The No Man’s Sky system requirements have received a few tweaks, alongside some massive gameplay overhauls in recent years, but we still don’t have any official recommended specs.
Despite the increases, you still won’t need the best GPU from our buying guide to get the best out of No Man’s Sky. Despite a rocky start, Hello Game’s exploration game is now one of the best space games on PC, and most gamers should have no issue getting it to run on their PC or laptop.
No Man’s Sky’s minimum specs are extremely lightweight, as you’ll only need an Intel Core i3 CPU and 8GB of RAM. Playing the game on one of the best gaming PC picks from our buying guide might be overkill, but you’d have no issue running the game at the highest settings. However, if you’re simply looking to play the game on a low-spec rig or gaming laptop, you won’t have to try very hard; in fact, you technically don’t even need a GPU.
The idea of playing No Man’s Sky without a graphics card may sound absurd, but the game is actually perfectly playable without a dedicated graphics card. We’ve come far enough with integrated graphics that buying one of the best gaming CPU options from our buying guide, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, would be more than enough to run the game without a dedicated graphics card.
As for the No Man’s Sky download size, despite all the updates that have arrived in the game over the last nine years, the total file size is just 15GB, well under what we expect for most modern 3D games.
Take the No Man’s Sky system requirements test over on PCGameBenchmark to answer the question… Can I run No Man’s Sky?
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Kirk Herbstreit knows how big of a marquee game it’ll be when the Texas Longhorns pay a visit to Columbus to play the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Longhorns are led by one of the most-hyped college football players of all time in Arch Manning, who comes from the legendary Manning family. Texas has been a national championship contender in recent years, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals in each of the past two seasons. Furthermore, they’re considered the title favorites this year, according to betting odds.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are the defending national champions and are one of the top favorites to win the national championship. They’ll feature a new starting quarterback this time around with Will Howard entering the NFL. The projected starter is Julian Sayin, a 19-year-old sophomore who has just 12 passing attempts to his name.
While the pressure is on for both programs entering the big game, Herbstreit believes it’s Manning — which means its the Longhorns — who faces the most pressure due to heightened expectations for the 21-year-old redshirt sophomore. Manning is the projected favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season.
“To answer your question about pressure, you have the defending national champs that are always under pressure, especially at home,” Herbstreit told The Escapist in an exclusive interview. “You have Texas coming in with Steve Sarkisian and with Arch Manning. I don’t think it’s a lose-the-game, you’re-out-of-the-playoff kind of game. So I don’t know if it’s that kind of pressure, but I think just the expectations on Arch Manning, he probably has the most pressure.”
Herbstreit: Arch Manning Will Be Judged After Opener
Herbstreit, a Buckeyes alum and former starting quarterback of the program, mentions how everyone is going to make a judgment on Manning due to his last name
“Because of that last name, you can only protect him for so long,” Herbstreit said. “Now he’s going to go out there, and everyone is going to make a judgment on how he plays in that game. Not that he can’t correct it the next week or later in the year, but there’s going to be some strong social media opinions on what they see from Arch based on how he plays in that game Week 1.”
While Herbstreit is best known for his work as a color commentator for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of college football, he’s also dipped into commentating for the NFL. The 55-year-old is the color commentator for Amazon’s NFL on Prime coverage for Thursday night games.
Although the Cleveland Browns aren’t slated on the schedule this season, they’re one of the more intriguing teams in the NFL due to the Shedeur Sanders situation. Sanders was a projected top first-round draft pick this year only to fall all the way down to the fifth round.
Herbstreit: ‘Someone’s Going To Get Cut’ In Browns Quarterback Room
The Browns actually selected Dillon Gabriel — who was picked in the third round — ahead of Sanders and they feature veteran quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the roster. That’s not including the injured Deshaun Watson, who still hasn’t recovered from an Achilles injury. He’s expected to miss the entire 2025 season.
Herbstreit — an Ohio native — expects the Browns to go with Flacco as the starter, with Sanders in a backup, “developmental” role.
“My guess would be that they got to go with a veteran, with Joe Flacco, would be my guess,” says Herbstreit. “Camp hasn’t even started, and one thing I read, he (Sanders) looks like he should start. The next thing is, he’s only playing with the younger guys, and he’s still in a developmental role. That’s pretty common for a (draft) pick. It takes time to make that adjustment. My guess would be he makes the team, but he’s more in a developmental role.”
It was only two years ago that Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs as the Comeback Player of the Year. However, the 40-year-old veteran spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts and went 2-4 as their starting quarterback for several games.
If neither Sanders, Gabriel or Pickett proves to be capable of being the starter, Cleveland likely turns back to Flacco to being its starting quarterback. Herbstreit expects Sanders to make it on the 53-man roster despite the team currently carrying four quarterbacks.
“If you take Deshaun away, you still have four (quarterbacks),” says Herbstreit. “Most teams keep three. Someone’s going to get cut and I think it’s going to be based on how things go in camp. If we’re betting on what we think Shedeur will do, my bet is he makes the team, but he’s in a backup role.
“If I’m the Browns, you got to go with a guy like Flacco, just because two years ago, he was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year because of what he did in Cleveland. You hang your hat on him and hope he can stay healthy for most of the year.”
Herbstreit has been a staple on the NCAA Football video games since NCAA Football 04. He made a return as one of the voices of the game with the series’ return last year.
“Joey Galloway, a buddy of mine (a fellow Ohio State alum), we played that video game, Bill Walsh College Football, years and years ago,” says Herbstreit. “It was called Bill Walsh College Football, and that was my senior year when we were playing it. We played it all the way through, and then when I was all of a sudden on the game, because he and I would play for hours, it was quite a thrill. I’m calling all these games in real life, and now I’m on the video game. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve officially made it, being on this video game.’ This is like back in, ’05, ’06, somewhere back there.”
The Emmy-award winning Herbstreit details how “excited” he was that the game returned last year. NCAA Football 25 returned with immediate success and fanfare, becoming the best-selling sports game in the United States in history.
“And then when it went away, it was such a bummer, because I was not only doing the voice work, but I was a consumer,” says Herbstreit. “I played it, and I thought it was gone for good. Then when it decided to come back, and they allowed it back, I was obviously very excited to be part of it again, and the game is at a whole different level now. With technology and the voice work we did, we worked very hard on, I know it was a thrill last year.”
The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
For me, Supervive 1.0 is the most exciting MOBA launch in a decade. Not since I was blasting noobs with Ragnaros in Heroes of the Storm have I had the urge to play something within the genre outside of my ride or die, League of Legends. It’s frenetic, vibrant, and full of promise. Developer Theorycraft Games has just dropped a new trailer ahead of its launch tomor- wait, what’s that? We can play it right now?
Supervive 1.0 is a substantially different beast from what we’ve seen in one of the year’s best MOBA‘s open beta. In the recent global launch rundown, Theorycraft co-founder and CEO Joe Tung goes so far as to call it a “top-to-bottom overhaul of the game, with a ton of polish, new content, and new features.”
The biggest pain point Theorycraft has focused on is long-term engagement. While Supervive is one of the best new MOBAs I’ve played in a long time, not least because of its fast-paced combat and refreshing take on a tired genre. Regardless, I did drop off fairly quickly. The solution, according to Tung, is more depth, replayability, and variety.
https://youtu.be/iug8xMgqCkI
This manifests in 1.0’s standout feature, the Armory. Now, killing players and taking objectives yields a new resource called Prisma. This can be spent in the Armory on various unlocks and upgrades throughout a season. Though there’s no pay-to-win to be seen here, I don’t find a grind-based system particularly appetizing, especially if it has in-game ramifications. I can see casuals quickly falling behind, which poses a significant risk to long-term attrition.
That being said, if Theorycraft can get the time investment required to reach your desired goals just right, then the studio’s onto a winner. You can check out Tung’s full explainer here.
Supervive was expected to land tomorrow, July 24, but the servers have now been switched on ahead of time. So what are you waiting for? Get going. You can check out Supervive on Steam, or peruse my soon-to-be-updated Supervive tier list for a few handy tips.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Pokémon Presents are usually the highlight of the month for dedicated Pocket Monster fans, and July’s showcase was no exception. This livestream unloaded a mountain of reveals for the franchise, particularly for VGC fans.
To help catch you up to speed, we’ve summarized every crucial announcement from the July 2025 Pokémon Presents stream, including everything from video game news to exciting collaborations.
The Escapist recaps
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet fans can look forward to new Tera battles, mass outbreaks, and a free cosmetic.
Pokémon Legends Z-A was shown off in more detail, including a new Mega evolution.
Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution cards were highlighted in preparation for their September release.
Pokémon Go Fest: Max Finale is an event that Go players will want to add to their calendar immediately.
Pokémon Champions is looking like a must-play, especially for VGC players looking to sharpen their skills.
Pokémon video game fans have plenty to look forward to
These critters need to be beaten a million times each. Image credit: Pokémon.com
The video game news portion kicked off with information for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet players, highlighting the Switch 2 update for the ninth generation of games, which promised a smoother experience.
Alongside this, new Tera battles and mass outbreaks were revealed. The Shiny Treasures of Ruin is an intriguing Tera series that’ll be taking place from July 23 to September 14, 2025, featuring the Treasures of Ruin critters.
What makes this event stand out is that players will only be able to nab a Shiny Ruin critter after they’ve been defeated collectively a million times each.
Mass outbreaks of Shiny Pokémon will be taking place throughout the same time, running up until September 14. This event will include Grass, Ice, Ground, and Fire-types.
To claim a cute tracksuit set in-game via the Mystery Gift tab, Scarlet players can enter STRACKSU1T and Violet players can enter VTRACKSU1T.
Pokemon Z-A hype is building
It wasn’t just Scarlet and Violet getting updates in the Pokémon Presents, either – Pokémon Legends Z-A also received an exciting preview.
Pokémon Legends Z-A is set to be incredible. Image credit: The Pokémon Company
One of the main focuses in the Z-A video was Lumiose City itself. Players saw the main character arriving in Lumiose and joining Team MZ, a group dedicated to protecting the city.
Despite their seemingly noble intentions, Team MZ appears to have some connection to the villains of the game – the Rust Syndicate.
Rogue Mega evolutions are plaguing Lumiose City, meaning players will need to team up with MZ and use their own Mega ‘mons to battle these gigantic creatures in the wild.
One highlight of this segment was the reveal of Mega Dragonite, a previously unseen Mega evolution. Interestingly, it received a mixed response from community members we saw in the live chat.
This Pokémon looks very similar to its regular counterpart, but has elements of its previous form, Dragonair, and appears to be a lot bigger.
Customization features also got plenty of screentime in the Z-A video, with an intricate character creation and customization system being shown off to fans.
In Legends Z-A, players will be able to tailor their avatar to fit their style and even get fun haircuts for Furfrous in their party. One tiny detail that we particularly loved is the text box that implied Scythers were working as barbers.
Pokémon Champions is set to come out in 2026
Pokémon Champions should be a hit with VGC players. Image credit: Pokémon.com
Ever since its reveal, the upcoming Pokémon Champions title has had the competitive community intrigued, with many speculating it could show up at future championship events.
Thanks to this showcase confirming a rough release window, fans can now look forward to it releasing in 2026.
Further details were highlighted in a teaser trailer, confirming that both Switch and mobile players could take part in single and double matches, competing either in ranked matches globally or in private battles with friends.
One element that looked particularly exciting was the training feature, promising intricate levels of detail for trainers to tinker with. Players will be able to tweak their party’s moves, stats, and traits with ease, letting them gear up for matches easily.
Mega Pokémon are almost back in the Trading Card Game
This set is likely to be huge with collectors. Image credit: Pokémon.com
There weren’t many updates for TCG fans in this Pokémon Presents, other than a closer look at some exceedingly beautiful Mega cards that are due to come out in the Mega Evolution set, releasing on September 26, 2025.
The Pokémon cards included in this trailer were:
Mega Lucario ex
Mega Kangaskhan ex
Mega Gardevoir ex
Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Mega Venusaur ex
It’s already been a hype-filled year for the TCG community, but this set is gearing up to be one of the biggest releases of 2025. The Mega cards have the potential to turn the competitive scene on its head, and there are heaps of stellar cards for collectors to chase after as well.
Pokémon Go players received big news – quite literally
Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Max Finale will be a massive event. Image credit: Pokémon.com
Whether you’re a casual collector or a competitive Pokémon Go player, make sure you pencil the dates August 23 to August 24, 2025 in your calendar. A new event called Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Max Finale was revealed during the Pokémon Presents.
Featuring beloved Gigantamax ‘mons like Gengar and Snorlax alongside the newly-debuting Eternatus, the reveal video included a promo code – GOFESTMAX – that players can redeem to catch a Gigantamax critter in-game now up until August 24, 2025.
Other Pokémon games will be getting a sprinkle of new content
This Pokémon Presents featured a handful of smaller updates for other Pokémon titles. Here’s a quick rundown:
Pokémon Masters Ex players will be able to see Carmine and Sinistcha in their featured Poké Fair from July 29 to September 6, 2025.
Pokémon Cafe ReMix players can grab a five-star sea captain outfit for Lapras, starting July 23, 2025, alongside other nautical goodies and cosmetic options.
Pokémon Sleep players will be able to research Raikou, Entei, and Suicune starting September, 2025. There’ll also be a new area called Amber Canyon from November of this year.
UNITE players will be able to play with Latios and Latias to celebrate the game’s fourth anniversary, promising an exciting new playstyle. There’ll also be a new kind of battle called Electrode Volleyball to test out. The Pawmo line was also teased here.
If you’re a Pokémon UNITE player, make sure to redeem the code UNITE0722 to try out a Latios battle for three days. It’s valid up until August 31, 2025.
There are non-gaming updates to get excited about as well
Pokémon Concierge fans won’t have long to wait until new episodes. Image credit: Pokémon.com
Pokémon Concierge fans are in luck – new episodes are set to release on September 4th, 2025, on Netflix.
Additionally, further details about the Aardmaan collaboration with Pokémon were shown off, revealing the title to be The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu.
A sneak preview of the animation was shown off, highlighting beloved critters like Wooloo, Sirfetch’d, and Pichu in Aardman’s legendary style. Out of all the announcements, this is one that we’re particularly excited for, though its release window is currently 2027.
PokéPark KANTO also got a look-in, with plenty of charming details about this upcoming, real-world Pokémon attraction. A map was provided for fans to pore over, revealing that the park will have two key sections – Sedge Town and Pokémon Forest.
A new puzzle game for mobile and Switch fans, Pokémon Friends, popped up on app stores just before Pokémon Presents went live too. This adorable game features a whimsical art style and customizable rooms for players to decorate with plushes.
As usual, this Pokémon Presents showcase had something for everyone – plenty for competitive players, collectors, and fans to get excited about, along with a couple of freebies to redeem in-game. We’ll be sure to keep you updated if there’s further news about any of these announcements.
Ask The Escapist
Where can you watch Pokémon Presents?
Pokémon Presents are livestreamed on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels. For information about when the next Presents will be taking place, make sure to follow the company on their official social media pages.
When is Pokémon Legends Z-A coming out?
Pokémon Legends Z-A is set to drop on October 16, 2025, meaning fans won’t have too long to wait to play it on their Switch or Switch 2. Thanks to the newly revealed Mega details, customization tools, and lore, the hype has never been more intense.
When is Pokémon Champions coming out?
The upcoming Pokémon Champions game doesn’t have an exact release date yet. As of the July 2025 Pokémon Presents, the only release window available for Pokémon Champions is 2026.
The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
July 22, 2025: Check out these new free Bingo Blitz credit links.
What are the new free Bingo Blitz credits? You won’t be playing much bingo without them, that’s for sure. Even if you’ve exhausted your usual free credits in Bingo Blitz through login rewards and premium subscriptions, the secret to playing another round is through our Bingo Blitz credits links.
New Bingo Blitz free credits links work in much the same way as Monopoly Go dice links. One click and your account is automatically topped up with credits ready to be used on multiple rounds or one big blow-out session with multiple cards. The choice is yours.
New Bingo Blitz credits links
Here are all the Bingo Blitz free credits links today:
To redeem Bingo Blitz credits, simply open the links above on the same device you use to play. If you have the required permissions set up (typically by default), just click the link, tap the button on the page that opens, and you’ll be asked if it’s ok for the game to open. It helps if you’re already logged into the game.
Agree to the request, and Bingo Blitz should open back up, this time taking you to the Gift Centre page typically accessed via the big present button in the top-right corner of the screen. Accept the gift from the Bingo Blitz team at the top of the list to claim your free credits.
What are the free Bingo Blitz credit rewards?
Bingo Blitz credits links are posted to the game’s socials multiple times a day, with new ones rendering older ones invalid as they appear. That’s why it’s important to check back here several times per day. Missing one link means missing a bunch of bingo rounds.
Note that just like Bingo Blitz code rewards, the exact amount of freebies on offer with free Bingo Blitz credits links can differ between players. This is generally based on your progress within the game.
New players might only get enough credits for a couple of rounds of Classic or Super modes in their current stage (like Catalina, for example), while veteran players might get dozens to use in Deluxe or Marvellous rounds.
More types of rewards may be included as well, like gems, energy, or other currencies.
Free Bingo Blitz rewards found in the Gift Center can stack, too. So long as you claim them before they expire, you’ll be able to keep a stockpile of free credits and other goodies there for when you really need them.
How do I get more Bingo Blitz credits and gems?
Like most free-to-play games, Bingo Blitz showers you with daily freebies. You just need to know where to look.
Daily rewards and spins
Daily rewards can be accessed via the wheel button in the top-right corner of the screen. After the daily reward present, you get the chance to spin the wheel for even more.
Rewards system
Also on the Settings list is the Rewards System page. These are tiered rewards linked to playing Playtika games and can be claimed every six hours.
Add friends
Adding friends (or Blitz Buds) is another way to share free Bingo Blitz rewards. The more friends you have, the more free Bingo Blitz credits and other goodies you can send each other every day.
Adding friends gives you another way to earn pictures for the Adventure Book pages, which can unlock even more free Bingo Blitz credits when completed.
Free power packs
In the Bingo Blitz store, you can claim a free Power Pack every two hours from the Bingo Boosts tab at the bottom. Keep on top of that to supercharge the rounds you play with your free Bingo Blitz credits.
Bingo Blitz promo codes
The Promo Code screen in the settings menu can be used to claim more free rewards whenever the Bingo Blitz team releases coupon codes, typically through the game’s social media pages.
Playing
You’ll also get plenty of rewards just for playing the game. Profile level increases, rounds played, rooms completed, quests finished, and maps cleared will all dish out various kinds of free Bingo Blitz rewards.
These tend to dry up as you progress further through the game, but by mixing this method with all the other tips and tricks above, you’ll rarely run out of the credits needed to play just one more round.
And that should be everything you need to know about how to get free Bingo Blitz credits. Looking for other ways to spend your days without spending a penny? Take a peek at our list of the best free PC games around.
Major virtual streamer, or VTuber, Ironmouse, is the next to leave agency VShojo. While others have left under seemingly “happier” circumstances, Ironmouse is claiming that the company owes her “a significant amount of funds”.
This appears to include an estimated $515,000 in charity funds for the Immune Deficiency Foundation. Ironmouse is mostly bed-bound, suffering from an immunodeficiency disease, hence why she uses the VTuber model.
In the 11-minute video, Ironmouse states that she has been instructed by her lawyer not to divulge too much. However, her surface-level elaboration on why she’s leaving partially comes down to her feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, as she was, by far, one of the most popular members of VShojo.
At some point, she decided to take control of her finances and ran some “subathons”. These are streamer-led events on their chosen platform where they try to get as many subscribers as possible in a certain timeframe. Ironmouse ran a few, with VShojo sending any money over promptly. The last one, however, which raised the $515,000 in question, has still not been sent over a year later.
Ironmouse states she’s managed to raise $4 million for the charity, but has said that the situation has “broken” her.
What the hell is going on at VShojo?
This is the fourth name to leave the company in 2025, with several members still technically on the roster, now removing any mention of VShojo from their social media accounts.
One major member, Kson, who was previously with VTuber agency Hololive as Kiryu Coco, has begun to drum up fury on X, previously Twitter. She is set to go live in a few hours from writing, with a thumbnail that just reads:
“We need an explanation. Please answer VSHOJO.”
She followed it up with another post, claiming she didn’t get to speak to the person she needed to.
Other members of the VShojo roster are now pushing links to Ironmouse’s Tiltify link, which she uses for donations. Other members are insisting fans shouldn’t worry over them and thanking them for making their careers a success.
Zentreya, a mute VTuber who left just a few weeks ago, has also come out on X to state she can’t answer questions due to legal circumstances.
Some of you have questions that I can’t legally answer. But please know it wasn’t for me to bring to light. But it is fucked up and I am upset. And you have the right as well. I can’t disclose info at this time but know that I am angry with you all.
Ironmouse leaving and stars turning on agency bodes well
VShojo was set up in 2020 during the initial boom of VTubing on YouTube and Twitch during the pandemic. It has been fairly successful, allowing its talent to be themselves and feed into the slightly more adult tastes that come along with it.
In recent weeks, it’s clear that its “talent first” promise has been crumbling. Those leaving have been polite on the way out, but it appears that something has gone very wrong inside the agency.
The Escapist has reached out for comment.
The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Given the current climate in the videogames industry, any live service game reaching a full year of post-launch support is genuinely something to commend. If you can go beyond that, then hats off to you. That’s exactly what Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is about to do. About to enter its fourth season, which is its last major update of a tricky Year 1, it’s just confirmed a second year of support is on the way, and it contains highly requested content that makes its return from its beloved predecessors. Plus, the community will be able to vote from a list of four potential new game modes in order to divide which one will end up in Solar Crown.
While I had high hopes that TDU Solar Crown would recapture the magic of past games in the series and challenge the likes of Forza Horizon 5 and The Crew Motorfest, things haven’t shaken out that way. Plagued by tech issues at launch, it struggled to find much traction, and player counts (on Steam, at least) have been pretty dire. However, developer KT Racing has been pumping it full of improvements and seasonal content ever since, and TDU Solar Crown Season 4 will soon arrive with a long-awaited casino feature in tow. There’ll also be new cars, the Stock Races playlist, and some big UI changes. While KT has spoken about some of the ambitious features and content it wants to add in the past, I really feared that Season 4 would be the end of the road – but the studio is going to stick at it. Four more seasons have been announced for Year 2.
Will this be enough to get TDU Solar Crown on our list of the best racing games? I’m not so sure about that. However, as someone that enjoys open-world racers and sunk a lot of hours into the original TDU, these Year 2 plans actually sound pretty awesome.
Landing this October, Season 5 brings back a classic overworld activity: Taxi Missions. Despite sitting behind the wheel of some extremely fast and exotic cars, the intricacy and discipline of a Taxi Mission is strangely addictive. Tasking you with ferrying passengers from point A to point B, the focus isn’t on getting them there quickly – it’s about adhering to the rules of the road, offering a smooth ride, and ensuring you do as little damage to your car as possible. Each passenger also has different tolerances for various aspects, so one may let you get away with running a few red lights if it means getting them to their destination more quickly.
Season 5 also introduces clothing stores that you can visit to deck out your character, rebalances the game’s economy, and delivers a big engine upgrade too for better visuals and performance.
Season 6 doesn’t yet have a headline feature – because you’re going to decide it. KT has offered up four new modes and activity types that the community can vote on, and the winner will get added to the game. All are influenced, either completely or partially, by fan-favorite modes in Test Drive Unlimited 2. Photography mode is all about taking snaps of your cars in certain locations and while meeting certain criteria. Adrenaline is about being a daredevil, maxing out an adrenaline meter with fast driving, drifting, and near misses. Detective sees you tail suspects and drive around looking for clues to solve a mystery. And finally, Delivery is a co-op courier activity that can trigger in the overworld.
Season 7 is the least exciting, personally. Big overhauls are coming to the game loop and the seasonal Solar Passes, and a new location (the Official Racing Center) will arrive as a hub where you can launch ranked and unranked races.
Season 8, however, could really lure me back to Solar Crown. Player houses will be arriving when this season drops next year. As well as filling up your garage with desirable cars, spending your cash on fancy apartments or gorgeous beach houses was just as fun. When player houses hit Solar Crown, you’ll not only be able to purchase properties, but you’ll be able to customize the interiors too, with full control over furnishings. Nice.
It seems like Year 2 (in conjunction with the casino that’s arriving this week in Season 4) is finally leaning into the ‘lifestyle’ aspect of past TDU games that made them so unique and beloved. While it did deliver a sprawling open world and some decent racing gameplay, Solar Crown has so far failed to recreate that feeling of living an actual life within the game. With player houses, clothing stores, the casino, and more, it should hopefully achieve that goal. Plus, some really fun activities and modes are coming too, providing some new ways to play and a welcome nostalgia hit for all those TDU and TDU2 fans out there.
For more, check out some of the best multiplayer games on PC right now. If you’re a real lover of games like TDU Solar Crown, also be sure to take a look at the best racing wheels on the market right now for ultimate immersion.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Oh Ubisoft, I have been dining out for over a year on quoting that throwaway comment from one of their execs that we need to get used to the idea of not owning our games anymore. Of course, we should merely enjoy them as a contract between equal partners that can be whipped away from one side (us, obviously) at any time (for backstory, check out the Stop Killing Games Movement).
I was concerned, though, that it might be getting stale, and I was worried I wouldn’t get any new meme-worthy material anytime soon.
Step forward the most unlikely of sources – the Ubisoft financial report. A PDF destined to be a dry read that nobody cares about, really. That is, until the MP1st website spotted a gem hiding away in all the numbers.
“Our monetization offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalize their avatars or progress more quickly, however, this is always optional.”
Oh, so it’s for us? Stupid. Of course. I shouldn’t expect an $80 purchase to be fun enough; I should expect to open my wallet further to make it more “fun”. Maybe I can keep the fun going by constantly paying more?
Do you want to Add Fun to basket?
Oh, come on. It’s fun to pay to change the clothes on my character. Everybody thinks that.
I think we would all have more respect for companies and their microtransaction tactics if they just came out and said, “Look, guys, we need to make more money to continue to make you games that you enjoy.”
I’d be relatively cool with that. Even though I don’t really believe there is a place for paid-for skins and the like in single-player games anyway, I think it’s ridiculous. At least we could stop dressing it up and move forward.
In a world where loot boxes are definitely not gambling, and don’t for one minute think they are – you can check out the fuss Blizzard has caused with Hearthstone’s gambling mechanics of late – companies continue to extract as much extra cash out of players as they can by upselling this nonsense, mainly to those who can afford it, but sometimes to those that can’t, and that is the concern.
While it might be true that the majority of microtransactions are all funded by people with more money than sense, I have had to have enough conversations with my kids to suspect that it’s not just mine that are being targeted with this stuff, and find it attractive.
Mecha Break is another game to fall foul lately of seeing the cash signs ahead of providing a game that could be amazing, and more and more games seem to set out to put things they know players will want behind extra purchases.
Fun is now a premium service
The constant drain on funds is going to become an issue as the asks keep getting bigger. It’s not just buying a game and maybe paying for skins for a little more “fun”; it’s that on top of the Netflix subs, the Prime subs, the Spotify subs, etc. Something has to eventually give.
In the same report, Ubisoft highlights that it believes Star Wars Outlaws failed to meet sales expectations due to a declining interest in the Star Wars franchise.
I somehow doubt it is anywhere close to being that simple. Maybe we are misunderstanding what the word “fun” actually means.
The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
VPNs make big privacy claims, but not all providers can back them up. It takes an audit to add veracity to important features like no logging and working kill switches, and ExpressVPN has just endured its 23rd self-inflicted assessment of its VPN service.
Commissioning independent cybersecurity experts KPGM to scrutinize its VPN, the audit focused on the ExpressVPN TrustedServer system. These are driveless servers, meaning that there is literally no hard disk drive, no SSD, no optical drive – nothing. Instead, they run purely on RAM, with a code block for the OS and VPN framework. So, when a server is rebooted, all data is lost.
While you might think that a VPN’s audit status isn’t particularly relevant to which gaming VPN you use, it really is. Privacy for accessing specific servers, as well as defense against targeted attacks from other players, are both very important. All top VPNs use auditing on a semi-regular basis, at least annually, making it a very important tool for ensuring the provider’s security.
“Independent assurance isn’t just a checkbox for us – it’s fundamental in our efforts towards trust and transparency,” says ExpressVPN’s chief information security officer, Aaron Engel. We’ve long considered ExpressVPN to be one of the best VPNs around, and once again, an audit backs this assertion.
Engel added: “Having KPMG evaluate our technologies and assess our privacy protections again demonstrates our unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of user privacy protection.” The audit results mark each test as “no exceptions noted,” which is good news for privacy.
Alongside the audit, ExpressVPN has also confirmed the launch of new VPN servers in every US state. It now boasts 62 server locations in the USA, a huge increase from 24, and more than competitor NordVPN, which only has 22 locations in 12 states.
This has advantages both to the VPN provider and its customers. More servers mean the load is spread, which increases speed. In some cases, they’re closer to where users are located, again improving speed. ExpressVPN has added servers to popular areas such as Los Angeles and New Jersey, too.
Not all states have physical servers; however, virtual location servers – those with an IP address and locale information relating to a specific location – work in the same way. More US-based servers aren’t particularly useful for anyone outside the US, but sports fans can take advantage of these new VPN servers to avoid localized region-blocking of events.
It’s why we recommend choosing ExpressVPN, which remains a top choice for gaming. While it’s a bit pricier than some of the other options on our list, our 2023 ExpressVPN review awarded it a 9/10 score, saying that the provider is “the best on the market right now.”
⚠️ This page mixes confirmed information with industry rumors and speculation. We’ll keep it updated as new details and leaks come to light.
The Duskbloods is an upcoming multiplayer Souls game by FromSoftware that has a lot in common with Bloodborne. The game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026 and was originally revealed during April 2025’s Nintendo Direct presentation, to a lot of hype from fans of the genre.
Below, we’ll reveal everything there is to know about The Duskbloods, including when we think its release window is likely to be, what the game is about, and if it’s a traditional Souls adventure, or something new. We’ll also address whether or not it’s connected to any other Soulsborne game.
The Escapist recaps
The Duskbloods is a Soulslike adventure coming to the Nintendo Switch 2.
The game will be a Switch 2 exclusive.
The Duskbloods will be focused on PvP and PvE multiplayer.
It is not connected to Bloodborne, despite sharing some visual similarities.
The Duskbloods release date will be sometime in 2026.
When could The Duskbloods be released?
The Duskbloods is set to be released at some point during 2026.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed a Duskbloods release window yet, but we’d expect the game to come out at some point during the second half of 2026.
So expect The Duskbloods‘ release date to be sometime between summer and the winter holiday season of 2026. Of course, the release date is likely to be revealed well before then, and we’ll confirm it here once it is.
Are The Duskbloods pre-orders and price live?
No, the storefront for The Duskbloods pre-orders is not live yet.
It will likely be updated when the game’s release date is revealed. While we don’t have any concrete information from Nintendo as to when that will be, expect The Duskbloods pre-orders to go live anytime between now and early 2026.
Regarding The Duskbloods‘ price, Nintendo hasn’t revealed it yet. However, based on current pricing for brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 games, we’d estimate that price point will be approximately £64.95 / $69.99. We’ve seen this most recently with the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, which forgoed the higher asking rate of Mario Kart World.
The Duskbloods platforms
The Duskbloods will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, with the trailer saying, “Only on Nintendo Switch 2” at the end.
It won’t be released on the original Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox consoles.
The game is also unlikely to be released on PC, unless Nintendo permits it at a later date. However, this isn’t something Nintendo typically does with its first-party games.
At first glance, The Duskbloods gameplay looks a lot like Bloodborne, with the trailer showing a dark world that’s overrun by monsters that need hunting down. These will include some massive and terrifying boss encounters, something FromSoftware is well known for.
The Duskbloods trailer showed some of these monsters, and as the game is primarily a multiplayer experience, players will likely need to work together to take down these mighty beasts.
The trailer also shows an art style that’s reminiscent of Code Vein, with the player characters being creatures similar to vampires. It also made a point of showing off some character examples, confirming that players will be able to make a variety of builds that are associated with the Souls games.
Players will be able to make strength-focused warriors in heavy armor, to lighter, more dexterity-focused characters like gunslingers, and many more. The game is also likely to have builds suited to casters, just like previous FromSoftware games have.
What is The Duskbloods about?
Like many of FromSoftware’s other games, The Duskbloods is set in a bleak, decaying world that has fallen on hard times, but could be revived by a hero. The gothic world is eerily similar to the one seen in Bloodborne and is also based on a dark interpretation of Victorian Europe.
The game’s story is focused on a group of warriors known as the “Bloodsworn,” who are taking part in a forbidden hunt known as the “First Blood”, now that the “Twilight of Humanity” has begun.
Having been given superhuman powers by their blood, the Bloodsworn must go out into the night and face down the hellish creatures that have started infecting the world. Each player will assume the role of a Bloodsworn as they battle against the darkness – and each other.
Ask The Escapist
Is Duskbloods a Switch 2 exclusive?
Yes, The Duskbloods is only going to be available on Nintendo’s Switch 2 console.
Is The Duskbloods a sequel to Bloodborne?
No, The Duskbloods is not a sequel to Bloodborne.
However, it will be a spiritual successor to Bloodborne in many ways, featuring a similar dark style and art design. The world that The Duskbloods is set in looks reminiscent of Yharnam, with the buildings, weapons, and even clothing of the characters resembling those from Bloodborne.
The game’s trailer also reveals that The Duskbloods shares themes with Bloodborne, such as the moon, and that blood contains both power and a curse. These were both key elements in Bloodborne’s story, and the trailer confirms that The Duskbloods will continue to explore such ideas.
Is The Duskbloods going to be open world?
FromSoftware hasn’t confirmed if The Duskbloods is going to feature an open world or not.
It’s more likely that The Duskbloods will feature a smaller but interconnected world like the ones seen in the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, rather than a fully open world like the one seen in Elden Ring.
Is Duskbloods made by Miyazaki?
Yes. The Duskbloods developer and director will indeed be Hidetaka Miyazaki.
So, expect the game to feature his usual grimdark style, and for it to have some elements in common with his previous games, such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne.
We also put money on the character Patches showing up at some point in the game, as he did in so many other Souls games directed by Miyazaki.
Is Duskbloods a Soulsborne game?
Yes, The Duskbloods trailer reveals that it will contain many gameplay elements, especially the combat, that mark it as a Soulsborne title. However, the game will focus on multiplayer over single-player exploration.
The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Published: Jul 22, 2025 05:47 am