The House of Mario is on a winning streak—and it’s not just about nostalgic platformers and Mario Kart reruns. Nintendo has officially passed the $100 billion market valuation mark in Japan, an impressive milestone that the company hasn’t seen before. The kicker? This entire surge is riding almost entirely on hype and pre-orders for the Switch 2.
Yeah. It’s that real. And the console’s not even out yet.
According to data from Japanese market tracking companies, Nintendo is now valued at approximately $100.16 billion, placing it just behind Fast Retailing (you know, the folks behind Uniqlo), which holds the #6 slot at $100.91 billion. That makes it the seventh most valuable company in Japan—a pretty big comeback story for a company some called “on the decline” just a few years ago.
This isn’t just investor confidence. It’s Switch 2 mania.
Let’s be honest: the original Switch is old. Launched in 2017, its hardware has been stretching for years, especially with modern third-party titles. Sales have been slowing down gradually—because everyone already owns one (or two). But now, with the Switch 2 on the horizon, Nintendo has hit the reset button in the best way possible.
Despite trade tensions, tariff threats, and ongoing inflation talk, Switch 2 pre-orders alone have been enough to rocket Nintendo’s valuation to new heights. If that doesn’t scream “unstoppable brand loyalty,” we don’t know what does.
And this is before we even hit June 5th, the official release date.
That’s the big question. If Nintendo can do this with pre-orders, what kind of revenue spike are we going to see after the Switch 2 actually launches? And what about first-party titles? You know there’s a new Mario, a Zelda tease, and maybe even a surprise Metroid lurking in the shadows.
Expect Nintendo’s next financial report to give us a much clearer view of what kind of chaos the Switch 2 is about to bring—not just to fans, but to the stock market too.
Nintendo’s not just back. It’s thriving. With pre-orders breaking records, a June launch on the way, and a possible lineup of big-name titles waiting in the wings, the Switch 2 is shaping up to be another generation-defining console.
Buckle up. Nintendo’s just getting started.
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The Desert Perpetual raid in Destiny 2 has a new system called feats. Each feat requires players to complete the raid in different ways. One of the feats is the encounter challenges. Unlike in previous raids, completing encounter challenges does not reward players with a bonus chest. However, players must complete them to increase the tier of loot they get from the raid and to get the Atemporal title. Destiny 2 Desert Perpetual Feats Feats become active for players once they complete the Desert Perpetual raid once. Before you launch the raid, you can customize the feats added for your raid instance. These feats are: Token Limit – Fewer rez tokens available Encounter Challenges – Enables encounter challenges. Battalions – Banes added to the raid. Phase Limit – Requires you to kill each boss in two phases. Cutthroat combat – Enables Contest Mode difficulty. You can enable all feats at the same time for additional challenge, but we recommend holding off until you are comfortable with the raid. The Desert Perpetual Agraios Inherent – Hobgoblin The challenge requires all six players to pick up a chronon before someone can get their second one. The order does not matter, so long as each player picks one up. The challenge continues throughout the encounter, so before a player can get their third chronon, all players must have their second one. The two buffed, non-aligned players should pick up a chronon and deposit it after damage is done. You will need to shift which players get buffs per phase. Reminder that five Minatours spawn per Hydra kill. Here is the way we recommend for you to complete the challenge. First Pickup Phase Five players pick up and deposit to charge the portals. The sixth player picks up and deposits for the alignment phase. Second Pickup Phase Other runners and buffed players pick up. Sixth player picks up 2nd. The three runners deposit at the other three portals. Aligned player picks up 2nd. Third Pickup Phase Buffed players deposit to charge the portals. Three non-buffed players pick up 3rd. Only two players deposit. Previously buffed players pick up 3rd. Fourth Pickup Phase Previously buffed players become runners and deposit for the alignment phase. The other four players pick up their 4th. One non-buffed player deposits at the final portal. Fifth Pickup Phase Aligned player and four others deposit to charge the portals. Aligned player picks up 5th. The other five players pick up. Runners deposit to charge three portals. Sixth Pickup One runner picks up 6th and deposits at the final portal. The Desert Perpetual Iatrox, Inward Turned – Wyvern The challenge for the Wyvern encounter is far easier. During the building phase, there are three vex nodes you must activate. Usually, only one player activates all three nodes. For the challenge, you need three players to climb. Each player must activate one vex node. At the start of building, all three players stand on the plate for the buff. You will need to ascend together. Once a player has activated a node, they can jump off the platforms. Who does, which one, is entirely up to your team. The Desert Perpetual Epoptes, Lord of Quanta – Hydra For the Hydra encounter, four players are tasked with shooting eyes in each room. Your previous ad clearing role becomes a second shooter per room. In each room, players must alternate shooting eyes on the Hydra’s shield. It does not matter which player calls the eyes; just ensure you know who is calling what. The triangle and center eyes do not count for this. An example: Players one and two head to the left room after collecting the buff, while players three and four do the same on the right side. Left room calls top right, player three shoots top right. Right room calls top, player one shoots top. Left room calls bottom, player four shoots bottom. Right room calls bottom right, player two shoots bottom right. Repeat until all eyes are broken. The Desert Perpetual Koregos, The Wordline – Harpy For the final boss encounter challenge, every player must deposit one chronon through the hoop. It means players must shift across roles to complete this challenge. How you end up shifting does not matter. As long as each player has the cyclical buff once and deposits a chronon, you are fine. You must repeat this process for every phase. An important note: when you change buffs, your timer remains the same. Otherwise, you have plenty of time in this encounter to swap everyone.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got hit with quite a bit of interesting news on Thursday. It started when NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward was staging a hold-in, attending training camp but not fully participating as he seeks a new contract. Not long after that, kicker Chris Boswell was also reported to be interested in a new deal, adding another contract situation to the team’s growing list of concerns. As for Heyward, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly quickly suggested a possible solution that could effectively end the hold-in without requiring a full contract extension. Kaboly proposed the idea of adding incentives to Heyward’s existing deal, which would reward performance while avoiding a long-term financial commitment. He believes this compromise would allow the Steelers to show respect for Heyward’s contributions while keeping the team’s salary cap in check. Kaboly explained that the Steelers used a similar approach in 2016 with star wide receiver Antonio Brown. At the time, Brown was also seeking a new deal, and instead of offering an extension, the team added incentives to his contract to keep him satisfied for the season. The move kept Brown on the field and productive, and Kaboly believes this method could work just as well for Heyward, helping resolve the situation without complicating the team’s financial outlook. "Steelers don't restructure contracts until a year out, but Cam Heyward has 2 years remaining on his deal," Kaboly posted on his social media. "Here is the kicker and this is what I would use if I were Heyward: The Steelers worked some funny math with Antonio Brown in 2016 to get him a $4 million raise." Heyward just received a new deal ahead of the 2024 season. Now, Kaboly is pointing out that with two years remaining on his contract, the Steelers typically don’t restructure deals until there’s only one year left. However, Kaboly believes that if the team follows the same approach they used with Brown, it could help resolve Heyward’s situation. "They moved $4 million of AB's 2017 money to 2016, then tore up the contract in 2017 and made him the highest-paid WR in the NFL," Kaboly said. "AB got a $4 million raise, and the Steelers were able to keep their long-standing policy intact." Both sides could technically come out ahead with this approach. The money was going to Heyward anyway, but by advancing a portion of it to this year, he gets earlier financial recognition without requiring a full extension. Then, when the time comes to negotiate a new deal, both parties can do so in good faith, working toward a contract that makes sense for everyone involved. For now, moving some money forward would be a clear sign of appreciation for Heyward’s contributions and an acknowledgment of how the market has shifted for elite defensive linemen. It would also allow the Steelers to maintain their long-standing policy of waiting until a player enters the final year of his contract before negotiating an extension. Ultimately, it’s a short-term financial gesture that builds trust and buys time for a more permanent solution. Steelers And Cam Heyward Both Could Come Out As Winners This approach not only benefits Heyward financially in the short term but also helps preserve the relationship between the player and the organization. It shows the Steelers value his contributions and want to keep him motivated without rushing into long-term decisions prematurely. By handling things this way, the team retains flexibility in managing their salary cap and future roster moves. It also avoids the potential pitfalls of a large extension that might limit options later. For Heyward, it offers a sense of security and respect while keeping open the door for a more comprehensive agreement when the time is right.
The New York Knicks entered the offseason looking to make some small upgrades to their roster as they try to build of their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks are set to bring back their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges next season but one area they needed to improve was their bench. That is exactly what the Knicks focused on during free agency as they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, filling two key holes in their second unit. After signing both Yabusele and Clarkson, New York still does have one more roster space open and they have been linked to many players. Rachel Nichols believes Knicks should sign Russell Westbrook Two player who have garnered the most attention from the Knicks are Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook and NBA analyst Rachel Nichols believes that Westbrook would “flourish” in New York. “That’s a team that needs a guy like him. That actually has a slot for a guy like him. I think he would flourish in New York,” Nichols said on the Open Floor podcast. “I think New York fans would love him, and I think he would be able to fill that sort of vet energy role really well.” Nichols does make a great point about Westbrook being a solid fit in New York off the bench as the backup point guard behind Brunson. Of course, Westbrook revitalized his NBA career last season with the Denver Nuggets as he proved that he could still be a key piece both off the bench and in the starting lineup on a contending team. Last season, the former MVP averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three. For the Knicks, adding Westbrook to their roster would give them another great scorer and playmaker off the bench and would allow Miles McBride to slot in as the backup shooting guard with Clarkson being a forward. By signing Westbrook, the Knicks would be able to upgrade their bench even more this offseason and with the East being weakened due to injuries, New York could be the team to beat next season in the conference.
Neck pain isn’t usually headline news, unless it belongs to Brittney Griner. Atlanta Dream fans hoping for another dominant night on Thursday just had their mood checked. Griner is officially out again, and suddenly that winning streak feels a little more fragile. The Dream hit the road to face the struggling Chicago Sky, a team sitting at 8-21 and already missing rookie standout Angel Reese. But while the Sky limp into Wintrust Arena, the Dream aren’t walking in at full strength either. On Wednesday, the team ruled out Griner for a third straight game due to her lingering neck injury. According to the WNBA’s official injury report, she’s still not ready for game action. Griner’s absence is a blow. The nine-time All-Star has been averaging 10.6 points and 5.6 boards while shooting over 51 percent from the field this season. She signed with Atlanta as a free agent this offseason, helping turn the Dream into a serious contender after last year’s playoff sneak-in. But with their star center on the bench again, the Dream will have to get creative, and gritty. Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon Set to Step Up With Griner out, Atlanta is expected to lean on Brionna Jones and Naz Hillmon to carry the frontcourt load. Jones, another offseason addition, has already started taking on a bigger role. The team will need her presence inside to stretch the Sky’s defense and crash the boards. It’s not all gloom, though. Griner’s "doubtful" tag before last week’s Mercury game was the same story, and she’s reportedly getting closer to a return. But Atlanta’s not taking risks with their veteran star, and they shouldn't. Still, with Rhyne Howard also sidelined due to a knee issue, the Dream are down two primary weapons. That makes Thursday’s game less about comfort and more about character.
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