Happy Pride Week 2025. As part of our week-long series of articles looking at queer culture and representation in games, we sit down with writer and director Ashly Burch, who came out as queer in 2022.
She's known for portraying characters such as Aloy in the Horizon series of games, Chloe Price in Life is Strange, Tiny Tina in Borderlands, Mel in The Last of Us Part 2, and many more. You might also have seen her in Apple TV series Mythic Quest, or performing with tabletop role-playing super-group Critical Role. In May, (during Mental Health Awareness Month, notably), Burch launched her new web series I'm Happy You're Here. As part of our chat, Dom Peppiatt talks to Burch about the intersection of queerness and mental health - and how that relates to gaming.
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Newscast: Xbox currently has more first-party games coming to PlayStation 5 this year than Sony
This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we look ahead at 2025 on PlayStation 5, in the wake of last night's State of Play. If you tuned in for big games, you were well served. But if you wanted to see exclusive first-party PlayStation titles... well, it's clear there's something of a lull right now in Sony's pipeline.
It makes for an interesting 2025 for Sony's console, which is set to benefit from Microsoft's cross-platform publishing push ramping up to new levels, just as PlayStation itself cancels several in-development live-service projects. And while the reveal of Saros, the next game from Returnal developer Housemarque, was a welcome high point of last night's show, it won't arrive until 2026.
It seems likely we'll see Bungie's Marathon this year on PS5, alongside PlayStation's other confirmed big hitters: Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei. Fairgame$ hasn't been cancelled yet, and there's a chance Marvel's Wolverine makes it before 2026 too. But stack them against Age of Empires 2, Age of Mythology Retold, Forza Horizon 5, The Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, Ninja Giden 2 Black and whatever else from Xbox's back catalogue Microsoft seems poised to confirm - and PlayStation Studios' plans for the year only seem quieter.
Joining me this week to discuss all of that are Ed Nightingale and Victoria Kennedy.
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Newscast: Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation
This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we discuss the January 2025 Xbox Developer Direct, and its various games coming soon to Xbox... as well as PC, and nearly all on PlayStation 5 too.
Microsoft's show featured the multiplatform Doom: The Dark Ages, Ninja Gaiden 4, the shadow-dropped Ninja Gaiden 2: Black and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, all of which proved the company's new mantra that everything is an Xbox. Only Compulsion Games' South of Midnight will be an Xbox console exclusive (at least for now).
But does any of that matter, really - especially as on Xbox you can get all those games on Xbox Game Pass? And what were our thoughts about what was shown? Joining me this week are Ed Nightinale and Victoria Kennedy to discuss Microsoft's latest showing that promises a strong start from Xbox Game Studios to the year.
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Newscast: Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart 9 reveal reaction
This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, there's only one story in town: Nintendo's long-awaited unveiling of Switch 2.
Today's video laid out the bare bones of Switch 2, and it looked exactly as expected: like a slightly-larger Switch with an extra button and mysterious optical sensors. We also got a very brief look at a new Mario Kart, which looks... like a Mario Kart game. If anything, today's video only prompted more questions.
What will Mario Kart 9's main new feature be? Today's gameplay snippet - while brief - offered up a couple of intriguing clues. And when will Switch 2 actually arrive? Well, between the announcement of a proper Nintendo Direct in April and the console's upcoming public hands-on tour, we think there's a relatively narrow window. Joining me this week to discuss everything we saw - as well as what we're still waiting to hear about - are Ed Nightinale and Victoria Kennedy.
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Newscast: Everything we learned this week about Switch 2
This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we round up the current deluge of leaks surrounding Nintendo's under-wraps Switch 2.
Nintendo has now acknowledged the fact that dummy Switch 2 models are being publicly shown off by accessories manufacturers, and while these may not be based on access to the actual system, there's little doubt now that we've seen the gist. (Even Nintendo is saying the leaks are "not official" rather than simply inaccurate.) A full reveal now feels imminent.
Also this week, we discuss the increasingly troubled Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft, which has just delayed the series' next entry for a second time while it issues cryptic messages suggesting the company is about to be taken private, sold, or something else just as monumental. What is going on - and how has Assassin's Creed Shadows become the most pivotal game in Ubisoft's history? Joining me this week to discuss are Ed Nightinale, Victoria Kennedy and Vikki Blake.
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