit’s punchline. Gorgeous himself confirmed the reference in a recent tweet, sharing the clip of Diana spinning the globe: “Spin it round and round! Then point to Madagascar. I want everyone to play Pragmata and experience it for themselves.” 地球儀キターーーーーーー ぐるぐる回すんだ そしてマダガスカルを指で指し示せ みんなもプラグマタやって体感して欲しいね#プラグマタ #PRAGMATA [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] — ゴー☆ジャス(宇宙海賊) (@Gorgeous55555) April 18, 2026 Players will notice (especially if they zoom in) that after Diana rapidly spins the globe, her finger lands on where Madagascar is located, prompting some Japanese commenters to say that they heard Gorgeous saying the punchline in their heads. Gorgeous is also a prolific gamer with an active YouTube channel where he regularly discusses and plays games, most recently Koei Tecmo’s Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake (in an official pre-release livestream), old school Castlevania, and Resident Evil Requiem. In another Capcom connection, the comedian not only livestreamed Monster Hunter Wilds but also appeared in a Japanese promotional video series for MHW, which had him running around outside with a PS5 controller and battling superimposed monsters from the game to introduce gameplay elements like the new Focus Mode. Therefore, a Gorgeous reference in Pragmata is something that players in Japan are likely to notice and get a chuckle out of. This is not the only Japanese game in recent years to sneak in a comedy reference aimed at the domestic audience. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach contained a nostalgic Easter Egg homage to Japanese comedy troupe The Drifters, which can be stumbled upon when Sam is in a hot spring, of all places. Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications. View the full article
Star Wars Day - which lands on May the 4th (be with you) - is coming up much faster than you'd expect, and already we're seeing some fun deals pop up. For those looking for a video game set in a galaxy far, far away to escape into, Amazon has dropped the price of the Gold Edition of Star Wars Outlaws on Nintendo Switch 2 to just $28.02 (see it here). Overall, this is a huge 53% discount from its list price of $59.99, but it's also incredibly close to its lowest-ever price at the retailer. Quite literally just $0.02 away from it, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. That's a fantastic offer to take advantage of, if I do say so myself. Since it's the Gold Edition, you'll get access to the season pass alongside the base game. This comes with two story packs - Wild Card and A Pirate's Fortune - the Jabba's Gambit exclusive mission, and three cosmetic bundles: The Kessel Runner character pack, The Hunter's Legacy bundle, and The Cartel Ronin bundle. If you've been craving a big, open-world adventure, Star Wars Outlaws will certainly keep you busy long after May 4. IGN's Tristan Ogilvie, who reviewed it back when it was originally released, said it's "quite like the Millenium Falcon: a bucket of bolts held together with repurposed parts and prone to breaking down, but at its best it’s more than capable of jolting your pleasure centres into Star Wars fan hyperspace." This isn't the only Star Wars deal to pop up on our radar ahead of May the 4th, either. LEGO has already joined in on the fun with a selection of Star Wars sets on *****, and some [Hidden Content]. If you've been hoping to scoop up some of these sets, now is the time to do it and make some space on your shelves. Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN. View the full article
Razer's edge is exceedingly thin with its latest release, the Razer Atlas Pro glass gaming mouse mat. As the world's thinnest glass gaming mouse pad, it takes the current craze of reviving the glass mouse mat and cranks up the danger a few notches. Not that Razer would admit to any such concerns about the toughness of its new contender for the best gaming mouse mat. Indeed, its tempered glass construction, Razer says, is made "without sacrificing stability or durability," despite being less than half the thickness of many alternatives. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 reviews are in, and there's one glaring issue with this gaming CPU launch Nvidia graphics research just made a 2-3x gain in performance, and this time it didn't use AI Steam Controller unboxing video mysteriously appears on SteamDB View the full article
Kiki Wolfkill, a former Halo executive and one of the driving forces behind Xbox Film and TV projects, has left the company after 28 years of service. Her departure was announced on LinkedIn with the Microsoft legend saying: “After 28 years, I’ve made the difficult but exhilarating decision to leave Microsoft! Friday was my last day at a place where I grew up and learned so many invaluable lessons – how to listen, lead, be accountable, and most importantly, to care deeply for who you serve – your team and your audience. I’m so grateful for the opportunities that Microsoft has given me and the career that it let me build in an industry that I love.” .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } This article is free — just create an account Join GamesBeat to read this story and almost everything else on the site. No credit card, no catch.Start Reading FreeAlready a member? Sign in The post Xbox trailblazer Kiki Wolfkill has left Microsoft after 28 years appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article
Annapurna Interactive has announced that a slate of their games will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, such as Stray, Wanderstop, To a T, and more, with some games being available right now. Stray was an adventure game that saw players control a cat as they explored a futuristic city populated by robots. The Switch 2 edition of Stray will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on May 28, 2026, and will be available via the Nintendo eShop for $29.99. .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } This article is free — just create an account Join GamesBeat to read this story and almost everything else on the site. No credit card, no catch.Start Reading FreeAlready a member? Sign in The post Stray, Wanderstop, and more coming to Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article
Much like 11 bit studios are doing with the original Frostpunk, they're going back to their roots with a complete reimagining of This War of Mine. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article
Cartoon Network and Fortnite continue to expand their collaboration offerings in the hit battle royale game, with the animated alien transformation series Ben 10 next on the list of classic cartoons slated to be available as character skins in Epic Games' flagship title. Ben 10 was previously teased in rumors, but Fortnite has now made the team-up official with a brand-new teaser video that has stirred up fresh hype and speculation. View the full article
A new rumor circulating the internet indicates that the popular Final Fantasy 7 character, Tifa Lockhart, is going to be joining Street Fighter 6 as a guest character, seemingly beating Bandai Namco to the punch. Street Fighter 6 continues to be a major success for Capcom and, as expected, the company is keeping the game thriving with a mix of free events and content as well as premium additions through seasonal content. View the full article
Fallout: New Vegas is one of those games that only seemed to rise in peoples' esteem as time's gone on—especially since it seems like a milestone marker for the last remnants of the series' more oldschool CRPG spirit before Fallout 4 saddled gamers with a voiced protagonist... Read more.View the full article
Urban Games have revealed that Transport Fever 3 will have a special Curated Mods Program, as they ramp up development towards release. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article
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Nintendo's 2025 price hikes surrounding the launch of the Switch 2 are being called into question in a new lawsuit. First reported by Stephen Totilo, two US-based gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against the console maker, alleging that the company will be "unjustly enriching" itself after it sued the US government last month in an effort to recoup fees paid on tariffs. Screenshot captured by Destructoid “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit says. The US-based complainants, Gregory Hoffert or California and Prashant Sharan of Washington, paid a bit more for their Nintendo Switch 2 consoles and peripherals after the company raised prices on just about everything for the new console, like all of us. The suit alleges that Nintendo receiving any refunds on the tariffs would violate Washington state consumer protection law. The refunds appear highly plausible to happen, considering some massive repayments are already being facilitated to a number of other large companies affected by tariffs, according to CNBC. Walmart may be getting $10.2 billion in refunds, while Target could get $2.2 billion, and Nike may receive $1 billion. It's unclear what amount Nintendo would stand to gain from refunds, but according to the lawsuit, players who spent more for their gaming consoles and peripherals are owed something back, too. The gaming industry has seen a big upswing in pricing since tariffs took hold. Switch 2 launched at a higher price than expected, including its peripherals and games. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have also seen price increases, making this the most financially trying times to be a gamer in history. The PS5 Pro now costs $899, as one of the most stunning examples. The post Nintendo is being sued for tariff-related Switch 2 price hikes appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article