Marathon Defends Its Core, Nintendo Closes Mario Kart Tour

Marathon's game director has moved to reassure players that extraction remains a central mode in Bungie's upcoming shooter, pushing back against concerns that the format might be sidelined. The statement comes as the live-service space continues to generate skepticism — Ace Combat 8's multiplayer, according to Polygon's coverage, is itself illustrating the anxieties baked into that model.

Nintendo has shut down Mario Kart Tour, closing the mobile title after its run. Separately, a system update — Nintendo Switch 2 version 23.0.1 — is now live, and Donkey Kong Bananza's limited-time DLC events have quietly returned after going away. A Pokémon Pokopia and Expansion Pass Switch 2 Game-Key Card release has also been announced, adding to a busy October slate the platform has ahead of it.

Rockstar has gestured that real-world theme parks like Disney World and SeaWorld are unlikely to appear in GTA 6. A former Halo lead has outlined three possible paths for Activision to revive the series, specifically urging the company to bring on laid-off Bungie staff. And SEGA has expressed a genuine desire to bring Sakura Wars titles to modern consoles, though nothing concrete has been announced.