Everybody's Golf Hot Shots

Last updated
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots steam header.jpg
Developer(s) Hyde
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: September 4, 2025
  • WW: September 5, 2025
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is an upcoming golf video game developed by Hyde and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is scheduled for release for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows. It is the first entry in the long-running Everybody's Golf series in eight years, following Everybody's Golf (2017), and the first to be developed by Hyde instead of long-time developer Clap Hanz.

Contents

Gameplay

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is a video game simulation of the sport of golf. The game feature's the series' usual "three button press" setup for controlling golf swings to help determine distance and trajectory of the ball. [1] [2] In addition to being able to play a standard game of golf, the game also features a "Wacky Golf" mode that features unconventional alternate elements as well, such as extra obstacles to aim for, or try to avoid, such as tornados or monoliths. [3] [4] Dynamic weather and day-to-night systems also affects gameplay. [1] Over 10 golf courses and 25 golfers can be unlocked as playable characters, with new features unlocking as characters and repeatedly used. [4] [2] Local multiplayer with up to 4 players is possible on one system, and online multiplayer is also available. [4]

Development

The game was first announced in March 2025 in a Nintendo Direct presentation. [5] It's name - Everybody's Golf Hot Shots alludes to the franchise's multiple names in the past; while it was generally called Everybody's Golf in most regions, it had been rebranded as Hot Shots Golf for many past entries in North America. [6] The game was announced for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and a PC release via Windows. The Switch release surprised some publications, as all previous entries had released exclusively on Sony's brand of PlayStation consoles. [6] [7] [8] [9] However, prior entries had generally been published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, whereas Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, through a licensing agreement with Sony, would be published by Bandai Namco. [6] The change in publisher also lead to a change in the development team, with the game being developed by Bandai Namco's Hyde, as previous developer Clap Hanz had moved on to develop and release their own golf self-published golf game Easy Come Easy Golf . [6] The game is the fourth previously Sony-published game coming to competitor Nintendo's platform, following Freedom Wars Remastered , Patapon 1+2 Replay , and Lego Horizon Adventures . [8] It is scheduled for release on September 4, 2025, in Japan, and the following day worldwide. [10] Pre-ordering the game includes the bonus of automatically unlocking Bandai Namco's Pac-Man as a playable character. [10]

Reception

Pre-release

Some publications noted concern and disappointment regarding the disclosure that the game utilized AI-generated images, [2] [11] though its use is limited to "leaf and tree textures" on the golf courses. [12] Kotaku conceded that, in watching its pre-release game trailer, that the trees and leaves didn't look AI generated, though they did look "ambiently junky". [2] A lack of a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game was also lamented. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Wutz, Marco (2025-06-13). "Everybody's Golf Hot Shots returns with new release date". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gach, Ethan (2025-06-25). "New Hot Shots Golf Game Cops To Using Generative AI For Trees". Kotaku. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  3. Miller, Anthony (2025-03-28). "Everybody's Golf Hot Shots on Nintendo Switch 2 - Release Date, Online Play and More". Esports Illustrated On SI. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 O'Reilly, PJ (2025-06-26). "Check Out This Extended New Systems Trailer For Everybody's Golf Hotshots". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  5. Van Allen, Eric (2025-03-27). "Nintendo Direct March 2025: All the Games and Everything Announced". IGN. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Van Allen, Eric (2025-03-27). "Everybody's Golf Hot Shots Tees Off a New Entry, With a New Developer, Later This Year". IGN. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  7. Coulson, Josh (2025-03-27). "A New Everybody's Golf Game Is Coming To Nintendo Switch". TheGamer. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  8. 1 2 Bošnjak, Dominik (2025-03-28). "New Entry in Long-Running PlayStation Series Coming to Switch". Game Rant. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  9. DeWitte, Joel (2025-03-27). "Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots announced for 2025". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  10. 1 2 Romano, Sal (2025-06-04). "Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots launches September 4 in Japan, September 5 worldwide". Gematsu. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  11. Barker, Sammy (2025-06-25). "Hot Shots Golf Fans Fume at Use of Generative AI in PS5 Revival". Push Square. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  12. Treon, Chandler (2025-06-26). "Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots Seems to Be Using AI". Game Rant. Retrieved 2025-07-24.