A new update arrived for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on April 14 for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. With this game patch, Nintendo is celebrating the franchise's 25th anniversary and providing a few bug fixes as well. Players who download the update will receive an anniversary gift and special letter from Nintendo.

Downloading the version 3.0.2 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons gifts players with a new item called the Leaf Statue. This statue is designed as Animal Crossing's iconic leaf icon. In terms of size, this is a villager-size decorative item, and it even lights up. Players will just need to check their in-game mailbox to receive the Leaf Statue, and there's even a thank-you note from Nintendo.

The letter thanks players for 25 years of the franchise. The design of the in-game letter also pays homage to the very first game with a stamp of the Nintendo 64 logo, which is the platform of the very first Animal Crossing game released on April 14, 2001.

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Crimson Desert is, in many ways, exactly the type of game I've been waiting for.

It's got the enormous, sprawling setting of, say, an Assassin's Creed title, minus the laundry list of quests that often cause me to burn out on Ubisoft's massive open-world games. It encourages freedom and experimentation much in the same way as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but with a more consistent narrative drip-feed that keeps me coming back for more. Sure, it starts off a bit slow, but so far, it's largely been a fun ride. In fact, Crimson Desert is probably the best game I've played so far in 2026. Or it would be, if it weren't for the little twinge of doubt in the back of my mind that tingles every time I load up the game and leaves me wondering, "Is this AI?"

A large part of the discourse surrounding Crimson Desert has been a fairly black-and-white discussion about whether the game is "good." If all gaming discourse took place in a vacuum, I'd say it's a pretty solid 7/10 RPG. But we don't live in a vacuum. We live in a world where studios are increasingly outsourcing their work to generative AI and refusing to disclose it. Developer Pearl Abyss did just that with Crimson Desert, releasing the game on March 19, despite the fact that it was unpolished and featured a frustrating storage system, a bizarre control setup, and blurry graphics on PlayStation 5. Oh, and a load of AI-generated "placeholder" art that was "unintentionally" left in the game.

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Windrose is a new pirate survival game that allows you to tackle the pirate world as a lone captain or with a crew of your friends in online co-op. Multiplayer is fully supported, but there are some rules and restrictions that you'll want to know about before you attempt to play with your friends.

Below, we'll go into everything you need to know about co-op multiplayer in Windrose.

Co-op multiplayer explained in Windrose

For starters, Windrose only supports online co-op, meaning that there is no option for local split-screen co-op. You can only invite players to a world if they join on a different PC and they're connected to the internet.

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The Metro game series has never shied away from dark, disturbing subject matter, with warring factions fighting for control over what's left of a devastated post-nuclear-apocalypse Moscow. Despite this, series author Dmitry Glukhovsky says Metro 2039 is shaping up to be even darker.

Writing on Twitter (via PC Gamer), Glukhovsky made a very bold statement: "This Metro game will be darker than anything you've seen before."

This Metro game will be darker than anything you’ve seen before

— Дмитрий Глуховский (@glukhovsky) April 14, 2026

This is a series that has seen the absolute plight of humanity, as well as the mysterious Dark Ones, all while enormous, mutated animal creatures reign supreme above the metro station. It's a series where you're often given two choices, both of which are dark and disturbing, and must determine which one is the least horrible. Death is just around the corner for nearly any character, and there is very slim hope for the future. If Glukhovsky is this confident about 2039, then it might be best to alternate with something a little more cheerful when it eventually releases.

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An Elden Ring movie from A24 and acclaimed filmmaker Alex Garland is on the way, and if the movie keeps up with the popular popcorn bucket trend, fans believe they've worked out the perfect idea for it.

A post by FromSoftCentral (via GamesRadar) offers up the suggestion that Iron Fist Alexander should be the official popcorn bucket for the Elden Ring movie. Indeed, it's not difficult to imagine the jar being filled with buttery popcorn that moviegoers inevitably devour before the film even starts.

Iron Fist Alexander being the popcorn bucket would also be kinda weird because he is a living jar with ambition to become a mighty warrior, so eating popcorn out of his body means he is probably dead.

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One of the hallmarks of any Lego Batman game is the Caped Crusader's wardrobe. GameSpot can exclusively reveal that in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, the hero will be suiting up in the shinobi threads that he donned for the 2018 anime movie Batman Ninja.

While Batman started his adventure in feudal Japan equipped with his modern-day crimefighting outfit, it wasn't long before the battles took a toll on his equipment and he decided to embrace his new role as the Bat Clan's prophesied hero. It's a weird film, but one that did give us a Batman dressed for war in a suit of custom-made samurai armor and a Kabuto cowl shaped like his signature cowl. The suit itself would change once more, taking on a ninja-inspired look for Batman's climactic battle against the Joker.

According to the Wayne-Tech stats, the Batman Ninja outfit is average when it comes to nostalgia--the anime film isn't even 10 years old yet--but in the fields of aura-farming and intimidation? It scores really high.

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Disney's 20th Century Studios has announced a deal to develop a movie based on 99 Nights in the Forest, one of the most popular games hosted on Roblox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century won the rights in a "competitive" dealmaking process, though no other potential bidders were divulged, nor was the fee that 20th Century paid disclosed.

99 Nights in the Forest is developed by Grandma's Favourite Games and hosted on Roblox, and it ranks as one of the most popular games on the platform. The game was only just released in March 2025, and in that time, it's had more than 25.9 billion visits, according to the game's public stats. It had more than 174,000 concurrent players today, April 14, and peaked at 14.2 million players to rank No. 3 overall for peak concurrents.

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On the surface, Windrose might not look like an overly challenging survival game. You're a pirate who crash-lands on an unknown island, and all you have to deal with for the first several hours are dodo birds, boars, and some drowned zombie-type enemies. However, as you'll quickly learn, combat in Windrose can be extremely difficult, as enemies can deal massive amounts of damage to you in just a couple of hits.

To avoid seeing the death screen and having to run miles to retrieve your lost items, you want to ensure you're stocked up with as many healing items as possible. You can see a full breakdown of every way to heal in Windrose in the guide below.

Best ways to heal in Windrose

Unfortunately, at the start of Windrose, your options for healing items are pretty limited. In fact, the game doesn't give you any way to heal yourself for free off the bat, as you need to craft and loot ways to restore your HP for the most part.

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Marathon is getting a mid-season update today, and Bungie is placing an emphasis on teamwork while offering new players incentives to join the game. The biggest change is the CyberAcme Runner Reinforcement Initiative, which gives solo players and teams rewards if they finish objectives and extract themselves at the same time.

As laid out by Bungie, C.A.R.R.I. rewards will be paid out as CyberAcme Commendations, which can be used to purchase weapons, Reputation Packs, and other items from the C.A.R.R.I. Armory. However, the C.A.R.R.I. Armory will only be available through the end of Season 1.

To encourage more collaboration among players, Bungie is introducing a new feature called Stay Together that will allow runners who exfill together at the end of a run to keep the team-up going as a new crew. Players can also revive a downed enemy with the new Mercy Kit consumable with an eye towards turning them into an ally. However, Mercy Kits won't work on members of a player's crew or on the player themselves.

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Later this month, Diablo IV's ongoing Hatred Saga comes to a close with the release of its second expansion, Lord of Hatred. Set in the ancient island region of Skovos, the upcoming DLC digs deep into Diablo's past while setting a course for the series' future, though what that future might look like remains unclear. What is clear, however, is this final showdown between you, Lilith, and the Lord of Hatred himself, Mephisto, will forever change the shape of Sanctuary.

But before we delve into the series' future, Blizzard has opted to give us a deeper look into Sanctuary's past with the upcoming novel The Lost Horadrim. Written by Matthew J. Kirby, The Lost Horadrim follows Diablo IV fan-favorite character Lorath and Captain Adreona of the Amazons as the pair embark on an adventure across Skovos. With its promises of intense political conflict, lots of lore and plenty of mythical monsters and undead abominations to slay, The Lost Horadrim has been high up on our list of most anticipated reads for quite some time. Fortunately for us, we recently got the opportunity to read an excerpt from the book ahead of its release--and now, we get the chance to share a snippet of Kirby's atmospheric writing it with you.

Diablo IV: The Lost Horadrim (Novel)

$30 | Releases April 21, 2026

See at Amazon See at Barnes and Noble

To set the scene for readers, the author provided the following context: Donan journeys across Skovos in search of information regarding a lost expedition of Horadrim. But the seer he encounters may tell him more about himself than his brethren.

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Nothing beats a physical collection of movies for your home cinema--especially with streaming services being unpredictable--and Amazon is currently offering a great deal on 4K films. For just $33, you can stock up on a wide range of classics and modern masterpieces, building a sizable collection at an affordable price. Note that the deal only applies if you choose three or more eligible Blu-rays, with Amazon discounting each to $11.

That's a pretty good deal for something that normally costs around $20 on average, and many of these films also include a standard Blu-ray with extras. Digital streaming codes are also included with many releases, but they do have an expiration date, and there's a chance that they may no longer be valid now.

3 for $33 Movies on 4K Blu-ray

Get popular movies on 4K for only $11 each while supplies last.

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So what's worth picking up? Looking at movies that defined cinema over the decades, there's a lot of great stuff on offer. The influence of Blade Runner is still felt in contemporary sci-fi and Full Metal Jacket is a gripping drama about the dehumanizing training army recruits underwent during the Vietnam War. We'd also recommend Jurassic Park, a movie that rewrote the blockbuster rulebook, or Amadeus if you're in the mood for an epic period piece about dueling composers that still looks and sounds incredible.

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The pirate game Windrose is out now on Steam in early access, but many are wondering if developer Kraken Express might bring the game to console at some point. Here's what we know.

On the Windrose website, the developer stated that Windrose is confirmed only for PC via Steam right now. As for "future platform announcements," the studio said "keep an eye on official channels."

A spokesperson for Kraken Express told GameSpot, "The team doesn't have any other updates about Windrose on consoles but do want to reiterate that they are enthusiastic about eventually coming to consoles but are focused on 1.0 launch first."

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It's a big day for Roblox on PlayStation 5, as Roblox Corp. has launched a native version of the game for Sony's console, promising upgrades like 30% faster load times and a "smoother and more responsive" version overall. A native version of Roblox for Xbox Series X|S launched in September 2025.

Roblox is a platform that hosts games, and Sony spoke with Roblox creators about the new native edition of Roblox and what it offers. For the NFL Universe Football game, a developer from Voldex said the team can now add more content without fear of the performance impact.

"The door is wide open for us to test the boundaries on what's possible. I'm excited to see how we can push our visuals even further," the studio explained.

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The pirate game Windrose is out now in early access for PC, and one of its producers has now discussed a number of topics about it, including inspiration sources and why it dropped a free-to-play model.

Windrose Crew producer Phil, AKA Yar_maste, told Automaton that the consensus at the studio is that Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the "best pirate game of all time." Unsurprisingly, Black Flag was an inspiration for Windrose, Phil said, along with games like Valheim and Enshrouded.

"It's a combination of what we wanted to create and what we thought the players would want to play. We indeed love the pirate theme, and believe this niche is still underserved today," Phil said.

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Battle-hungry Pokemon fans will be thrilled to hear that Pokemon Champions is now on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The free-to-start title marks a step away from titles like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet or Pokemon Legends Z-A, and instead offers up quick online battles with other Pokemon fans all over the world. But what do you actually need to get started?

Table of Contents [hide]

• Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online for Pokemon Champions?

Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online for Pokemon Champions?

No, you do not need an active Nintendo Switch Online account to play Pokemon Champions. Much like some other online titles, such as Pokemon Unite, Fortnite, and Rocket League, you can play Pokemon Champions online with just an active internet connection.

Thankfully, no content is gated either, with every online multiplayer mode open to all players, whether they have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership or not.

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There's no shortage of boomer shooters out there for those looking for some retro-style first-person action: Cultic, Ion Fury, Prodeus, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, just to name a few. Yet only one of these nostalgic shooters meshes the genre's arcade sensibilities with the black-and-white rubber-hose visuals of cartoons from the 1920s and '30s and the unmistakable trappings of film noir.

Originally released as a tech demo that quickly went viral in 2023, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is now a fully-fledged game--one that oozes style and doesn't lack substance either. It's both familiar and incredibly niche at the same time; an endlessly charming game that I found a joy to simply behold, even before the cartoon bullets started flying.

Unsurprisingly for a game about furry rodents, Mouse: P.I. is all too fond of cheese-based puns and wordplay, so it makes sense that you should slip into the stylish trenchcoat of one Jack Pepper. The titular P.I. is a former war hero-turned-private dick working on a missing-persons case. As is par for the course, the investigation quickly spirals out of control, escalating into a complex web of intrigue and corruption that spreads to every sleazy corner of the city of Mouseburg.

It's an enjoyable and authentically noir tale, full of twists, turns, and all the familiar hallmarks of the genre, with femme fatales, morally ambiguous characters, and a tangled plot among its defining elements. While it's not a straight-up parody like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's "The Janitor Always Mops Twice," Mouse: P.I. doesn't take itself too seriously either.

The writing is witty and lighthearted throughout, playing up the genre's clichés with a comedic tone befitting its cartoon art style. A few fun concepts are also implemented to fit its unique world and add some breadth, such as its dairy-based narcotics and black ink as a substitute for blood. You can also find old newspapers hidden within each level that give Mouseburg a sense of history, with news of ongoing worker strikes and emerging political parties, as well as exposés on mob bosses.

The voice cast is excellent, too, particularly Troy Baker, who embodies Jack Pepper's sarcastic stoicism with a performance that's both hardboiled and humorous--adhering to the film noir genre with a knowing wink.

As the investigation takes you across Mouseburg's seedy underbelly, including unscrupulous movie backlots, city docks, subways, wetlands, a highfalutin river boat, and more, you're met with opposition from a range of armed criminals looking to stop you in your tracks. Fortunately, Jack Pepper is just as handy with a firearm as he is with a corkboard.

With each fleet-footed step forward, double jump, and wall run, it's evident that 2016's Doom was a source of inspiration for Mouse: P.I.'s arcadey mobility and combat. Movement speed is high, and perpetual motion is key to surviving any scuffle while laying waste to the mobsters, crooked cops, and cultists trying to snuff you out.

Whether you're strafing to avoid enemy gunfire, dashing away from thugs wielding steel pipes and baseball bats, or sprinting around the environment to grab health and ammo pickups, there's an energetic sense of momentum punctuating each shootout. The game doesn't shy away from violence either. With your weapon firmly ensconced on your right hip, each press of the trigger has the potential to create the kind of slapstick chaos that would make Itchy and Scratchy proud.

While heads pop off from shotgun blasts and the rapid fire of Mouse: P.I.'s referential Tommy Gun, the James Gun, there are far more experimental weapons in Jack Pepper's arsenal that could've come straight from ACME. A few pulls of the Devarnisher's trigger, for instance, will coat your foes in turpentine, melting the ink off their bones until they're nothing more than terrified skeletons--their bones rattling together with the same distinctive sound heard in Walt Disney's 1929 short film, The Skeleton Dance.

You can pick up and throw explosive barrels that ignite on impact, burning anyone unlucky enough to be in range until they're reduced to a pile of soot. Grand pianos and comically oversized anvils are a frequent sight, hanging precariously from the ceiling to tempt you into quite literally flattening an enemy or three. Mouse: P.I.'s combat may not be genre-defining, but it's absurd, fast-paced, and extremely satisfying.

However, I am a tad disappointed that the investigative side of the game is merely window dressing. You gather clues to advance the case, then pin each one to a corkboard to link the evidence and build a better understanding of how everything fits together, but the entire process is automated. It feels superfluous, and I would've liked to at least link the evidence myself, to feel like I was impacting the investigation beyond mowing down enemies.

Either way, the levels are well-designed, alternating between wide-open spaces and cramped corridors that force you to approach combat differently. There's a ton of verticality in most areas for you to take advantage of, too, and a decent variety of enemy types, from big guys who rush at you headfirst to others who wield wooden shields.

Anyone with a keen eye for exploration will also find plenty of secret areas in each level, tucked away behind hidden vents and optional platforming challenges. This is where you'll find the aforementioned newspapers, along with comic-book pages and collectible baseball cards you can use in Mouse: P.I.'s own tabletop minigame. This spin on America's favorite pastime isn't exactly on par with the likes of Gwent or Queen's Blood, but I still had fun playing a game or two in between missions. With Daniel "The Ra-ta-Train" Cruz hitting dingers and Joel Blunt painting the corners, I'm not afraid to say that my team dominated the tabletop diamond.

There's a special reward for winning 35 games, although a more traditional progression system is also in play to dole out a steady stream of upgrades for Jack himself. You can improve each weapon's damage output, ammo capacity, and also unlock alternate fire modes, such as the James Gun's spray and pray--complete with an animation synonymous with gangsters of the era. There are a number of traversal abilities to gradually unlock, too, including the aforementioned double jump and wall run. This sense of progression keeps things feeling fresh throughout the game's 11 hours, though some abilities feel underutilized, featuring heavily during the level they're unlocked in only to fall by the wayside later on.

Even with some minor shortcomings, there's nothing here that takes away from Mouse: P.I.'s crown jewel: its incredible art style. Each and every frame has been lovingly hand-drawn, recreating the rubber-hose animation of classic cartoons like Steamboat Willie and Betty Boop's May Party with striking aplomb. Characters and items of importance bounce on the spot with a joyous elasticity, their heavy ink outlines standing out against the softer matte style of the environments. There are reverential nods to some of the game's inspirations, such as a power-up that sees you down a can of spinach to immediately bulk up like Popeye the Sailor Man.

Even smaller details you might not always notice are a treat for the eyes. The ammo counter in the bottom-right corner features a different sentient bullet depending on which gun you're using, with the little guys typically buzzing with excitement or laughing maniacally each time you pull the trigger. The reloading animations are hypnotic, too, whether you're haphazardly stuffing a handful of slugs into a shotgun or draining another bottle of liquid on the side of the portable freezer. At both the macro and micro levels, Mouse: P.I. is a visual marvel that's always delightful to look at. Not to mention, it's all complemented by an original big band jazz soundtrack that nails the era's vibe and noir aesthetic.

There aren't many other games that pull off the same distinct art style as Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Cuphead is the only one that comes to mind, which makes it easy to fall for the game's presentational charms. There's rarely a frame that isn't bursting with style and creativity, and it's none too shabby as a retro-style shooter either. Mouse: P.I. might not reinvent the wheel, but its arsenal of weapons is punchy and delightfully varied, while the fluidity of movement makes for some thrilling, high-speed shootouts. In this instance, you should have no qualms about handing over money to the mouse.

There's no shortage of boomer shooters out there for those looking for some retro-style first-person action: Cultic, Ion Fury, Prodeus, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, just to name a few. Yet only one of these nostalgic shooters meshes the genre's arcade sensibilities with the black-and-white rubber-hose visuals of cartoons from the 1920s and '30s and the unmistakable trappings of film noir.

Originally released as a tech demo that quickly went viral in 2023, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is now a fully-fledged game--one that oozes style and doesn't lack substance either. It's both familiar and incredibly niche at the same time; an endlessly charming game that I found a joy to simply behold, even before the cartoon bullets started flying.

Unsurprisingly for a game about furry rodents, Mouse: P.I. is all too fond of cheese-based puns and wordplay, so it makes sense that you should slip into the stylish trenchcoat of one Jack Pepper. The titular P.I. is a former war hero-turned-private dick working on a missing-persons case. As is par for the course, the investigation quickly spirals out of control, escalating into a complex web of intrigue and corruption that spreads to every sleazy corner of the city of Mouseburg.

Continue Reading at GameSpot