Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2 opened pre-orders on October 7, 2026, ahead of its October 27 launch, and if you already own the game digitally on the original Switch, the Switch 2 Standard Edition costs you nothing. Also in this roundup: Battlefield 6 joins Game Pass on October 13 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leaves on October 15, Cities: Skylines gets an Expanded Edition on Switch 2, Monster Hunter Stories 3 comes to Xbox on PC, and the PS5 is getting a Crunchyroll anime hub.
Minecraft for Switch 2 is free for digital Switch owners
Mojang opened pre-orders on October 7 for the native Switch 2 version it first dated in August. Back then it only promised an upgrade path for Switch owners. Now the details are out: if you own a digital copy of Minecraft for the original Switch, you can get the digital Switch 2 Standard Edition for free in the US, through the Nintendo eShop only, until the end of January 2027.
What it means for you:
- Launch: October 27, 2026, with Vibrant Visuals, Mojang's upgraded lighting and shadows, on by default. It doesn't work in split-screen.
- Prices: Nintendo's announcement lists $29.99 for the Standard Edition, $39.99 for the Deluxe Collection (three add-ons and 700 Minecoins) and $49.99 for the Ultimate Collection (five add-ons and 1,000 Minecoins). Every edition includes the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack.
- Bigger editions: digital Switch owners can upgrade to Deluxe or Ultimate at a discount, but neither post gives that price.
- Boxed copies: a physical Switch 2 version is up for pre-order at retail. The free upgrade is described only for digital owners.
Our take: Not charging people twice for the same game is the right call. If your family bought Minecraft digitally on the first Switch, claim the free Standard Edition before the end of January 2027 instead of paying $29.99 again.
Update (October 28, 2026): Minecraft for Switch 2 launched on October 27. Mojang's launch post sets the upgrade window from October 27 at 9 a.m. PT to January 31, 2027 at 9 a.m. PT, and adds something new for boxed copies: anyone, including owners of the physical Switch version, who launches Minecraft for Switch on a Switch 2 during that window gets an in-game offer to upgrade to the digital Ultimate Collection at a discount. Mojang doesn't state the discounted price.
Battlefield 6 joins Game Pass on October 13, Clair Obscur leaves October 15
Xbox's October Game Pass post, published on October 7, adds EA's Battlefield 6 to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 13, for Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud play. The shooter launched on October 10, 2025, so it arrives almost exactly a year after release.
What it means for you:
- EA Play extras: members can unlock an EA Play Deployment Pack and a Season 5 EA Play Pack and earn recurring seasonal rewards. Game Pass Ultimate includes EA Play, plus 10% off eligible EA digital purchases.
- Day-one games: Echo Weaver and Forever Ago arrive October 8, Valor Mortis (a first-person soulslike from the makers of Ghostrunner) and Deep Dish Dungeon October 13, and Bluey's Happy Snaps and Chained Beasts October 15.
- Leaving October 15: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Pacific Drive, Evil West and The Casting of Frank Stone, plus four smaller games.
Our take: If you're partway through Clair Obscur on Game Pass, you have until October 15 to finish it or buy it. Battlefield 6 is the bigger arrival, but it comes to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass only, not Premium or Essential.
Cities: Skylines gets an Expanded Edition on Switch 2 October 28
Paradox Interactive announced on October 7, on the official Cities: Skylines channel, that Cities: Skylines - Expanded Edition launches on Switch 2 on October 28. The US eShop listing prices it at $49.99 and bundles 10 DLC expansions and content packs, including After Dark, Snowfall, Green Cities and Sunset Harbor.
What it means for you:
- Bigger cities: you can build on 25 tiles instead of the original Switch edition's 9, and a new map editor lets you shape terrain before you start.
- Two graphics modes: Performance targets 60 frames per second with upscaling, and Quality targets 30 frames per second with better visuals.
- Mouse and keyboard: both work alongside controller play.
- If you own the Switch version: Paradox says owners of the Nintendo Switch Edition get a 70% loyalty discount on the Expanded Edition. It is a discounted purchase, not a free upgrade.
Our take: Nine tiles was the biggest limit of the old Switch port, so 25 tiles plus mouse support fixes the right things. If you own the old version, make sure the 70% loyalty discount shows up before you pay.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 comes to Xbox on PC November 18
Capcom said on Xbox Wire that Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, already out on Xbox Series X|S, launches on Xbox on PC on November 18, 2026, with Xbox Play Anywhere support.
What it means for you:
- One purchase, more devices: if you own it on Xbox, you can also play on a Windows 11 PC or a compatible handheld at no extra cost, with saves, add-on content and achievements carried over.
- Steam players: nothing changes. The game is already on Steam.
- Try the series: the first two games, Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, get three-hour free trials in Xbox Free Play Days from October 22 to 25, no Game Pass needed.
- New story DLC: Side Story: Rudy is out now, and it is included at no extra cost if you own the Deluxe Edition, Premium Deluxe Edition or Deluxe Kit.
Our take: This matters most if you bought the game on Xbox and own a PC handheld: your copy now goes with you. If you have never played the series, the three-hour trials in late October are a free way to see whether the turn-based style suits you.
PS5 is getting a Crunchyroll anime hub in spring 2027
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino announced at Crunchyroll's first Anime Future Forum on October 7 that the PS5 home screen will get a dedicated anime space in spring 2027, according to the Crunchyroll and Sony press release. It will gather anime, anime-inspired games and quick access to the Crunchyroll app in one place. "Serving fans means meeting them where they already are," Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini said.
What it means for you:
- Timing: spring 2027, with no exact date.
- Still unknown: the release doesn't say whether you need a Crunchyroll membership to use the hub, which countries get it, or whether it costs anything. Noisy Pixel's report doesn't answer those questions either.
Our take: For now, this is a home-screen shortcut and not a new service. Wait for Sony to say whether it is tied to a paid membership before getting excited.