Quick Hits

• Nintendo Drops a Surprise Direct: A dedicated Nintendo Direct for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave airs today, August 4th at 3pm BST for the Switch 2.
• Game Freak's Action-RPG Arrives to Mixed Reviews: Reviews for Game Freak’s cinematic action-RPG Beast of Reincarnation are in, with critics praising its beauty but calling its gameplay a mixed bag.
• PC Hardware Prices Are Climbing: The ongoing AI-fueled RAM shortage (dubbed "RAMnarök") isn't ending anytime soon, with both AMD and Samsung warning that PC component prices will likely continue to hike through 2027.
• Pokémon Pokopia's First DLC is Imminent: The Bubbly Basin Expansion Pass for Pokémon Pokopia lands on Switch 2 soon, bringing a massive update alongside it.
• Indie Community Rallies for Devs: An indie game bundle supporting laid-off developers has already raised over $100,000 in just three days, saving buyers over $1,000 in the process.

Pokémon & Nintendo

It’s a massive day for Switch 2 owners. First things first: a dedicated Nintendo Direct for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is happening today at 3pm BST. If you need something to play while you wait, Big Walk from House House just launched and is already being hailed as one of the best games of 2026 and a co-op masterpiece, even if the Switch 2 version struggles a bit under the hood. If you're already wandering the game's hilarious world, GameSpot has you covered with a guide on how to solve the brutal "4166, 1899" puzzle and grab the secret Shiny Big Makeover achievement.

Over in the Pokémon sphere, Famitsu has previewed the upcoming Pokémon Pokopia: Bubbly Basin DLC, which is set to completely change the game when the paid expansion drops alongside its new update. Meanwhile, Game Freak’s highly anticipated non-Pokémon title, Beast of Reincarnation, is finally in players' hands. Reviews are labeling it a beautiful but inconsistent experience, specifically calling out a "cinematic mode" that locks cutscenes to 24fps and fails its flashy action. If you're jumping in, remember you can swap between its three difficulty options to better tailor the experience.

In other Nintendo news, Shigeru Miyamoto recently told Famitsu he wants Nintendo products to be as ubiquitous as school bags, teasing news on Star Fox and Yoshi and the Mysterious B... in the process. Digital Foundry has also delivered their highly anticipated tech review for the Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, detailing the classic Monolith Soft RPG's new performance upgrades. Finally, if you're looking for a top-tier Soulslike on the go, Lies of P: Complete Edition has arrived on Switch 2 as a superb, immersive port that lets you take the puppet adventure anywhere.

Steam & PC

PC gamers, brace your wallets—the ongoing AI-fueled RAM shortage is taking a heavy toll. Samsung, who has been accused of worsening the crisis via price fixing, warns that components will only get more expensive in 2027. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that AMD is following Nvidia's lead with graphics card price hikes, ensuring that upgrading your rig will remain painful for the foreseeable future.

On the software side, Capcom is reworking Dragon’s Dogma 2's infamous "Dragonsplague" mechanic so players can "enjoy the strategic decisions we originally envisioned" for it ahead of the game's Dark Arisen expansion. In weirder PC news, a new free software called 'Deck de France' allows you to turn your physical bike trainer into a controller for your Steam Deck. Furthermore, Valve might be putting the finishing touches on their "Steam Frame" software stack, as emulation tools Lepton and FEX quietly appeared on Steam, hinting at major updates for the Deckard VR ecosystem.

Indie Games

The gaming community is showing its incredible heart this week. An indie game bundle aimed at supporting laid-off developers has already raised over $100,000 in just three days, saving buyers over $1,000 while supporting a great cause. In a similarly wholesome story, a Japanese indie developer is adding Czech language support to Ball Boy Simulator for a single player in the Czech Republic who requested it.

Unfortunately, it's not all good news in the indie space. MidBoss, the beloved studio behind 2064: Read Only Memories, has officially filed for bankruptcy with over $800,000 in debt.

Gaming Roundup

Outside of the core headlines, Ludwig Ahgren returned for the third annual Ludwig’s Streamer Games, bringing together 40 top content creators to face off in chaotic physical challenges. Over in the UK, Eurogamer notes that the top 20 most played games on PlayStation and Xbox are virtually identical, dominated by annual sports titles and long-running live service monoliths. Speaking of live service, Halo: Campaign Evolved has reminded players that Halo Infinite was actually great, while the survival phenomenon Palworld is expanding its IP into a trading card game, proving it has no plans of slowing down. Finally, August is bringing a massive wave of new LEGO sets for collectors to keep an eye on!