Game News

March opens with Marathon and Pokémon Pokopia on the same day: three release lists compared

The first week of March puts two very different games on the same day. Video Games Chronicle, in its round-up published on 2 March, listed Bungie's Marathon, its first all-new game in over a decade, and Pokémon Pokopia for 5 March. Marathon is an extraction co-op shooter set on Tau Ceti IV; Pokopia, co-developed with Koei Tecmo's Omega Force, is a Switch 2 life sim that VGC called arguably the biggest Pokémon spin-off to date.

Newsweek opened its list with Scott Pilgrim EX on 3 March, then Marathon, Planet of Lana 2 and the early-access launch of Slay the Spire 2, all on 5 March, followed by Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on 13 March. VGC added WWE 2K26 on 13 March and Ghost of Yotei – Legends, a free multiplayer mode, on 10 March.

“For the first time in 30 years” — Newsweek, on Marathon's new series entry

How each outlet framed it

• Video Games Chronicle — a full calendar with Pokopia and Marathon as the early headliners.
• Newsweek — eight picks for a general audience, from the cozy island game Collector's Cove to Crimson Desert later in the month.
• Stevivor — an Australian list with its own dates.

Where the numbers differ: Stevivor dated Scott Pilgrim EX to 4 March and Marathon to 6 March, a day later than Newsweek and VGC. All three agree on Monster Hunter Stories 3 on 13 March, and VGC and Stevivor both put Pokopia on Switch 2 on 5 March.