Okay people, so today something pretty serious happened. It seems like Arc System Works had some sort of data breach and through this people are discovering new games that have not been announced. One of which seems to be a new entry or or you know another game following in the lineage of another code and Hotel Dusk which would undoubtedly be a Nintendo Switch exclusive. But it also looks like Arc System Works has another fighting game exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 coming later this year. We’ve also learned even more about the Switch 2 cartridge options for developers when it comes to physical games through this leak. So, that is what we are talking about today. Arc System Works is having a huge data breach and it looks like exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 games or at the very least Nintendo Switch games are leaking through it. Of course, if you are new here and you enjoy Nintendo Switch 2 news and coverage, I would appreciate you liking the video and subscribing. Let’s get into it. All righty, folks. Welcome back to the channel. My name is Botox Games and this entire story has been developing pretty rapidly over the past 48 hours. It started out that Guilty Gear Strive and its entire source code and DLC plans had leaked. But over the past, you know, like I said, 48 hours or so, we’ve just been learning more and more little tidbits. So, this video may become outdated pretty quickly as more data regarding the Nintendo side of things is uncovered. However, so far we have, I would say, three very notable pieces of information regarding Nintendo Switch from this leak. We’ll start off with this new Another Code/h Hotel Dusk style game from them. Then we will talk about the new fighting game that could really be anything. Although based on the leaks, it does look like it’s a Switch to exclusive and the code name is Atari, which essentially means crossover. So, there’s definitely a lot of room for speculation on what that could be. And then like I said, there is some more information on the whole switch to cartridge situation. So the first thing I want to talk about is this Project Life game. Now you will probably remember that back in early 2024, Arc System Works actually did a remake of Trace Memory and Another Code from the Wii, they did a remake called Another Code Recollection, and it was pretty good. I think this is actually a nice sleeper hit, we’ll say, on the Nintendo Switch. I quite enjoyed it. was my first time playing through these games. And this new project, presumably from the same team that did the remake of Another Code, is easily the thing that we have the most information on. And it sounds like it’s going to be a download only title, maybe a prelude to something bigger later on. But if you go to the link at the top of the description down below, there is a ton of concept art and like motion graphics regarding this game and a new character who at first glance I was like, “Oh, that’s like an adult Ashley from another code.” Then I had other people saying like, “Well, no, this is a little bit closer to the Hotel Dusk uh Hotel Dusk art style.” I have settled on thinking that I think it’s just an entirely new thing from this team. I think it is going to be, you know, obviously following in the lineage of Another Code and Hotel Dusk and The Last Window, but it looks like this is going to be an entirely new project from them. So, definitely click the link down below to get a a feel for how it looks. I’m sorry I can’t show it. I know Nintendo will take it down without a doubt, but reading a bit of the details here. Project Life from Arc System Works. Kanazaki’s artwork, which is well known for his adventure works, has been further evolved to provide users with an emotional experience in the form of an unprecedented cinematic adventure. In order to appeal intuitively to everyone worldwide, there’s no text displayed like in a traditional text adventure. Everything is conveyed through the characters acting and visuals by solving puzzles linked to the characters feelings and the scenario. The story unfolds in seven chapters with each player’s ending differently. The game is packed with puzzles that take advantage of the next generation conso’s features, aiming to provide an experience that is unique to this hardware. So, uh, this seemingly will be actually a Switch to exclusive. I kind of thought maybe it would be like a crossgen thing. This is a very niche title. I can’t imagine it’s going to be super visually intensive, but if they really want to hone in and focus on those mouse controls and that kind of thing, I suppose that makes sense. Um, so those are the game mechanics. It sounds like it will be a a puzzle adventure game, which is what you would expect from this team and the the series of games, right? There is a fact sheet that came alongside it, though obviously this is outdated for one reason, as we’ll get to. So, the current project title is Life. It was going to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. It was going to be distributed through download only, so through the eShop. The launch date was originally going to be March of 2025. It is going to be 40 minutes to an hour long, and it will be priced at 500 to 700 yen. So, this is not necessarily a full thing, but it does read more like a prelude to me, like a setup for a bigger project later down the line. Maybe this is to gauge interest. And it’s March 2025, huh? Well, I guess we know when the Switch 2 was supposed to come out or at least be out by um if they were planning on launching this initially in March of 2025, um that means we have to see it soon. Like, this is something that we will see in the June direct. I I have to imagine, right? Unless something catastrophic happened and it got cancelled, this is a game we should be seeing very, very soon. Even if it is a smaller project, it’s still great to see Nintendo taking more uh small projects on like this. Another code remake didn’t, you know, light the world on fire. It didn’t pass a million sales, but it seems like that doesn’t really matter to them. They’re just like, “Okay, do more. Do more of it for us.” Uh, Arc System Works. So, uh, pretty cool there. There were a couple of other bits of information here regarding this game. The budget is supposedly at 27 million yen. The development period is six months with Kanasaki Son and Taguchi uh being the lead developers on it. Their targeted sales to break even on the project are 75,000 units. So at $5, uh that sounds about right, I would suppose, as well as uh they list some comparable games here. Uh so the this will definitely give you an idea of what they’re going for in terms of a shorter adventure. They specifically reference the games Florence, Old Man’s Journey, and If Found. I’ve actually played Old Man’s Journey and it’s like a 40-minute game. So, that definitely falls in line with what we’re hearing. So, yeah, very cool. Uh, we should be seeing this, like I said, in likely a June direct if it is if it was supposed to come out in March of 2025 as an eShop title. I am happy to see the return of Sing essentially. Sing was the developer of these games back on the DS and they are now defunct. Some of those people went over to Arc System Works, which is why we got another code. I’ve never played uh Hotel Dustier. I do have a copy. I do. I I’ve been meaning to play this one for a while now. Uh, but Trace Memory and Another Code are are very great. I I really like them. Uh, they’re not like the greatest things in the world, but they’re they’re solid adventure games with some real heart to them. Really great music, and the remake was a was a great remake. If you have not checked out that, I highly recommend it. Next up, let’s talk about this new game, Code Name, Watari. Uh, this is likely a fighting game based on the fact that is using uh Unreal Engine 5.4. Uh, Arc System Works for their fighting games. They usually use Unreal Engine. For their smaller projects, they use Unity like another code remake. Um, so it says new game code name Atari with a targeted release of November 2025 using Unreal Engine 5.4 and the platform is Nintendo Switch 2. And frankly, that’s not a lot to work off of. We don’t even know for sure that it would be a fighting game. Arc System Works does make a lot of stuff. However, like I said, a lot of their smaller projects do use Unity while the fighting games use Unreal Engine. So, it’s not guaranteed to be a fighting game or anything. However, it also has been long enough since Guilty Gear Shrive came out that I feel like we’re due for something new from them in terms of a 2D fighting game. But just go into this whole discussion knowing that we don’t actually know what it’s going to be. We don’t know if it’s going to be a fighting game, if it’s going to be some smaller project, if it’s going to be some big Unreal Engine 5 3D adventure game for all we know. Uh, however, given Arc System Works’ history, I think a 2D fighting game makes the most sense uh in terms of trying to figure out what code name or project actually is. And if it’s a Switch to exclusive, well, at first I was thinking, well, may maybe it’s just a Switch 2 edition of Guilty Gear Shrive because, well, that would make sense to be exclusive and only listed on that platform. But people online are really going crazy uh trying to figure out what this is. And if it’s not something simple like that, which I guess it wouldn’t be because that’s not on Unreal 5, I don’t think. If we’re getting a Switch 2 exclusive 2D fighter from Arc System Works, Nintendo has this relationship with them now through games like Another Code and this new Project Life. Could we be looking at like an Ark System Works 2D fighting game using a Nintendo property? That would be absolutely incredible. Dragon Ball Fighters from them, I think, is one of the best 2D fighting games ever made. I adore that game. And in general, Arc System Works has some sauce that I feel like most 2D fighting games don’t have. Their their art style, their game feel. Uh Arc System Works 2D fighting games are are just incredible. I mean, they’re they’re frankly incredible. As someone who’s not like seriously into fighting games, I can pick up an Arc System Works fighting game and immediately have a good time. So, if they are working with Nintendo, making a Switch to exclusive game, you have to imagine it would be using some Nintendo IP. And then the question really becomes, well, what could it be? I’ve already seen a lot of people throwing out the idea that since Sakurai is doing Kirby Air Riders, we likely aren’t getting a new Smash Bros game anytime soon. What if Arc System Works is making a more traditional 2D fighting uh Smash Bros game? I don’t think that’s what this will be. I really don’t. That’d be very cool. However, I feel like Arc System Works I feel like their strength lies within like focusing really hard on like one or two IP. uh basing that really just off of Dragon Ball Fighters to be honest, but I would like to see them tackle something specific and there are a few Nintendo franchises that I think would really fit with their flare. Uh the first honorable mention I think it would be cool if they wanted to do this is some sort of 2D Pokemon fighting game. We had Pokemon Tournament of course on the Wii U and Switch and I love that game from Ban Namco, but like a a a proper like core competitive 2D fighting game Pokemon uh release would be really cool. However, what I would really love to see here, and people always make these memes about Smash Bros., first of all, Xenolade fighting game. Xenolade has four mainline entries now and no spin-offs. What are we doing, Nintendo? It is time for some sort of Xenolade fighting game, but also Fire Emblem. We’re due for a Fire Emblem release. If Fire Emblem 4 remake isn’t real, uh we’re, you know, two years removed now from Fire Emblem Engage. a Fire Emblem fighting game that sets off a whole new subseries of spin-offs for that game after the Warriors formula has been kind of run dry. A Fire Emblem fighting game that has, you know, characters and lords from all the different Fire Emblem entries, but in a 2D arc system works style. That would be so cool. Like, I would be so into that. And then, you know, the the project code name is Watari, which roughly means crossover. Could it be like a Blaze Blueue cross tag battle thing? I guess sure. Maybe that’s even the more realistic expectation. But if my mind’s going to wander a little bit here, if we’re talking about a crossover game, what if we got like a Fire Emblem cross Xenolade fighting game? That would be so cool. I know people will say, “Oh, just make Smash Bros. at that point.” But no, I think it would be better if they really focus in on like those two franchises. They they mesh pretty well. You don’t have to worry about any third party characters coming in or, you know, Mario being there. You can have Fire Emblem and Xenolade characters on screen together, which I mean they already kind of mesh pretty well. Maybe you do like a guest character of Isaac from Golden Sun, but you know, you you keep it in that same kind of anime art style. And once again, I mean, according to the leaks, this is targeting November 2025. We’ll see if that is outdated information. Maybe it’s pushed to 2026, but if it is actually still coming out this year, once again, we will see it in the June Direct almost certainly. I guess knowing Nintendo, they could wait a little bit. But if this is a bigger holiday game for them, we should we should know about it within a month and a half or so, which is really exciting and would definitely fill up the calendar where a lot of people still feel like there’s some gaps, right? Because Pokemon and Metroid, those are Switch One games with Switch 2 editions, but they are Switch One games. Really, when you look at the holiday lineup for Switch 2, it’s just Kirby, Air Riders, as well as Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment, which I’m very excited for both of those games. and you do have those Switch 2 editions, but a common sentiment I see in my comment section is, “But where are the Switch 2 exclusives?” Well, it would still be pretty niche. However, a Fire Emblem or a Xenolade or a crossover of those two things, fighting game from Arc System Works, the like premier 2D fighting game dev, that would be a pretty big deal and an exciting new partnership in terms of Nintendo giving their IP to other studios to make exciting new projects, which we didn’t really see too much of on the uh on the Switch. We saw it uh more in the Wii U era, I feel like, where we got stuff like Hyrule Warriors, obviously, but even like Puzzles and Dragons, Super Mario Bros. Edition on 3DS, and I mean, even Poken being a Tekken spin-off technically, there were a couple things on Switch, right? Cadence of Hyrule, the indie game there. But, I mean, they really haven’t been exploring their their IP too much in terms of giving them to other prominent Japanese developers or really other developers in general. Mario Rabids, I suppose, would be the biggest one for the Switch era. But if they want to kickstart the Switch 2 with like a new uh partnership with Arc System Works, making some fighting games, dude, that would be so cool. It is a little unfortunate that this would mean, well, it’s exclusive. I know Arc System Works’ uh fan base is definitely on PlayStation, and that would mean more Switch Twos at EVO and stuff like that. So, there would definitely be some drawbacks to them making a Switch 2 exclusive. But, if they have their hands on Fire Emblem or Xenolade, dude, sign me up. I’m I’m so in for learning learning how to play that game competitively. I would be totally down for that. But once again, just to reel it all back in, uh this is all leaked information. This project could not even exist, I suppose. Although based on when it sounds like it’s from, that’d be a very quick turnaround to cancel something. It might also not even be a fighting game for all we know. That is just speculation based on what Arc System Works does. It could be something else entirely, but it being on Unreal 5.4 to me indicates it is one of their bigger projects. because it’s not a small project. Um, which would likely indicate some sort of fighting game. And if it is exclusive, then my mind definitely starts wandering of like, well, could we be getting a Nintendo fighting game here? Uh, when Nintendo really doesn’t have a fighting game. I mean, Smash Bros. is a platform fighter and that’s great and all uh very competitive but but Nintendo doesn’t have that that core 2D fighting game which if this is all true and if my speculation ends up being correct here as well as the speculation of many others online right now dude that’s like a dream game that would be so so awesome and then finally let’s talk about the whole game cartridge situation going on with the Switch 2. I know a lot of people are very unhappy about the game key cards and I totally get it. I’m gonna have a video over on my other channel at its amiibo talking about game key cards more in depth and how I personally do not have that big of an issue with them. However, from this Arc System Works leak, we got a little bit more insight on what Nintendo is offering developers. And I say a little bit more insight, we really just got some code names here because this is what we had heard is that there really are only two options for cartridges. There is a very small potentially 1 gigbyte or even less cartridge that developers can use for game key cards just to have enough data on there to work as some sort of, you know, key to download the game from Nintendo servers. And there’s a 64 GB cartridge that can offer the full game download. Uh, depending on the game, right? I mean, Split Fiction is actually bigger than 64 gigs. Apparently, the code name for the key cards is potion, which is interesting. I’m not sure what that would really mean. Now, I think maybe the most important uh part of this entire thing is that first of all, it operates independently from the Nintendo eShop. So, even when the eShop is down, you will be able to download the data from Nintendo servers. That is very important. As long as they keep those servers up, which I really think we have no reason to think that that will ever happen, frankly, in our lifetimes. Nintendo’s never uh taken away the ability to redownload something. Even on the Wii, you can still redownload stuff. Uh you will be able to redownload these. Even if your region does not have a Nintendo eShop, you can still download the game through the game key card. Uh these do not connect to your Nintendo account, so they can be resold. Downloading the software is only possible with the cartridge inserted in the Switch 2. And playing it requires digital validation of the cartridge uh to be inserted. And internet is only required for downloading the software and initial validation. After that, it operates like a common cartridge. So once it’s downloaded, you don’t need the internet. You don’t need to do any uh you know online checks just for that initial download. then it works like a regular cartridge as long as the game is installed on your Switch 2. But yeah, Nintendo really seems to only be offering a 64 gig card option, a one or even less than that gig card option for the game key cards, and then of course download only games, which I don’t really understand. I’m hoping that this entire thing is all just a a side effect of maybe supply constraints or maybe they just can’t manufacture them fast enough right now. So, at launch, we’re seeing an influx of game key cards, but hopefully later down the line, as the Switch 2 kind of warms up, as the format gets a little bit cheaper, we see more games on, let’s say, 32 gig carts. Why Why is there not a 32 gig cart or even a 16 gig cart? I guess maybe that would be a little uh silly for for most games nowadays, but a 32 gig cart, come on, man. You could have offered that for games like Bravely Default, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. There are plenty of games that can fit on a 32 gig cartridge. And yeah, maybe that would still be more expensive than most publishers would want to pay. But even for Nintendo, it seems weird to me that when most of their games are under that 32 gig threshold, like Mario Kart World is 24, Donkey Kong Bonanza, I think, is like 17 or something, maybe even less than that. It seems weird to me that they would not want to save money on their own side of things, right? Like have a 32 gig option for yourself, right? Like that just seems weird to me. So, it’s all very unfortunate. I’m hoping that later down the line we see more cartridge options open up for publishers and the format gets cheaper obviously, so we see more proper physical releases. But, uh, yeah, this Arc System Works leak does reaffirm what we were thinking already and that well, there’s a 64 gig option and a 1 GBTE option, which is just so that’s so annoying. Nintendo, what are we doing here? So, that is going to do it for today’s video. So, just wanted to hop on here and cover some of these Arc System Works leaks from the data breach. Once again, take everything with a grain of salt. Now, obviously that Project Life game is a real thing. We have motion concept art or motion cinematics from it or whatever that is. Once again, that’ll be linked down below. So, that is 100% real. Could it be cancelled? I suppose maybe. And then this project, is it a fighting game? Is it something else entirely? We will have to wait and see. But, but yeah, I mean, very unfortunate that this all leaked this way. It’s It’s always unfortunate when a data breach like this happens. But needless to say, some of these projects are pretty exciting. I like another code. I’m happy to see that type of game live on. And then yeah, a a crossover fighting game from them. If that is what Project Atari ends up being, that would be so so exciting. So, let me know your thoughts in the comments down below. How do you feel about the revival of Sing essentially through this new Project Life game? And how do you feel about the potential of a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive Arc System Works fighting game releasing later this year as one of Nintendo’s maybe bigger holiday releases as a Switch 2 exclusive? I would love to hear what you all think in the comments down below. Of course, like the video and subscribe here for more Nintendo Switch 2 rumors and leaks and news and coverage and all that fun stuff. I’ll have another video tomorrow going over a bunch of little news stories, unless anything major breaks. Virtual Fighter 5 confirmed for Switch 2. Very exciting. So, uh, stay tuned for that. Follow me on Twitter, Botox Games. Check out my other channel, it’s amiibo. And as always, you can click on one of these two videos to listen to me ramble about even more Nintendo nonsense. Until next time, folks.