Casey Hudson forms Humanoid Studios

Casey Hudson who previously worked on Mass Effect is now forming a brand new independent studio called Humanoid Studios.

Hudson announced the studio on Twitter by saying the following:#Today we are announcing a new independent videogame company built to unleash the creative freedom of developers – bringing innovation and artistry to players through an all-new IP.”

Little is known on what the new studio will be creating but the website states that the studio is still searching for key development roles such as Senior Gameplay & Level Designers, Environment Artists, and a Senior Creative Director.

It's always exciting to see a new studio’s form of known talent from the industry and I can't wait to see what the folks at Humanoid end up making.

The Switch Pro Is Reported To Launch In September

The Nintendo Switch Pro rumors have been swirling around for a while now but according to a new report, we could hear about the upgraded console soon.

The report comes from Bloomberg, who said that the assembly of a new Nintendo Switch model is to begin in July, with the new console arriving on shelves by September or October.

According to Bloomberg's sources who have asked not to be named, the new console will likely be priced higher than the RRP of the standard Nintendo Switch with the dock, but will also replace that model as the older machine is phased out.

Eurogamer went on to say they've corroborating Bloomberg's report their own sources and added that

an announcement is expected before E3, to give third-party developers and publishers currently working on games for the new hardware the ability to announce their games at the event.

As usual, take the report with a grain of salt as Nintendo has yet to comment on the report. It would make a ton of sense though, especially since Xbox has been teasing a possibility of the two companies working together. This new hardware could be capable of you know, running Xbox Game Pass. That's all speculation on my part but i think Xbox has to do something BIG for E3 2021 and this would be a gigantic move for both companies.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends: Arceus Release Dates Announced

The Pokémon Company and Nintendo have announced the release dates for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Let's kicks things off with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes, which will be launching this year on November 19, 2021, for Nintendo Switch. It's a pretty predictable release date but I'm excited to return the diamond and pearl games.

When it comes to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, That game will release on January 28, 2022, on the Nintendo Switch. I'm not entirely sure if this game will hit this date, it seems a little too soon in my opinion. I could be completely wrong and maybe the scale of the game is smaller than I have in mind. regardless I can't wait to have more Pokemon games in my life.

Nintendo Announce Game Builder Garage

Nintendo has announced a new game coming to Nintendo Switch next month called Game Builder Garage.

The game is a collection of tools and interactive lessons that will teach players some programming skills led by colorful creatures known in the game as Nodon.

Players will have to use different Nodon which have their own functions and connecting them together will give players the ability to create games. the game features lessons and activities to teach key game development skills.

Once players are comfortable with the tools, they'll get the option to go into Free Programming mode to bring their creations to life.

In addition, you'll be able to share your creations with friends and the community online with a unique code. You'll be able to swap between the programming screen and the games to see how they were made.

You'll also be able to plug in a USB mouse to the Nintendo Switch dock to use help make your games.

Game Builder Garage is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch on June 11.

Gamescom 2021 Is Now An All-Digital Event

Gamescom has announced that this year's show will be changing its original plans of being a hybrid show of physical and digital components and will now be entirely online this year.

In a press release, Chief Operating Officer Oliver Frese discussed the decision by saying "Together with the game – The German Games Industry Association, we have put all our energy into making Gamescom 2021 in a hybrid format possible for fans and industry alike. However, even though the hybrid concept was very well received by the partners, we had to recognize that GamesCom still comes too early for many companies in the industry due to the required planning reliability."

Gamescom will kick things off with the Opening Night Live broadcast on August 25 hosted by Geoff Keighley, with viewers being able to virtually "attend" the online show over the following days via a relaunched Gamescom Now hub and Gamescom Epix campaign to take place over social media.

Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout's Xbox And Switch Versions Delayed

Mediatonic has announced that the upcoming release for Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will no longer launch in the Summer.

the announcement came from the game's official website, where the studio discussed its recent purchase by Epic Games by saying it offered "so many new opportunities" but also they said, "We've realized that our previously announced Summer 2021 Switch and Xbox release schedule is unfortunately just too soon for us to include all of the tasty new features we're working on."

on a positive note, the team confirmed that the delay will give them the chance to add additional features, which they promised would include crossplay so that Xbox and Nintendo Switch players can play with those on PlayStation 4 and PC.

Knockout City coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate And EA Play

EA has confirmed that the upcoming dodgeball game Knockout City will be available via EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at launch in May.

in a post where EA celebrates the beta hitting one million downloads for the recent open beta weekend. They confirmed the game will be coming to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier subscription, this also means it'll be available for players on PlayStation and PC via a standard EA Play membership as well.

I played the recent demo and I came away from it lukewarm, I enjoyed aspects of the game but I also found the matchmaking overly frustrating. Every match I played over the course of the beta weekend had one team with fewer players than the other which made it extremely one-sided.

Knockout City will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 21.

Additionally, the game will have access to cross-play across all platforms.

Apex Legends introduces a new permanent mode called Arenas

Respawn has revealed their first permanent mode coming to Apex Legends since Duos and it looks amazing.

The new mode which is called Arenas will launch alongside season 9 (Legacy) and it will put two squads of 3 to battle against each other in smaller Arena maps.

Each round, players will select their characters and then a buy phase will commence, both teams will get to spend allocated crafting materials to buy weapons and equipment. Then the games will begin in a deathmatch-style mode with no respawns. The team to gain a two round lead will win the match.

The mode will launch with two Custom Maps called Party Crasher and Phase Runner but will also have adapted Arenas of parts of the Kings Canyon, World's Edge, and Olympus maps.

Apex Legends Season Nine: Legacy will drop on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 4.

Square Enix Joins E3 2021

Square Enix has confirmed that it will be at E3 2021 in some capacity according to a recent interview.

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda said the following:

"We'll be announcing the rest of the line-up [later], and we're also planning to make an announcement at E3 in June, so please keep your eyes peeled,"

It's unclear if the company will be holding a full show or maybe something smaller but Square Enix is having a great year so far with the launch of Outriders and I'm sure they'll want to keep that going for as long as possible.

Lego Super Mario could be getting a Luigi Pack soon

Luigi could be joining the world of Lego Super Mario soon according to a listing for a Luigi set being spotted on Amazon China.

The now-removed listing describes a new "Adventures with Luigi" set that will allow owners of the Lego Super Mario set to add more players to the fun.

Lego seemingly hinted at this in a recent firmware update for the Mario figure that had Mario now cried out for his brother.

There has been no official announcement from either Lego or Nintendo as of yet but the Amazon listing also claimed a release date for this summer.

I'm super excited to see these sets grow and add more characters to the world of Lego Super Mario, it might also mean that multiple people could participate in the fun together.

I'm calling dibs on Luigi in my household that's for sure unless Donkey Kong comes out. Then I'll be DK all-day

Sonic Colours Could Possibly Be Getting A Remaster

Over the course of the weekend, a couple of listings were put online for a possible remaster of Sonic Colours.

originally reported by Gematsu, a German voiceover studio iksample listed a "Sonic Colors Remastered" in its portfolio on its website, which at the time of writing has since gone into maintenance mode. However, this was then later

backed up by a listing on French retailer Sogamely, which confirmed the title to be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2021.

No official confirmation has come from SEGA as of writing but it would make sense since the 30th anniversary of Sonic is this year.

Nintendo Announces Mario Red & Blue Edition Switch Console

Nintendo has revealed a new Mario edition Switch, which is the first limited edition console to feature a different color on the switch itself.

The Mario Red & Blue Edition is the same color scheme as the prolific plumber himself, with red Joy-Con featuring blue straps and blue grips that mimic Mario's fashion stylings. The dock and system are also red, rather than the normal black version. Additionally, the console will also launch with a matching carrying case and screen protector.

This special edition Nintendo console will be available to purchase from February 12 and will cost a total of $299.99.

I really like the design of the console and I'm trying my best to not buy another Nintendo Switch that I won't use much but it's also Red so who knows what I'll do.

Nintendo Buying Developer Next Level Games

Nintendo has confirmed today that it will be acquiring Canadian developer Next Level Games, the studio behind Luigi's Mansion 3.

Nintendo is hoping the deal will be sealed by March 1, 2021, pending shareholder approval. Nintendo stated that the deal would "secure the availability of Next Level Games development resources for Nintendo, including development expertise, as well as facilitate an anticipated improvement in development speed and quality by enabling closer communication and exchange of staff with the Nintendo development team."

I'm pretty excited to see what Nintendo has up its sleeves for the developer and hopefully, this means that more Luigi-based adventures in a mansion are on it's way.