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
Outward 2 Launches in Early Access on July 7
Nine Dots Publishing and Nine Dots Studio announced that Outward 2 will launch in Early Access for PC on July 7, available on Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG. A closed beta begins May 26, giving players a chance to test the sequel’s new systems. The game expands on its predecessor with enhanced character creation, a seasonal world, deeper combat, and cooperative split‑screen play. Developers say the Early Access model will let them refine features based on community feedback.
007 First Light on PS5 Pro: Upgraded PSSR Upscaling Details
PlayStation 5 Pro launches with upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) enabled by default in the new title 007 First Light. The machine‑learning upscaler delivers sharper, more stable images, cutting shimmering, flicker, and graphic noise while preserving fine details like hair and fabric....
Review: Birushana: Winds of Fate Has Healthy Dose of Romance, Comedy, Drama
Birushana: Winds of Fate, a fan‑disc sequel released May 26, 2026, expands the otome classic Rising Flower of Genpei with new romance routes and epilogues. The game assumes players know the original story, offering short recaps and linear continuations for all five...
Xbox Game Pass Titles for the Rest of May Have Been Revealed
Microsoft announced the May 2026 Xbox Game Pass lineup, headlined by the addition of Forza Horizon 6 on May 19. The service will also receive eight new titles between May 20 and May 28, including Remnant II, Winter Burrow, and Crashout Crew, with Final Fantasy VI and Jurassic World Evolution 3 slated for...
Fnatic Buyout Rumours Resurface as Two Football Organisations Reportedly Circle the UK Esports Giant
Fnatic, the UK‑based esports powerhouse, is reportedly in talks with two football clubs—one believed to be German—to sell a minority stake at an asking price near $100 million. The speculation follows earlier 2025 buyout rumors and aligns with a broader trend...
Game Pass Adds Forza Horizon 6, Escape Simulator, Jurassic World Evolution 3, and More in Late May to Early June
Microsoft announced a wave of Game Pass additions slated for late May through early June, featuring high‑profile releases such as Forza Horizon 6, Escape Simulator, and Jurassic World Evolution 3. The rollout also includes indie and family‑friendly titles like Dead Static Drive,...
Square Enix Rolls Out New Development Framework to Speed Up Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Releases
Square Enix disclosed a new internal development framework designed to cut the time between major Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy releases. The move, announced during its latest earnings call, signals a shift toward faster pipelines, multi‑platform launches and a “quality...
Xbox Launches Own Subreddit; Fans Demand Exclusives, Free Multiplayer
XBOX created its own version of a subreddit and people are demanding exclusives and free multiplayer https://t.co/TMjMGcR5nG
Build Games for Reddit with Phaser: Devvit Starter Template
Reddit’s Devvit platform now offers a ready‑to‑use Phaser starter template, letting developers ship HTML5 games directly inside Reddit feeds. The template bundles Phaser, Vite, Hono, and TypeScript, with free Reddit hosting and a single‑command setup. With 500 million monthly users, creators...
The First Descendant 2026 Roadmap: Onslaught, Ultimate Esiemo, Farming Overhaul, and More
Nexon’s live‑service shooter The First Descendant is set for a major overhaul in the first half of 2026, focusing on the core gameplay loop, farming mechanics, and end‑game content. The roadmap introduces the Onslaught mode (beta in February, full release...
Nexon and Tencent Extend Publishing Partnership for Dungeon & Fighter in China
Nexon and Tencent have sealed a ten‑year renewal to publish the PC action RPG Dungeon & Fighter in China, extending a partnership that began with the game’s 2008 launch in the market. Although financial terms were not disclosed, the deal...
Games and Numbers (May 6 - May 19, 2026)
The gaming sector posted multiple blockbuster milestones between May 6‑19, 2026. Arc Raiders topped 16 million copies, adding 4.6 million in Q1, while Subnautica 2 sold 2 million copies within 12 hours of its Early Access launch. Nintendo’s Switch 2 is on track for nearly 20 million units sold...
The Blood of Dawnwalker Reveals New Details on Game-Changing Mechanic and Difficulty Settings
Rebel Wolves revealed new details on its upcoming vampire action‑RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, slated for release on September 3, 2026. The studio introduced a flexible difficulty system that lets players adjust specific sections and opt for stamina‑heavy omnidirectional blocking. A core...
Nexon and Electronic Arts Extend Publishing Partnership for EA FC Franchise in Korea
South Korean game publisher Nexon announced it has renewed its publishing agreement with Electronic Arts for the EA Sports FC franchise in Korea. The long‑term deal will see both companies increase investment to grow the franchise’s fanbase and deliver localized,...
League of Legends Patch 26.11 Preview Intends to Make Engage Supports More Viable
Riot Games’ patch 26.11 preview introduces a reward boost for Void Grubs, aimed at reviving tank and engage supports in League of Legends. The change seeks to give melee supports a viable roaming window after early laning, counterbalancing the current enchanter‑driven...
CI Games and Epic Games Terminate Lords of the Fallen II Publishing Deal
CI Games announced it has terminated its publishing agreement with Epic Games, ending the exclusive PC distribution of Lords of the Fallen II on the Epic Games Store. The deal, signed in June 2024, had granted Epic exclusive rights for the...
Xbox Player Voice Requests Reveal What Fans Want Most From Microsoft
Microsoft’s Xbox Player Voice, a new public feedback portal, has collected nearly 3,000 user requests in its first weeks. The top‑ten suggestions, voted on by the community, prioritize bringing back Xbox exclusives, expanding backward‑compatible titles, and offering free online multiplayer....
Fortnite Returns as Epic‑Apple Court Battle Nears Verdict
Fortnite is back on the Apple App Store as we head into the final battle of Epic v Apple in court. For years, Apple has fragmented iOS features and fees by territory, taking regulatory negotiating positions in secret, and intentionally...
LG UltraGear 25G590B Sets New Standard with World's First Native 1000 Hz Full‑HD Gaming Monitor
LG Electronics introduced the UltraGear 25G590B, the first consumer monitor to deliver a native 1000 Hz refresh rate at Full‑HD resolution. The 24.5‑inch panel is built for FPS titles, promising ultra‑fast visual response and reduced motion blur, a move that could...
Saber Interactive Opens Hydra Live‑Ops Platform to All Developers
Saber Interactive announced that its proprietary Hydra live‑ops platform is now open to any developer. The battle‑tested service, which powers titles with over 30 million registered players, will be offered via a usage‑based pricing model, promising cost‑effective scalability for studios of...
Rovio Entertainment Gears up for an Ambitious New Football Mobile Game as Hunt for General Manager Begins
Rovio Entertainment has opened a General Manager search to lead a new free‑to‑play football mobile title, described as a Tier 1, “extremely high ambition” project. The role is based in the company’s Barcelona studio, where a dedicated team will be assembled...
MAJOR9's 'OUTERPLANE' Marks 3rd Anniversary with Major Update; Pre-Registrations Top 300k
South Korean developer MAJOR9 announced a major update for its strategic isekai RPG OUTERPLANE on its third anniversary. The update, rolling out May 19, adds new allies, real‑time battle modes, PvP Tactics League and Masters League features, plus a revamped...
Original Doom Soundtrack to Be Inducted Into US National Recording Registry
Epic Games has relaunched Fortnite on the Apple App Store globally, except Australia, as it anticipates U.S. courts will compel Apple to reveal its App Store commission structure. The move follows a partial victory in Australia where a court deemed...
Valve Make Adjustments to Steam Tags, and They Settled the Vampire Survivor-Like Argument with Bullet Heaven
Valve announced a sweeping overhaul of Steam's official store tags, adding 17 new tags, removing 28, and updating several others. The changes aim to improve player discovery and power more accurate recommendation algorithms. Notably, the new "Bullet Heaven" tag formalizes...
Sony to No Longer Bring PlayStation Narrative Single-Player Games to PC
Sony confirmed that its narrative single‑player titles will remain PlayStation‑exclusive, ending the recent trend of PC ports. The decision was announced by PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst in a staff town‑hall, following earlier Bloomberg reports. Titles such as The Last...
RDNA 3 Joins the Party: RX 7k Series to Support FSR 4.1
AMD announced that its upcoming RX 7k series, built on the RDNA 3 architecture, will receive FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.1 support starting in July 2026. The update adds INT8 and FP8 precision modes and will initially cover more than 300 games. Previously, FSR 4.1...
Generative AI Is Changing the Game in Video Gaming
Ubisoft revealed its new generative‑AI middleware that powers AI teammates capable of listening and responding in real time. The system relies on small, on‑device language models, advanced prompt optimisation, and low‑latency inference to deliver immersive, context‑aware interactions without heavy cloud...
PlayStation Exclusives Aren't Coming To PC Anymore
Sony announced it will stop bringing its flagship single‑player PlayStation exclusives to PC, a policy shift disclosed by studio head Hermen Hulst at a recent town‑hall. The change follows earlier reports that plans for PC ports of titles such as...
Korea Artificial Intelligence Game Association, 35 Companies Participate in 2026 PlayX4 'Indie Arcade'
The Korea Artificial Intelligence Game Association announced that 35 indie developers will showcase their titles at the "Indie Arcade" hall of the 2026 PlayX4 exhibition. The event runs May 21‑24 at KINTEX in Ilsan, organized into Roguelike & Action, RPG &...
Final Fantasy XI Server Replacements, Story Teased
Square Enix announced that its legacy MMORPG Final Fantasy XI has completed a server migration to virtualized hardware, allowing faster restarts and easier maintenance. Director Yoji Fujito clarified the upgrades are intended to keep the service running rather than to...
Xbox Exec Teases "More Change" Than Ever Before
Xbox executive Guy Richards told the Digital Dragons Conference that the next few years will see more transformation than the past 25 years of the brand. The company has already rebranded to all‑caps XBOX, revived its iconic green imagery, and...
Unreal Engine 5.8 Introduces 60 FPS Lumen Mode for Nintendo Switch 2 Handhelds
Epic Games unveiled a preview of Unreal Engine 5.8 featuring a new medium‑quality Lumen mode that can sustain 60 FPS on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 handheld. The update promises twice‑the‑speed global illumination compared with UE5’s high‑quality Lumen, potentially reshaping how developers...
Epic vs Apple Showdown Looms After Musk‑OpenAI Trial
The Musk v OpenAI jury trial in the court of Judge Gonzales Rogers has now concluded, and the final battle of Epic v Apple is about to begin. Over the next 4 months, each side will file their positions, and then...
Sony Announces PlayStation Plus Price Rises "Due to Ongoing Market Conditions"
Xbox announced two senior hires as part of a broader leadership overhaul. Veteran gaming analyst Matthew Ball joins as chief strategy officer, while former Amazon and Azure AI executive Scott Van Vliet becomes chief technology officer. The moves aim to sharpen Xbox’s strategic...
Sony Announces Price Increases for New 1-Month, 3-Month PlayStation Plus Subscriptions
Sony announced modest price hikes for new PlayStation Plus subscriptions, raising the 1‑month plan to $10.99 (up $1) and the 3‑month plan to $27.99 (up $3). The increase applies only to new subscribers; current members keep existing rates unless they change...
Pushing Builds with Butler Is Now in the Itch App
The itch.io desktop app now embeds Butler, allowing developers to upload builds through a graphical interface instead of a terminal. The new Upload tab on the Builds page lets users select projects, channels, and files, preview changes, and push patches...
DreamHack Atlanta: Southeast's Premier eSports and Gaming Festival
DreamHack Atlanta 2026 turned the Southeast into a premier eSports destination, drawing over 55,000 fans from all 50 states and 60 countries. The three‑day festival featured marquee tournaments—including Intel Extreme Masters Counter‑Strike 2, a Call of Duty League Major, and Tekken 8—distributing...
Fastest Cars in Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 ranks its fastest vehicles with a perfect 10‑speed rating, highlighting three stock cars: the 2017 Koenigsegg Agera RS, the 2020 Koenigsegg Jesko, and the 2021 Hennessey Venom F5. These hypercars command in‑game prices of 2.9‑3.5 million CR, roughly $29,000‑$35,000 USD, reflecting...
Gordy Haab on Scoring Star Wars Jedi and Indiana Jones Games
Composer Gordy Haab, known for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Survivor and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, sat down ahead of the BAFTA Games Awards to discuss the challenges of scoring blockbuster franchises. He argues that modern games demand...
Sony Drops PC Ports for PlayStation Exclusives
PlayStation exclusives aren’t coming to PC anymore. Sony has scrapped plans to launch a PC versions of Ghost of Yōtei and other titles, but online games will still come to multiple platforms following this change in strategy https://t.co/9G8SoK5Kab
Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy Update Arrives This Week
Square Enix will stream the first official Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy update on May 23, 2026, beginning with the final round of a beta‑test tournament followed by a detailed showcase. Producer Naoya Matsumoto will lead the second half, revealing new...
Should Super Smash Bros. Reference Star Fox's Designs From the Super Mario Galaxy Movie or the Upcoming Switch 2 Game?
Nintendo announced a Star Fox remake for the upcoming Switch 2, slated for a June 25, 2026 launch. The game revisits Star Fox 64 with upgraded graphics, expanded story, and a shift to realistic animal‑based character designs. Fans noted the contrast between these new designs and...
Japan's Top Software, Hardware and Publishers for April 2026
April 2026 Japanese game sales data show Nintendo’s continued dominance, with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream leading physical titles at 743,938 units and a ¥6,480 (≈$43) price point. Pokemon Pokopia fell 87% YoY, moving only 105,357 units at ¥8,164 (≈$54). Nintendo’s...
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown 1.7 Update Announced, Patch Notes – Delta Flyer and More
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown will receive its 1.7 update on Nintendo Switch 2 in early June. The headline feature is the free Delta Flyer shuttle, which players can construct in a Level 3 Shuttlebay and use as a combat...
'They're Not Just Filler': Edward Actor Hypes Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's New Story Scenes
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced will launch on July 9 for PS5 with brand‑new story scenes. Actor Matt Ryan returned to voice Edward Kenway, noting his voice has deepened but feels natural. Ryan praised the added scenes for deepening the character and...
Apple Nominates Inkle, Devolver, FuturLab, Toppluva and More in Annual Design Awards
Apple announced the nominees for its annual Apple Design Awards, with winners to be revealed ahead of WWDC starting June 8. The long list spans categories such as Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. Notable...
Rocksteady, Creator of the Batman "Arkham" Series, Co-Developed LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Rocksteady, famed for the Arkham Batman series, is credited as co‑developer on LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, joining TT Games on the new title. The game launches on May 22, 2026 for PlayStation, Xbox and PC, with a...
Next Bexide Mountain Game Is Namco Legendary Mountains
Bexide is set to release *Namco Legendary Mountains*, a physics‑based matching puzzle that blends the simplicity of Suika Game with 3D aiming. The title will debut at Kyoto’s BitSummit PUNCH from May 22‑24, 2026 and ship worldwide on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and...
Neon Inferno's Upcoming "Patch 3" Detailed, Separate Survival Mode Patch Announced
Retroware and Zenovia Interactive announced Patch #3 for Neon Inferno on Switch, delivering visual upgrades such as water splash effects, reflective puddles, and full 3D lighting in the NYPD Safehouse boss room. The update also fixes several gameplay bugs, adds a...
Cyclops Is Finally Cool Thanks to X-Men '97, Cosmic Invasion, and Marvel Rivals
Cyclops finally gets a redemption arc thanks to the animated series *X‑Men ’97*, the new DLC for the beat‑’em‑up *Marvel Cosmic Invasion*, and upcoming appearances in *Marvel Rivals* and the film *Avengers: Doomsday*. The show showcases his tactical power and...