What's happening: Yakuza Kiwami 3 revamps classic with new map features and gameplay systems
The remake launched on February 11 2026, upgrading graphics and adding a customizable Lalala Phone, a biker‑gang management mechanic called Bad Boy Dragons, and optional Reaper boss encounters that reward cash and rare items. Expanded Morning Glory orphanage activities now include sewing, cooking and family‑time interactions.
Also developing:

The Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Community Edition mod has been updated with two new fighters, Jin Saotome from Cyberbots and Blade of Scion from Red Earth. Jin brings his signature Blodia punch and a mech‑piloting Hyper Combo, while Blade of Scion introduces heavy‑hitting armor that can break apart and teleport. The additions push the community‑run roster to 75 characters, marking another milestone for the fan‑driven project. Trailers also tease a Street Fighter 3 Shoto as the next upcoming character.

Overwatch’s latest seasonal update introduces the Crimson Wolf weapon variant, a high‑tier cosmetic for Widowmaker. Unlocking the skin costs 3,000 Competitive Points, a currency earned through Competitive and Stadium matches. Players receive 10 points per Competitive win, five for draws,...
![Highguard In Trouble After Most Of The Studio Laid Off Just Weeks After Launch [Update]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://kotaku.com/app/uploads/2026/01/highguard-1200x675.jpg)
Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind the newly released not‑hero shooter Highguard, announced layoffs affecting most of its staff just weeks after the game's January 26 launch. The title received a lukewarm response and struggled with concurrent player numbers, prompting the...
iRacing and NASCAR unveiled the 2026 eNASCAR Coca‑Cola iRacing Series, expanding to 24 rounds and a $500,000 prize pool. The season splits into an 11‑round Qualifying Series featuring all three NASCAR national‑series vehicle classes, followed by a 13‑round Championship with...

The DICE Summit in Las Vegas featured a heartfelt tribute to the late Vince Zampella, a visionary game developer behind Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, Respawn’s hits, and Battlefield 6. Industry leaders like EA’s Laura Miele, Geoff Keighley, Phil Spencer, Todd Howard, and...
The daily active users is especially useless because it just takes the highest one-day peaks from across the year.

Iron Lung, the atmospheric first‑person horror game, finally received a PlayStation 5 launch trailer despite being on the console’s store since October 16 2025. The trailer’s release coincides with the recent Markiplier‑produced film adaptation, which has reignited public interest. Originally a 2022 PC title,...
PUBG Esports unveiled the 12 global partner teams for the 2026 PUBG Global Series, including notable organizations such as Gen.G, Natus Vincere, and Virtus.pro. The partner program grants guaranteed entry to all PGS events, exclusive revenue‑sharing skin releases, and annual financial...

Mob Entertainment released the official gameplay trailer for Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 – Broken Things, confirming a February 18, 2026 PC launch on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The trailer showcases the return of The Prototype as the central antagonist and introduces...

PUBG MOBILE Esports unveiled its 2026 competitive roadmap, confirming two Global Open (PMGO) tournaments—Season 1 in Indonesia and Season 2 in Pakistan—each with a $500,000 prize pool. The new “Road to PMGO” format introduces in‑game qualifiers followed by national and regional stages,...

Capcom announced a major balance patch for Street Fighter 6 that will launch alongside the Alex character as the third DLC challenger for Season 3. The update aims to address community dissatisfaction with the frequency and impact of prior patches. Influencer Broski...
Ted Price on Vince Zampella: He was the face of a franchise while always giving credit to the team and being down to earth. He serves as a great example to all of us.
Phol Spencer at the Dice Summit’s tribute to Vince Zampella: He was always able to work with a team to set the bar higher.

Valve’s handheld PC, the Steam Deck, is completely sold out on the company’s official store, including both 512 GB and 1 TB OLED models. The older LCD version has been discontinued, confirming that no further units will be produced. Analysts link the...

Valve released a new Proton Experimental build that expands controller support across dozens of game launchers on Linux and SteamOS. The update adds Metal Fatigue to the playable list and upgrades Xalia to 0.4.7, fixing tab‑selection bugs in Rayman: Raving...

Indie developer Wazen is set to release the anime‑action title MIGHTREYA on PC later this year, with 505 Games as publisher. The game follows Reya, a school‑girl superhero‑content creator, blending aerial combat reminiscent of Zenless Zone Zero and Dragon Ball: Sparking...

Mewgenics surged to the top of Steam within a day, logging over 67,000 concurrent players and recouping its development budget in just three hours. The indie roguelike, a seven‑year project co‑developed by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, demonstrates how rapid...

Capcom’s upcoming *Resident Evil Requiem* Deluxe Steelbook pre‑orders were abruptly canceled by Amazon after the retailer oversold inventory. Amazon emailed refunds, citing supplier shortages, while a newly created Amazon Exclusive edition promises the same physical goodies but won’t ship until...

Blizzard’s Overwatch received a major Season 1 overhaul, adding five new heroes and stripping the “2” from its title. The update sparked a resurgence, pushing the game to a record 165,000 concurrent players on Steam. Enhanced weekly story drops and in‑game...

SNK’s Season 2 balance patch for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves reshapes the competitive hierarchy, as Alioune releases his first post‑patch tier list. Hotaru, previously the dominant pick, falls to roughly sixth place, while Hokutomaru vaults to the top of...

Overwatch has been relaunched with a major content reset, dropping the "2" label and introducing a fresh lobby UI. The update adds five new heroes and kicks off the "Reign of Talon – Season 1: Conquest" storyline, featuring a five‑week faction...

Publisher 505 Games and developer MercurySteam announced that Blades of Fire will launch on Steam on May 14, a year after its Epic Games Store debut. The release coincides with a free Version 2.0 update across all platforms, adding Game Plus, new...

Grasshopper Manufacture’s new hack‑n‑slash *Romeo is a Dead Man* launches with a striking main‑menu that resembles an astral fish tank, where a single disintegrating fish drifts among floating planets and dancing coral. Menu text fragments into pixel‑sized atoms when not...

Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced that Subnautica and its expansion Subnautica: Below Zero will arrive on Nintendo’s Switch 2 on February 17. The titles, originally released on Switch 1 in 2020, have been upgraded to run at 1440p docked and 1080p handheld with a...

Bellring Games announced that its dark‑fantasy PvPvE extraction RPG Mistfall Hunter will launch in July 2026 on Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The PS5 port is being built to ship day‑and‑date with the other platforms. A...

Return to Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle, two iconic 1980s Macintosh platformers, are receiving a definitive‑edition bundle on Steam. The release, overseen by series co‑creator Mark Stephen Pierce’s studio Ludit Holdings, features fully remastered visuals and audio, refined controls,...

Sony announced its Helldivers feature film starring Jason Momoa, slated for a November 10, 2027 premiere. The sci‑fi shooter adaptation will be directed by Justin Lin, the veteran behind the Fast & Furious franchise. The movie follows the launch of Helldivers II in...

Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games unveiled a new "Love Story" trailer for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, timed for Valentine’s Day. The teaser highlights a fresh narrative centered on protagonist Aidan and the Genesis Configuration puzzle box. The game promises...

Microsoft withdrew a DMCA takedown notice it had filed against the voxel sandbox Allumeria, which was accused of using Minecraft gameplay and assets. Valve initially removed Allumeria’s Steam page in response, but restored it after Microsoft’s claim was withdrawn. The...

JabhiM, one of the 48 qualifiers for Capcom Cup 12, released a personal match‑up chart for Terry Bogard ahead of the tournament. The chart highlights Terry’s strong positions against JP, Ken, Marisa, Mai, Elena, C. Viper and A.K.I., while flagging tougher battles...

Stranger Land: The Beginning is an indie, web‑based stealth platformer released by developer AyoXixx using the Phaser framework. Players guide a yellow cubic avatar through neon‑lit futuristic levels, activating portals while evading drones and security systems. The game features a...

Ubisoft has launched the "Eye of the Beast" season for its troubled open‑world pirate title Skull and Bones, introducing a multi‑phase Kraken boss and a new Corvette support vessel. The update also revives the Founding Event to celebrate the game’s...

Riot Games’ new fighting game 2XKO launched in January 2026 and quickly climbed PlayStation’s free‑to‑play download charts, ranking third in the United States and Canada and tenth in Europe. The title outperformed heavyweight titles such as Fortnite, Roblox, Marvel Rivals,...

Japanese indie studio Grasshopper Manufacture announced during a Grasshopper Direct video that it plans to release an unannounced title later in 2026, following the February launch of *ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN*. Founder Goichi Suda emphasized the project is “almost...

Terrinoth: Heroes of Descent marks the first video‑game adaptation of the modern classic board game Descent. The title offers eight distinct adventurers and twenty story‑driven dungeons, with turn‑based combat that stresses positioning, elevation and line of sight. It supports up...

Invincible Vs introduces two new playable Viltrumites, Anissa and Lucan, expanding its roster to four characters from the franchise. Lucan is designed as a grappler with unblockable moves and super‑armor, while Anissa focuses on high‑speed rush‑down and counter‑attack options. The...

Indie studios IronEqual and STRAFTAT have launched a playable demo for VHOLUME, a first‑person parkour adventure inspired by Mirror’s Edge. The demo is now available on Steam for PC, though the full game’s launch date remains unannounced. Set in a...
International esports tournament operator BLAST has renewed its partnership with ASUS Republic of Gamers for the 2026 season of its Counter‑Strike 2 series. Under the agreement, ASUS ROG will provide official monitors, PCs, laptops, keyboards and mice for six BLAST Premier...

Unknown Worlds released a new dev vlog for Subnautica 2 showcasing a dive elevator and confirming that multiplayer will be optional. Every feature has been built with co‑op capability, but no part of the game will require other players. The dive...
Savvy Games Group announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Stockholm‑based visual‑effects studio NMBRS at the D.I.C.E. conference, aiming to boost esports and game development in Saudi Arabia. NMBRS will establish a Riyadh presence, bringing VFX expertise from titles such as...

Besiege, the physics‑based building game, announced its first major expansion, The Broken Beyond, targeting a Q2 2026 release. The expansion transports players to space, featuring a new campaign, specialized propulsion blocks, and a fresh fuel system. It adds orbital gravity mechanics,...

Embark Studios has launched the Shared Watch PvE event in Arc Raiders, running through February 24. Players earn merits and rewards by damaging or destroying the game’s Arc bots, while PvP kills provide no benefits. The update also reintroduces the Cold...

Playsport Games announced it has reclaimed the rights to the 2016 title Motorsport Manager from SEGA and is already rolling out a patch. The update fixes a persistent black‑screen boot issue by moving the game to Unity 5.5.6f1, with a beta...

Developer JSLegendDev rebuilt his Sonic infinite runner using Phaser 4 Release Candidate 5, fixing performance problems that plagued the original version. The step‑by‑step tutorial walks readers through Vite project setup, sprite animation, arcade physics, collision handling, combo scoring, sound integration,...

Supermassive Games announced that its next Dark Pictures entry, Directive 8020, will launch on May 12, 2026. The sci‑fi horror title introduces a "Turning Points" system that lets players rewind pivotal choices, while retaining a traditional Survivor Mode with permanent death. The...

The Khronos Group marked its 25th anniversary by launching a series of celebratory videos that showcase its flagship open standards such as OpenGL, Vulkan, OpenXR, glTF and OpenCL. The consortium, led by President Neil Trevett, highlighted how its member‑driven model has...
![[Industry News] Bastion Brings Exceptional Service, International Reach to North American Games Companies with Launch of Bastion America](/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/Rebekah_Nicodemus_4.jpg)
Bastion, the award‑winning video‑games communications agency, has opened Bastion America, a US‑based arm designed to deliver the same high‑caliber strategic, media and community services to North American developers. The new division is led by Rebekah Nicodemus, a former Amazon Games...

Build A Rocket Boy installed Teramind monitoring software on staff PCs without prior notice, prompting employees to notice slower performance and later sign an updated IT privacy policy. The rollout coincided with executives alleging a coordinated external campaign to sabotage...

Wishful's Planet of Lana II will launch on March 5 2026, with a Steam demo hitting the platform on February 11. The demo showcases the sequel’s expanded hand‑painted visuals, larger puzzles, and new mechanics such as Mui’s ability to control wildlife thralls, including an...

Cygames released a detailed guide for Ilsa, the newest DLC fighter in Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, ahead of her in‑game debut later today. The guide reveals a unique nine‑bullet resource system that fuels her attacks and follow‑ups, with a dedicated reload...