GeForce NOW’s latest Thursday haul is here, packing eight new games into the cloud—including Monster Hunter Wilds and Split Fiction—and NVIDIA’s got us speculating harder than a loot goblin in a dungeon crawl. With whispers of RTX 5080 upgrades on the horizon and Wilds locked behind premium tiers, we’re asking: are upgrades coming soon? Will the free tier see a trickle-down boost, or is this just a carrot to upsell us? Let’s dive into the new releases and ponder NVIDIA’s next move.
The Big Drop: Eight Games Hit the Cloud
NVIDIA’s press release (embargoed until this morning) unleashed a fresh batch of titles, and it’s a doozy:
- Monster Hunter Wilds (Steam) – Capcom’s beast-slaying epic launched yesterday, and it’s already roaring on GeForce NOW. More on the catch in a sec.
- Split Fiction (EA App, Steam, March 6) – Hazelight Studios’ latest co-op adventure drops today with a Friend’s Pass twist. Sci-fi and fantasy authors battle a story-stealing sim—think dragons, laser swords, and split-screen chaos.
- The Crew Motorfest Season 6 – Red Bull wings, new PvP Grand Races, and Hawaiian highways rev up this update.
- Dragonkin: The Banished (Steam, March 6) – New dragon-slaying action, hot off the press.
- FragPunk (Steam, March 6) – Day-one fragging for the trigger-happy.
- Ghostrunner 2 (Epic Games Store) – Cyberpunk slicing, now cloud-ready.
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Epic Games Store) – Medieval sequel goodness
- Prey (Epic, Steam, Xbox via PC Game Pass) – Mimic-hunting in space, because why not?
It’s a stacked lineup, but the Monster Hunter Wilds drama steals the show.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Premium or Bust
As we flagged in our launch piece, Wilds is locked to Performance and Ultimate tiers—free members are left sharpening sticks in the cold. NVIDIA’s touting DLSS and ray tracing as premium perks (membership deets here), but this isn’t just about graphical flair. Free players are outright barred from a 2025 juggernaut, and it feels like NVIDIA’s flexing a bit too hard. Are they crafting a rod for their own back? If the free tier keeps missing big releases, that “cloud gaming for all” vibe starts to ring hollow.
RTX 5080 Rumors: Trickle-Down or Tease?
Here’s where it gets juicy. Our 2025 predictions peg RTX 5080s as the next Ultimate-tier upgrade—think 4K monster hunts at silly frame rates. If that happens, the current 4080 rigs could trickle down to Performance, maybe even pushing 30-series tech to the free tier. Those 20-series free rigs (2060-class, if we’re guessing) are creaking under modern titles—Wilds proves it. A refresh has to come eventually, right? But will NVIDIA share the love, or keep the free tier as a teaser while dangling 5080s as a premium carrot? The DLSS 4.0 hype suggests they’re betting big on paid tiers.
Free Tier Blues vs. Premium Power
Let’s dream for a sec: 5080s hit Ultimate by summer, 4080s slide to Performance, and free gets a 30-series glow-up. It’s logical—NVIDIA’s got to keep GeForce NOW fresh against rivals like Boosteroid. But locking Wilds behind a paywall hints they’re comfy with a two-tier world. Premium gets the goods (benefits here), while free stays a demo mode. Sustainable? Sure. Risky? You bet—especially if the pitchforks start piling up on X.
What’s Your Play?
So, are upgrades coming soon? We’d wager 5080s are close, but free-tier salvation might lag. For now, this drop’s a win—Split Fiction tempts us with co-op shenanigans, Wilds beckons premium hunters, and The Crew revs up the rest. What’s your weekend pick? Hit us up on X or below—we’re torn between dragons and wyverns ourselves. New to GeForce NOW? Our starter guide has you covered.