On the brink of Gamescom 2025, a dedicated Nintendo Direct highlighting “Kirby Air Riders” has been released, providing enthusiasts with all the details on Nintendo’s upcoming major racer.

Today, the “Kirby Air Riders” Nintendo Direct emerged, presenting followers of the franchise with a new glimpse at everything “Air Riders” in line with its newly set launch date in November. Following the official reveal back in April, Nintendo maintained secrecy surrounding the next “Kirby” entry until today’s Nintendo Direct unveiled everything fans could desire to learn about this fresh racing venture.

“Kirby Air Ride” originally debuted in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, and this new installment arrives over two decades later, exclusively for the Switch 2. The upcoming game will now offer players a lineup of riders to choose from, each possessing unique traits and capabilities. Moreover, there are new Air Ride vehicles, returning game modes, and additional Special moves for racers to utilize! The latest trailer is showcased below, as unveiled today.

Kirby Air Riders Key Features

– Riding Techniques – Each ‘kart’ or “air ride machine” can possess diverse forms and attributes. They automatically hover a short distance above the ground, as well as accelerate on their own, eliminating the necessity to press the A button like in “Mario Kart World.”

– Boost Charge – By tapping the B Button, your vehicle will descend from hover mode and land on the track, activating a boost charge. Releasing the B button after the braking phase triggers a Boost Dash. Director Masahiro Sakurai clarified that this maneuver goes beyond a mere speed enhancement, and players can negotiate turns more effectively by tilting the left stick and maintaining the Boost Charge button during sharp bends, providing an advantage in “Kirby Air Riders” races.

– An Additional Button Is Now Included – The Y Button serves as your “Special button,” activating your character’s unique Special move. Engaging rival riders and adversaries will fill up the riders’ Special Gauge, and once it’s at maximum, a Special move can be unleashed! While most characters possess one specific Special, Kirby enjoys four variations, one for each color option available for players.

– Expanding the Roster – “Kirby Air Riders” integrates a strategic dimension to its chaos by placing greater significance on rider selection. Every character in the game has exclusive attributes that can influence their chosen machine’s performance, including weight, durability, Specials, close-combat attacks, and more. Sakurai notes that this structure is intentional, explaining why Air Ride mode prompts players to choose their course first, followed by the rider and machine. The roster is extensive with inclusions from Kirby, featuring: Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, alongside adversaries like Cappy, Chef Kawasaki, Starman, and others. “Kirby Air Riders” also allows players to combine riders and machines freely.

– Machines – Each vehicle (similar to the riders) can withstand various levels of damage in “Kirby Air Riders” races. While most machines glide and execute jumps, it ultimately rests on the player’s decisions to secure victory.

– Copy Abilities – To balance gameplay, “Kirby Air Riders” grants all riders the power to inhale or capture and replicate an enemy’s abilities, ensuring a fair competition.

Mr. Sakurai additionally unveiled the legacy game modes and experiences set to welcome players in “Kirby Air Riders,” including the City Trial mode, described as “the centerpiece.” The mode from the original “Kirby Air Ride” is back, now broadened and improved with more areas to explore. “Kirby Air Riders” will enable players to team up in groups of 16 for its returning open City Trial mode online. This marks a significant increase from the original four-player multiplayer capacity from 2003, allowing players to navigate the vast Skyah map. Up to eight players can participate locally, introducing further chaos to the gameplay.

That isn’t the only classic mode returning to “Kirby Air Riders,” as Air Ride Mode will also make a comeback. In this format, up to six riders can race to be the first to cross the finish line. Players can engage neighboring riders, and by striking them, speed can be amplified by collecting small stars, delivering notable speed boosts to the gameplay. “Kirby Air Riders” also brings classroom experiences with its lessons mode, enabling fans to refine their playstyle before diving into competition.

Beyond all that “Kirby Air Riders” presents, Director Sakurai confirmed the game is set to launch exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20. Fans can watch the entire Nintendo Direct on the Nintendo website.

At Gamescom 2025, Nvidia revealed that over 175 games currently incorporate DLSS support, showcasing several of the year’s most eagerly awaited releases.

Nvidia is broadening the array of games that are compatible with [DLSS 4](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/technologies/dlss/), now featuring compatibility in more than 175 titles. For those who may not know, DLSS stands for a collection of sophisticated, AI-driven neural rendering technologies designed to enhance gaming graphics—even while demanding features such as ray tracing are active.

By maximizing the capabilities of RTX GPUs, DLSS facilitates smoother frame rates and sharper visuals, even on systems that would otherwise struggle to achieve such performance. While it may not fit all scenarios, DLSS has the potential to empower an [RTX 5070](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/hardware/colorful-geforce-rtx-4070-gpu/)—or even an [RTX 5060](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/hardware/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-ti-8gb/)—to rival last-gen’s RTX 4080, achieving frame rates exceeding 100 FPS in many of today’s leading titles. The expanding roster of supported games strengthens the rationale for investing in RTX 50-series GPUs.

Introduced alongside the 50-series RTX GPUs, DLSS 4 enhances earlier iterations while taking advantage of new features offered by the Blackwell architecture. Through multi-frame generation, DLSS 4 allows the GPU to produce three frames for each traditionally rendered frame, greatly improving performance.

Additionally, it features DLSS Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Nvidia Reflex technology—ensuring games look superior, run more smoothly, and respond quicker, all while maintaining visual fidelity and gameplay integrity.

The announcements continued. Nvidia also disclosed that additional titles will integrate advanced technologies like path tracing and ray tracing, making DLSS more thrilling than ever. Path tracing will be available in *Resident Evil Requiem* and *[Directive 8020](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/previews/directive-8020-preview-sgf/)*, while ray tracing will shine in *Phantom Blade Zero*, *Pragmata*, and *Cinder City*. These upgrades promise clearer graphics and a more engaging experience—given that your GPU can manage the requirements.

*Directive 8020*

“DLSS 4 and path tracing are no longer just next-gen graphical tests — they have become the cornerstone of contemporary PC gaming titles,” stated Matt Wuebbling, vice president of global GeForce marketing at NVIDIA. “Developers are leveraging AI-driven rendering to unleash stunning visuals and significant performance improvements, allowing gamers worldwide to experience the future of real-time graphics today.”

New titles announced at Gamescom that will utilize the latest RTX technologies include:

– *Directive 8020* and *[Resident Evil Requiem](https://www.cgmagonline.com/news/resident-evil-requiem-announced-at-summer-game-fest-2025/)*, set to launch with DLSS 4 and path tracing

– *Black State*, *Cinder City* (previously known as *Project LLL*), *Cronos: The New Dawn*, *[Dying Light: The Beast](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/previews/dying-light-the-beast-event/)*, *Honeycomb: The World Beyond*, *Lost Soul Aside*, *The Outer Worlds 2*, *[Phantom Blade Zero](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/previews/phantom-blade-zero-preview/)*, and *Pragmata*, all launching with DLSS 4 and ray tracing

– *Borderlands 4* and *Fate Trigger*, debuting with DLSS 4 featuring Multi Frame Generation

– *[Indiana Jones and the Great Circle](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/game/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle/)*, adding support for RTX Hair in September—this technology utilizes the new capabilities of RTX 50 Series hardware to model hair with greater path-traced detail and realism

To commemorate the launch of *Borderlands 4*, Nvidia is introducing a fresh GeForce RTX 50 Series bundle. Gamers purchasing a [GeForce RTX 5090](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/hardware/geforce-rtx-5090-suprim-liquid/), [5080](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/hardware/nvidia-rtx-5080-fe-gpu/), [5070 Ti](https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/hardware/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-gpu/) or 5070 desktop GPU—or a laptop with GeForce RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, or 5070

Now is the moment for all gardening enthusiasts. Singularity 6 unveils the latest update for Palia, titled Botanical Bliss, which incorporates numerous enhancements while also marking the game’s second anniversary.

Growing the free-to-play fantasy life simulation, Palia has expanded significantly with the arrival of the Botanical Bliss update. With this update, players can engage in the new Flower Bloom Event, take on quests from the new Bulletin Board, and more. In celebration of the thrilling update, the game commemorates its second anniversary by providing players with two limited-time Cupcake Plushes as login incentives: a pink cake with white icing and a red cake with chocolate frosting.

For those unfamiliar, players venture on a journey and experience their fantasies within the Palia universe, whether they are constructing their ideal home, completing quests to uncover the history of the Ancient Human, building connections with their fellow villagers, nurturing their plants, or collecting Plushies. Additionally, players can take part in engaging in-game events and activities, from exploring the Maji Market to enjoying Hot Pot card games with friends in the Underground Black Market.

With the release of the Botanical Bliss update for Palia, there’s much to discover. The initial event to take place is the Flower Bloom Event, which occurs daily at noon in-game time for every solo player and their friends to assist in blooming flowers in Kilima. During this event, the Weeder will aid in clearing away overgrown plants that could jeopardize the sprout, while the Waterer will be in charge of hydrating the sprout to ensure it blossoms into a flower. Once the flower has bloomed, players will earn rewards.

The included rewards consist of sellable weeds, Sundrop Lilies, Spice Sprouts, Wild Garlic, Gardenia Flowers, Chapaatail Flowers, Rose Flowers, Trillium Flowers, Cottonball Flowers, and much more. In addition to these rewards, players can uncover 10 new flowers, nine new planters, a floral nameplate, and a lost potato pod.

To elaborate on the 10 new flowers and nine new planters, here’s a list of what will be available during the Kilima Dynamic Event:

– Greenhome Clay Pot
– Greenhome Basket
– Greenhome Wall Pot
– Greenhome Stone Urn
– Greenhome Wood Pot
– Greenhome Terracotta Pot
– Greenhome Burlap Sack
– Greenhome Metal Pot
– Greenhome Flower Box
– Flowering Orange Bush
– Flowering Pink Bush
– Flowering Black Bush
– Flowering Blue Bush
– Flowering Yellow Bush
– Flowering Red Bush
– Flowering Purple Bush
– Coastal Bush
– Cypress Tree
– Fern

The following feature debuting in Palia: Botanical Bliss is the Bulletin Board, situated in the Kilima Village Center, where players can embark on limited-time seasonal themed quests for rewards. This month’s theme, Midsommar, includes four themed sub-bundles for players to complete, providing fresh flowers and exclusive flower-themed nameplates as rewards. Upon completion of the bundles, the monthly Bulletin Board will conclude with a final quest, offering players special rewards.

In conjunction with the new Bulletin Board, fresh Plushes are introduced to Palia. Besides the second anniversary plushes, here’s a list of plushes available during the Botanical Bliss update:

– Floatfish Toadstool Plush – Fishing where the Floatfish is typically found
– Floatfish Piksil Plush – Fishing where the Floatfish is typically found
– Floatfish Midnight Plush – Fishing where the Floatfish is typically found
– Happy Palia First Anniversary (Cupcake Plush) – Log-in Reward
– Happy Palia Second Anniversary (Cupcake Plush) – Log-in Reward

Alongside the new items and quests, Palia has undergone a quality of life enhancement. Players can anticipate improvements such as the Infinite Quest Bag, Bundle Improvement for combining items into a bundle, New Tool and Emote Accessibility Setting, and the opportunity to encounter King Hoppington XIV for currency.

Before concluding, the launch of Palia: Botanical Bliss unveils a variety of new collections and items that will be accessible in the Premium Store. The outfit sets and items that will be on offer include:

– August 18 – Beastslayer (Outfit): Shadvaraak, Sumuruu, and Kiraan
– August 18 – Yacht Club (Outfit): Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller
– August 18 – Torocat (Pets): Seal Point Torocat, Striped Torocat, Spotted Torocat
– August 18 – Torocat Umbrella (Glider)
– August 18 – Beastslayer (Tool Skin): Axe and Bow
– August 18 – Seagrass Gardens Landscape (Landscape)
– August 26 – Birthday Bash (Outfit): Chantilly, Tiramisu, Confetti
– August 26