AliExpress has the Nintendo Switch 2 for £335.88 when using code AEUKFS41, which takes £41 off orders over £330. This is the UK version with a UK plug charger, with delivery expected between October 3 and 5. The price undercuts the £419.99 the console rose to in September and the £354.99 seen at Smyths and Argos last week.
In Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, bitter leaves are not a rare material, but they can only be found in a few locations scattered across the four corners of the map. Visiting at least one of these spots is worthwhile, since the material is needed to complete Leda's perform quest, "Popular Drink Recipes."
The sokoban puzzle game Isles of Sea and Sky is coming to Switch on October 8. It features interconnected island puzzles, wordless storytelling, and pixel art, and received a "Mysterious Update" last year adding new puzzles and block types.
Former WarioWare series director Goro Abe left Nintendo earlier this year after more than 25 years and is now a game design professor at Osaka's Electro-Communication University, where he runs the Experimental Game Design Laboratory. He said leaving Nintendo gave him new perspectives on other companies and the indie scene, and he wants to make games free of commercial constraints that appeal to people who don't normally play games.
Derby Stallion 2 for Switch 2 topped Japan's weekly new releases for September 21 to September 27 with 29,336 retail sales, followed by Silent Hill: Townfall on PS5 at 13,596. Switch 2 sold 32,198 units, the PlayStation 5 family 9,730, the Switch family 6,306, and the Xbox Series family 362. Rankings 11 to 30 will be published on October 2.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse has a free demo on Switch covering the game's opening section, ahead of its full release on 15th October 2026. After playing it, the author says the 30fps advertised for Switch 1 rises to 60fps on Switch 2, though characters look fuzzy at a distance and frame rate dips during real-time cutscenes. The author praises the combat, Rose Belmont's slide-behind-enemies move, the whip anchor swinging and the opening music.
Former WarioWare series director Goro Abe left Nintendo earlier this year after more than 25 years and is now a game design professor at Osaka's Electro-Communication University, where he runs the Experimental Game Design Laboratory. He said leaving Nintendo gave him new perspectives on other companies and the indie scene, and he wants to make games free of commercial constraints that appeal to people who don't normally play games.
The free demo for Konami's Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is now available, letting players try the early stages of the game, with save data carrying over to the full release on 15th October. Despite having no dedicated Switch 2 version, the demo runs at a smooth 60fps on Switch 2, double the locked 30fps Konami announced for the Switch 1 version earlier this summer. The game is developed by Dead Cells studio Motion Twin and Evil Empire as a 2D Castlevania-style title.
Konami's free demo for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is now available, letting players try the early stages of the game, with save data carrying over to the full release on 15th October. The demo has no dedicated Switch 2 version but appears to run at a smooth 60fps on the new hardware, double the locked 30fps Konami announced for the Switch 1 version earlier this summer. The game is being developed by Dead Cells team Motion Twin and Evil Empire.
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida said in an interview with The Verge that Sony and Nintendo should try to keep the current console generation going as long as possible, since people are happy using PS5 and Switch 2. He added that gamers and developers are not asking for more power, and that both companies are going to do pretty well for many years to come.
Nintendo has officially shut down its free-to-play mobile game Mario Kart Tour, with players greeted by a notice confirming the service has ended and a thank-you message, plus a final report summarizing player data. The game launched on 25th September 2019 and, per AppMagic estimates, was downloaded over 276 million times and earned around $268.5 million, with US players accounting for 39% of lifetime revenue. Nintendo said in an official FAQ that there are no plans for an offline version.
Nintendo officially shut down its free-to-play mobile game Mario Kart Tour this week. According to market intelligence platform AppMagic, the title launched on 25th September 2019 and is estimated to have been downloaded over 276 million times and earned around $268.5 million, with US players accounting for 39% of lifetime in-app purchase revenue. Nintendo said in an official FAQ that there are no plans for an offline version.
Polygon rounds up six Switch 2 games releasing in October 2026 that players should not miss. October is not the climax of this year's release schedule, as November brings Grand Theft Auto 6 and the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Nintendo has announced that Donkey Kong Bananza's limited-time DLC events are returning starting today, 1st October 2026, with a monthly rotation. September's final Emerald Rush event ended with "Bananza Antics," which let players unlock Funky Kong and Candy Kong statues. Taking part requires purchasing the paid DLC.
Nintendo has rolled out system update 23.0.1 for the Switch 2, fixing an issue from version 23.0.0 where software occasionally took a long time to start, pause, or close. The same update also arrived for Switch 1, with both released on September 30, 2026. The patch notes make no mention of stability improvements.
The Pokémon Company has confirmed a new Pokémon Pokopia package including the Expansion Pass will launch in Japan on 29th October 2026 on a Switch 2 Game-Key Card, with the game and DLC in one product and future DLC after that date downloaded automatically via updates. Buyers also get a code for a Berry Furniture set featuring a berry chair, berry bed, berry table and berry lamp. The package version is also coming to Korea.
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida says Sony should try to keep the current console generation going as long as possible, arguing that neither players nor developers are asking for more power. In an interview with The Verge, he suggested Sony and Nintendo might delay next-gen launches because of rising costs, and that owners of PS5, Switch 2, or capable PCs are happy to keep using them. He also floated the idea of contract financing for hardware over $1,000, such as a $50-a-month subscription.
Amazon is discounting more than 40 officially licensed Legend of Zelda T-shirts to $16.99 for Prime Members this week, a 15% discount, ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. The sale spans designs from the original NES game to Tears of the Kingdom, as 2026 marks the franchise's 40th anniversary. Most major Zelda merchandise is centered around the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake, set to release on November 5 alongside a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and Pro controller.
Nintendo is not shying away from political messaging in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. Developer Intelligent Systems had previously kept the series' politics to messages like "don't get in bed with dragons" and "when the king starts laughing maniacally, stop giving him power."
A modder known as Mojso was porting GTA 5 and GTA Online to Nintendo Switch and taunted Rockstar Games after it posted modding guidelines forbidding unofficial ports. Less than a week later, Mojso confirmed receiving a cease and desist from Take-Two Interactive and said the port will never release, with Paralympics Productions shutting down on October 3rd. The port had been built using leaked GTA 5 source code.
A PC preorder of Star Wars: Galactic Racer is $44.99 on Newegg with the code "STARWARS," $15 off ahead of its October 6 release. The Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller is $6 off at Amazon and Walmart, and Walmart has a 25" TCL G64 Series FHD 300Hz monitor for $149.
Level-5 has announced a remake of Professor Layton and the Curious Village, due next year, alongside Professor Layton and The New World of Steam's 10th December release date. The author feels uneasy about the remake because Level-5's Vision 2026 showcase leaned heavily on AI-generated assets and the remake's trailer showed odd visual details, with no AI-free promise made for the Curious Village remake.
Pokémon Pokopia has revealed its first Halloween-themed event, "Pumpkaboo's Sweet Surprises," running from 5am on October 17 until November 1 based on the Switch 2 system clock. Players start the event by talking to Pumpkaboo outside finished Town Centers, trading pumpkin candy for spooky items, and need Zorua's Camouflage ability from the Bleak Beach area. New items can be used to build a habitat for Pumpkaboo's evolution, Gourgeist, and both Pokémon will remain after the event ends.
A modder named M0jso has cancelled a planned Switch port of Grand Theft Auto 5 in late September. This followed Rockstar Games' announcement that modifying its games to run on unofficial platforms violates its rules and could lead to a ban or account termination, which M0jso publicly mocked on X.
In Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, Renown is one of two stats needed to recruit new team members, with some characters requiring level 10 Renown, and each Flame Lord's campaign builds Renown separately. Completing main story battles is the biggest source of Renown, with arena battles granting at least around 500 points, and each of the four Flame Lords has their own exclusive Renown-gaining method, such as Cai's Kindness Quests.
The Pokémon Center has opened pre-orders for Delta Reign, its Rayquaza-themed TCG set releasing on Nov. 4, featuring over 135 cards, 14 Illustration Rare cards, 17 Ultra-Rare cards, and six Special Illustration Rare cards. Pre-order items include the $59 Elite Trainer Box with 11 booster packs and a Kyogre illustration rare card, a $26.94 Booster Bundle, and a $159.99 Display box. The Pokémon Center has not yet opened pre-orders for the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections Day & Night boxes, the Ditto Premium Collection, or the 30th Celebration Figure Collection, all launching Nov. 6, 2026.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have announced a new Switch 2 physical release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A launching on 29th October, bundling the base game and its Mega Dimension expansion on a single cart with no additional downloads required. Buyers also get a serial code for 100 Ultra Balls, and the game card can be played on Switch 1 hardware without Switch 2 features.
Grasshopper Manufacture has announced it has parted ways with parent company NetEase and is once again an independent developer. NetEase acquired the studio in 2021 but has since pulled back from investments, closing studios and withdrawing funding from major projects. CEO Goichi Suda said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and with their cooperation, and that the studio continues to value the relationship.
Developer Something We Made and co-publisher popagenda announced that TOEM 2, the sequel to TOEM: A Photography Adventure, is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, priced at 78 yuan on Steam with a limited 15% launch discount. The game adds new camera accessories for puzzle-solving, stamp collecting and region unlocking, with no time limits. A bundle with the first game offers a 52% discount.
Gcores' weekly roundup covers the week's news: Bungie announced that all vaulted Destiny 2 content will return, and Microsoft's Xbox cut another 268 jobs, with Halo handed to Activision while Rare and World's Edge move under Activision and Obsidian under Bethesda, leaving Xbox Game Studios with only three direct studios. Gears of War: E-Day narrative director Juan Vaca was laid off two weeks before release, with the game's future tied to its commercial performance; Build A Rocket Boy, developer of MindsEye, entered bankruptcy proceedings; TGS 2026 cancelled its final public day due to a typhoon; and Pokemon Pokopia won the Japan Game Awards 2026 Grand Award, with Masahiro Sakurai announcing this year's Game Designers Award will be the last.
The Pokémon Company confirmed a physical Nintendo Switch 2 version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A with the Mega Dimension DLC bundled in, launching on cartridge this October 29. The cartridge can also be played on Switch, and Mega Dimension lets players explore Lumiose City through portals created by Hoopa, temporarily control Pokémon above level 100, and encounter more Mega Evolutions including Darkrai, Magearna and Baxcalibur. Buyers also get a gift of 100 Ultra Balls.
Nintendo announced a Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition of Pokémon Legends: Z-A that bundles the base game and the Mega Dimension DLC on one card, plus a Mystery Gift code for 100 Ultra Balls, releasing Oct. 29. A press release says the Switch 2 Edition remains playable on the original Nintendo Switch, but with the same content as the Switch version and without features that use Switch 2 specs. Nintendo did not announce a price; the digital base game and DLC retail for $99.99.
TAITO announced Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Stardrop Mountain, which will launch worldwide on February 25, 2027. Physical edition pre-orders are open via global publisher Clear River Games. The release adds the Stardrop Mountain expansion with new stages and villain Invaduh, includes the original 1986 arcade Bubble Bobble, supports up to four-player local co-op, and runs at 1920x1080 on Switch 2 with a Camera Play feature.
Former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida said in an interview with The Verge that Sony should keep the PS5 generation going as long as possible, because people are very happy using PS5 and Switch 2. He pointed to rising component costs and said neither players nor developers are strongly demanding more powerful hardware. He added that Xbox, with Series X|S falling behind and the company going through changes, may be more incentivised to release its next console.
Owners of a Switch 1 physical copy of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt can use it to download the full Switch 2 remaster for free, and the cartridge is not needed to play once the download finishes. The method works on as many systems as you like, unlike a Game-Key Card. CD Projekt Red had promised the remaster to everyone who owned the base game.
Star Fox for Switch 2 received a surprise 1.2.0 update that adds Katina, Sector X and Venom to battle mode, plus 4-player split-screen on a single Switch 2. The patch also stops lobbies from disbanding after the host leaves, adds new battle items, and makes boss damage feedback clearer in the campaign. The digital version currently costs $50 and its story mode runs under two hours.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launched on Sept. 29 and became the best-reviewed new release of the year. It is free to anyone who owns a digital copy of The Witcher 3, and Switch 2 players can claim it even without a digital copy thanks to a loophole.