2K dropped a new Ringside Report today for WWE 2K26 and I am extremely excited about this one because two game modes that have desperately needed updates for years are finally getting some love. 

First up Universe Mode is finally getting a number of updates. The biggest one being that the draft is finally coming back to Universe mode and there are a number of options here. The draft will take place as a show on your yearly calendar and you will have the Raw and Smackdown General Managers out there making their selections. You can choose a number of options such as groups being selected together, locking out champions and certain wrestlers from being drafted. There are also brand new promo types including being able to cut promos turning babyface or heel, challenging champions to a title match and post match promos where you can switch divisions or declare your intent for a title match. The new Universe wizard allows you to set up your Universe mode before you even start 

In terms of the creation suite, create a wrestler, arena and entrance all got some big updates. In create a wrestler we now have the ability again to do body morphing so we can choose how big or small we want someones arms or legs will be. We also get two toned hair styles now where you can have to colors blending together. Create an arena now gets LED barricades to customize and the biggest addition to the creation suite is now that finally, after so many years of begging and pleading, create an entrance has finally been updated. The advanced creation tools, which allows you to mix and match entrance parts, will now be available for championship entrances along with tag team, trios, four man and five match entrances. 

These updates to me are worth the full price of the game as these are things that I have wanted in the game for so long, especially those updates to create an entrance. It was always so annoying when you spend hours fine tuning an entrance for your created wrestler with timed pyro and lighting only to have to select from a generic entrance when they have a championship. As for Universe mode, doing a draft manually via a spreadsheet was ridiculous. This is going to save so much time when a new year rolls around in the mode and I can just do the draft in game. 

A full in depth breakdown of all of the additions to Universe and Creation Suite can be found on their official website.

WWE 2K26 launches on PS5, Series X, Switch 2 and PC on March 13th.

I skipped the Virtual Boy back in the day. There was no way I was going to get it. It was doomed from the start. Some would say it was ahead of it's time. Others would complain it gave them more headaches than being in bed with their significant other. Either way, the all red, stereoscopic game CONSOLE by Nintendo was one of it's least sold products.

As a surprise to everyone, the Virtual Boy is back, and yes, you can put your whole Switch or Switch 2 in a replica Virtual Boy, available only to Nintendo Switch Online members. If you don't want to pay the $90 for it, no worries. I opted for the carboard version for $25. And while my kid thought it was cool, I was already over it in minutes.

Like clockwork though,  I seem to have picked the right one. See, Nintendo once went all in on something called Nintendo Labo, and they let you put together cardboard peripherals, including a piano, a full backpack, and a VR headset. With that VR headset came VR experiences for certain games. 

Those VR experiences can apparently only be duplicated via the Cardboard version of the Virtual Boy, and are nestled inside Super Smash Brothers, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, Breath of the wild lets you play the entire game in VR. I now have champagne wishes of 2DS/3DS games coming to the service. Could you imagine?!

The downside is that neither versions of the Virtual Boy come with a strap, so you have to either use the stand with the real replica, or HOLD THE CARBOARD REPLICA TO YOUR FACE! I don't like it at all, but my 5 year old did. Check the video from GameXplain below, and look at this adorable picture.  

You know, between Digital Eclipse, and Tribute Games, my video game back log is increasing lately. This list will increase with the release of Scott Pilgrim EX, unless I get to review it, Eric. 

You see, I was one of those people who held on to my XBOX 360 version of the game, and when it was announced that it would be re-released, I streamed the older version, got the new version, and double dipped on multiple systems. Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game will always have a place in my beat-em-up heart. 

The aforementioned new title will be released March 3rd on practically everything, and from now, until the 2nd, you will be able to access a demo for the free, via Steam. So I don't know why you're still reading this. Go Go! Now I gotta find my Scott Pilgrim Manga that I bought from Humble Bundle. Needless to say, I'm a fan. 

The team at GRIP Studios announced yesterday that the console version of its survival game ICARUS has been delayed, from February 26^th to March 26^th. This additional time will allow them to work out the kinks on a few known issues rather than launching with them out of the gate. First impressions are critical when launching a new game, so I don’t blame them for taking a little extra time.

ICARUS: Console Edition will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. GRIP Studios issued the following statement regarding the delay:

“We want to share an important update regarding the release of ICARUS: Console Edition.

 

After careful consideration, we’ve decided to move the release date to Thursday 26 March. This additional month will allow us to polish the gameplay and ensure the best possible launch.

 

While the game is in a strong and stable state, we’ve identified a few areas that need further refinement. Rather than launch with known issues, we believe taking these extra weeks is the right decision for the game and players.

 

Our team is fully focused on polishing the experience and game content to ensure it plays as intended across Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

 

Thank you for sticking with us, we’re looking forward to welcoming you to Icarus soon.”

At the PlayStation State of Play, film production company Lionsgate and video game publisher-developer Saber Interactive announced that a single-player, third-person action game set in the John Wick universe is in development. Please pinch me. Is this real? Are we really getting a proper, AAA, John Wick game? You had better believe it.

The currently untitled John Wick game will see Keanu Reeves reprise his role as the brooding assassin. Additionally, film franchise director Chad Stahelski is advising on the game’s development to ensure that Mr. Wick’s signature “gun-fu” fighting style gets properly translated, as well as to help craft an original narrative set years before the Impossible Task timeline from the films. Pinch me again.

There is currently no release window for John Wick. Hell, it doesn’t even have a real title yet. But we do know that it is being made for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, so perhaps it is not terribly far off if it is planned for the current generation of consoles. Be seeing you, Mr. Wick.

At this week’s PlayStation State of Play event, Bungie popped in to share a new trailer for Marathon, its upcoming PvPvE extraction shooter. Not only did we get some fresh gameplay, but we also received an open invitation to slam Marathon’s servers (whoa) from February 26^th through March 2^nd. This Server Slam will be free and open to all players across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox as Bungie looks to drum up additional interest, as well as test their capabilities right before launch on March 5^th.

In Marathon, players explore the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV by inhabiting bio-cybernetic Runner shells (think Netflix’s Altered Carbon), gathering loot and battling both hostile AI-controlled forces and other human players along the way.

The Server Slam will feature a limited selection of maps, Runner shells, and contracts, as you might suspect. But players who complete the introductory mission during the playtest will unlock a special emblem and banner for full launch.

Pre-orders for Marathon are available now across platforms, with the Standard Edition setting you back $39.99, and a Deluxe Edition for $59.99. Myself and some of the Gaming Nexus homies are locked-in for Marathon – not much longer now.

Arc System Works has announced that its action-adventure top-down shooter, DAMON and BABY, will launch on March 26^th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Pre-orders are available now for $19.99, with a pre-order discount dropping that down by 10%.

In DAMON and BABY, you play as the demon lord Damon, who has found himself responsible for the care of a mysterious child after fulfilling the last request of his best friend. Damon and the child (Damon and Baby, if you will) embark on a heartwarming adventure featuring exploration, quirky characters, and twin-stick shooting action. Between exploration, shooting bad guys, and boss battles, you will upgrade your base and customize your playstyle by unlocking skills. It also features offline two-player co-op, with the second player controlling a canine companion capable of collecting items and assisting in combat. Interesting.

Check out the new pre-order trailer below, or head over to Steam on February 19^th to download a free demo for DAMON and BABY as a part of Steam Next Fest.

Not to be outdone by the announcement of Dead or Alive 6: Last Round, we got another surprise during the Sony State of Play and that was the announcement that the next game in the Dead or Alive series is now in development. 

We only got a short teaser but we did get to see Ryu and the reveal of who I assume is Kasumi. 

What's interesting about this reveal is that Ryu is in his Ninja Gaiden 4 outfit. Considering Ayane made her return in that game as well this all lines up that the next Dead or Alive game will be taking place at the same time as Ninja Gaiden 7 and a lot of the classic characters will be getting an update to their character designs due to the timeskip from the events of Dead or Alive 6 to this new game. 

No other details were announced.

Dead or Alive fans got an amazing surprise during Sony's State of Play showcase today in which they got confirmation that the series is indeed not dead. Pun intended. 

Dead or Alive 6: Last Round has been announced and will be the definitive edition of the game. The game will include all characters that launched with the game when it originally released along with all of the DLC characters along with each character getting five costumes available in game. In addition, new characters and costumes will also be added to the game post launch. The game will also include a new photo mode.

A free to play version with four characters will be available the same day as Last Round launches and those with the free to play version will be able to play against those with the full version. 

Dead or Alive 6: Last Round launches on June 25th 2026

Pinball FX VR continues to grow at a rapid pace, with the developers at Zen Studios continually adding more tables every couple of months. The basement arcade that players inhabit (and decorate) has become even more of a labyrinth of fun this week, as a new room containing the beloved (and semi-long-lost) Bethesda tables has magically appeared behind the Godzilla/Kong room.

I've played all three of the Bethesda tables (Skyrim, DOOM, and Fallout) extensively on PlayStation 4, but it has been a few years since I actively engaged with them. And though I am an enormous Fallout fan, the Skyrim table has once again risen to the top of the heap as my favorite, just as it did back in the PS4 days. The other tables are cool, but the Skyrim table is stellar.