Today's Gaming Pulse
Resident Evil Requiem launches free demo after 7 million copies sold
Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem, which has sold over 7 million copies since its release three months ago, is now offering a free demo on Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2. The demo lets players experience early chapters with protagonist Grace Ashcroft, though progress cannot be transferred to the full game.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Goldenpeak takes majority stake in Ampere Analysis
To Make Video Games for Gen Z, Be Authentic
Sharon Tal Yguado of Astrid Entertainment warned that studios aren’t losing Gen Z—they’re simply engaging with games differently. The younger cohort favors social, sandbox‑style titles like Roblox and Fortnite over high‑priced AAA releases, and they consume gaming content on TikTok and YouTube. Authenticity from creators and influencers now outweighs polished marketing in capturing their attention. Studios that embed community tools and co‑op experiences stand to tap this lucrative, creator‑driven market.
Easy Delivery Co. Coming to PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, iOS, and Android on March 26
Easy Delivery Co., a quiet‑driving indie title from Oro Interactive and Sam C, will debut on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android on March 26. The game originally launched on PC via Steam in September 2025 and has sold over...
Starbreeze Lands New Partner to Adapt Payday Series for Film and TV
Starbreeze Entertainment announced a partnership with VICE Studios to develop film and television adaptations of its Payday franchise. The deal follows an earlier, now‑unclear collaboration with Stockholm Syndrome and retains full IP ownership for Starbreeze. While Payday 3 underperformed, Payday 2 outshone...
Human Fall Flat Is Coming to Switch 2 Today
Human Fall Flat arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 today, priced at $19.99, marking the game’s 10th‑anniversary push onto the new console. Existing Switch owners can upgrade for $4.99, gaining five previously unavailable stages and full access to future updates. The Switch 2...
Assassin's Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji Switch 2 Review - Stunning Views and a Stifled Storyline
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji, the Switch 2 DLC, expands the feudal‑Japan setting onto the island of Awaji. The expansion delivers gorgeous scenery, aggressive combat with both Yasuke and Naoe, and introduces a bo staff weapon. Storywise, it follows...
“A Tale of Two Halves”: The Mobile Mavens Weigh in on GDC 2026
GDC 2026 rebranded as the Festival of Gaming and recorded noticeably lower attendance, a trend linked to heightened U.S. political tensions and travel restrictions stemming from conflicts in Iran and the broader Middle East. The Expo floor contracted, leading many...
Kena: Bridge of Spirits for Switch 2 Launches March 26
Ember Lab announced that the Switch 2 version of Kena: Bridge of Spirits will launch on March 26, with pre‑orders now live via the Nintendo eShop. The port bundles the Anniversary DLC, adds accessibility features, and introduces a New Game+ mode featuring...
Embers Adrift Servers Are Back Up After Outage and Server Migration
Embers Adrift’s servers were down Tuesday after a catastrophic hardware failure, prompting the team to accelerate a planned migration. A brief 15‑minute rollback restored service, though activity between 3:00‑3:15 PM Central was lost. Players now need a small Steam patch to...
Shenmue 3 Enhanced Gets Its First Trailer and Collector’s Edition Information
The first trailer for Shenmue 3 Enhanced has dropped, confirming a Q4 2026 launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. A physical Switch 2 cartridge will ship alongside three editions – Standard, Special and a fully loaded Collector’s Edition. The Enhanced version adds...
Ubisoft ‘Ends Game Development’ at Tom Clancy Studio, Red Storm, Resulting in 105 Job Losses
Ubisoft announced it will cease all game development at its historic Tom Clancy studio Red Storm Entertainment, eliminating 105 development positions. The North Carolina studio will remain operational only for global IT services and Snowdrop engine support. Red Storm, once the birthplace of...
I Prefer Ninja Gaiden‑style Combat Over Crimson Desert
since i don’t like crimson desert’s combat feel, people are asking what combat feel i enjoy and ninja gaiden 4 last year is a great example. classic platinum games in general. “Here comes the feeling”
'Text Is Evil:' How Making Peak Changed Indie Studio Aggro Crab
Indie co‑op Peak, built in roughly four weeks of intensive iteration, sold millions of copies and generated over $2 million in revenue on a sub‑$200k budget. Studio head Nick Kaman said the project forced Aggro Crab to rethink its development culture, adopting...
Anbernic's New PlayStation Vita Clone Is Launching Later This Month for Under $100, but There's a Catch
Anbernic is launching two Android handhelds, the RG Vita and RG Vita Pro, that mimic the classic PlayStation Vita form factor. Pre‑orders begin March 23 at $99.99 for the base model and $139.99 for the Pro, with a $10 price hike after...
New Xbox Sale Has 6 Games with Busted Achievements, Including Multiple Games From Same Publisher
The latest Xbox sale includes six titles with broken or discontinued achievement lists, preventing players from earning full Gamerscore. Three of the affected games—7Day Heroes, Agarta, and Shadow of the Orient—are from Dolores Entertainment, a publisher with a history of...
BlizzCon 2026 to Host Five Major Esports Tournaments: WoW, Overwatch and a $100k Classic Cup Confirmed
Blizzard announced that BlizzCon 2026 will host five major esports tournaments, featuring the Overwatch World Cup, two World of Warcraft events with a combined $600,000 prize pool, and a $100,000 Blizzard Classic Cup spanning Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft titles,...
Newzoo Forecasts PC Game Revenue to Surpass Consoles by 2028
Analytics firm Newzoo says PC game revenue will grow 6.6% annually through 2028, outpacing console software at 4.4% and pushing total market size to $103.7 billion. The shift is anchored by a booming mid‑price segment and expanding player bases in East...
Maingear Drops 30 Systems as Limited Edition Crimson Desert Gaming PC
Maingear announced a Rush Crimson Desert Limited Edition gaming PC, a hand‑built collector’s machine tied to the launch of Pearl Abyss’s open‑world title Crimson Desert. Only 30 units will be produced, with orders closing on April 2 or when the final...
Sony Is Quietly Shutting Down One of the Two PlayStation VR2 Exclusives It Published
Sony announced that its PlayStation VR2 exclusive Firewall Ultra will cease online services on September 17, 2026, effectively ending the game’s playability. The shutdown was communicated by updating the original launch‑day blog post rather than issuing a fresh announcement. Firewall Ultra, released in August 2023, was...
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers Can Claim 8 Brand-New Fortnite Rewards Today
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can now claim eight brand‑new Fortnite rewards tied to the Showdown: Chapter 7 – Season 2 Battle Pass, available through June 5 2026. The loot includes two Foundation outfits (standard and Lego style), two Ice King outfits, a back...
Tripo AI Unveils Quiet 3D Revolution at GDC
AI 3D generation just had a watershed moment at #GDC2026. While the show floor was packed with hype, the real revolution was quietly running live at the @Tripoai booth. Here’s what most ppl missed 🧵 ↓ https://t.co/eIYhMvWjlG
Values Value and InGame Job Launch 10th Annual Survey Tracking Global Games Industry Employment
Values Value and InGame Job have released the 10th edition of the Big Games Industry Employment Survey, tracking global labour‑market trends in game development. The study, backed by partners such as Mellow, Scorewarrior, Tribe and major industry bodies, gathers responses...
Be a Lucky Block Codes March 2026
Pocket Tactics released the latest Be a Lucky Block code, "RELEASE," which awards players the Brr Brr Patapim item. The guide walks users through the six‑step redemption process within the Roblox game, emphasizing that codes can offset the heavy reliance...
![[Industry News] Sustainable Games Alliance Drives Game Engine Energy Efficiency with New Power-Saving Plugins](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/123e.png)
[Industry News] Sustainable Games Alliance Drives Game Engine Energy Efficiency with New Power-Saving Plugins
The Sustainable Games Alliance released three power‑saving plugins for Unreal, Unity and Godot, extending its Sustainable Games Standard initiative. The plugins dynamically lower frame rate and resolution during idle periods, promising up to 15% longer battery life on handheld devices,...
King’s Farm Heroes Saga Officially Hits $2 Billion
King’s Farm Heroes Saga has officially crossed the $2 billion lifetime revenue threshold, doubling the $1 billion milestone announced in 2019. Launched in 2014, the match‑3 title now boasts roughly 50 million global players and continues to receive regular content updates. The achievement...
Afrime Studios Enters Seed Round After Raising $400,000 to Build Afrofuturistic RPG Unyverse
Afrime Studios, a majority Black‑owned US game developer, has closed an angel round of roughly $400,000 and is now moving into a seed funding phase. The studio is building a public demo of its debut Afrofuturistic sci‑fi RPG, Unyverse, to...
Playstack Profit Jumps 59% as Balatro and Abiotic Factor Drive Record Sales
Playstack reported a 59% jump in profit before tax for 2025, reaching £12.2 million ($16.2 m), driven by record sales of the titles Abiotic Factor and Balatro. The publisher logged 20 million new installs and more than 150 million hours played, pushing its Steam...
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Pushes for New Features After Quick Update Turnaround
Xbox announced a system update that lets Insiders disable Quick Resume and customize the console UI. New CEO Asha Sharma highlighted the rollout as an early win, noting the features were developed in just two weeks. She urged fans to...
Blox Fruits Gas Guide
The Blox Fruits Gas fruit, a mythical tier item, launched in December 2024. It costs 3.2 million beli (about $30) making it the priciest elemental fruit in the game. Gas grants a passive gas meter, 45% damage reduction, and elemental immunity, while...
Develop:Brighton – First Speakers Announced
Develop:Brighton, a leading UK game development conference, has released its first batch of confirmed speakers across business, discoverability, indie, audio, art, coding, design, mobile, and performance tracks. The lineup features industry veterans from EA, PlayStation Studios, Epic Games, and independent...
Activist's Absurd $0.99 Mario Jump Demand Resurfaces
In 2014, the same activist urged Nintendo to "Just think of paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher." This ridiculous nonsense is still online: https://t.co/KzZa7miCN0 So we're in for a treat.
How to Seize the $50bn China Opportunity
Western mobile game makers see China as a $50 bn opportunity with roughly 700 m players. Regulatory approval, limited ISBN licenses and a fragmented Android ecosystem raise entry costs. Success stories such as Nexon’s Dungeon & Fighter Mobile illustrate upside, yet discoverability...
![[Industry News] PlanetPlay, Rainforest Alliance & Oceana Rally the Games Industry to ‘Battle for the Habitats’](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/Battle-for-the-Habitats_Final.jpg)
[Industry News] PlanetPlay, Rainforest Alliance & Oceana Rally the Games Industry to ‘Battle for the Habitats’
PlanetPlay has launched ‘Battle for the Habitats’, a two‑month biodiversity campaign running from Earth Day (April 22) to World Environment Day (June 5). The initiative unites more than 100 PC, console and mobile games, streamers and platforms to raise $1 million for the...
Fortnite Returns to Google Play Store Worldwide
Epic Games announced that Fortnite is now available again on the Google Play Store worldwide. The relaunch follows a settlement that resolved Epic’s antitrust lawsuit against Google over app‑store fees. The return coincides with the launch of the latest Battle...
Counter-Strike 2 Reloads Will Now Discard Any Ammo In The Mag
Valve’s latest Counter‑Strike 2 update overhauls reloading, causing any remaining bullets in a magazine to be discarded into an effectively infinite reserve. The change forces players to consider the timing of reloads, as premature reloads now waste ammo that could have...
Pearl Abyss Shares Plunge Nearly 30% Amid Investor Discontent
Apparently not good enough for investors. Stock price for publisher Pearl Abyss in Korea (where it is Thursday afternoon) currently -29.88%.
Street Fighter 6's Incestuous New Storyline Divides Opinion
Capcom’s latest fighting title, Street Fighter 6, introduces a controversial plot twist in which Alex, a legacy character from Street Fighter 3, is depicted as married to Patricia, the daughter of his adoptive father Tom. The storyline suggests a familial relationship that...
DLSS 5 Goes Mainstream, Even Non‑Techies Notice
the DLSS 5 news and memes have truly made it to the mainstream. I've even had non-techie people ask me about it
Mega Man Blasts Onto PS5, PS4's Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds with DLC Launch Next Week
Sega announced the next premium DLC for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, featuring Capcom’s Mega Man. The Mega Man pack, releasing on 25 March 2026, adds Mega Man and Proto Man with a Rush Roadstar kart. It also introduces a new Dr. Wily’s Castle track. Future DLCs will bring...
How To Sneak Into The Naut Library With Alvida In GreedFall 2: The Dying World
GreedFall: The Dying World’s final Alvida quest, “The Lifting of the Veil,” lets players uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. The guide advises framing the ambassador’s inquiry as a “close friend” matter to maximize Alvida approval, and recommends deliberately...
Zero Hand‑Holding Makes Crimson Desert Feel Like Classic CRPG
i am a journalist who’s covered crime and military and education and politics and the zero hand holding is the best part about crimson desert. it does feel like a classic CRPG realized in a dynamic and well animated massive...
Loose Combat Style Works for Move‑stacking Fans
good clip. this isn’t my kinda combat but it can work for others. again, you can tell how loose it feels. not a fan but if you love stacking moves regardless of feel, you’ll enjoy it
Take‑Two CEO Strauss Zelnick Calls AI‑Generated GTA‑6 Hype "Laughable" Amid Industry AI Surge
Take‑Two Interactive chief executive Strauss Zelnick told The Game Business that generative AI tools are useful for assets but cannot produce hits like Grand Theft Auto VI, labeling the idea of AI‑driven blockbusters "laughable." His comments arrive as AI demos from...
Choosing a Second Life Account over NSF Extension
We could have had a few more years of the NSF, but we decided Creepy Mark needed a Second Life account... https://t.co/ZCYreLM6q8
Update: Street Fighter 6 May Have Actually Broken Its Launch Player Count Record After All
Street Fighter 6 has reportedly reached a new all‑time high of 72,067 concurrent PC players, surpassing its launch record of 70,540. The surge followed a major post‑Capcom Cup 12 update that added the character Alex and a balance patch, prompting a wave of...
Choosing Quality Play Over Rushed Deadlines
i do agree that playing crimson desert on deadline felt miserable. it’s why i stopped. sorry i didn’t make embargo but id rather just sit with a game than rush through it, especially since i have a lot of other...
AI Will Generate Full Video Games on Laptops Soon
I just got a stealth demo of a world model that builds video games that blew me away at GTC from @overworld_ai, a small startup. Coming over the next few weeks. Small models are about to generate full video games...
Crimson Desert Reviews Overlook PS5, Xbox Version Performance
Red Dead‑style open‑world *Crimson Desert* launched on March 19, but all 51 Metacritic reviews were based on the Windows PC version because Polygon and most outlets never received console builds before release. Pearl Abyss delayed console code distribution, a rarity for major...
Stunning Exploration, But Combat Feels Outdated and Flimsy
No Crimson Desert review from me yet. exploration is incredible BUT … i dislike the combat quite a bit. it’s not bad. but it plays like the Assassins Creed RPG era of slashing a guy 5-6 times before doing a...
Holding Judgment on Crimson Desert, Seeing Starfield Parallels
this is exactly why i’m holding off any final judgment on crimson desert. actually reminds me a lot of starfield. which means i could love it anyway. but others won’t.
Tomb Raider Studio Faces Fourth Round Of Layoffs In Just 12 Months
Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind Tomb Raider, announced a fourth round of layoffs, cutting 20 employees and bringing total reductions to over 70 staff in the past year. The cuts affect development and central operations roles amid ongoing restructuring at...