FromSoftware's The Duskbloods, its online action game for Nintendo Switch 2, will not make it out in 2026: the studio has moved its launch window to 2027 to finish balancing the game after its network test. Also in this roundup: Crimson Desert's Charting the Unknown expansion is out, Assassin's Creed Valhalla gets New Game+ on November 5, Metro Redux gets a free 4K upgrade on Xbox Series X|S, and Titan Quest II opens Xbox pre-orders.
The Duskbloods moves to 2027 so FromSoftware can rebalance it
The game's official account posted on X on October 29 (7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET) that development is "at the final adjustment stage" and that the launch window has moved to 2027. In a reply to its own post, the account said the network test showed active interest in the game's combat, strategic depth and player expression, and that the extra time is for final adjustments to its rules and balancing. It apologized to players who have been waiting.
What it means for you:
- Release: 2027, with no month or day yet. Nintendo's store page already lists the release date as 2027.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2. The store page lists one player per system and 1‑8 players online.
- Online play: needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, sold separately.
- Price: not announced.
Our take: A delay to tune the rules of a competitive online game is a better outcome than launching it unbalanced, since first impressions decide whether a multiplayer game keeps its players. Switch 2 owners counting on it for the holidays will need another plan.
Crimson Desert's Charting the Unknown expansion is out for $24.99
Pearl Abyss launched Charting the Unknown on October 29, a story expansion for Crimson Desert. Its Xbox Wire post lists the highlights: new storylines for Kliff, Oongka and Damiane, the Great Ocean of Pywel with ships and underwater ruins, romance and marriage, upgraded housing, facilities such as a restaurant you can rent and run, and the Garden of Trials, a rematch with bosses you met earlier.
What it means for you:
- Price: $24.99 on the Steam store page. The base game, Crimson Desert Enhanced, is $69.99 there.
- Platforms: Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and Epic Games Store, per Pearl Abyss's release-times notice. It is also on the Mac App Store, which Pearl Abyss says may get it slightly later.
- Before you play: install the base game update that launched with it (version 2.04.00), then buy it from the "Buy DLC" menu on the title screen.
- Try first on Xbox: a 5-hour free trial of the base game runs from October 29 into January 2027. The post gives both January 6 and January 7 as the end date.
Our take: $24.99 for three storylines, a whole ocean and a boss rush is a fair price on paper. New players should use the Xbox trial before spending $94.98 on both.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla gets New Game+ on November 5
Ubisoft announced on October 29 that Assassin's Creed Valhalla has passed 40 million players, and is marking it with one of the community's most requested features: New Game+, arriving November 5. You can replay Eivor's saga from the start while carrying over much of your progression, with dedicated New Game+ scaling.
The update also adds:
- An optional progression mode in which Gear, Runes and Masteries all count toward Eivor's overall Power.
- New runes, achievements, a stash system and new rewards, including a Master Assassin outfit inspired by Naoe from Assassin's Creed Shadows.
- Mithril, a new resource for upgrading Divine Gear and strengthening runes, and Divine Gear quality for every item.
Ubisoft says the full details will come in patch notes it has yet to publish. The announcement does not list a time or platforms.
Our take: New Game+ is the main reason to return to an open-world RPG you already finished, and a carried-over build makes Valhalla's long campaign far easier to replay. Wait for the patch notes to see how the scaling works before you start a fresh save.
Metro 2033 Redux and Last Light Redux get a free 4K upgrade on Xbox Series X|S
4A Games released the Metro Redux Next-Gen Update on October 29, a free update for Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux on Xbox Series X|S. The studio says the visual work keeps the original look and feel while adding more detailed textures, reworked lighting and shadows, richer environments and better animation.
What's in it:
- Two modes: true 4K at 60 fps, or upscaled 4K at 120 fps.
- 4A TSR: the studio's own upscaling and anti-aliasing, for a sharper image.
- Impulse Triggers: full support on Xbox controllers.
- Xbox Play Anywhere: being added, so you can play across devices, plus full support for the Xbox Ally and Ally X handhelds.
The post does not spell out which purchases qualify for the upgrade, and it arrives ahead of Metro 2039, which launches February 4, 2027.
Our take: A free jump to 4K at 60 fps is a good reason to revisit two of the best atmospheric shooters of their era. If you own them on Xbox, download the update before Metro 2039 arrives in February.
Titan Quest II opens Xbox pre-orders for its January 19, 2027 launch
THQ Nordic opened pre-orders for Titan Quest II on Xbox Series X|S. The action RPG, in Early Access on PC since August 2025, launches in full on Xbox on January 19, 2027, the same day as its PC 1.0 release.
What it means for you:
- Standard Edition ($59.99): includes the Cosmic Turtle companion as a pre-order bonus and 96 hours of early access, from as early as January 15, 2027. Owners of the original Titan Quest on Xbox get a 10% loyalty discount.
- Ultimate Edition ($79.99): adds the original Titan Quest with its Ragnarök and Atlantis expansions, playable as soon as you pre-order.
- On PC: there is no pre-order. The Steam announcement says the Early Access price rises from $34.99 to $39.99 on November 6, then to its final $49.99 at the 1.0 launch, and Early Access buyers get a PC-exclusive companion.
Our take: PC players who want Titan Quest II have a clear reason to buy before November 6, since the price only goes up from here. On Xbox, the $59.99 Standard Edition already includes the early access, so the Ultimate Edition is only worth it if you also want the original game.