Resident Evil Requiem, the latest mainline title in Capcom’s survival horror franchise, is out now on the Switch 2. It tells an intimate tale that takes us right back to where it all started: Raccoon City. Joining us on the journey, of course, is series veteran Leon Kennedy, who’s dealing with a deadly infection of his very own.
Last week, we sat down to speak with Nick Apostolides, who, after his excellent portrayals as Leon in Resident Evil 2 and 4, returns as everybody’s favourite loveable agent. We discuss his approach to playing a much older Leon, how it feels for the character to finally wield his own chainsaw, and more.
10 Tips To Help You Survive Your First Runs in Marathon, Available Today on Xbox Series X|S
Nikki Brown, Principal Communications Manager, Bungie
Summary
Enter the world of Marathon’s Tau Ceti IV, a planet full of rival Runners and hazardous environments.
Scavenge for valuables, experiment with different gear, and build uneasy alliances.
Marathonis available today via the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X|S.
Starting today on Xbox Series X|S, you can begin scavenging the planet of Tau Ceti IV as a cybernetic mercenary in the new survival extraction shooter, Marathon.
From Bungie, the makers of Halo and Destiny, Marathon places you the shoes of a Runner where you can crew up, run solo, or make uneasy alliances as you battle enemy players, collect powerful loot, and experience Bungie’s signature gunplay.
Your goal is to exfil to advance your seasonal power, advance your contracts for rival faction groups, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run. The ultimate challenge? The derelict Marathon ship hanging in orbit above, promising the best loot and answers to world’s mysteries… if you can survive.
Ready to touchdown on Tau Ceti? Use these tips to get ahead:
They Can Hear You Everything makes noise. Moving, looting, activating exfils, opening doors, using items, healing, swapping weapons, and of course shooting things. If you think you got killed out of nowhere, someone probably found you through the noise you were making.
…But You Can Hear Them Keep your ears open. You can often hear threats—or targets—before you see them.
Come Prepared Bring plenty of ammo and healing items; you aren’t going to find a lot of it mid-run. And remember: A better weapon is only an upgrade if you have bullets to shoot.
Plan Your Exit All the gear you’ve collected is lost if you don’t make it out alive. Check your map for active exfils — they’re your ticket off Tau Ceti with your hard-earned loot.
Fight or Flee? The best Runners know when to take the shot and when to walk away. You don’t need to shoot everything you see. Whether it’s a UESC combatant, wild fauna, or a rival Runner crew, use the information you’ve got before you pull the trigger.
Down on Your Luck? Play as Rook If you’re low on supplies, head on a scavenger run as Rook. You’ll drop into a match in-progress as a solo player. Sneak by enemy UESC units with your camouflage ability, then make it alive with your scavenged goods to replenish your gear and credits.
Progress Your Contracts and Unlock Bonus Stats You can hover over contracts on the map for information on how to find their objectives. But if you’re still learning, don’t rush them right away — playing slow can help you get your bearings and avoid conflicts with rival crews until you’re ready.
Built for Success Experiment with different Runner shells, body implants, and weapons — you can freely swap weapons, implants, and weapon mods both in and out of game. And something is always better than nothing, so if you’ve got an empty slot, slam whatever you find.
Uneasy Allies Build alliances with the Runner crews, solo players, and Rooks you meet on your runs. Just don’t let your guard down — you never know when your new friends might turn their sights on you.
Loot is a Means to an End Gear comes and goes. Don’t be too precious about it. Learn to use what you’ve got, and it will help you reach greater heights.
Runners are deploying now. Take your new knowledge and use it to get ahead of your opponents on your first runs in Marathon, available today on Xbox Series X|S. Tau Ceti awaits.
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and hazardous environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, time to kill is low, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
Pre-order Marathon and receive the following:
ZERO STEP 004 [CE Tactical Sidearm Style]
ZERO STEP RC [Weapon Charm]
ZERO STEP SHIFT [Weapon Sticker]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Background]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Emblem]
Plus the following Destiny 2 rewards linked to your Bungie.net account:
UESC Echo-type Shell Exotic Ghost
UESC Rover Exotic Ship
UESC Sprinter Exotic Sparrow
Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.
Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).
Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.
Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.
Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and hazardous environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, time to kill is low, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES
Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens.
POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE.
Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives.
ENEMIES EVERYWHERE
Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death.
Later in Season 1, compete in Rated mode to measure your skill and build a name for yourself.
INFLUENCE IS POWER
Liaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot.
DEFRAGMENT THE TRUTH
No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony.
DEATH HANGS ABOVE
Once the way into orbit unlocks, bring your endgame build to Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears.
Pre-order Marathon and receive the following:
ZERO STEP 004 [CE Tactical Sidearm Style]
ZERO STEP RC [Weapon Charm]
ZERO STEP SHIFT [Weapon Sticker]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Background]
APOGEE INTERCEPT [Emblem]
Plus the following Destiny 2 rewards linked to your Bungie.net account:
UESC Echo-type Shell Exotic Ghost
UESC Rover Exotic Ship
UESC Sprinter Exotic Sparrow
Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet.
Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately).
Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.
Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time.
Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire‘s rubber hose cartoon art style brings it a whole lot of absurd, slapstick humor, which pairs perfectly with its “boomer” shooter gameplay. But underpinning it all is a noir detective story that can be dark and adult as well as goofy and comedic, giving Mouse a fascinating depth that goes beyond its toon inspirations.
I recently went hands-on with an early level from Mouse: P.I. For Hire and got a sense of its fast-paced combat, twitchy boss battles, and underlying narrative that mixes noir detective elements and slapstick humor.
In search of a mad scientist
The preview level I played sent protagonist private eye Jack Pepper to the hidden laboratory of Steve Bandel, a magician and friend of Jack’s who also appears to be a mad scientist. Bandel has gone missing, so Jack follows up on a tip to find the secret lab — accessed by taking an elevator hidden in an outhouse in the middle of the woods.
The lab itself is swarming with strange cultists, armed with weapons ranging from tommy guns and pistols to clubs and wooden shields. Like the shooters Mouse draws its inspiration from — games like Doom, BioShock, and Quake — your best defense is to always be moving. Jack can employ a quick dash move when you press R3 or a slide with L3, giving you a momentary burst of speed to dodge incoming attacks, and a double-jump on the X button that can help you take advantage of the verticality of most arenas. When you need a little space, hitting Circle lets you kick enemies to push them back.
Jack’s arsenal gives you a number of options for dealing with enemies, ranging from his fists to a semi-automatic pistol, the tommygun-like “James Gun,” and a powerful double-barrel shotgun. Each one can be upgraded between levels to power them up and add alternate fire modes. You can also fling sticks of dynamite at enemies and find special power-ups within levels, like a hot pepper that adds fire damage to your weapons for a short period.
And not long into your investigation, you uncover something Bandel must have been working on — a new gun called the Devarnisher. This weapon fires turpentine rounds that deal damage to enemies over time, eventually melting the ink right off their bones.
Bot Betty bosses
The level included three different boss fights. Each boss was a robotic version of Betty, Bandel’s former assistant from his magician days. You learn that Bandel attempted to recreate Betty after her death, and as Jack comments, he got a little weird with it. Each version of Betty is more complete than the last, bringing different elements into the fight before they all culminate in the most complete Robo-Betty, the final boss of the level.
Like with fights against other enemies, speed, positioning, and quick reactions are essential when battling Mouse: P.I. For Hire’s bosses. But unlike other fights, the arenas are more constrained, so it’s a lot tougher to get away from enemy attacks.
Jack’s dash is key to survival in tough fights. It can get him clear of the “gamma ray” laser beams wielded by the first Robo-Betty, or the devastating blades attached to the arms of the second.
The final boss fight brings it all together, with a Robo-Betty that’s fast, aggressive, and capable of dishing out cartoon bombs that will chase you around the arena while she tries to get in close and pummel you. Every so often, she’ll activate the gamma ray attack the first Betty employed, forcing you to hide from it behind a glass wall to avoid getting zapped. During that time, you have a chance to find and hit a button on the wall to blast Betty with a laser of your own, briefly disabling her and allowing you to unload on the bot until it’s destroyed.
A serious story in a cartoon world
Between the goofy animations that come with defeating enemies, absurd jokes like a sign marking a “Totally Normal Wall,” and the bounciness of everything from ammo pickups to your own weapons, cartoon-style comedy is baked into every element of Mouse: P.I. For Hire.
The level was also loaded with secrets, which often hide items that give you insights about the city of Mouseburg where the game takes place, and the political strife affecting its residents. To unlock safes and padlocks to find those secrets, you’ll have to use your tail to trip each lock’s tumblers.
The combination of elements creates a fun tone that’s both absurd and thoughtful. The story itself seems to be a complex one, drawing on noir tropes and ideas and bringing a twinge of adult-oriented thinking to the hilarious world. While Jack’s willing to throw out one-liners, he’s also thoughtful about the information and clues he’s coming across.
Searching for clues
Completing the lab earns you a clue about what happened to Bandel, but it’s just a piece of the puzzle. As the level wraps up, we get a look at Mouse’s world map, full of Mouseburg locations that will presumably house other levels.
In the center is Jack’s PI agency, and returning allows you to wander around the block, where you can visit other characters and upgrade your weapons.
In the office, you can put all the clues you uncovered on Jack’s case board, where hopefully, the picture of the case will start to come into focus. The preview build didn’t give much of a sense of how the investigation portion of the game works, but it’s clear from the story that you’ll be talking to a lot of characters to gather information and pick up leads, developing the case over time.
While the preview level I saw was mostly focused on gunplay, it also highlighted how much attention Mouse: P.I. For Hire is dedicating to its story. Between noir-style narration from Jack, journals and clues you’ll find that tell the story of each level, and characters you’ll meet who provide more insights into the politics and intrigue happening in Mouseburg, Mouse: P.I. For Hire looks to be delivering a deep, twisting mystery.
Pokémon Pokopia is out today (hooray!), and if you somehow don’t have enough to do in that game already, there’s a limited-time event on the way later this month that will give you even more little tasks, items, and Pokémon pals, as it’s bringing Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff to the game. It starts next week, but if you don’t mind a little manipulation, you can just play it right now.
Per an official announcement, beginning March 9 at 1pm PT through March 24 at 12:59pm PT, you’ll be able to encounter Hoppip in Pokémon Pokopia, as well as collect a new “cotton spore” material. Cotton spores can be exchanged for picnic-themed furniture items, which you can then use to build habitats that will attract Hoppip’s evolutions, Skiploom and Jumpluff. The official announcement warns that you won’t be able to encounter these Pokémon outside the event, so you’ll want to make sure to play during these dates if you want them in your game.
What’s more, you’ll also need at least one rebuilt Pokémon Center in order to encounter Hoppip and friends. Rebuilding a Pokémon Center is an endeavor that can take a few hours of gameplay minimum, so you’ll want to get a jump-luff on that to make sure you don’t miss out.
But you don’t have to wait until March 9 to get started. If you open up your Switch 2 system clock and set it to a date and time within the event range, and you already have the finished Pokémon Center, Hoppip will just be chilling in your game right next to it. I managed to get Hoppip to appear in my game, and it sent me out to the Dream Islands to collect Cotton Spores for furniture. Be mindful that doing this can potentially muck with things in other realtime games, like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Animal Crossing, so it may be best to set it back to normal once you’re done and before opening any of those games.
In addition to the Hoppip event, those who purchased Pokopia early can get an in-game Ditto rug for free using the Mystery Gift function in the menu. The Ditto Rug is available until January 31 of next year so you’re not likely to miss out even if you wait to buy the game. And, as a heads up, you can get the Ditto Rug in-game without using this function too. This just gives you a free one much earlier than you’d otherwise encounter it.
What is a Control game? It’s a fairly reasonable question to ask, as the only follow-up there’s been to the original 2019 game in the intervening years (apart from some DLC) was FBC: Firebreak, a live service FPS spin-off that… well, you know. And then last year Remedy revealed what was long dubbed to be Control 2 is actually Control Resonant, and that we won’t be playing as Jesse this time around, oh and also, it’s a Devil May Cry-esque action game. So with all these shifts, in a new interview some of the leads behind the sequel have shared their perspective on what a Control game actually is.
The developer of Marvel Rivals has addressed what it called the “disturbing trend” of “incentivized throwing,” where players are enticed by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches.
Fans of the hero shooter sounded the alarm when third-party site Intlist.org went live on February 22. Established by Marvel Rivals content creator and X/Twitter user EchoRivals, Intlist’s goal was to give players an avenue to name those who intentionally sabotage or “throw” multiplayer matches and “put a price on their head.”
“Put a bounty on griefers & throwers,” the first, now-deleted post on its X account read, promising a system that offered an 80% payout for those who successfully throw matches in retaliation. “Someone queues in, throws it back, gets paid.”
One Reddit user calling attention to the issue said they’d seen an increase in sabotaged matches for every kind of player, warning that “now every game is people throwing each other’s games.” The Intlist account replied to the criticism, insisting: “Collateral damage is an unfortunate reality of war.”
Now, in an official statement published to the Marvel Rivals Discord, NetEase threatened players who engaged with external bounties with a permanent ban.
Here’s the statement in full:
We have recently identified a disturbing trend within our community: “incentivized throwing,” where players are enticed by third-party bounties to deliberately sabotage matches. This behavior not only undermines the integrity of our game but also tarnishes the experience for honest players who are committed to fair competition.
In light of this, we want to make our position clear:
We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of malicious disruption. To combat this issue, we are implementing a specialized investigation protocol focused on identifying and addressing negative gameplay linked to these external bounties. Accounts found to be violating our policies will face serious repercussions, including, but not limited to, permanent bans. We strongly advise players against jeopardizing their valuable accounts and hard-earned progress for the sake of temporary incentives.
Moreover, to reinforce the principles of fair competition, we have enhanced our regulations regarding negative gameplay. Accounts found to be engaging in disruptive behaviors, such as malicious idling (AFK) or intentionally throwing matches, will incur significant penalties following reporting and verification.
If you encounter players who are maliciously idling or intentionally throwing games, we encourage you to utilize the reporting feature immediately. Your reports are crucial and will be thoroughly investigated by our dedicated team.
Maintaining a positive gaming environment is a collective responsibility. Thank you for your continued support!
Intlist had already been pulled offline last month, promising “something big is coming.” At the time, EchoRivals claimed the site was locked down after they “detected unauthorized access to our database from a single bad actor.”
Today, March 5, EchoRivals posted in the Intlist Discord to say the website would remain offline “for the time being,” adding: “No ETA on when/if we will be back. This was my decision.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
We’re dumping the clutch on our March IGN First “cover story” effective immediately with Forza Horizon 6! As such, feel free to slide into the passenger seat and enjoy nine minutes of exclusive gameplay from the next instalment of Forza Horizon: the reigning heavyweight champ of open-world racing series.
This never-before-seen gameplay features a Saleen S7, an American turn-of-the-century cult supercar, being taken on a brisk journey through a portion of Forza Horizon 6’s Japan-based map. Moving from the south, you’ll be able to observe segments of rural, rolling countryside and a section of Tokyo itself before reaching the base of the mountains. We’ll have much more exclusive coverage of Forza Horizon 6 all throughout March as part of IGN First!
Forza Horizon 6 takes the acclaimed driving delights of the series and finally sets them loose on the distinctive roads of Japan. With more cars than ever on day one, a progression system inspired by the original 2012 Forza Horizon, and long-awaited tweaks to customisation, Forza Horizon 6 appears it’ll be barrelling into our homes with its foot flat to the floor. After you’ve checked out the exclusive gameplay above, check out the first developer gameplay overview, as well as our initial interview with the Playground team following the game’s announcement.
Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam on May 19, 2026, though it will be available with Early Access for Premium Edition players starting four days earlier (on May 15). It’s also coming to PlayStation 5 later this year.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
I hope you’ve got some decent trainers and plenty of bottled water on hand. The time to run a Marathon is nigh, with Bungie’s shooter set to burst out of the blocks today, March 5th. Ahead of the starting gun going off the Destiny 2 developers have shared a bit more info on how Marathon‘s in-game currency and seasonal pass rewards work.
All the way back in 2017 (which, yes, is nearly a decade ago now), a curious title called Bulb Boy made its way to the Switch eShop. Available from July of the Switch’s launch year, it was one of the earliest eShop titles for the new system at the time, and now it’s finally got itself a sequel.
Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair is available today on the Switch eShop and promises to expand upon the original point and click experience with visuals inspired by ’90s style cartoons. While the original had a consistent green tone to the overall presentation, this one looks all the more vibrant thanks to a much wider array of colours.
Messy Up: Unleash Pet Chaos on Xbox & Windows with Couch Co-op Fun
He Qian, Game Creator, Liquid Meow Games
Hey pet pals and mischief-makers! (Θ３Θ)
We’re Liquid Meow Games— a small team of students who turned our love for playful chaos into a game. We’re so excited to finally bring Messy Up to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows Store, complete with Xbox Play Anywhere support!
The Story Behind the Mess
Every game has a beginning, and ours started in a rather chaotic way—just like the game itself.
It all began with 72 hours and a Game Jam.
Back in 2021, I gathered a small crew of four or five teammates for a Game Jam. 72 hours of caffeine, crunch, and pure creative madness. The result? A rough but lovable prototype we called Messy Up. To our surprise, it won Best Technology Award.
The inspiration? Pretty simple actually. Most of us grew up with pets—a hyper Husky who saw couches as chew toys, a cat who believed gravity was the enemy of anything left on tables. We thought: What if we turned that daily chaos into a game? And here we are.
From 2D Pixels to 3D Furballs
After the Game Jam, I couldn’t let go of this little idea. So, we spent the next six months—nights, weekends, every spare minute—rebuilding everything from 2D into full 3D. New characters, richer environments, more ways to wreck the house.
Then something unexpected happened. We shared a short gameplay video online, just to see if anyone else thought this was as fun as we did. Overnight, it hit over a million views across platforms. People actually wanted to play as naughty pets.
That support kept us going. Along the way, the 3D version went on to receive multiple awards from major game competitions—a huge encouragement for a tiny team just starting out.
And Now, the Moment we’ve Been Waiting for
Today, we’re beyond excited to bring Messy Up to Xbox players everywhere. After years of dreaming, prototyping, and playtesting on couches just like yours, our little pet chaos simulator is finally landing on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows Store—with full Xbox Play Anywhere support, so you can take your mess wherever you go.
Whether you’re teaming up with friends on the couch or playing solo with AI companions, we can’t wait for you to meet this furry crew and start your own happy chaos.
Tips from Me (Read These, Seriously)
Don’t just rush in. Learn to dodge. And your teammates aren’t just there for emotional support—they’re great at taking the heat for you.
Tired of wrecking? Try the parkour challenges. Stuck in the story? Hop into Arcade Mode and just vibe.
Playing solo? AI teammates have your back. And wait until you unlock the beach, the castle, the office—each level has its own tricks.
Use props. Use the debris. Use anything to block the Owner.
Different pets, different playstyles. Unlock them all.
Those little rewards—photos, flags, trophies, certificates—they’re not just clutter. You can actually use them to decorate.
And yes, you can build your own home.
I made this game with a lot of laughs and even more love for fluffy troublemakers. Whether you’re here for the couch co-op chaos, the creative building, or just to live out your inner mischief-maker—I hope Messy Upbrings you and your friends some good silly memories.
“Messy UP” is a cute pet collaboration game featuring cats and dogs~
Due to the owner’s busy life after graduation and starting work, there is less time to spend with the pets. The pets plan to create a big mess at home to grab the owner’s attention and encourage them to spend more time together. After all, what mischief could a little dog possibly have in mind?
[Crazy home destruction!
Cooperative multiplayer!]
Take on the role of cats and dogs and go wild, wreaking havoc at home! Each pet possesses unique abilities and skills, with various types of pets waiting for you to explore~
When other pet companions are caught, you can go to rescue them~
Either cause mayhem alone or collaborate with friends to create trouble for the owner. Up to three players can cooperate in dismantling the house.
Play as either the owner or a pet, deciding whether to demolish or defend the furniture and lock up the mischievous pets.
[Rich game mechanics!
Numerous maps!]
Utilize various mechanisms to dismantle and destroy homes. Fans, soccer balls, doors, takeout food—everything around you can become your tool of destruction!
Whether it’s at home, on the beach, at the office, or in a castle, any place can become the target of the pets’ demolition！
[Abundant pets!
Extensive collection!]
Gather a group of adorable pet companions, each with their own distinct personalities that can be freely customized~
Collect photos, qualifications, prizes, keychains, and various unique and cute rewards await you~
