In the world of The Last of Us, people can become infected primarily by bites and cuts from other infected. In Episode 5, the showrunners finally introduced spores to the playing field, making it a lot easier for people to become infected. Originally, showrunner and creator Neil Druckmann said there had to be a "dramatic reason" for spores to make their way to the show, and with the episode's climactic end, we have our reason.

This story contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2.

As we saw in the trailer last week, fans knew that spores were coming to the show, and now we know how they're created. At the end of the episode, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) chases Nora (Tati Gabrielle) through a hospital basement where spores have been running rampant for years. Nora thinks Ellie is going to become infected as well, but the revelation of her immunity is quickly realized.

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It's been a long time coming, but PlayStation 5 players can finally use Apple Pay natively when purchasing games.

As first reported by 9to5Mac, the most recent PS5 update has finally taken advantage of iOS 18, allowing for direct purchases using Apple Pay. PS5 owners have previously been able to use Apple Pay via the PlayStation App or the PS5 browser, but it's taken over four years to get native support for the popular payment method on the console.

Now, rather than having to take any extra steps, customers can simply select Apple Pay during the checkout process on their PS5s. They will then be greeted by a QR code they can scan using their iPhone or iPad to complete the transaction.

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The upcoming remake of the beloved Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is coming this summer, and it boasts a number of redone maps, new skate parks, and both new and returning skaters. However, developer Iron Galaxy is also changing THPS 4's original campaign structure to standardize it with THPS 3. This decision has been controversial among fans, but Iron Galaxy recently explained that its goal is to produce a pair of remakes as compatible with one another as possible.

In a preview of the remakes published by Game Informer, Iron Galaxy explained that it views its role as making the most cohesive package it can. Because it is selling THPS 3 and 4 as a single bundle, it is attempting to create something as integrated as the acclaimed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, which was developed by Vicarious Visions back in 2020. Design manager Mike Rossi explained, "Our goal here is to make the ultimate package of 3 and 4. So ultimately, we felt that taking it into feeling more towards the 3 format, as opposed to what 4 did originally, was a better representation for a cohesive package that we were making."

Notably, while the remakes will emphasize the timer-based format common to the first three Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games, both THPS 3 and 4 will have options to explore maps in free roam. As GameSpot reported back in March, the THPS 4 remake does away with the original campaign format of completing challenges at the player's choosing, but it will have Free Skate, Speed Run, and Single Session modes. You'll need to complete challenges within set time limits, as was standard in the first three games. Iron Galaxy appears to be letting players customize this timer in THPS 4 to complete things at their own pace, as reported by VGC.

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After years of anticipation, Wizards of the Coast unveiled multiple cards from the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy expansion set, which launches in store June 13, at PAX East. Among the cards was Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel, a double-faced card with new original artwork from Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at Square Enix. Nomura commented on the artwork he created for the card via social media, while also hinting that there may be more to the card than it seems.

The card features adult Sephiroth on one side, and it flips over to show his final form, Safer Sephiroth. Nomura says that he specifically designed the art to match up vertically: "if you manage to get two of the same card and line them up, you'll see how the original illustration looked."

Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

However, Nomura also commented that one of the halves may seem different to eagle-eyed FF7 fans. "There is also a reason that the design of Safer Sephiroth is different from the original game," Nomura said, "but I unfortunately can't share more about that."

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The Humble Spring Sale 2025 is now live, offering steep discounts on PC games until May 28. Most of the titles are sold as Steam keys, and the catalog spans everything from new releases to classics from long ago.

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Want to catch up on the action ahead of Borderlands 4 in September? You can pick up Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition for just $25 (was $100). Along with the base game, it includes a Season Pass with four campaign add-ons, a Season Pass 2 with a new game mode, additional skills, and various cosmetics, and a long list of other digital goodies. There’s more than enough content to keep you busy until September--and at $25, it’s a great choice right now.

Our Metaphor: ReFantazio review gave it a stellar 10/10, and now you can pick up the sprawling RPG for just $49 (was $70). If you’re a fan of Persona (or JRPGs), you’ll find it to be an incredible journey with a highly nuanced narrative. Speaking of Persona, Persona 5 Royal is also on sale for $24 (was $60).

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Nintendo has released a short new video showcasing how mouse controls work on the home menu of Nintendo Switch 2.

The video was initially posted on the Nintendo Today app on March 11. A message attached to the video on the app explains that players can place the attachment side of a Joy-Con 2 controller down on a flat surface (or your pants) while using the home menu to activate the mouse controls. After doing so, players can navigate the home screen on Switch 2 with a cursor and even use it in combination with a control stick to scroll through menus, although it'll be possible to instantly revert to normal controls by lifting the controller back up, just like how it works in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Stealth40K posted the video attached to the Nintendo Today message on X, which you can see below.

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How many seasons of Amazon's Fallout TV show will there be? The network hasn't said yet, but one of the show's actors, Aaron Moten (Maximus), has said he's been told it could be potentially six seasons.

Speaking at Comic Con Liverpool, Moten said when he signed on to star on the show, he was told what "the end point" would be, and that hasn't changed. This would be a "Season 5, Season 6 type of end point," Moten said. "We've always known that we're going to take our time with the development of the characters," he explained (via TheGamer).

It's not immediately clear if Moten is talking about the endpoint of Fallout in general or potentially for his character. In any event, it sounds like there could be a lot more Fallout coming. Nothing is ever guaranteed in Hollywood, though, so we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out.

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Doom: The Dark Ages is getting a food promotion, and it's neither Mountain Dew nor Doritos: Xbox has announced that it has partnered with Prince St. Pizza to offer a Doom-inspired pizza that comes with some digital goods.

Prince St. Pizza, a pizzeria chain with a handful of locations in the US and Canada, is selling "Hellfire Pepperoni," a pie emphasizing spicy ingredients that supposedly evoke the fire and brimstone of Doom's setting. This pizza includes pepperoni, spicy sauce, habanero peppers, and hot honey, and it comes in Sicilian style (thick, square crust with crispy edges).

Purchasers of the Hellfire Pepperoni will also get some digital goodies thrown in. You'll get a timed-exclusive, in-game skin for the Doomslayer alongside a code for a one-month trial of Game Pass. Apparently Prince St. Pizza will also serve the pizza in a custom box, if you order takeout.

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Saber Interactive has embraced mod support for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 by releasing an official Integration Studio for modders of the co-op shooter to use.

Space Marine 2 Game Director Dmitry Grigorenko revealed and released the Integration Studio on May 10, posting a lengthy message about mod support in the Space Marine 2 Modding Hub Discord. "This is the exact same editor we use internally for all gameplay development," Grigorenko explained in his message. "No more editing files in Notepad and praying you didn’t miss a bracket — Integration Studio makes editing anything SSL-related ten times faster, safer, and more intuitive."

Although this is only the first iteration of the Integration Studio for modders, Grigorenko says it will already allow players to modify things like level scenarios, game mods, gameplay logic, AI behavior, the AI Director, combo logic, VFX, and the UI and HUD elements. He even shared some MS Paint-like concept art for a "Fishing With Daddy Calgar minigame," which is apparently possible with Space Marine 2's new modding tools.

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During PAX East 2025, Borderlands 4 developer Gearbox hosted a panel in which it revealed more details on the upcoming looter-shooter. One of the primary topics of conversation related to quality-of-life changes for co-op, as Gearbox is aiming to address complaints from previous games in the Borderlands series and apply these improvements to the sequel.

While we already know that the game will feature instanced loot for every player, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford also commented on how Borderlands 4 will have dynamically scaled difficulty for each player in co-op as well, to keep the game fairly challenging. Other big upgrades include a completely revamped lobby system, drop-in and drop-out co-op, and best of all, fast-travel to friends. Borderlands 2 is currently on GameSpot's list of the best co-op games, and while Borderlands 3 featured several improvements on this part of the gameplay experience, it wasn't a dramatic leap forward.

"Co-op is a religion to us. If you play co-op, it is best-in-class co-op by far," Pitchford said. "We have revamped the lobby system so it's easier than ever to connect with people, easier to get into a co-operative game. It's drop-in and drop-out, none of this play for three hours and then you can start co-op. No, just get in, people can drop in and drop out."

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Akira Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)

$20 (was $35)

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Akira 35th Anniversary Manga Box Set

$126.47 (was $220)

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Fans of the classic anime movie Akira can get the recently released Steelbook Edition 4K Blu-ray for only $20 at Amazon and Walmart. This special-edition printing of Akira released on March 4 for $35, and if previous editions in the same vein are any indication, it probably won't be available indefinitely. The regular 4K Blu-ray edition of Akira costs $18.64 (was $30) at the moment, so the deal on the Steelbook Edition likely won't be up for grabs for long.

Widely regarded as one of the best anime films of all time, Akira debuted in 1988 and remains popular nearly three decades later. The steelbook case is emblazoned with Katsuhiro Otomo's incredible art against a striking red backdrop.

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Sega has confirmed that Virtua Fighter 5 REVO will be ported to Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Virtua Fighter 5 REVO is an enhanced version of a fighting game that first hit Japanese arcades in 2006. It was released on PC in January and added features like rollback netcode and 4K support to Virtua Fighter 5. The news of these ports came during a Virtua Fighter Direct held on May 11. While no release date for these new versions was confirmed, Sega confirmed that cross-play support will come as part of the console release, so people can play together no matter what platform they play on.

Legacy Virtua Fighter Projects Producer Seiji Aoki also teased that "we're going to include even more content to make this much more than a simple port," but did not elaborate on what he meant by that.

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It's hard to believe that Season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us is almost over, but we're over the halfway mark with only two episodes left. Season 3 has already been greenlit, but fans have been theorizing on where the story will cut off. As teased in a preview video for Episode 6, next week's episode takes a step back to two years earlier as viewers will learn what caused the rift between Joel and Ellie.

This story contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2.

At the end of last night's episode, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) confronts Nora (Tati Gabrielle)--one of the WLF members who was there when Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) killed Joel (Pedro Pascal)--and tries to get information out of her about Abby's whereabouts. The scene slightly recreates the moment from the game where Ellie gives Nora the choice of making it quick or "making it so much worse."

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Tati Gabrielle has already received misogynistic and racist backlash to playing the lead role in Naughty Dog's next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. She said this in an interview, adding that Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann has been "bootcamp-ing" her about what to expect in this department.

She told EW that she's aware of the attacks that people like Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Troy Baker received for their roles in The Last of Us game series, and she's now part of that club with her role as Jordan A. Mun in Intergalactic.

"I got a lot of love, but there was a lot of hate over me being a woman, me being a woman of color, me having my head shaved, all these things that I didn't even actually initially see--I'm out of the social media zeitgeist for that reason--but once I did, Neil was like, 'Ignore it. No matter what, me and you, we're going to make something beautiful. We're going to make something that we're proud of,'" she said.

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May 12 marks an important day in the history of the Xbox, as 20 years ago, the Xbox 360 console was first revealed. Microsoft adopted a very different tactic for the debut of its Xbox successor, as instead of a grand debut at an event like E3--like what Sony would do for the PlayStation 3--it instead chose to show off the console on MTV in a special event hosted by Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood.

The show even offered a musical performance by The Killers, while other famous faces included rapper Lil' John and musician Ryan Cabrera. Microsoft was no stranger to leveraging star power at the time, as it had previously recruited Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to show off the original Xbox console alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 2001.

Called MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation Revealed, this was a wildly different approach when compared to how new consoles are revealed today. "Are you looking forward to the Xbox 360?" Wood asked Lil' John during the televised show. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting a free one tonight," the performer answered with brutal honesty.

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If you're hoping to see more remasters of classic Tony Hawk skateboarding games, you're not alone. Tony Hawk himself wants that, too, but he clarified in a new interview that it's not up to him.

Asked by Screen Rant if there could one day be a remaster of Tony Hawk's Underground (2003), Hawk said he has "aspirations" for this, but admitted, "It's not up to me generally."

That being said, Hawk said he'll make it his mission to "campaign all I can" to make it happen. But ultimately, Hawk said Activision will get to make the call. "I'm working with a much bigger company that's a lot smarter than me," he said.

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PC is typically considered the go-to platform for strategy games, but in the case of the Switch 2, XCOM creator Julian Gollop sees great possibility for the genre to expand on the new Nintendo console, thanks to Joy-Con 2s offering mouse-like controls. While we have seen several strategy games on console make use of a custom control scheme instead of the regular mouse and keyboard experience--Frostpunk 2 and Age of Empires 2: HD being prime examples here--fans of the genre typically prefer a more traditional approach to playing these games.

"I would never have guessed that as something they would add to the console, and it's a really interesting feature," Gollop said to GamesRadar. "Interestingly enough, a traditional-style mouse control RTS might work really well here, and also you've got at least a reasonable number of Switches you can use to substitute keyboard commands. It could be quite interesting. That's probably something I would look forward to. That adaptation of the traditional mouse and keyboard RTS using the Switch 2 controllers might be pretty cool."

Beyond the potential for strategy games--kicking off with Civilization 7 on Switch 2 launch day--mouse controls will also be implemented in a variety of other games and genres. First-person games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will offer mouse controls, and other games like Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster and Deltarune are also teasing a unique use of the controls.

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To say that the team behind Magic: The Gathering's upcoming Final Fantasy collaboration set is excited to launch would be an understatement.

"As we drove up to the convention center, there's this giant hotel-sized screen that says 'Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy on it," principal designer and set design lead Gavin Verhey said during a press preview event for the upcoming set. "We all just looked at each other and said, 'This is it, this is what we've been waiting for. It's finally happening.'"

Moments like this are what Verhey, executive producer Zakeel Gordon, principal game designer Dillon Deveney, and senior game designer Daniel Holt have dreamed of throughout the four-year history of the set's development. As the team reminisces about their time working on the expansion, both in Square Enix's offices in Japan and the Wizards of the Coast headquarters in Renton, Washington, our Zoom call lights up with smiles and laughter at the simple mention of cards like Summon: Bahamut, names like Yoshitaka Amano, and countless other references.

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Savage Raven NeoGrip for Nintendo Switch 2

$30

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StandGrip for Switch 2

$19 (was $27)

See StandGrip at Amazon See StandGrip Bundles at Amazon

Slim Carrying Case For Switch 2

$21 (was $30)

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Maxcarry Case

$30 (was $50)

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We're still a few weeks out from the Switch 2's launch on June 5, but we've already seen numerous third-party manufacturers release official accessories for the upcoming consoles--including Switch 2 editions of some of the best Switch grips, the Skull & Co. NeoGrip and StandGrip. Skull & Co. is one of the most popular Switch accessory manufacturers, and the new Switch 2 versions of the NeoGrip and StandGrip are sure to be popular--in fact, at least one bundle deal featuring the NeoGrip for Switch 2 and one of its new carrying cases has already sold out at Amazon. Luckily, you can still grab the Switch 2 NeoGrip for $30 and StandGrip for $19 (was $27), along with several other new Switch 2 accessories from Skull & Co. like carrying cases, screen protectors, and protective caps for the Switch 2's thumbsticks and buttons.

All Skull & Co. Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories and Bundles

• NeoGrip for Switch 2
  • NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $30
  • NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Black) -- $30
  • NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Black) -- $50 (Sold Out)
  • NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Neon Red and Blue) -- $50 (Sold Out)
• StandGrip for Switch 2
  • StandGrip For Switch 2 (three color options) -- $19 ($27)
  • StandGrip For Switch 2 + Front Cover Bundle -- $25 ($40)
  • StandGrip For Switch 2 + Carrying Case -- $33
• Carrying cases
  • Slim Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2 -- $21 ($30)
  • Maxcarry Case for Nintendo Switch 2 -- $30 ($50)
• Other Accessories
  • Thumb Grips Joystick Caps For Nintendo Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $10
  • Thumb Grips Joystick Caps For Nintendo Switch 2 (Black) -- $10
  • D-Pad Button Cap Set for Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $10
  • D-Pad Button Cap Set for Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 (Super Nintendo Colors) -- $10
  • High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 with install kit - HD Clarity (2-Pack) -- $20 ($30)
  • High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 - HD Clarity (2-Pack) -- $13 ($21)
  • High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 - Anti-Glare Matte Finish (2-Pack) -- $13

Savage Raven NeoGrip for Nintendo Switch 2 $30

The Savage Raven NeoGrip for Switch 2 is an ergonomic grip that includes three interchangeable grip sizes. It features a hard, durable construction to absorb the impact of falls. It's designed so you can use the Switch 2's kickstand and dock while it's attached to the console and won't block the game card slot, vents, or buttons, but can easily slide on and off if needed.

The NeoGrip for Switch 2 is available in Black or Neon Red and Blue. Amazon also lists a bundle featuring the Maxcarry case, though it's currently sold out.

NeoGrip for Switch 2

• NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $30
• NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Black) -- $30
• NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Black) -- $50 (Sold Out)
• NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Neon Red and Blue) -- $50 (Sold Out)

See at Amazon StandGrip for Switch 2 $19 (was $27)

The StandGrip for Nintendo Switch 2 is a wrap-around case with soft, protective material with a textured finish to keep the Switch 2 safe and make it more comfortable to hold. As the name implies, the bottom of the case features a flat 75-degree angle so you can stand it up in tabletop mode without needing the kickstand. The top of the case has dedicated cutouts for the charging and USB ports, exhaust vents, and game card slot.

The StandGrip for Swittch 2 is available in three color options: Jet Black, Smokey Black, and Galactic Purple. You can pick it up on its own, or in a bundle with either a front cover or a carrying case.

StandGrip for Switch 2

• StandGrip For Switch 2 (three color options) -- $19 ($27)
• StandGrip For Switch 2 + Front Cover Bundle -- $25 ($40)
• StandGrip For Switch 2 + Carrying Case -- $33

See StandGrip at Amazon See StandGrip Bundles at Amazon Slim Carrying Case For Switch 2 $21 (was $30)

Skull & Co.'s Slim carrying case for the Switch 2 is exactly what it sounds like: a durable zippered clamshell designed for keeping the Switch 2 safe while on the go but small enough to fit in backpacks and other bags or be carried by hand. The hard inner case is surrounded by a denim covering, and it features an adjustable hand strap. It's large enough to fit the undocked Switch 2 with the Joy-Con 2s attached, but not much else.

See at Amazon Maxcarry Case $30 (was $50)

Skull & Co.'s Switch 2 Maxcarry Case is a larger alternative to the Slim Carrying Case. It features similar durable construction but offers more internal storage space for accessories or for fitting the Switch 2 with either the NeoGrip or StandGrip attachments.

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If you're looking for more Switch 2 accessories, other third-party brands like JSAUX, Tomtoc, Satisfye, and Dbrand all have their own grips, carrying cases, and screen protectors available. We've rounded up some of our favorite Switch 2 grips in the list below.

Beyond grips, GameStop has its own line of budget-friendly Switch 2 accessories available. Of course, there's also Nintendo's official Switch 2 accessories as well, which you'll find listed in our Switch 2 preorder guide. If you're set for accessories, be sure to also check out our list of all the Switch 2 games available to preorder now.

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Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition

$70 | Releases June 5

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Sid Meier's Civilization VII is one of the Switch 2's launch games, arriving on June 5 alongside Nintendo's new console. While the game was revealed for the Switch 2 back when the console was revealed in April, it's now confirmed that Civilization VII is getting a $70 physical Switch 2 edition--though it should be noted that this is simply a code in a box. Nevertheless, if you're intent on displaying the game's box in your physical collection, you can preorder Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition now at Amazon.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition $70 | Releases June 5

This is the only physical version of Sid Meier's Civilization VII available for Switch 2. As mentioned above, this includes a download code for the game--specifically the Switch edition of the game and the Switch 2 Edition upgrade. There is no cartridge or Game-Key Card included in the box.

The Civilization VII Nintendo Switch 2 Edition supports larger in-game map sizes than the Switch version and adds mouse controls for the Joy-Con 2 and GameChat support. It also features enhanced visuals with up to 4K resolution at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps when docked.

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Note that anyone who already owns the physical or digital versions of Civilization on the original Switch can also upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition for $10 via the Switch 2 eShop. In fact, if you want to save about 10 bucks dollars, you can grab a boxed copy of Civilization VII on Switch for just $51 (was $60) at Amazon or Walmart, then upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition on June 5.

Alternatively, there's also the Civilization VII Deluxe Edition for Switch that's available for $70 (was $90) that adds extra content like the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack, the Crossroads of the World Collection, and the Deluxe Content Pack. This version can also be upgraded to the Switch 2 Edition, and all Deluxe Edition DLC will carry over.

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