This week, we have musician and artist Mike Phirman in the guest judge seat. His years of making comedy music is just what our slightly funny podcast needs. Ric and Ryan have been tasked with creating a “thrilling” board game for Mike. Will Ric’s adrenaline filled game get our judge excited? Will Ryan’s pitch leave Mike on the edge of his seat?
Mike Phirman has been making comedy music since 2010 and can be heard on “Kids Place Live” on SiriusXM. You can check out Mike’s music at his website https://mikephirman.com today.
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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.
⚠️ 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.
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If you are a Game Pass subscriber, you’d better start clearing your calendars and storage space for the next few weeks, as Microsoft has dropped a list of games that you are not going to have time to play, all of which are arriving before the end of the month.
As ever, some are going to get your attention more than most, and we will give you the full list in a moment, but first let’s cherry-pick some of what has caught our eye.
Grounded 2
Grounded was a really great game. Its setting, writing, and gameplay all appealed deeply to gamers like us who grew up watching movies where kids got shrunk and put into mild peril. Movies such as Inner Space and Big were staples of our entertainment, and Grounded took us back to a time when that all seemed possible.
Grounded also became a little infamous for being one of the first games to cross the Xbox exclusive divide and enter the enemy camps of Nintendo and PlayStation.
Grounded 2‘s Day One release will follow a similar path, being available only on Xbox and PC at launch.
It’s going to be very cool, and we can’t wait to play this one.
RoboCop: Rogue City
Not new by any means, and with standalone DLC on the horizon as well, RoboCop: Rogue City caught everybody by surprise by being great, and also doing a fantastic job of recreating one of our favorite 80s movies. With appearances by original actors and a game that didn’t fall into the trap of just making another twitch shooter, RRC was really fun, and finding a new audience on Game Pass is its deserved reward.
Farming Simulator 25
Giants Software can do little wrong when it comes to Farming Simulator. Its audience is nailed on, and the size of it is mindblowing. Now, after healthy sales, it is obviously deemed the right time to spread the word further, so get your crops sown before the winter sets in and relax to the sounds of your combine harvester.
Games coming to Game Pass in July’s Wave 2
Outside of those three, we have the return of the excellent High on Life, which was a Day One game back in the day before leaving the service. That’s back from today, and we also have new Souls-like, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, which looks beautiful but challenging.
Here’s the full list of what to expect between now and the end of the month.
Date
Game
Available On
July 15
High On Life
Game Pass Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, Cloud, PC)
July 17
RoboCop: Rogue City
Game Pass Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, Cloud, PC)
July 17
My Friendly Neighborhood
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, Cloud, PC)
July 18
Back to the Dawn
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, Cloud, PC)
July 22
Abiotic Factor
Game Pass Ultimate (Console)
July 23
Wheel World
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, PC, Cloud)
July 24
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, PC, Cloud)
July 29
Grounded 2
Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Console, PC, Cloud)
August 1
Farming Simulator 25
Game Pass Ultimate, Standard, PC Game Pass (Console, PC, Cloud)
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Not every game gets its audience right away. Plenty of classics were not commercially successful or critically derided when they first arrived, only to build a reputation through word-of-mouth. John Wick Hex was one such game, a slick and exciting tactics treat that was a pleasantly small-scale offering. But soon, it will disappear from storefronts entirely.
For the unfamiliar, John Wick Hex uses a combination of real-time and turn-based strategy. Instead of set turns, each action is associated with a specific amount of time. Sure, you can sprint across that room in one “turn,” but you’ll open yourself up to multiple rounds of gunfire if you do. You have to time reloads and and melee to create opportunities and prevent injuries. Like the best RTS games, you’ll need both quick thinking and careful strategy to survive.
John Wick Hex was also developed in collaboration with the team behind the films. Lance Reddick and Ian McShane both reprise their roles. The game is drenched in the same slick neon hue that defines John Wick’s visual language.
However, John Wick Hex will soon no longer be available for purchase on any storefront. Publisher Big Fan Games released the following statement,
“John Wick Hex will be removed from sale on all platforms beginning July 17th, 2025.
After July 17th, 2025, existing owners of John Wick Hex will still be able to access the game via their digital libraries (PC/Console) and/or physical copies (Console), however new purchases of John Wick Hex will not be possible, regardless of platform or storefront.”
The statement does not elaborate on why they are removing the game, so that is up to speculation.
You can buy John Wick Hex on Steam for $19.99 until July 17.
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.
Take a trip, back in time with us. Back in the Fall of 2024, Seppy Yoon of Fight in a Box joined us as our guest judge. In this episode, Ric and Ryan share two unique games that take place at the end of the world. Which of these absurd apocalyptic game will impress our judge? Also, props to the hundreds of crickets that appear on this episode in the background of Ryan’s audio.
Seppy is a game designer and frequently posts board game content across YouTube and TikTok. Follow along to learn tons about gaming and the design industry.
Like the content that is filing your ears? Consider giving to our Patreon and connect with One Board Family even more. https://www.patreon.com/oneboardfamily
⚠️ This page mixes confirmed information with industry rumors and speculation. We’ll keep it updated as new details and leaks come to light.
007 First Light has to be the one upcoming game that I’m most excited for right now, with GTA 6 being a close second. Developed by IO Interactive, a studio we all know and love for its Hitman series, the game will explore an all-new story for James Bond.
Instead of following a storyline from one of the movies, IO Interactive reimagined Bond’s origin story, introducing us to the rebellious agent before he ever became a spy. 007 will be younger than we’ve ever seen him before, but you can bet that his charm and penchant for getting in (and out of) trouble will be just the same. It was originally known as Project 007.
The Escapist recaps
007 First Light, the new Bond game, is currently being developed by IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman franchise.
The game is shaping up to be a third-person action-adventure, featuring a blend of cinematics, dynamic combat scenes, stealthy action, and story-driven depth.
This is the first new James Bond game in over a decade, and IO Interactive is diving right in with its own, previously unseen storyline.
Players will meet familiar faces from the Bond universe, but also brand-new characters, such as a mysterious figure designated as 009.
Similar to the recent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the game appears to be set in various locations around the globe.
When could 007 First Light be released?
IO InteractiveIO Interactive
While the 007 First Light release date has yet to be revealed, IO Interactive has confirmed the game will be coming sometime in 2026. The current development stage is still a mystery, so we don’t even have a ballpark as to whether 007 First Light will arrive in the first or the second half of the year. However, there are signs pointing to it being sooner rather than later.
While the 007 First Light release window seems vague, we can look to the studio’s previous work, Hitman 3, for a rough time frame of when the James Bond title could debut. Hitman 3 was announced in June 2020 before being released in January 2021, a gap of just seven months. Similarly, First Light was officially revealed in June 2025 and could come out early next year.
Expected 007 First Light price & pre-orders
While we still don’t know the confirmed007 First Light price, we can speculate given the state of the industry, as the game is likely to cost $70 / £70 / €70 in line with today’s AAA releases. The studio’s previous standalone release, Hitman 3, debuted at $60 / £60 / €60 back in 2021, which was then later replaced by the tiered monetization system of World of Assassination.
It’s also likely that we’ll see different 007 First Light editions alongside the standard version. For those who sign up at the game’s official website, they can unlock the “On Duty” outfit (a black turtleneck with holster inspired by Daniel Craig’s look in No Time To Die) and the Gilded Wrath golden Walther PPK. We could see a deluxe/premium edition including more cosmetics.
Considering the lack of a firm release window,007 First Light pre-orders aren’t open yet, but you can already wishlist the game on Steam. It’s possible that we could see a confirmed price and pre-order window available by the end of 2025, around the Holiday period, to gear fans up. However, as IO Interactive is privately owned, it could break away from genre conventions.
007 First Light platforms
Although 007 First Light was announced at Sony’s State of Play, the game is, fortunately, not a PS5 exclusive. The new James Bond game will be available on the PlayStation 5, but also on the Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam. However, PS5 Pro gamers will be able to enjoy PSSR and 60 fps in Quality Mode.
By the looks of it, we’re in for a treat. IO Interactive shared a three-minute trailer of 007 First Light, and the game appears to be fast-paced, action-packed, and rather story-driven.
The 007 First Light trailer starts by making us privy to a conversation involving M and Greenway, a new mentor figure for Bond. Bond appears to have made an impression during a mission in Iceland, but his recklessness and rebellious spirit have done him no favors with Greenway. M, however, is impressed.
“Always at the top of his class,” says M of young Bond. “Always at odds with authority,” counters Greenway. Bond fears nothing and relies on luck to keep him alive, and that makes him a “bullet without a target” in the eyes of his mentors. That’s not a bad thing—that’s exactly what MI6 wants to see.
We learn the origin story of James Bond, whose parents died to save his life, and he had to witness it firsthand. He’d been bouncing around all kinds of boarding schools ever since. When the game begins, Bond is 26, and he’s not a spy yet—he’s a Royal Navy air crewman, later recruited into MI6.
The 007 trailer sets the stage for a completely new story. 007 First Light is set in the modern day, long before any of the movies ever took place. Aside from new characters such as the mysterious antagonist referred to as 009, we’ll see familiar faces, such as M, Q, and Moneypenny.
Apart from giving us a glimpse into Bond’s dark story, the trailer shows us the kind of 007 First Light gameplay we can expect. Bond travels all over the globe, sneaks around, shoots his gun, and throws grenades, not to mention racing fancy-looking cars and looking death in the eye (on more than one occasion). It appears to be a more cinematic take on the studio’s previous work with the Hitman reboot trilogy.
Ask The Escapist
Is 007 First Light PlayStation exclusive?
Fortunately, 007 First Light is not a PlayStation exclusive. The game is confirmed for a broad multi-platform release in 2026, and will be available on the PS5, but also on the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S.
Who is playing James Bond in 007 First Light?
IO Interactive has yet to reveal who will play James Bond in 007 First Light, but the rumor mill is buzzing with just one name: Patrick Gibson. This widespread belief stems from his striking resemblance to the character shown in the reveal trailer.
Will 007 First Light be on PC?
Yes, 007 First Light will be available on PC in 2026. You’ll be able to buy the game through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
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We’re back! Consider this a “lost episode”. Originally recorded back in Fall of 2024, Jerry McGahagin from Tabletop Worldwide joins us as our guest judge. With the theme of spies, will Ric or Ryan sneak their way into winning over our judge?
You can check out Jerry’s work at Tabletop Worldwide on Instagram today. Be sure to follow and check out all the gaming content this channel creates.
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Satisfactory from Coffee Stain has been one of the standout games of recent years. The factory/automation simulation has absorbed so many player hours since it first came out in Early Access five years ago that we could almost have built our own off-world factory.
Within the last year or so, it was finally released properly and has now moved to version 1.1 more recently with a whole host of changes that make the game even greater.
To celebrate, Coffee Stain and merch partner Heroic Miniatures have teamed up once more to bring a new Kickstarter to the table, which will put some more Satusfactory merchandise out in the wild.
There are two options in the main, the Satisfactory Big Box bundle and the Satisfactory remote control Factory Cart, which you get to make yourself out of little bricks.
The big box is very cool and resembles the big box games of yesteryear. However, only this one comes with merchandise, including a cloth map, posable figures, a mouse or desk mat, and a baseball cap, plus more bits and bobs.
Interestingly, considering it mimics a game box, you don’t receive a copy of the game. Coffee Stain explains that they want to reward existing players rather than use it as a tool to sell the game, which I suppose is fair enough.
There is a lot of cool stuff here, and the project has already been back very quickly, so it will definitely go ahead with rewards set to arrive before the end of the year. There’s even a festive jumper add-on that should land just in time for Ficsmas.
At the time of writing, there are still 27 days left in the campaign, and it has already raised nearly three times the target amount with just under 800 backers. This number is set to rise considerably by the time it closes.
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Published: Jul 20, 2025 07:00 am