Today's Gaming Pulse
Capcom rolls out free demo for blockbuster Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem, which has sold over 7 million copies, now offers a free demo across major platforms. Players can try early chapters on Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2, though progress cannot be transferred to the full game.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Goldenpeak takes majority stake in Ampere Analysis
‘TRANSFORMERS Forged to Fight’ Is Shutting Down (Again) and Leaving Netflix Games
Netflix Games will remove the action‑RPG TRANSFORMERS Forged to Fight on May 8 2026, ending a three‑year licensing agreement that began when Kabam brought the title to the platform in May 2023. The game, originally launched in 2017 and briefly shut down in 2023 before its Netflix revival, will be delisted from both the Netflix app and the iOS/Google Play stores under Netflix’s publisher label. No save‑transfer option has been announced, meaning player progress will be lost once servers shut down. The removal is part of Netflix’s broader effort to clear older mobile titles as it pivots toward newer, high‑profile gaming experiences.
Google Pulls Doki Doki Literature Club From Play Store Over Sensitive Content
Google has removed the popular visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from the Play Store, saying its portrayal of mental‑health issues violates the store’s terms. The game remains available on iOS, consoles and PC, while developer Dan Salvato and publisher...
What Leaked "SteamGPT" Files Could Mean for the PC Gaming Platform's Use of AI
Files labeled “SteamGPT” appeared in the April 7 Steam client update, revealing that Valve is experimenting with generative‑AI tools for internal moderation. Variable names such as “multi‑category inference,” “labeler,” and “evaluation_evidence_log” point to an AI system that could automatically label and...
Fortnite's Coachella Fit Check Comes Equipped with a Fresh Shop Look and a New Katseye Emote
Fortnite’s Coachella weekend update rolls out festival‑themed cosmetics, a new Katseye emote, and a visual shop overhaul that makes items pop out of their price boxes. The Rockin' at Coachella bundle, featuring skins, guitars and a raver‑style wrap, is priced...
Pokémon Champions May Have The Hardest Shiny Hunting In The Series
Pokémon Champions introduces a daily recruitment system where shiny Pokémon can appear, but the odds remain the base 1‑in‑4096 and there are no tools to boost them. Players can preview recruits for free or spend in‑game currency to lock them...
Boss Rush Podcast with Mark DeLoura Live at 9:30 Am PT
Mark DeLoura and I are doing a Boss Rush podcast at 930 am Pacific in 4 minutes here. You can watch on YouTube. https://t.co/iIchQFem7N
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Director Outlines Everything You Should Know Before Diving In
Big Bad Wolf dropped a new trailer for its first‑person horror‑detective title *Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss*, showcasing gameplay and director Tommaso Sergi’s vision. The game centers on occult investigator Noah, using tools like SONAR and a vault to solve underwater mysteries...
Overwatch Director Kills a Tracer Butt Conspiracy 10 Years Later
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan used a March livestream to confirm that Tracer’s victory pose has not been altered since the 2016 patch, debunking a long‑running fan theory that Blizzard had "nerfed" her butt. The original pose change sparked intense...
Phantom Blade Zero Dev Comes Out Against AI Slopface That Could ‘Alter Our Artists’ Original Creative Intent’ After DLSS 5...
Chinese developer S‑Game Studio announced that Phantom Blade Zero will not use AI visual technology that could compromise artistic intent, distancing itself from Nvidia's DLSS 5 controversy. The studio stressed that every asset—from 3D‑scanned characters to blacksmith‑crafted weapons—was created by human...
Sheetz Announces First Gaming Ambassadorz as Part of Games Outreach
Sheetz announced its first Gaming Ambassadorz, a group of creators selected to promote the chain’s new gaming‑specific rewards and social media channels. The initiative builds on last year’s rollout of loyalty perks aimed at the “Sheetz Freakz” gamer community. Ambassadors...
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.2 Update Brings Two New Characters, Free Limited 5-Star Character, 20 Free Pulls, and More on...
HoYoverse will launch Honkai: Star Rail version 4.2, titled “So Laughed the Masses,” on April 23, 2026. The update adds two 5‑star Elation DPS characters—Evanescia and Silver Wolf Lv 999—plus a new Seafeld City map zone and the Lightning Elation Trailblazer buff. A 42‑day 3rd‑anniversary event...
Canceling The Last of Us Online Was the Right Call
Former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer Laura Fryer thinks the decision to cancel The Last of Us Online was the right decision on Naughty Dog's part and greenlighting the project was the "real mistake". https://t.co/PaRSddvmGE
Memento Set to Lead Morocco at Esports Nations Cup 2026
Veteran jungler Lukas “Memento” Persson, 27, has been confirmed as the lead player for Morocco’s League of Legends squad at the 2026 Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh. The appointment signals Morocco’s intent to field a structured national team rather than...
EverQuest Legends Closed Beta Will Begin This Month
EverQuest Legends, a modern reinterpretation of the 1999 classic, announced its closed beta will launch on April 24, 2026. The beta invites players to experience a solo‑friendly version that retains the original art, zones, and spell effects while adding an...
Dead by Daylight Has a Grimoire Site that Lets Fans Vote on New Survivor, Killer, and Chapter Concepts
Dead by Daylight has launched an animated Grimoire website where players can cast a single, irreversible vote on concept art for a new killer, survivor, and chapter. The designs pivot toward a holy‑and‑demonic aesthetic, a departure from the franchise’s usual...
All Pokémon Champions Ranked Tiers
Pokémon Champions introduces a six‑tier ranked system where each tier contains four ranks, requiring three wins per rank to advance. Players need at least 60 wins to reach the top Champion tier, though seasonal resets often force additional matches. Mega...
Inazuma Eleven RE Remake Coming to Switch 2, Not PS4
Level‑5 confirmed that the Inazuma Eleven RE remake will launch on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and PC, while the PlayStation 4 version has been dropped without explanation. The announcement came during the Vision 2026 Craftmanship livestream, which also revealed that Decapolice will follow the same...
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire ‘Meet the Cast’ Trailer
PlaySide Publishing and indie developer Fumi Games have dropped a new “Meet the Cast” trailer for their upcoming noir‑cartoon first‑person shooter MOUSE: P.I. for Hire. The teaser introduces a voice lineup that includes veteran actor Troy Baker as protagonist Jack...
Playtika’s Next Move, The Division Resurgence’s Early Numbers and Game of Thrones’ Next Mobile Title | Week in Views
Playtika has reopened a portfolio‑wide strategic review to boost shareholder value, despite its market cap shrinking to $1.19 billion after a series of costly acquisitions. The company’s SuperPlay studio is the only bright spot, while older titles show declining revenue. Ubisoft’s...
While It Plays Its Roguelike Autobattling Safe, Skull Horde Does Put a Smile on My Flaming Skeleton Head
Skull Horde, the new roguelike autobattler from 8BitSkull, launched today on Steam. Players assume the role of a decapitated necromancer, directing waves of minions while collecting upgrades and navigating increasingly hostile stages. The game fuses Diablo‑style necromancy, Vampire Survivors‑like loot...
Street Fighter's Chun-Li Joins the Roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee with a Unique Moveset Thanks to This Impressive Mod
Modders have introduced Chun‑Li from Street Fighter into the classic Super Smash Bros. Melee via a community‑crafted patch. To fit Melee’s high‑speed meta, her moveset was reworked, turning traditionally defensive tools like the Kikoken into rapid harassment options. The new...
Pearl Abyss Announces What's Next for Crimson Desert, From Player Experience Improvements to New Challenges
Pearl Abyss outlined a slate of post‑launch updates for Crimson Desert, focusing on player‑driven difficulty settings, boss rematches, and expanded character customization. New skills for the Damiane and Oongka classes will bring them in line with the flagship Kliff, while...
I Was Using V-Sync Wrong for Too Long — Then I Made This One Game-Changing Switch
The author discovered that enabling Nvidia's V‑Sync was throttling game performance and switched to Fast Sync, which preserves tear‑free visuals while cutting input lag. Fast Sync renders frames as fast as possible but only displays the most recent one, eliminating...
Pokémon Champions’ First Tournament Confirmed Everyone’s Worst Fear
Pokémon Champions held its inaugural tournament on launch day, April 8, drawing over 500 players and a $500 prize pool. Incineroar dominated the field, appearing on 53.76% of teams and securing the top usage spot, while Sneasler posted a higher win...
Snack World Reloaded Remake Heading to Switch 2, PS5, and PC
Japanese developer Level‑5 announced that its former 3DS title Snack World will return as Snack World Reloaded, a remake for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and PC. The remake builds on the Japan‑only Trejarers update and adds a new mode where the...
‘Crimson Desert’ Is Set to Get Easier with New Update
Pearl Abyss announced a series of updates for the open‑world RPG Crimson Desert that will roll out through June. Players will soon choose from easy, normal or hard difficulty settings, giving newcomers and veterans alike a tailored challenge. The patch...
Amazon Luna Has Stopped Offering Individual Games and Subscriptions From Third-Party Stores
Amazon Luna announced it will no longer sell individual games or third‑party subscriptions through its cloud platform, ending support for EA, Ubisoft and GOG storefronts. The change takes effect on April 10, and users can continue streaming previously linked titles only...
G2 Esports Selects Skin.Club as CS2 Skin Partner
G2 Esports announced a partnership with Skin.Club, making the platform its official Counter‑Strike 2 skin partner. The deal places the Skin.Club logo on G2’s CS2 jerseys and adds joint content and live‑experience initiatives. Skin.Club already works with other CS2 entities such...
Swashbuckling Co-Op Survivor Windrose Sets Sail Into Early Access Next Week, Which Means It's Time to Battle Blackbeard and a...
Windrose, a co‑op pirate survival title from Windrose Crew, is entering early access on April 14, 2024 with publishing support from Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld. The new trailer showcases ship‑to‑ship combat, base‑building, and surreal PvE encounters, including a showdown with...
Blizzard Launches Doom Crossover in Diablo Immortal
Blizzard Entertainment has announced a new limited-time crossover event that brings Doom: The Dark Ages to Diablo Immortal. https://t.co/J0ccu8Ccf5
GTA 6 Probably Won’t Look as Good as the Trailers, Former Dev Admits
A former Rockstar environmental artist revealed that the Grand Theft Auto VI trailers are heavily polished, focusing only on the camera’s view, while the rest of the game world is still at an earlier development stage. He explained that assets outside...
Multi-Million Dollar Blockbusters Miss the Mark: $270M 'Marathon' In Trouble
Bungie’s live‑service shooter Marathon, built on an estimated $250 M USD development budget, is seeing a dramatic 68% drop in Steam concurrent users within a month, falling from a peak of 144,000 to just over 20,000. Revenue estimates suggest the game...
Multi-Million Dollar Blockbusters Miss the Mark: 'Marathon' Faces Crisis
Bungie’s live‑service shooter Marathon, built on a roughly $250 million budget, saw its Steam concurrent users tumble 68% within a month, falling from a peak of 143,621 to just over 20,000. Despite selling 1.2 million copies and generating about $48 million in revenue,...
Why the Exact Same Things Make Starfield Brilliant to Some and Boring to Others
Bethesda’s *Starfield* continues to polarize gamers three years after launch, earning a perfect score on PC but a slightly lower rating on PS5 due to lingering UI and performance quirks. The game’s galaxy‑spanning scale and deep player agency are praised...
Nippon Ichi Titles Are Now Included at Gamemide Steam Key Store in Japan
Nippon Ichi Software has joined the Gamemide digital‑key store, allowing Japanese gamers to buy Steam activation codes for titles such as Disgaea 7, Classic Dungeon X3 and Yomawari 3. Each game is priced between ¥4,378 and ¥7,920 (approximately $29‑$53) and comes with...
Project Hail Mary Goes to Mixed Reality with a New Andy Weir Story
Andy Weir’s sci‑fi bestseller Project Hail Mary is expanding beyond the novel and upcoming Ryan Gosling film with a mixed‑reality experience. The new title, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars, blends augmented and virtual reality to place players inside...
Head Coach Park Jun-Seok: "Our Team Synergy Slipped, There Were Arguments... We're Working Through It"
BNK FEARX dropped a 1‑2 series to Hanwha Life Esports in the opening round of the 2026 LCK regular season. Head coach Park Jun‑seok admitted the team’s once‑solid synergy has deteriorated, leading to internal friction and mis‑steps in crucial moments. Players,...
DecaPolice Platforms Changed to Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam
Level‑5 announced that its crime‑suspense RPG DecaPolice will launch on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, dropping the original Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 targets revealed in 2023. The update was posted on the Vision 2026 website shortly after a brief...
Reviewing the BNK FEARX Match with 'Zeus'
Hanwha Life Esports edged BNK FEARX 2‑1 in the opening round of the 2026 LCK regular season at LoL PARK. Mid laner Choi “Zeus” Woo‑je delivered pivotal plays on Jayce in Game 1 and Gnar in Game 3, shaping the team’s lane dominance. The...
Nintendo Sets July 2 Release for Rhythm Heaven Groove, Likely Final Switch 1 Game
Nintendo confirmed that Rhythm Heaven Groove will launch on July 2 for both the original Switch and Switch 2, priced at $39.99. The announcement signals the end of first‑party releases for the legacy console as Nintendo concentrates on its next‑gen hardware.
'The Series S Version Can't Be Readily Recommended' - Digital Foundry Reviews Crimson Desert On Xbox
Digital Foundry’s technical review finds Crimson Desert on Xbox Series S severely compromised, with ray‑tracing removed, textures cut to PC low settings, and a native 720p resolution that looks like a Switch port. The Series X version performs better, matching the base...
Deja Damnation: A Psychological Horror Visual Novel
Moire X Studio released "Deja Damnation," a psychological‑horror visual novel built on the Phaser HTML5 engine. Players assume the role of a new hire trapped in a looping corporate training simulation, where choices shape a hidden profile of Compliance, Resistance...
Kiln Open Beta Lets You Check Out the Xbox Game Pass Game on Steam Before Launch
Double Fine has opened an open beta for its upcoming multiplayer pottery title Kiln on Steam, allowing PC players to test the game ahead of its official launch. The beta follows a closed Xbox test and runs through April 12,...
Holy Horror Mansion Has a New Gameplay Footage at Level-5 Vision 2026 Craftmanship Stream
Level‑5 released new gameplay footage for Holy Horror Mansion during the 2026 Vision “Craftmanship” stream, marking the first concrete look after multiple presentation delays. The clip showcases town exploration where players hunt a hidden Mononoke, identified by a purple ring...
Inazuma Eleven Re Is Also Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in Addition to PS5, Switch, and Steam
Level‑5 announced Inazuma Eleven Re, a modern remake of its debut soccer RPG, will launch on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, the original Switch, and PC via Steam. The title drops support for PlayStation 4 and will ship later this year with multilingual options...
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Gets PC and PS5 Ports, Late 2026 Release
Level‑5 announced that Professor Layton and the New World of Steam will launch in late 2026 on Nintendo Switch, the upcoming Switch 2, PC via Steam, and PlayStation 5. The title expands the beloved puzzle‑adventure series with a fresh cast of characters set in...
Inazuma Eleven RE and DECAPOLICE Confirm New Release Platforms
Level‑5 used today’s showcase to confirm that both Inazuma Eleven RE and DECAPOLICE remain on track for a 2026 launch. The Inazuma Eleven RE remake will release on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, with the previously planned PS4 version...
Inazuma Eleven: Cross Reveals Summer Launch and Pre-Registration
Level‑5 and its studio Aiming announced that Inazuma Eleven: Cross will launch in June on iOS and Android in Japan, with pre‑registration now open. The title is the newest installment of the long‑running soccer‑anime franchise that blends RPG mechanics with...
Holy Horror Mansion Gets New 2026 Trailer
Level‑5 has dropped a fresh trailer for its upcoming title *Holy Horror Mansion*, a ghost‑craft RPG that mixes horror with a heartfelt family narrative. The teaser showcases a young protagonist discovering a camera, a locked room, and a lingering spirit...
Snack World: Reloaded Announced
Level‑5 announced Snack World: Reloaded, a full‑scale remake of the 2014 title Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold. The game will launch on Windows PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5, though a launch window remains undisclosed. Enhanced graphics...