Jack in for the latest on WWE 2K25, Marvel Rivals, and Tony Hawk

Welcome to Darkstar Download—your new weekly stop for the latest gaming news that actually matters to me.

Everyone’s out there blasting breaking news, reposting the same facts and slapping their own byline on nearly identical stories. 

Well, this isn’t a breaking news blog, and these may not be the top stories.

But each week, I’ll flip through the digital newspaper, clip the articles I love most and write all about why you should care about them the way I do. 

With that said, it’s time to jack into my corner of cyberspace and download the latest headlines dominating my brainwaves.

WWE 2K25 Coming to Switch 2

Mark your calendars, because the Switch 2 is getting WWE 2K25 on July 23. Yes, it includes The Island, something that even PC fans didn’t get. Switch 2 players seem to be getting all the same features and perks as other releases: Wyatt Sicks DLC packs with pre-orders, multiple versions of the game, and all the different game modes.

Why This Matters: This will be the first WWE 2K game on Nintendo since 2K18. It has a low bar to clear with how badly the previous version performed. It’s also getting current-gen features, keeping it in line with the Series X and PS5, showing that 2K wants the Switch marketed at the same level.

My Take: Another reason I need a Switch 2. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge WWE fan. I could get the game for PC and play it on my Steam Deck, but despite having little interest in The Island, I don’t like that PC is lumped together with the previous generation of consoles. I don’t see any notice of cross-compatibility with other systems for custom content, though, and that’s disappointing. Still, it’s a step in the right direction to getting more current third-party games. I’m hoping this leads to Call of Duty making its way over, as well.

Question: Do you have any interest in WWE 2K25 on the Switch 2, or are you holding out hope for another big title to jump into the Nintendo ecosystem?

Marvel Rivals Adds Phoenix and Blade

Marvel Rivals Season 3 is coming on July 11. It is bringing not just those two fan-favorite characters, but also the map Klyntar: Celestial Husk. Klyntar is likely the origin of the Symbiotes, and the heroes will be teaming up to defeat the king of the Symbiotes, Knull.

Why This Matters: These are two major characters in the Marvel Universe, and it is entirely possible that we get another character added without the prior announcement. As stated in the article, Ultron was not teased in the announcement of Season 2.

My Take: Well, it’s no Rogue yet, but Jean Grey is an important part of the X-Men. I’m glad to get more character variety, and it’s nice that it comes from one of my first groups of favorite heroes. I’m also hoping we’ll get more of the Symbiotes surprise dropped, considering the setting.

Question: Are you excited for Phoenix and Blade? If not, who are you most looking forward to being added in a future season? Maybe your favorite is already in the game, and I’d love to hear about it. 

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Coming to Game Pass July 11

It’s no surprise THPS is going to be a day one drop on Game Pass; it is an Activision title, after all. But it is the headliner of the July additions to the cloud service. Other games coming include The Ascent (another must play) and High On Life.

Why This Matters: It’s Tony Hawk, do I need to say more? These games defined a generation and brought skating culture to the forefront of society.

My Take: This is absolutely a day one must for me. Tony Hawk 3 and 4 aren’t as dear to me as the first two, or the Underground duo, but they will absolutely always have a spot on my shelf. I’m looking forward to playing these two at launch, and picking up a physical copy as soon as I get the chance. 

Question: Which Tony Hawk game was your favorite, and why is a tie between Pro Skater 2 and Underground 2?

Quick Bites

Here are some rapid-fire news clips that caught my eye, and some of them may pop up again down the road:

• Netflix is delisting 20 titles from their game streaming service. They wanted to get deeper into the gaming industry, and it’s not going well. Did you even realize they have some exclusives that are likely to disappear once they’re dropped?
• Roman Reigns is signed on to the Street Fighter movie as Akuma, and there are rumors that my favorite Cody Rhodes may join him. These two just can’t stop battling it out.
• Sega of America’s CEO says movie studios turned down making a Crash Bandicoot movie. Crash could have been Sony’s Mario, and I wish he got the credit he deserves.

That’s it for this week. There’s a lot more news that I read and would love to talk about, so drop me some comments or chat with me on X @darkstarshady. I’m always looking for some new friends and I love to talk video games any chance I get.