Publisher Team17 and developer Expression Games have delayed Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, its quasi-sequel to WW2 shooter Hell Let Loose, to August 13 following feedback from players in recent open betas and in internal playtests. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam was originally due out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on June 18, but will now launch roughly two months later on those same platforms.
“We have been so excited watching you share your experiences and seeing the great videos from our War Correspondents and being able to receive and implement your important feedback throughout both our Closed and Open Betas,” a press release reads. “In addition to your feedback, we have also been carrying out intensive internal playtests for both the PC and console versions of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, and we have identified several areas where additional development time will allow us to deliver a stronger launch experience.
“Therefore, after careful consideration, we have decided to delay the launch to August 13. This will ensure that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam launches at the quality level we expect and you deserve.”
The most recent open beta started May 29 and ended June 1, but closed betas were held before that. It seems that feedback from those betas, alongside feedback from internal playtests, has helped Expression Games identify areas for improvement, and the team is taking extra time to shore up the loose ends.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 13.
2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the premiere of 1996’s Toy Story. If the upcoming Toy Story 5 isn’t enough to get you excited to hang with Woody and Buzz Lightyear one more time, perhaps revisiting their old video games will do the trick.
Digital Eclipse, the team behind retrospective collections such as Atari 50, The Making of Karateka, and Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection has announced two Toy Story nostalgia projects. The first is Toy Story: Retro Roundup, a “definitive collection” of classic Toy Story games from the ’90s/early ’00s. The bundle features the following titles, including a surprise bonus game:
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! (1999)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000)
Toy Story Racer (2001)
A Bug’s Life (1998)
Each game in Toy Story: Retro Roundup can be played in its original visuals or in an upgraded resolution. The games also feature the now-signature rewind mechanic, save states, and a practice mode featuring guided walkthroughs. You can also use Rex’s Cheat Codes to immediately unlock characters, levels, invincibility, unlimited lives, and bonus modes.
Retro Roundup also includes extensive archival content, such as development materials, as well as six behind-the-scenes video interviews with creators from Pixar and TT Games, voice actor Jim Hanks, and more.
The next game is Toy Story 3 Complete Edition, a remaster of the cult-favorite 2010 game (and a favorite of Korn frontman Jonathan Davis). The game now boasts 4K resolution and 60 fps performance. It also includes content previously exclusive to the PlayStation 3 version, such as the option to play as Zurg in the game’s Toy Box mode, Toy Story 3’s signature open-world sandbox.
Toy Story: Retro Roundup and Toy Story 3 Complete Edition will be released on October 15 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
Somewhere along the lines, I lost count of the number of times I beat Star Fox 64. It was one of those games that I would start over as soon as I finished it, aiming to not only beat my high score, but find more secrets en route to taking on Andross in the climactic final battle. Sadly, the franchise lost its way after that masterpiece, and no matter what studios like Nintendo, Rare, Namco, Platinum, or any of the other teams that have tried, nothing has recaptured the magic of that N64 game.
To attempt to put the Star Fox franchise back on the right track, Nintendo last month announced Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2, a game that remakes Star Fox 64 with new graphics, voice acting, cinematics, challenges, and multiplayer modes. I flew to New York to spend an hour playing this latest Star Fox title, and it has, thus far, earned its wings.
Before diving into the beginning of the story campaign, I play through the training mode, which takes place over the course of multiple segments. After learning how these controls work on the modern gamepad (including one-button options for somersaults and U-turns), I get a brief cutscene showing the team exiting the training simulation and transitioning to the beginning of the campaign.
In the campaign, I get a chance to see the call between Fox and General Pepper in the lead-up to the first mission on Corneria. The mission briefing is much more organic and grants significantly more context about what’s happening in the galaxy. Once the intro cutscene, where the team reports their statuses, plays, the mission on Corneria begins.
Star Fox looks incredible in motion, and Corneria looks fantastic. The highly detailed ship models and environments perfectly complement the tight gameplay, strong original designs, and frenetic action. Speaking of which, Star Fox feels as good as ever, and if, like me, you’ve played it a lot, it doesn’t take long for the muscle memory to kick in.
I have the chance to play through Corneria twice: first, on the normal track, and second, on the ‘good’ track where you fly under the arches and follow Falco through the waterfall. Taking down the Granga in All-Range Mode took me less than a minute, which is to say, it’s just like the original. The “secret” encounter with the Attack Carrier after going through the waterfall stays consistent with that.
In this second playthrough of Corneria, however, I was doing so in co-op, where I steered using a Pro Controller, and my co-op partner used a Joy-Con in Mouse mode to aim and shoot. This gameplay style requires a level of communication and anticipation of where the other will go, making for a more difficult way to play. I don’t know that I’ll spend much time in this mode, but it’s nice to have the option.
Next, I play Meteo, the asteroid field that serves as the second mission of the bottom path. Watching the meteors bounce off each other still feels impressive all these years later, and I loved seeing the new designs of some of the odder enemy units in this stage. However, rather than going through to the end to face off against the Meteo Crusher boss, I instead unlock the alternate route using the warp gates to access the warp zone. Thanks to the kaleidoscope effect of this area, the warp zone is a beautiful, vibrant sight to behold in this release.
The cutscenes between missions show off much more about the effort against Andross, including General Pepper acknowledging the branching paths, and laying out the missions of each level in instances where you have a choice. After Meteo’s warp zone, the path would normally take me to Katina to assist Bill (a personal favorite mission of mine), but in the cutscene, General Pepper lays out the stakes of each selectable mission, making it feel like a more impactful decision.
I was itching to play more of the campaign, but it was time to move to the multiplayer side of the experience. Though I will always consider the campaign of Star Fox 64 the main course, the multiplayer Battle Mode was a mainstay for me at friend gatherings, despite being super barebones, even after I unlocked the special on-foot mode. Star Fox on Switch 2 revamps the entire multiplayer suite, allowing for online or GameShare multiplayer for up to eight players. And it’s not just deathmatch; Star Fox’s Battle Mode suite gives you three maps to choose from, each with its own objectives.
On Corneria, the multiplayer objective consists of securing zones around the map, while Fichina has you collecting energy crystals. I played a couple of matches in Sector Y, which dumps you into a giant All-Range Mode area full of NPCs and the other human-controlled players. Split into two teams of four (Star Fox vs. Star Wolf), we blasted pirates smuggling cargo, then retrieved and delivered it to our respective bases. We didn’t have a full eight players, so the remaining characters on our team were replaced with bots, who were surprisingly competent; I was downed by the opposing team’s bots on multiple occasions. This version of Battle Mode evolves the concept of Star Fox 64’s Battle Mode in so many different ways. I can’t wait to spend hours matchmaking in this mode.
Though many of Nintendo’s choices for Star Fox on Switch 2 are polarizing, I fall on the side of liking much of what the developers have seemingly accomplished with this title. With the series being out of the cultural zeitgeist long enough that multiple generations of players think of Fox, Falco, and Wolf more as Super Smash Bros. characters than stars of their own game series, it makes sense to take the series’ story back to the origin of this iteration of Star Fox. With the more fleshed-out cutscenes and seemingly vastly increased dialogue, new and returning players alike will get even more insight into who these characters are, the dynamics that exist between them, and how their story plays out over the course of this adventure. My hope is that this entry will serve as a reminder of this well-liked story before Nintendo takes the story in new directions.
The Japanese box art for Star Fox (1993) on Super Famicom and the keyart for Star Fox (2026) on Switch 2
And perhaps even more controversial: the character designs. I’ll admit that Fox and Falco, in particular, were jarring to me the first time I saw them, particularly when juxtaposed against the sleeker Fox design from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Nintendo did itself no favors by starting the announcement Direct with that movie footage), but in the subsequent weeks, I’ve come to appreciate the character designs. It all began with the realization that these designs are largely meant to pay homage to the original puppets from the Star Fox game on SNES, which is especially evident when you compare the Japanese Super Famicom box art with the key art for Switch 2 (see above).
But even beyond that, once I saw the character models in motion within the context of the game, I came around to genuinely thinking they look good. This is true when they’re in the cutscenes, but it’s especially true when their faces pop up during gameplay to deliver a voice line. I truly think that once players and fans adjust to the new design, just as they needed to with Donkey Kong last year, this version of the characters will be widely considered good.
As you can probably tell from this preview, I loved my time with Star Fox. As someone who 100 percented Star Fox 64 all those years ago, I really wish I could have played some of the new Challenge mode, but the campaign, co-op, and competitive multiplayer are all hitting the right notes. I don’t know how many times I’ve played through Star Fox 64’s narrative in my life, but I can guarantee you I will be greatly adding to that number with this remake when it arrives on Switch 2 on June 25.
Maverick Games has announced an open-world action-driving game called Clutch. Clutch will be the debut game for the studio, which was founded by Mike Brown, who designed Forza Horizon 2, 3, and 4, and served as creative director for Forza Horizon 5. While that history with perhaps the premier open-world racing franchise will help in creating Clutch, it sounds as though this new title will be more cinematic and narrative-driven.
Clutch features a cinematic, story-driven campaign telling the story of sibling racers competing in a historic racing series called the R1K. Within the R1K, players can take part in sanctioned events. However, on the other side of the campaign is the Midnight Collective, the underground circuit that’s more about style. The hero of the story finds himself in trouble, and the seedier elements of the world are brought to light.
As you play, you jockey for position in races, while earning reputation and rewards within the broader narrative. According to a press release, players will need to react to and navigate shifting alliances and rival crews within the context of a living PvPvE world. Missions are hand-crafted, with both planned and spontaneous missions popping up as you speed through the game. Maverick Games touts its proprietary physics engine and open-world sandbox as key factors in delivering cinematic action and emergent, chaotic opportunities within the game.
In addition to the racing and story, players can expect deep vehicle customization, which includes the standard of custom paint and aftermarket parts, but also other elements that Maverick Games claims will help players create a one-of-a-kind ride and deliver on the tiny details that, “build on the connection between car and driver.”
While this is Maverick Games’ first title, Brown’s work on the Forza Horizon series bolsters confidence. The Forza Horizon franchise has always scored well, with 5 serving as the pinnacle in the eyes of many. That game, of which Brown was creative director, earned a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer when it launched in 2021.
We will learn more about Clutch during the Summer Game Fest Showcase this Friday, June 5. Until then, if this sounds up your alley, you can look forward to playing Clutch when it launches spring 2027.
We learned that Sega’s long-running beat ’em up series, Streets of Rage, was getting the film-adaptation treatment back in 2022 via Lionsgate, around the same time Paramount Pictures acquired the movie franchise rights to Sonic the Hedgehog. Now, three movies later (with a fourth in production), Lionsgate has tapped Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the writer duo behind the Sonic films, to write its Streets of Rage adaptation.
That’s according to Variety, which also reports that The Harder They Fall director Jeymes Samuel will now direct the untitled Streets of Rage movie. Casey and Miller join the film production following the departure of John Wick writer Derek Kolstad, who wrote an earlier draft for the movie.
There’s still no word on what the film will be about, but Variety writes that the adaptation is described as leaning “heavily into the cult classic game known for its iconic characters, acclaimed electronic soundtracks, and beat ’em up action.” Streets of Rage 4, the last release in the series thus far, launched in 2020, selling more than 2.5 million copies within a year, and fans have been clamoring for a new entry since.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s Sonic series has grossed more than $1 billion across three movies, with the fourth – aptly titled Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – set to hit theaters in March of 2027. Notably, both Casey and Miller are the writers behind Sonic the Hedgehog 4, with stars like Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Keanu Reeves, Lee Majdoub, and others set to return alongside newcomer Kristin Bell, who will provide the voice of Amy in the film.
There’s no word on when Liongsate’s Streets of Rage movie will hit theaters, but the ball/sidescrolling-asphalt-that-is-the-arena-for-beat-em-up-combat is finally moving along. Considering Lionsgate is behind the ultra-violent/ultra-great John Wick movies, Streets of Rage could turn out to be an action hit.
Baldur’s Gate II is reportedly getting the remake treatment, according to PC Gamer, and former BioWare and Baldur’s Gate II lead designer Kevin Martens is returning for it. The publication also reports that it has heard from its sources that the first Baldur’s Gate is likely to be getting a remake, too.
Martens is already working with Wizards of the Coast for the upcoming sci-fi RPG, Exodus, which looks to be filling gaming’s Mass Effect-sized hole when it launches in early 2027. Considering Wizards of the Coast also owns the Baldur’s Gate IP, this isn’t a surprising return for the developer. According to PC Gamer, Martens is already working on the Baldur’s Gate 2 remake, which makes sense since he’s technically just contributing to the development of Exodus and is not a full-time developer at studio Archetype Entertainment.
Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG, lol) has announced the ROG Xbox Ally X20, a new version of the ROG Xbox Ally X that launched last year, featuring a larger now-OLED screen, tunneling magnetoresistance joysticks, and a transparent shell. It will still feature the same AMD Ryzen AI Z2 extreme processor that makes last year’s ROG Xbox Ally X the handheld powerhouse it is, but this X20 device is likely to cost you a lot more. That’s because it will only be available as a bundle alongside the ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 Gaming AR glasses.
There’s no confirmed price for this bundle, nor is there a release date yet, but considering those glasses cost roughly $850 on their own, this bundle is likely to easily clear $2000 – here’s hoping they de-bundle the X20 device from the glasses one day.
Here’s a look at the two devices together in the bundle:
This X20 marks the first time Asus has deployed an OLED panel in one of its handheld devices, and it’s an exciting upgrade to the portable PC. That said, the new TMR joysticks are a nice improvement, and if you’re into the retro-style transparent shells, that’s a nice addition too. There are also gold accents built into the device to celebrate 20 years of ROG, and it features a “transforming d-pad” to switch between 4-directional and 8-directional input.
The rear of the handgrips will feature a rubberized coating, similar to that found on the Xbox Elite Series controllers.
If you aren’t familiar with the XREAL glasses, basically, you connect them to your device (the X20 in this case) via a cord, and the handheld’s screen is projected into the glasses, giving you a virtual 171-inch screen with a 240Hz display – it’s a cool effect and works quite well.
Considering Asus’ 20th anniversary is this year, it’s likely this bundle will be released in 2026, but there’s no definitive word on launch price or date.
Do you think this is a good upgrade to last year’s Xbox ROG Ally X? Let us know in the comments below!
The Pokémon Company has revealed a brand-new trading card game set for the 30th Anniversary of Pokémon and it’s appropriately called “30th Celebration.” Every card in the pack will be foil, making it quite a special set, alongside 30 new Pikachu illustrations, new “futuristic rare cards featuring Mewtwo and Mew art by Yoshirotten,” and the return of classic cards alongside new Pokémon EX cards.
Every card will feature a special 30th Anniversary symbol, similar to the 25th Anniversary symbol, when the set launches simultaneously worldwide on September 16. I don’t know about you, but as someone who has dropped out of the Pokémon TCG collecting game myself but still tries to buy packs for his nephew, it’s rough out there – totally-not-scalpers line up at my local Walmart and TCG stores hours before the unaware card restocker arrives, and then a bunch of grown men (and the occasional sweet grandparent trying to secure some fun for their grandchildren) become animals over cardboard. It’s a genuine shame what the hype (see: monetary value) behind Pokémon TCG has done to the hobby for genuine fans and collectors, and I’m sure this 30th Celebration will be a victim of it as well… but we’ll see.
Check out the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration trailer below for a look at some of the cards and new art:
February 27 this year marked 30 years of Pokémon, as that’s when Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green launched in Japan in 1996, and to celebrate the occasion, The Pokémon Company launched Pokémon Legends: Z-A back in October before announcing Generation 10 in Pokémon Winds and Waves on Pokémon Day earlier this year. This 30th Celebration TCG set is the latest way The Pokémon Company is celebrating the anniversary.
Do you have luck finding Pokémon boosters in stores? Let us know in the comments below!
As for why, Ikeda’s announcement doesn’t delve into that, instead focusing on the history that comes with 20 years at Bandai Namco, and offering a word of support to those he is passing the Tekken baton to.
“I am deeply proud that I had the opportunity to create games alongside such incredible people who poured their hearts into this work,” Ikeda writes. “While my role leading the team as Game Director is coming to a close, the values that both I personally and the Tekken Project have always cherished – staying close to the fans and the community and building the game together with everyone – will never change. I have entrusted those values, and that baton, to the incredible team that will continue shaping the future of Tekken. As I look forward to the future of Tekken and the FGC, I will also continue taking on new challenges as a game developer.”
You can read Ikeda’s full departure message in the image below:
In this week’s episode of The Game Informer Show, special guest Luis Gutierrez (IGN, GameSpot, Polygon) joins us to share Summer Game Fest predictions (watch with us next Friday) before diving into our recent game reviews of 007 First Light and Mina the Hollower. The crew then discusses developer HoYoverse’s take on the cozy life-simulation genre with Petit Planet, and finally, what’s new with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine!
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