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After a several-week delay, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are set to kick off tonight in the United States. While hundreds of thousands of hopeful gamers will likely be refreshing the websites of Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, hoping to be lucky enough to successfully push an order through and secure their piece of the first Switch 2 wave, Nintendo also asked interested players to register their My Nintendo accounts as interested in pre-ordering the upcoming system to enter into a lottery. However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa took to Nintendo's Japanese social media accounts to share some bad news regarding the lottery system.
According to a post shared on Nintendo's Japanese X account, Nintendo received 2.2 million interested players in Japan alone. If that number is truly representative of the number of players who want to purchase a Switch 2 in Japan, it would far exceed the initial Japanese sales numbers of the Switch 1, which, according to VentureBeat, reached just over 313,000 units in its first weekend. In the console's first month, Nintendo sold 2.74 million units worldwide, meaning that the 2.2 million Japanese registrations nearly reaches that number on its own.
According to Furukawa, Nintendo cannot fulfill all of those requests at launch. However, if you register through the My Nintendo Store and are not selected to purchase during the first wave, you will have another chance once the company can replenish its supply.
You can see the full translation of Furukawa's post from X below.
Hello, this is Furukawa. We have been procuring many materials and proceeding with production in advance so that we can deliver the Nintendo Switch 2 to you. On April 2nd, we announced details about the Nintendo Switch 2 and started accepting applications for the lottery sale on the My Nintendo Store. As a result, we received an extremely large number of applications, approximately 2.2 million people in Japan alone. However, this number far exceeds our expectations, and far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on June 5th. Therefore, unfortunately, we expect that a significant number of customers will not be selected when the winners are announced tomorrow, April 24th.
In order to avoid the trouble of those who were not selected in the first lottery sale having to reapply, My Nintendo Store will automatically carry over those who were not selected in the first lottery sale to the second lottery sale. However, even including the quantity for the second lottery sale, we cannot fulfill all of the applications we received. We deeply apologize for not being able to meet your expectations despite our prior preparations.
In response to this demand, we are currently working on further strengthening our production system. In addition, starting tomorrow, April 24th, game retailers and online stores nationwide will begin accepting pre-orders or lottery sales for the Nintendo Switch 2 console (please check the information of each retailer for details). The console will also continue to be sold at the My Nintendo Store after the release date (more details will be announced at a later date). With the cooperation of retailers, we will continue to ship the console and make efforts to get as many Nintendo Switch 2 consoles as possible into your hands.
We plan to continue producing and shipping a considerable number of Nintendo Switch 2 units in the future. We apologize for the delay in our ability to meet your expectations, and we appreciate your understanding.
Though Furukawa alludes to it, he doesn't directly say that Nintendo will be unable to fulfill demand through its retail partners. Still, with the company seeing such increased demand in its home country, players worldwide will likely encounter fierce competition and, more than likely, frustration while trying to get their hands on a launch model Switch 2. Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5. For more on the console, you can read our hands-on impressions here.
The rollout of information surrounding Nintendo Switch 2 has sometimes, in true Nintendo fashion, left us with more questions than answers. Whether you're talking about the pricing structure of individual games, the delayed pre-order date, or how specific console components will work, there has been quite a bit of grey area in the messaging surrounding the successor to Nintendo's best-selling home console. The Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller, which is designed for use with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GameCube library, has been one area where Nintendo has lacked clarity.
The team at Nintendo Life contacted Nintendo to clarify some points regarding the GameCube controller. While their question about whether the triggers are analog went unanswered, Nintendo responded to the outlet's question about compatibility with Switch and Switch 2 games outside of the GameCube catalog. "The Nintendo GameCube controller is designed for use with the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games and is an optional way to play those games," the statement Nintendo provided to Nintendo Life reads. "Since it doesn't have all the buttons and features found in other controllers that can be used with the Nintendo Switch 2 system, there may be some issues when playing other games. The Nintendo GameCube controller can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 and is not compatible with Nintendo Switch."
If you simply want to play GameCube games with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GameCube catalog, the good news is it will work with compatible Switch and Switch 2 controllers; there is no need to buy this to access the GameCube catalog. Additionally, Nintendo has confirmed that the USB GameCube Controller Adapter, which the company released so players could play Super Smash Bros. using the beloved gamepad, will work on Switch 2. However, you won't be able to access features like HD Rumble and access to the GameChat menu from the controller using the legacy controllers.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's GameCube collection arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 the day the system arrives on store shelves, June 5. For more Nintendo Switch 2 coverage, check out our hands-on preview of the console here.
The follow-up to 2020's acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei has garnered a lot of excitement following its announcement during a PlayStation State of Play livestream last September. The open-world adventure places players in the boots of a new samurai named Atsu 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. However, developer Sucker Punch Productions largely went quiet following the surprise reveal last year. That changed today, as the studio revealed additional details about Ghost of Yōtei, including the release date.
Players who have been waiting a half-decade to continue exploring Sucker Punch's stunning recreation of feudal Japan can now circle October 2 on their calendars. The game is available in the standard edition for $70, but if you're excited enough to want some bonuses, Sony is also offering a Digital Deluxe Edition as well as a physical Collector's Edition. The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $80 and includes in-game Snake Armor, exclusive armor dye and horse with saddle, a charm, an early unlock of the Traveller's Map, and a sword kit. Meanwhile, the Collector's Edition costs $250 and offers all the Digital Deluxe content (including a digital copy of the game), plus physical items like a sash, a tsuba, art cards, a papercraft ginkgo tree, and a zeni hajiki coin game with pouch.
The final inclusion of today's Ghost of Yōtei announcements is a trailer called "The Onryō's List." The story goes that 16 years prior to the events of the game, a gang called The Yōtei Six killed her family and pinned her to a burning ginkgo tree, leaving her for dead. She somehow survived the ordeal and what appeared to be a death sentence from the gang of outlaws and she harnessed that strength and motivation to learn how to fight, kill, and hunt. In Ghost of Yōtei, Atsu returns home with a list of the six names of those in The Yōtei Six, with eyes toward vengeance.
Using the same katana that pinned her to the tree, Atsu embarks on a mission to avenge her family. The story plays out in Ezo, which is known as Hokkaido today. New gameplay mechanics will allow the player to understand Atsu's past to fully come to know how much was truly stolen from her by The Yōtei Six. Sucker Punch claims it has built upon and evolved the way players can explore the massive open world, with more freedom and variety on offer than in Ghost of Tsushima. Atsu can choose which member of The Yōtei Six she wants to pursue first, while also claiming bounties, learning new skills, and exploring the natural beauty of northern Japan.
You can see the new trailer released by Sucker Punch Productions below.
Ghost of Yōtei arrives exclusively on PlayStation 5 on October 2. If you're hungry for more information surrounding the highly anticipated follow-up, Sucker Punch promises to show more in the approach to that date.
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Kepler Interactive Developer: Sandfall Interactive Release: April 24, 2025 Rating: Mature
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 drops you into its melancholy world with a refreshing lack of context. While the game is undeniably a fantasy RPG (with a smattering of science fiction), it blessedly does not begin with scrolling text explaining its universe. It may be confusing at first, but the trade-off is a fantastic opening few hours that establish the stakes quickly, get you fighting right away, and immediately set up a compelling mystery. In a genre known for slow starts, Clair Obscur steps right over that cliche with conviction and style, and that confidence persists throughout the whole adventure. I was eager to see the expedition's conclusion, but I did not want it to end.
In the world of Clair Obscur, the people of Lumière live under the oppressive thumb of the Paintress – a mysterious, gigantic creature seen in the far distance that draws a number on a mountainous pillar. That number dictates how many years people are allowed to live, and in an attempt to undo this, expeditions are sent to the mountain to figure out why this is happening and how to stop it. Despite sending expeditions for years, little, if any, tangible progress has been made. As the subtitle implies, the game follows Expedition 33 on their attempt.
The setup is compelling, and the execution is excellent. Following the team on their presumed suicide mission is often scary, frequently bizarre, heartbreaking, funny when you least expect it, abstract, and eventually rewarding. The cast is small and focused, and time is set aside to ensure you understand everyone’s motivation for joining the expedition, but without spending too much time on extraneous backstory. Their lives are all too short. Why spend too much time reflecting on the past when saving the futures of those back home is so important?
The overall pace is also excellent with plenty of room to pursue distractions, but if you just want to stick to the main path, that’s a viable option, and it moves along swimmingly. It makes comparable turn-based RPGs feel even more sluggish than they typically are.
Even if the story and its cast don’t pull you in (which I think is unlikely), the combat is a blast; I ran to every fight to see all the new enemies and learn their unique patterns. Much in the way the pace makes me reflect on the languid fighting speed of comparable RPGs, the combat similarly makes me wonder why I haven’t been having this much fun with other turn-based games. I was frustrated with the mechanics related to a mid-game narrative twist, but the effect on the story makes it worth dealing with some annoyance.
Surprisingly, the closest comparison is Nintendo’s Mario RPGs. Understanding weaknesses and making good choices is essential, but properly dodging and countering will make you feel like a god against all the godlike bosses you tackle. Countering, though challenging, is especially rewarding as explosive animations and sound design reward your perfect timing with huge damage numbers. Defeating powerful enemies offers the thrills of both using your suite of abilities with intelligence, and finally defeating that challenging song in a rhythm game. I was never fully comfortable, however, with how differently the characters in your party play. To keep everyone's disparate mechanics in my head was a little confusing, but it does undeniably help the variety, so I can’t complain much.
The narrative and combat are highlights, but Clair Obscur is also successful in its art direction. An early location that feels like it is underwater sets a high standard for what to expect when simply looking around the world. Though the later environments never quite reach as high as that early bar, I was always excited to see what was next. Early on, however, I was often lost and walked around in circles when trying to make progress. More maps for more locations would have been helpful. Clair’s somber piano music and haunting vocals also help to set a very specific, sad tone that just feels right considering what the characters and the player are going through. But then multiple combat themes bring the energy back up at precisely the right moment.
What I may admire the most about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is how firmly it embraces a familiar, if currently rare genre (big budget, artistically expressive, turn-based RPGs), but does so without falling into any of its traps. The adventure isn’t overlong, and you don’t spend more time than necessary fighting. The world, art, and narrative are unique, but it makes me nostalgic for a game I remember from the past. It’s as though developer Sandfall Interactive managed to make a classic RPG with only the good parts. I’m sad in a way to have concluded the journey, but the adventure to pursue the Paintress will linger with me for some time.
@game_informer “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is often scary, frequently bizarre, heartbreaking, funny when you least expect it, abstract, a blast to play, and ultimately rewarding.” — @kylemhilliard Full review at the link in bio. #clairobscur #expedition33 #rpg #jrpg #videogames #gamereview #gameinformer ♬ original sound - Game Informer
Score:
9
The Onimusha franchise is in the midst of a comeback. The original Onimusha: Warlords game released on PlayStation 2 in 2001 and received sequels and spin-offs until about 2006. The first game was remastered in 2018, and now a new game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, is coming next year, and on May 23, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny will get the remaster treatment. Ahead of the release of the remaster, we had a chance to speak with the game's original director, Motohide Eshiro. Eshiro worked on titles like Street Fighter II (he was in charge of Guile), and a number of other Capcom titles and franchises like Devil May Cry, Ace Attorney, and Ōkamiden. Back in 2002, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny was the first game he directed.
We spoke with Eshiro about the challenges of remastering a PlayStation 2 game in 2025, working with late actor Yūsaku Matsuda's wife to get his appearance right in the game, and if there is a future for games with pre-rendered backgrounds and locked-off cameras (there is for the right project).
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny remastered is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on May 23.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Game Informer: There’s a teaser for Onimusha 2 at the end of the first game with a different version of Jubei. What happened with that teaser and why did Jubei change so much?
Motohide Eshiro: So, we actually started Onimusha 2 while we were still developing the first title, Onimusha: Warlords. Onimusha: Warlords wasn't released yet when we started the project of Onimusha 2. We were still in the early stages for Onimusha 2 when Warlords came out, but we just wanted to announce that we are right now working on the new title, there’s going to be a new protagonist. The Jubei you see in the end of Onimusha 1 was really an initial design of Jubei. It wasn’t fixed yet, but we just wanted to announce the next title so the player would be excited for the new one. That is why we included him but no, eventually we just came up with a better design for him. That’s why we changed the design. But the previous design is still in Onimusha: Warlords.
Was a skin of that teaser version considered for the remaster?
No, we didn't consider having that initial Jubei skin for the Onimusha 2 remaster. It was really just an initial design for him. There were things that they still had to do, like give more quality and get more details. Also, we decided to use Yūsaku Matsuda’s face, an actor in Japan, so his face changed, not just his costume. It was just kind of an initial draft. We just wanted to show the Jubei that we have now in the remastered version. There were no plans to add that kind of skin for the remastered version.
Was it difficult to secure Yūsaku Matsuda’s likeness either for the first game or the remaster? Was it controversial to have the face of a deceased actor in the game in 2002?
Back then it wasn't that controversial. It was the producers’ decision to have someone like that and to use an active face for the game. We thought that would be a really fascinating thing to have him in the game. There was one big challenge to using Yūsaku Matsuda. He had already been deceased at that time when we decided to have him in the game.
All we could do was refer to images and films that he showed up in. We also didn't have the kind of face modeling tools for development at that time, so it was really kind of handmade, 3D models. It was a really big challenge for the creators, but I think we did a really good job recreating his face.
Eventually, as we were finalizing his face model, we had his wife, Miyuki Matsuda come to the casting studio and give instructions and directions for how they should adjust Yūsaku Matsuda’s face and adapt it to Jubei’s face. It was a really, big challenge, but I think that we did a great job to make his face meticulously.
His wife came to approve – was she excited to see her husband in the game?
I couldn't tell if she was really excited or not, but she gave really detailed instructions to us. Like, the eyebrows should be a little closer or like, you should change this part to make the appearance closer to real Yūsaku Matsuda. Her passion towards that face model told us that she really loved Yūsaku Matsuda and she just wanted to have his appearance in the game as close to his true appearance as possible. Personally, I think that she was excited to have Yūsaku Matsuda inside the game and the instructions she gave the team were really helpful.
This was my first time playing Onimusha 2. I was really surprised to see robots, TV screens, and there's a sequence where Jubei basically rides a jet ski. What went into the decision behind having technology in what is meant to be ancient world.
What we focused on was to kind of blend the western atmosphere and the Japanese atmosphere inside the game. Not just focus on feudal Japan and making it really Japanese, but we kind of had a blend and a mix of that kind of culture and having fictional and non-fictional aspects blended.
It is set in the feudal Japan era, but it has some fantastical elements like the demons and such. And the screenwriter – his name is Noboru Sugimura – he just came up with the idea that if you have this kind of modern technology inside the game, it will be really fun to see. It will be so compelling and people will enjoy seeing it. And those kind of fantastical contraptions and powers? They run them with the technology of Oni. So, that is something that stands out for the fantastical element. We think that it is really unique and makes Onimusha 2 stand out. I'm really happy that we were able to mix in those fantastical element inside this game.
What surprised you the most about revisiting Onimusha 2 after all these years?
I replayed the original title and to bring the assets – like carrying over the assets to the remastered version? That was surprising. I looked at the original assets and just noticed that the texture of the background and the 3D models were so, so detailed. The original version was held back by the hardware and playing on CRT TVs. But now we can use full, HD monitors for the modern consoles, enabling us to bring out those details. To see those assets that we originally had in the game, that was something really surprising for me.
There’s a scene on the beach, and the water looks incredible. I was curious how, whether in the remaster or the original game, did you get the water to look so good?
Back then, when we were developing the original title, we went outside and filmed the environment. Real flowing rivers and the surface of ponds, and as you mentioned, waves near the beach. We just filmed it and processed it so that we could use it as a background inside the game. That’s why they look really natural and high quality. It just conforms to real life, so that’s why it’s in high quality.
Onimusha 2 is getting a remaster. A new Onimusha is on the way with Way of the Sword. I am not complaining, but why now?
After we released Onimusha: Warlords the remastered version, Onimusha 2 Remastered was always the next candidate for the next project. It has always been in the lineup for which title to work on next. But it was just a matter of circumstances and timing to work on the Onimusha 2 Remastered project. But after we released Onimusha: Warlords Remastered, the development team broke up and they worked on different titles.
But now, everything came together and we were able to start developing it and we also announced Onimusha: Way of the Sword. At that time, we thought, “Maybe this is the best timing to start developing Onimusha 2: Remastered version.” And now more and more people will be getting interested in the Onimusha series through the new title, and then people will come back to the classic titles through this remastered version. I'm really happy that we were able to have these titles come back again and also lead them to the next new title.
Would you like to also revisit Onimusha 3 and Dawn of Dreams?
Talking about the Onimusha series as a whole, I, personally, would be really excited to see Onimusha 3 remastered. But, Onimusha: Warlords, Onimusha 2, Onimusha, 3 – they all had different directors, so they all have a kind of different vibe. And so, in that sense, I wouldn’t work directly on an Onimusha 3 remastered version. But I would like to see Onimusha 3 be remastered so that more people will get into the series.
I found Onimusha very scary when I was young, but now, all these years later, I actually find it very funny and humorous. Was that always the intention? Or is it just that I'm playing a 20 year old game?
I worked on the original version of Onimusha: Warlords before working as the director for Onimusha 2. I was a game designer on the first game and back then, we didn't intentionally create the game to make it goofy or funny. We wanted to bring out more of a horror taste for it. But, with that said, we did kind of design the demons to be distinctive and unique so maybe some of them will be funny and goofy. But, at least when we were developing the first title, we didn't aim to make a funny atmosphere.
I was surprised and happy to see so many Onimusha 1 locations in Onimusha 2. Thinking back to that era of games, revisiting previous locations was not a common practice. Resident Evil: Code Veronica did it and Pokémon Gold & Silver, as well, but that was about it. Was this done as a cost-saving measure at the time? Or were you hopeful players would feel nostalgic for the old locations?
It was not about saving costs or making people feel nostalgia. It was more about how the story unfolds throughout Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny. We have the same villain for both titles, Nobunaga Oda, and he's based in history and important events related to him happened at Gifu Castle and Inabayama Castle. It was just about focusing on that villain. We thought it would be good to have that area inside of Onimusha 2, because the villain is Nobunaga again, and we should have players revisit that castle to show his cruelty and the evil side of the character.
We also have the gate made by demons inside the castle in common between the two castles. We have that castle for both sides. So, it wasn’t about saving cost or nostalgia.
Speaking of Nobunaga, why didn't you fight Nobunaga in Onimusha: Warlords?
When we developed the first title, Onimusha: Warlords, I wasn't the director. I wasn't directly involved in the process of making the characters and how they would be involved in the storyline. As far as I know, the director of the first title wanted Nobunaga to be a kind of distinctive character to have in the first game and not necessarily the final boss. For Onimusha 2 I thought, “What happens if the protagonist in the second title could fight against Nobunaga?” So, the creation of the second game was kind of based on that imagining. So, at least for Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, we wanted to include Nobunaga as the ultimate villain and the final boss.
For Onimusha 1 and 2, fans often refer to it as feudal Japan, samurai, Resident Evil. Is that a fair comparison? Was that part of the original pitch for either of the games?
I do admit that the fundamentals of that kind of game system is in both titles, Resident Evil and Onimusha. Pre-rendered backgrounds and locked cameras is something common between those types. The players who played Resident Evil really loved those kinds of pre-rendered backgrounds, so they've got those kind of game systems fundamentally in common, but we wanted to make a completely different game with a different vibe. So, we didn't make the game based on Resident Evil. We just imagined it would be really fun to have a game based on feudal-era Japan with samurai, but different from Resident Evil. Onimusha is like Resident Evil in terms of game systems, but in terms of the gameplay, it's completely different. The lore is also completely different. I personally think that it's really a completely different title and series.
Pre-rendered backgrounds, locked-off cameras – is there a world where we get a new game like that in the future? Or is Capcom never going to do that again?
It depends on whether or not there is the game that fits that system, having pre-rendered backgrounds and locked cameras. I personally love games with the pre-rendered backgrounds and such and think they have their own unique strengths compared to full 3D titles. It would be really fun to have a new title with that kind of game system, but it just depends on whether or not there is a game to really match that kind of system.
You know what would be a good one that would match that system? Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
Well, I am not directly involved in the development of Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I can't say if it will be good or not. I'll leave that one to the players that will enjoy that game when it releases next year.
Considering the support characters in Onimusha 2, it made me wonder if co-op was ever considered.
We didn't consider having co-op. What we wanted to have was for Jubei to interact with the allies and build relationships with them and get along with them. It’s really a single-player game, but I wanted to also portray the human depth of the allies. So, when you give gifts to the allies, you see their reaction and expression, but you don't see like an affinity gauge above their character that directly tells you if they love their gift or not. I wanted similar reactions that you have in real life with people. Like, if you give a gift to someone, you see their reaction to see if they're happy or not. Affinity gauges would make the game too game-like, so what we focused on was making the players feel like they are Jubei, but then they can interact with the allies.
In that sense, we didn't kind of consider building co-op features inside the game. We just wanted players to feel like they are Jubei and they are fighting alongside the allies.
Were there any unexpected challenges to remastering Onimusha 2?
What was kind of unexpected is that the original title is from more than 20 years ago on PlayStation 2, so we didn't have the kind of game engine we have these days. We had to directly run the program on the PlayStation 2 system, but this time for the remastered version, we adopted RE Engine which we use for most of the modern Capcom titles. But they can't just directly port the original program to the RE Engine. We had to build the structure from scratch, so that was a really challenging and tough work for us. But the team did really a great job, and now we can play the game with 60 fps smoothly, so we are really happy that we were able to overcome that challenge.
Would you ever want to see a full remake of Onimusha 1 and 2 in the way that Capcom has done the Resident Evil games?
I would love to have some kind of a remake, especially for Onimusha 2. The original version was the first title I directed. It really has a special place in my heart, so I would love to see a version of Onimusha 2 with the Onimusha 3 camera – rotating cameras and 3D models like what we have for the Resident Evil remakes. Personally, I’d be happy if Capcom offered me the chance to work on such a title.
Do you think we'll ever see Jubei again in an Onimusha game in the future?
His storyline is kind of complete. He doesn’t really have anything to add to the story. But maybe one day you will see Jubei in some kind of title. From this point, though, I don’t know if we will see Jubei somewhere. But I would be happy to see Jubei somewhere in the future.
The game doesn't really make this clear, but I was wondering if you could tell me who the greatest swordsman of all demons is?
Of course it will be Gogandantess. Are you asking for an impression? [laughs]
Will we see Gogandantess again? He's a guy who should show up again.
Nobody knows since Jubei defeated him. It would be fun to see him somewhere in the future. Jubei defeated him, but maybe we will get lucky.
In the lead-up to Game Informer's return back in March, I wanted to replay two of my favorite short, instant-action experiences. I hadn’t played Super Mario 64 or Portal all the way through since their original releases on Nintendo 64 and Xbox 360/PC, respectively, and they both rank highly on my favorite games of all time, so I was excited to return to these formative experiences. While they are foundational video games for entirely different reasons, one common thread tied them together in my mind when I played them back to back: their mastery of tutorialization.
In most cases, a video game tutorial is similar to learning how to conjugate verbs in a foreign language. Yeah, it’s no fun, but it’s essential to building a foundation that will give you the tools you need to thrive moving forward. In many games, tutorials are doled out gradually in either a dedicated section before the proper game starts or through early missions full of pop-ups. It feels like prepping you for a long journey ahead, which is apt, given that is exactly what most games have become at this point.
When the Nintendo 64 launched in 1996, the Super Mario 64 development team had the unenviable task of not only teaching players how to play their new game, but also the 3D platforming genre as a whole. Toads are scattered throughout Peach’s Castle, Lakitu gives you a crash course on controlling the camera, and there are sometimes pop-ups explaining new mechanics, but they are few and far between. The main tutorial happens outside the castle, where Mario emerges from a pipe and is immediately given a rudimentary playground with no enemies or hazards. It’s here that first-time players likely discover Mario’s ability to triple-jump, climb trees, and even swim. Having the first unspoken mission of Super Mario 64 as “enter the castle” also requires players to familiarize themselves with joystick controls in a 3D space – likely for the first time if they were playing it in 1996.
The Portal developers had less foundational tutorialization to lay, but their challenge instead was in the fact that gamers already knew how physics-based puzzles and first-person shooter gameplay worked. So when the team at Valve introduced a completely new mechanic that changes every aspect of the experience, they had to essentially break players out of habits they had developed from years of playing games like Halo, Quake, and even Valve’s own Half-Life. Valve seemingly knew this, which is why they coined the term “thinking with Portals” to describe the sensation of when you finally start breaking your brain out of established habits and start learning new skills and ways of thinking that become second nature for the rest of your time playing it.
It’s a similar sensation to what I experienced playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. I’ve played through Breath of the Wild in its entirety twice, so when Tears of the Kingdom introduced transformative elements to incredibly familiar gameplay, it took me tens of hours to remember that I could phase through ceilings, fuse weapons, or even build tools and vehicles. Tears of the Kingdom does a fine job of on-ramping you to these new mechanics, but it doesn’t feel like it rewires your brain the way the opening puzzles of Portal do.
Portal tosses seemingly insurmountable puzzles at you right off the bat, but even before that, when you fire your first Portal to exit Chell’s stasis room, the act of simply seeing Chell from a different angle through the Portal was enough to understand how portals work. Yes, GLaDOS peppers in hints and nudges amidst her bullying, but it’s balanced against the feeling of throwing players into the deep end until they are forced to swim, or in this case, rewire their brains to think with portals. After the initial moments of the game telling you how to fire your portals, the slow introduction of mechanics never feel overly turotialized or hand-holdy. Instead, they simply feel like the next evolution, the next step up, as more mechanics overlap en route to the final approach to your confrontation with GLaDOS. It’s a short and sweet experience, but one that is appropriately paced and with mind-melting mechanics that feel perfectly taught.
Perhaps the most stark difference comes when you juxtapose these approaches to tutorialization against bigger, more complicated modern experiences. I don’t have the answers for how a studio should teach me how to play a game like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but what I do know is that every time I turn that game on, I have to read through the controls screen again or die multiple times before I remember how to perform even basic tasks. The hours I’ve spent playing through the in-game lessons disguised as missions in Shadows – not to mention the hundreds of hours I’ve poured into the series as a whole – arrive in a way that my brain just doesn’t retain them. Maybe it’s the fact that many are delivered via a text pop-up, or maybe it’s because there are so many distinct actions at your fingertips at any given moment. In contrast, Mario and Portal are relatively simple in the number of actions you can perform. Still, I can’t help but feel there has to be a better way for modern games to supply these instructions in ways that are not only memorable but also fun.
Super Mario 64 and Portal blazed enough trails that there are any number of reasons game designers should study them. But when playing tutorials in most modern games feels like the eating-your-leafy-greens portion of the overall experience, it tells me that more lessons are still to be harvested from these seminal games. That’s not to say that no modern games have good tutorials – look no further than two of the best games of 2024, Balatro and Astro Bot, as examples of good introductions. But those stick out as strong examples for less complex games. Most games today are far more complicated than in 1996 or even 2007, and as a result, require more in-depth tutorials. But if Portal, Super Mario 64, Balatro, and Astro Bot are any indication, simplicity, streamlining, and learning from doing instead of hearing or reading can help players absorb the information and stay engaged through what can sometimes be the most boring part of a game.
Wildgate is an upcoming multiplayer shooter in which five space crews battle for a legendary artifact until they escape with their prize or die trying. It's reminiscent of player-versus-player combat in Sea of Thieves, if it was set in the cosmos. At match start, every ship begins with the bare essentials, but crews may quickly begin upgrading their vessel by scouting for new locations, fighting off space's many creatures, or by directly facing off with another player group.
Special guests Eric Van Allen (Axe of the Blood God, IGN, But Why Tho?) and Jesse Vitelli (IGN, Digital Trends, Game Informer) join me to spotlight this promising title in this New Gameplay Today episode.
Watch Wildgate in action:Thanks for watching!
The long rumored, then half-confirmed, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has finally been legitimately revealed. This morning, Bethesda shared a livestream showcasing the game and explaining their love for arguably the most important entry in the franchise, even if it is not necessarily the most popular. Virtuous developed the remastered version of the game. Bethesda's Todd Howard also made reference to the fact that work on the sixth Elder Scrolls is obviously continuing, but the stream was wholly focused on Oblivion.
The Remastered subtitle is almost as misnomer as footage of the game does make it look like a complete remake. Seeing screenshots and gameplay of the two games side by side shows a stark difference. Every asset was redesigned, and the Unreal Engine has allowed the team to create a significant overhaul in the lighting department. Lip-syncing has also been improved to, hopefully, make speech look better. All of the "quirky" dialogue remains, but new voiceover has been recorded to make the races feel more unique.
Gameplay has also been addressed with significant changes to the game's feel, UI, and audio design. New effects and better enemy hit reaction should also make combat feel better. Sprinting has also been added to the game, despite internal debate about whether or not it should be included. The minigames, like lockpicking, however, remain mostly untouched.
Bethesda also confirmed that all of Oblivion's add-ons and expansions will be included, but the stream did not make reference to Oblivion's notorious horse armor.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is available today on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
Nintendo Of America President Doug Bowser Says 'Stay Tuned' When Asked About New Mainline Mario Game
When Nintendo held its Nintendo Direct to showcase the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this month, many assumed a mainline Super Mario Bros. game was a given. After all, the last time we received a full 3D Mario game was with 2017's Super Mario Odyssey. Even if you want to include Bowser's Fury, which launched as a side game to the Switch re-release of Super Mario 3D World, as the most recent 3D Mario game, that title came out nearly four years ago. Though Donkey Kong Bananza looks to fill the 3D platformer space in Nintendo's launch-window lineup for Switch 2, and Nintendo's primary mascot and his friends will be well-represented through Mario Kart World, the absence of the Super Mario Bros. franchise was surprising.
Speaking with CNN earlier this month, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser didn't reveal much when asked about Mario's absence, but he did deliver what could be perceived as a tease. "Stay tuned," Bowser told CNN. "You know, we have a long, long catalog, and a long list of (intellectual property) that I'm sure will make its way to the platform."
Obviously, it would be absurd to imagine a world where Switch 2 never gets its own Mario game, so you could interpret Bowser's potential tease as simply stating the obvious. Looking at the calendars in past years, Nintendo has traditionally delivered a Nintendo Direct detailing the games of the second half of the year in late June, then another in the fall/holiday time frame. With Nintendo Switch 2 launching June 5, it's possible Nintendo wanted to use the Switch 2 reveal Direct focus on the near-term titles like Mario Kart World (launching June 5) and Donkey Kong Bananza (launching July 17), in addition to previously announced titles like Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, while saving new announcements for this holiday season for a later presentation.
Super Mario Odyssey arrived the same year as the original Nintendo Switch, while Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury came to Switch in 2021. In the meantime, we received an all-new 2D adventure in 2023 in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Still, many fans are curious about the future of the 3D side of the Super Mario series. Perhaps we'll learn more in the coming months if Bowser is in fact teasing this.
[via IGN]
Were you surprised we didn't get a 3D Mario game during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct? Do you anticipated we'll learn about one before the end of 2025? Do you think it'll be more like Super Mario Odyssey or Bowser's Fury?
At long last, it seems we are finally getting that big remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And that’s just the bee's knees. I loved Oblivion. So why don't I feel very excited?
Oblivion floored me when I first played it on PlayStation 3 in 2007. It was my first exposure to not only the series but also to big, open-world western RPGs. The level of freedom astounded me, from the moment Emperor Patrick Stewart freed me from my prison and the Jurassic Park-like reveal of Cyrodiil that followed, to finding out I could kill a dude and be invited to join a cool club of totally normal cloaked samaritans with good intentions. You’re saying I can climb (read: awkwardly skip upwards) that mountain in the distance? I’m sold.
It was the first time since Grand Theft Auto III that I felt I had limitless opportunities in a video game. That freedom was so intoxicating that I tolerated the game's horrendous menu and inventory system, constantly having to jump to accelerate the strange passive stat leveling system, and the litany of mechanically awkward interactions that have since aged into a blend of peak comedy and modern art.
With those warm memories at the forefront, I pored over the leaked screenshots of the remaster and found myself simply thinking "neat." My muted reaction has little to do with the alleged facelift potentially sapping the original world of its whimsical glow. Slowly but surely, I realized a remaster can't capture the core of why Oblivion made such a mark in my life; it gave me something I had never experienced at the time. That has very much changed.
In the whopping 18 years since I finished Oblivion, I've experienced the same freedoms it offered many times over in other games – and done better, at that. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Red Dead Redemption II, and Oblivion's own sequel, Skyrim, have all outclassed the 2006 RPG in one aspect or another, whether it's boasting bigger worlds, better quests, superior combat, or stronger storytelling. No NPC has topped Oblivion’s Annoying Fan, however, including Bethesda itself (at least you tried, Starfield). So if I’m more likely to taint my near two-decade-old memory of the game by unfavorably comparing it to what's come after, what would I be coming to this remaster for?
Oblivion was a great game, but what I want to experience again most of all is the intangible excitement that came from it being a novelty. A remaster can't scrub my brain clean of my overexposure to games of its ilk. That's one of the unfortunate but inevitable drawbacks of any remaster (or remake, for that matter). Sure, Oblivion will look much nicer, and I'll check it out in the name of nostalgia and media-obligated science, but I'll really be chasing a high that is simply unattainable.
Remasters are great for making games look and play "the way you remember them," but they can't make you feel the same way you did the first time. Some come close; the Dead Space remake added new mechanical bells and whistles to make the game even scarier on the second go around. Metroid Prime Remastered reinforced that title as one of the best ever, and there are still few shooters like it. Perhaps it's because Oblivion is one of the originators of a now oversaturated genre that the idea of going back to it is less appealing without that now-expired novelty factor.
It could also be that Bethesda's RPGs have been losing their usual iron grip on me since Fallout 4. The novelty of freedom that their adventures once monopolized has now been plundered by other games, leaving me to see the aging warts in their titles without the thick layer of magic to obscure them. I bounced off Starfield pretty hard, so can what's essentially an 18-year-old version of that basic blueprint hook me the same way it once did? I'm not sure.
To avoid sounding too much like a sourpuss, I'm very much open to being proven wrong. I don’t know what the remaster would have to do to recapture my love in other ways; maybe my lengthy time away from it will make it feel "new" again. In recent years, I have found myself enjoying more throwback-style games such as Hi-Fi Rush and, most recently, South of Midnight, whose simpler templates feel refreshing in the current landscape. The Oblivion remaster could land with me in the same way: a fun time machine to before open-world RPGs became overly complex and bloated affairs.
It's probably healthy that I’ve recalibrated my expectations for this potential remaster from "rose-colored" to "realistic." I’m less likely to kid myself into thinking I'd be having the same type of fun I did in 2007. I’m not saying I won’t experience some degree of enjoyment and will suddenly hate the game. But will I be as utterly enchanted as I was as a 19-year-old who didn't know video game worlds could be that expansive? Absolutely not, and I'm coming to grips with being okay with that.
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Added missing files for Taunt: The Travel AgentAdded No Hat styles for the Cozy Cover-UpAdded VScript support for HIDEHUD_MATCH_STATUS flag to hide the Match Status panelAdded a borderless window option to video settingsAdded bicubic lightmaps (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)Added radial fog (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)Added support for Steam NetworkingMade the default server name for listen servers include the player's nameMade the game launch in native resolution by default instead of 640x480Client-side prediction fixes (these fix 'jank'/rollback in certain situations)Fixed a prediction bug where if the player was moved on the client, their input-based movement for that tick was not taken into account in non-player actionsImproved prediction for walking on props and other entitiesMade certain client-side entities only trigger local prediction errorse.g. If the viewmodel experiences a prediction error, the player will not experience a prediction errorFixed prediction of viewmodel swayFixed a prediction error regarding weapon idle animationsFixed certain breakable props not gibbing correctlyFixed an issue where certain variables like position would not be updated correctly to match the server in certain situationsFixed the player's base velocity (eg. conveyors, moving items etc.) getting subtly out of sync from client/serverFixed players being able to spam duel cancellation messages for a duel that doesn't existFixed not being able to join community servers via Steam invites or game infoFixed lighting position discrepancies for cosmetic items, weapons, and viewmodels (community fix from ficool2)Fixed Equipped label overlapping attribute icons in the loadout menu (community fix from Lindon)Fixed an issue with props and team colors when taunting with Australium weaponsFixed the Voices from Below effect not working when taunting with the Highland Hound set equippedFixed player voice commands being abruptly ended when the player enters shallow waterFixed incorrect number on the Geneva Contravention achievement iconFixed the Military Style for The Surgeon General to stay properly semi-visible at all anglesFixed some classes missing the BLU team material for That '70s ChapeauFixed the Spanish-Latin America option being displayed as English in the Settings menuFixed the MOTD dialog not working for Spanish-Latin AmericaUpdated attribute descriptions for The Scottish Resistance and the Stickybomb Jumper to use 'stickybomb' instead of 'pipebomb'Updated equip_region settings for The Little Bear, The Heavy-Weight Champ, The Grand Duchess Tutu, and the Combat Slacks to fix unnecessary conflictsUpdated the Spooky Night and Ominous Night Unusual taunt effects to fix a visual bug (Thanks Kiffy!)Updated koth_overcast_final to improve optimizationUpdated ctf_applejackAdded block bullets to some storesUnblocked a window at mid, allowing Snipers to shot across the middle hutRemoved the missing texture in BLU spawnGave a chicken a friend, because friendship is magicUpdated cp_fortezzaNew radio model for spawn roomsChanged sentry shack ammo pack on last to a mediumAdjusted health pickups throughout the mapChanged kill volume on cap A double doors to be more consistent with visualsImproved bot support (Thanks Star Bright)Detail passUpdated pl_patagonia[Stage 1]Fixed some RED bots stuck forever trying to make an impossible jump on the stairs outside spawnFixed the cart not capping the first point on extremely rare occasions[Stage 2]Improved optimizationFixed a nodraw floor near the first BLU spawn train bridge waterfallFixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2[Stage 3]Improved optimizationFixed wrap assassin baubles colliding with a solid func_brush bounding box outside BLU spawnRemoved the platform above the open choke of the last pointAdded an additional path to the window overlooking the open choke of the last pointFixed RED bots getting stuck on a solid fence outside the RED spawnFixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2
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An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed the Battle Balaclava's "No Gloves" style hiding the Heavy's handsFixed broken materials for The Westcoat's "Ugly" styleAdded smoke effect to The Checkered PastUpdate the Buck's Brim's "Bad" styleFixed broken materialsAdded smoke effectUpdated cp_fortezzaDetail improvementsImproved clippingUpdated koth_cachoeiraFixed players being able to get stuck in certain displacementsVarious clipping improvements throughout the mapVarious miscellaneous fixes (Thanks Midnite!) Improved bot navigation (Thanks Katsu!)
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Updated the Brain Cane to fix problems with the texture and phong valueUpdated The Battle MusicAdded missing Hat styleFixed the models due to clipping on Heavy's ears and misalignment on EngineerImproved and strengthen the Noise CancellationUpdated the materials to fix it not being shinyUpdated the backpack icon to reflect the materials changeUpdated cp_gravelpit_snowyFixed potential incompatibility with external VScript files (thanks Le Codex!)Re-implemented cubemap reflections in ice caveFixed perch spotsUpdated vsh_distillery, vsh_maul, vsh_nucleus, vsh_outburst, vsh_skirmish, and vsh_tinyrockRestored Hale's resistance to knockback back to 75%Reduced bonus flame damage against Hale from 50% to 25%Hale can now do 1 extra Brave Jump before the Jump Fatigue kicks in (thanks Wendy)Weighdown is no longer blocked by the Jump Fatigue (thanks Wendy)Removed area-of-effect of Hale's normal punches (thanks Wendy)Demoman shields now absorb 70% of Saxton Punch! damage (compared to normal 50%) to make the following launch into the stratosphere survivableFixed Hale taking mini-crits from Direct Hit and Reserve Shooter while underwater (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed airborne mini-crits of Direct Hit and Reserve Shooter applying against the wielder (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Hale being able to stomp while underwater (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Sweeping Charge not working against underwater opponentsFixed the bug that prevented Quick-Fix from mirroring a patient's wall climbing (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Hale's faulty ground detection (thanks Bradasparky)Fixed Baby Face's Blaster's loss of boost not applying correctly (thanks Whurr and MilkMaster72)Fixed the voice lines refusing to play sometimesUpdated pl_patagoniaStage 1Fixed the cart going under the elevator in extremely rare occasions (Thanks Shocked) Fixed sometimes hearing outside soundscapes inside blue spawnFixed being able to build in a very high rooftop after point AFixed being able to build in blue spawnCart elevator is no longer the glitchiest thing in the universeFixed cart not rolling back after completing the elevator descent sequenceNow, if the cart is rolling into the elevator in overtime, the round timer will be set to 5 seconds left, to avoid unfair loses for blue. Timer will resume once the cart reaches the bottom (Thanks I. C. Wiener).Stage 2Removed rollback from the train container ramp in last point (Thanks b4nny)Gave blue more high ground for last pointAdded an additional dropdown for blue for last pointFixed being able to be teleported into red spawn as blue after capping point ARemoved long hill rollback before point CFixed bots getting stuck on the closed train doors after cap BFixed being able to leave stickies inside blue last spawnFixed being able to get stuck in the point C shortcut door for red. If you get trapped, it will kill you.Fixed a pop-in issue relating to areaportals below point BFixed being able to enter the last blue spawn as redBirdie (Thanks Explocivo808)Stage 3Added a fenced section for the long wood cover wall in last point (Thanks b4nny)Mirrored the window sniper spot in last point chokeFixed being able to build behind a displacement rock wall in last pointRemoved troll teleport spot in last point ending rampAll StagesSlightly lowered sun brightness and slightly raised skylight brightnessImproved skybox transitionsThe cart no longer tries to defy the law of physicsNinjaneers have more freedom to be ninjasThe bots have learned how to play the mapGave the cart another coronación de gloria
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Updated the Dapper Noel to fix an issue with the meshUpdated vsh_maulFixed broken areaportalsChanged some props in the upper area that could be mistaken for a large ammo pack
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Added missing No Gloves style for the Consigliere's CoverupAdded missing Versus Saxton Hale kill iconsAdded some tournament medalsFixed Taunt: Curtain Call voice lines overlapping with other Spy voice linesFixed the Playful Aurora and Frisky Morning Unusual effects not moving correctlyUpdated Aurora Skies Unusual effect to fix a timing issueUpdated the Necroprancer to fix an issue with the materialsUpdated the Dusk Duster to fix an issue with the materialsUpdated the Dapper NoelRemade normal map to be compatible with OpenGLRe-baked Diffuse & updated backpack icon to reflect above changesRemoved misplaced ambient occlusionFixed problematic face flexesFixed an issue where Engineer's beard was protruding from his gogglesFixed an issue with the jigglebones being disabledRigged Sniper's hat to be compatible with his melee tauntUpdated Scrooge McDocTransparent lenses are rigged to the correct bone (prp_glasses instead of bip_head) so it should now work correctly with taunts that move the glassesImproved scarf rigging and positioning to allow for better compatibility with shirt cosmeticsUpdated the backpack iconUpdated koth_overcast_finalFixed an issue with the models/materialsAdded back snow coverings (now using displacements) to some props that were missing themFixed misaligned textures in various placesFixed weird lighting bug on a wall in blue spawnFixed 'Hotel' sign not displaying properlyAdded back indicators under some health and ammo kits that were missing themUpdated cp_fortezzaRemoved sniper window leading into lastFixed Engineer being able to build in some doorsFixed some props being solidSlight art pass updateUpdated vsh_maulPlayers can no longer hide from Saxton in the darkFixed props inside other propsFixed z-fighting brushesFixed missing particle effects for the water featureFixed orientation of water feature particlesMinor lighting changes around the cinemaAdjusted LOD change distances for Cinema signUpdated VSH logicGrounded levitating propsAligned misaligned texturesFixed mis-textured wallsClipped upper metal beamsFixed clip brushes sticking out from walls that could be walked onPlayers will now be pushed off of the fire bellAdjusted cinema sign shadowUsed spell check on Saxton's Package signUpdated how music is activated and deactivatedFixed clipping on the hanging big ornaments
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Happy Smissmas 2024!All players who play TF2 during the event will receive a Stuffed Stocking as a gift! Stockings contain goodies for good little Mercenaries.Featuring 6 new community maps: Overcast, Fortezza, Penguin Peak, Patagonia, Cutter, and MaulAdded the Winter 2024 Cosmetic CaseContains 23 new community-contributed itemsThe Festivizer can be found as a bonus drop when opening the caseAdded 3 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. StoreTaunt: Fore-Head SliceTaunt: Peace!Taunt: Curtain CallAdded 18 new community-created Unusual effects9 new effects for Unusual hats9 new effects for Unusual tauntsAll cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Smissmas 2024 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include crates.Mann Co. Store winter sale!Smissmas runs through January 7th, 2025GeneralFixed a client crash when previewing imported items in the Workshop dialogFixed showing an error model when equipping the Scottish ResistanceFixed The Executioner not hiding the Scout's dog tagsUpdated the Mountebank's Masque to fix a problem with the materialsUpdated/Added some tournament medalsUpdated vsh_distillery, vsh_nucleus, vsh_outburst, vsh_skirmish, and vsh_tinyrockGeneralAdded the gamemode intro movie (made by Lacry, thanks)Improved the delivery of VSH-related voice lines for Soldier, Engineer and SniperUpdated some VSH-related voice lines for Saxton, Soldier, Engineer and Sniper (thanks The Rat Man)Added Hale's kill iconsVisual improvements to Hale's Ability HUD (thanks Funicular)Added a visual cue signaling an upcoming Saxton Punch!Minor visual improvements to Saxton Hale and his particle effectsFixed the boss bar sometimes starting invisibleFixed a rare crash caused by seeing blood decals on Hale while playing on low graphics quality settingsFixed a rare bug when Hale's Ability HUD textures become missingBalance Changes - Saxton HaleAdded Brave Jump Fatigue. Each consecutive jump will be less powerful, requiring a short break to restore to full strengthWeightdown ability is disabled during Jump FatigueIncreased Hale's health by ~100HP per opponentAdjusted Hale's health formula against 24+ opponents - Hale now gains 2000HP for every opponent past 23 (thanks Megascatterbomb)Hale's resistance to knockback reduced from 75% to 35%Head Stomp damage now scales with Hale's downward speed, dealing between 64 and 193 damage (previously dealt flat 195 damage)Balance Changes - MercenariesExplosives and fire now deal 50% more damage against HaleThe 40% minigun damage penalty now applies to full crits onlyBroken Demoman shields now retain the charge abilityDemoman shields now absorb only 50% of the incoming damage upon breaking (a would-be-lethal blow will leave the Demo at 1HP)Greatly decreased sticky trap damage reductionRemoved Scottish Resistance's 20% damage penaltyBaby Face's Blaster now loses 20% of its boost upon Wall ClimbingUpdated vsh_tinyrock (additional changes)Improved performanceFixed odd clipping at one of the spawnsUpdated vsh_distillery (additional changes)Improved performanceUpdated vsh_nucleus (additional changes)Fixed setup time ending five seconds too earlyImproved detailing in some areasImproved clipping on staircasesIncreased control point capture time to 15 secondsRemoved collision on some lightsChanged damage model and damage amount of the toxic waste pit and puddlesUpdated vsh_skirmish (additional changes)Fixed setup time ending five seconds too earlyFixed an issue where Engineers could build in the crocodile pitFixed not being able to wall climb certain trees in the main arenaFixed some lighting issues on stalactites and other propsParts of Hale's intro sequence no longer play while waiting for playersImproved optimization and detailing in some areasImproved clipping on spiral stairs (Thanks Aar!)Updated security systemUpdated cp_brewThe shortcut from RED spawn to the "A" point now has a nobuild trigger Added floor indicator for the health kit in the "A" point wooden shackAdjusted "A" point wooden shack to allow more breathing roomFixed getting stuck on the "A" gate's frameFixed teletrap near "A" point ditch routeFixed being able to place buildings inside an out-of-bounds room outside "A" pointFixed some stuck spots near "B" pointFixed being able to shoot through a crack in the BLU forward spawnFixed floating props in the dinerFixed one way door not forcing itself closedCleaned up some collisions and clipping across the mapImproved lighting on all of the archwaysUpdated koth_krampusFixed missing trees in skyboxImproved look of waterfall texture near full health-kitFixed minor visual errorsMinor NPC clipping changesFed krampus some oatsUpdated pl_emergeSwitched on the cart lightFixed RED players being able to sit on the edge of an exit of BLU's starting spawnFixed some doors showing incorrect texturesFixed the final capture point displaying an incorrect stringFixed the map occasionally playing incorrect ambient soundsMinor visual and performance tweaksUpdated cp_carrierThe Carrier now has full crits rather than mini-critsThe Carrier now uses the robot voice linesImproved hearability of the Carrier's voice lines and footstepsFixed visual bugs with the boss barFixed the Carrier sometimes becoming invisible while tauntingFixed animation glitches when a Demoman Carrier holds a Stickybomb LauncherFixed occasional phasing through the elevator platform at BLU spawnDecreased size of the frog
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Improved matchmaking performanceImproved matchmaker behavior for users with less-than-ideal ping levels. The matchmaker should now be quicker to put you in the best available region.Improved matchmaker decision making for cross-region partiesAdded error messages when being ejected from the matchmaking queue due to connectivity or authentication failures, rather than the queue simply silently vanishingFixed the matchmaking settings dialog frequently failing to display any datacentersFixed multiple cases of in-progress casual matches abruptly terminating or failing to be assigned any new players if the game server ever loses connection to SteamUpdated the Mountebank's Masque, Courtier's Collar, and Harlequin's Hooves cosmetic items to fix issues with their paint regionsUpdated cp_gravelpit_snowyFixed a script issueImproved performanceImproved clipping
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Fixed the Guano and Batbelt cosmetic items hiding the Scout's dog tagsFixed The Beacon from Beyond incorrectly hiding a bunch of bodygroupsFixed the Quoth cosmetic item hiding the Scout's headphonesFixed some broken materials for some props_farm gib modelsAdding "Hat" style for the Fuel InjectorUpdated the Clue Hairdo to fix broken smoke effectUpdated koth_synthetic_eventEdited nav mesh to minimize the Toastmaster running diving into the grinder/death pitUpdated pd_farmageddonRevoked scarecrow gym membership which lowered their health from 500 to 350Updated zi_atoll, zi_blazehattan, zi_devastation_final1, zi_murky, zi_sanitarium, and zi_woodsFixed an exploit allowing some players to respawn as a human or play as a human on the Zombie team
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:Reverted BLU Scout pants fix because it conflicts with too many existing cosmeticsUpdated the Fleet Commander again to fix import problems from the previous updateUpdated the Phantom Plague and Haunting Haze Unusual effects to fix sometimes spawning away from the playerUpdated cp_freaky_fairFixed issues related to the gamemode logicReapplied check that was mistakenly removed to check if the player is actively buying upgrades in a station or notImplemented new custom system to refund upgrades to hopefully address inconsistencies both in-round and across roundsImplemented logic to handle mismatches in recorded vs actual currency values when leaving the upgrade trigger and having not accepted de-bought upgradesReverted code to do with Ghosts and Sentry busters to fix bugs related to their effects not de-applyingImplemented a way to force kill players to address edge cases where you could survive as the sentry buster past their explosion (Thanks MilkMaster!)Improved the logic which checks if you can apply a new potion effect to yourself to address bugs where effects can overlapFixed sniper and demo shields not having their upgrades clearedFixed canteens not having their values cleared when refunding whilst not equippedIncreased the height of the skyboxIncreased last point capture time from 6s to 7sChanged some clipping to stop giants from building on roofsSmoothed out a divot (Thanks Midnite!)Updated zi_atoll, zi_blazehattan, zi_devastation_final1, zi_murky, zi_sanitarium, and zi_woodsGeneralRe-encoded all Zombie Infection sound effects as .WAVThis fixes issues with sound effects not playing correctly and spewing errors in the consoleBug fixesFixed a bug that caused Sniper's Spit Pool to deal much more damage than intendedFixed a bug that caused team names to not display correctly when playing on mp_tournament modeFixed a bug where Engineer would sometimes scream like a charging Demoman while throwing an EMP GrenadeZombie ChangesSniper's Spit Pool damage vs Survivors no longer stacks when standing in multiple zonesZombie Heavy is no longer immune to Critical HitsZombie Heavy's max health raised to 525 (from 450)Zombie Pyro's max health raised to 250 (from 175)Zombie Pyro now drops a medium health kit on deathSurvivor ChangesCrossbow weapons no longer have a flat damage multiplier against ZombiesThe B.A.S.E Jumper can no longer be deployed if you are one of the last three survivorsJumper Weapons can no longer store reserve ammunitionUpdated zi_murky (additional changes)Added more respawn room triggers around the new spawn zones