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
The Neon-Noir Aesthetic: How Digital Gaming Reclaims the Visual Language of 90s Casino Cinema
Digital casino platforms are reviving the neon‑noir aesthetic popularized by 1990s films such as *Casino* and *Rounders*. By adopting bold blues, purples, and high‑contrast lighting, games like Evolution Gaming’s Crazy Time create a cinematic atmosphere that feels like stepping onto a movie set. SpinBit Casino amplifies this trend with movie‑poster‑style thumbnails and dynamic shading, turning visual design into a competitive differentiator. The movement extends into emerging VR and AR experiences, promising even more immersive, retro‑futurist casino environments.
Final Fantasy XI Begins Trust Magic System Overhaul in Latest Update
Square Enix’s March update for Final Fantasy XI closes a third server to new characters while launching the first phase of a Trust magic overhaul. The revamp introduces an Alter Ego Points system, rewarding players for completing monthly objectives and...
DEFECT to Be Published by NC America
NCSOFT's western publishing arm NC America will publish emptyvessel's cyber‑punk shooter DEFECT across PC platforms including Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. The title blends cooperative multiplayer with a robust single‑player campaign, a rarity in today's publisher landscape. Emptyvessel, founded...
Book of Scorpio Slot 2026: Gameplay, Bonuses & Tips
Book of Scorpio (2026) is a classic‑style online slot featuring a 5 × 3 reel layout, fixed ten paylines, and a scatter‑triggered free‑spins round. The game leans on medium‑to‑high volatility, offering occasional large payouts when an expanding symbol fills a reel during...
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Early Access ‘Greed & Glory’ Update Now Available
11 bit studios and Digital Sun have rolled out the “Greed & Glory” update for Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault’s Early Access build. The headline addition is the HEX combat path, which curses enemies and spreads delayed damage, and it stacks with existing paths like Thunder....
HABBY’s Latest Casual Roguelite Dicero Soft Launches on Mobile in Select Regions with Dice-Based Combat
Vietnamese studio HABBY, known for Archero and Capybara Go, has soft‑launched its newest casual roguelite, Dicero, on Android and iOS in India and the Philippines. The game centers on dice‑based combat, offering hundreds of skills and gear that evolve each...
Acclaimed RPG Chained Echoes’ Creator Is Suing Its Publisher because Its Physical Edition Still Isn’t Here Two Years Later
The creator of the critically acclaimed RPG *Chained Echoes* announced he is suing publisher First Press Games over the failure to deliver promised physical editions. The 2019 Kickstarter raised €130,409 from over 4,500 backers, and while the digital version launched...
Xbox Summit Skips Live Stream; Team Reports Project Helix Updates
today’s Xbox developer summit keynote won’t be streamed live, but my colleagues will be attending and reporting on the latest Project Helix dev news https://t.co/L7l3PljkPw
Fortnite Will Finally Drop the Paywall for Its Xbox Achievements Next Month
Epic Games will make Fortnite: Save the World free-to-play on Xbox starting April 16, 2026, removing the $18.49 Full Clip Pack paywall that previously blocked access to Xbox achievements. Players can now unlock the full set of Fortnite achievements without...
Crimson Desert Xbox Series X|S and ROG Xbox Ally Specs Revealed
Pearl Abyss unveiled Crimson Desert specifications for Xbox Series X, Series S, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X ahead of its March 19, 2026 launch. The Series X mirrors PS5 performance, offering identical Performance, Balanced and Quality modes, while the Series S provides only Performance or...
A Lego PlayStation Is Reportedly Coming Later This Year
Lego is set to launch a PlayStation‑1 replica in December, priced at $159.99 and comprising 1,911 pieces. The set targets adult collectors, mirroring the company’s recent Atari 2600 and NES console kits. It joins a growing lineup of video‑game‑themed builds,...
Google Unveils New AI Cloud Tools to Support Game Development
Google Cloud unveiled a new AI‑driven game development engine at GDC, integrating Gemini 3 Pro, Flash, Gemini Enterprise and Vertex AI. The platform introduces autonomous AI agents that automate repetitive tasks such as testing, code generation, and asset pipelines, while offering a...
Intel Announces Intel Core Ultra Desktop Gaming Processors
Intel unveiled its Core Ultra 200S Plus series, branding them as the fastest desktop gaming processors to date. The lineup includes the 270K and 250K models, which Intel says deliver up to twice the performance for creator workloads compared with competing...
Elgato Brings Native Voicemod Effects to Wave Link and Stream Deck
Elgato, a Corsair brand, has deepened its partnership with Voicemod by embedding the voice‑changing software directly into its Wave Link and Stream Deck platforms. Streamers can now apply Voicemod’s professional voice effects as VST plugins in Wave Link without launching...
The Download: Pokémon Go to Train World Models, and the US-China Race to Find Aliens
Niantic Spatial, a spin‑out of Pokémon Go creator Niantic, is turning the game’s massive crowdsourced map data into a real‑world model that can ground large language models and give delivery robots centimeter‑level navigation. The firm hopes this will enable autonomous vehicles...
Classic PS1 Shoot ’Em up Sonic Wings Special Is Getting Re-Released on PS5 and Switch 2 This Week
Retro specialist Hamster Corporation is re‑releasing the 1996 PlayStation shooter Sonic Wings Special on modern platforms. The title will launch on PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 on March 12 for $11.99, based on the original PS1 version that was a limited European...
Marathon Update 1.0.0.4: Reduced UESC Health, Increased Supplies, and Thermal Scope Nerfs
Bungie’s first weekly Marathon patch (1.0.0.4) trims UESC enemy health and boss shields, easing ammo pressure while preserving challenge. Supply density rises with more Med Cabinets and Munitions Crates on Perimeter, plus larger Sponsored Kit ammo pools. Thermal scopes receive...
Sega Responds to Concerns After Recording $200 Million Impairment Write-Down for Rovio
Google Cloud unveiled the next phase of its “Living Games” platform, embedding autonomous AI agents into its cloud infrastructure. The suite combines Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini Enterprise, Flash and Vertex AI to automate testing, code writing and asset generation for developers. Demonstrations...
AEW Star Kenny Omega Busts Out Classic Alex Cosplay to Kick Off Capcom Cup 12 Festivities on the Street Fighter...
AEW champion Kenny Omega opened Capcom Cup 12 by stepping onto the Street Fighter 6 stage in a meticulously crafted Alex cosplay, replicating the character’s original Street Fighter 3 outfit. Omega previously performed motion‑capture work for Alex, embedding his own signature move into the...
HLTV Confirmed: FaZe & Liquid Concerns, EPL Recap, and TO Battle
HLTV Confirmed hosted a post‑EPL groups podcast where former pros Spunj, Striker and Professeur dissected the online results and highlighted growing concerns for FaZe and Liquid ahead of the upcoming Major. The discussion covered the latest Inferno map update, the...
Super Meat Boy 3D Will Be an Absurdly Hard Xbox Game Pass Title to Complete
Super Meat Boy 3D is slated for a Q1 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, debuting as a day‑one Xbox Game Pass title. The platformer ramps up difficulty by demanding players finish all ten overworlds without a...
Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii: English Translations of Japanese Games Lose ‘Flavour’ because It’s ‘a Simple Language’
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii told Famitsu that English translations often strip away the nuanced flavour of Japanese games, citing the language’s simplicity as a core issue. He illustrated this with Japanese first‑person pronouns, which convey gender, age and formality,...
Victory Girls: Anime Soccer Challenges You to Build and Lead Your Ultimate Anime Football Club, Arriving on Android and PC...
Game Hollywood Hong Kong Limited announced Victory Girls: Anime Soccer, an anime‑styled soccer manager RPG launching on Android and PC on March 26, 2026, with iOS to follow later. Players will assemble a squad from more than 60 uniquely designed...
How To Launch A Career As A Live Gaming Dealer
The online gaming boom has created a new profession: live gaming dealers who host casino games from broadcast studios for remote players. Dealers combine precise game handling with on‑camera presentation, following strict procedural rules while engaging a digital audience. Training...
![[Industry News] Scopely at 15: Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary and the Power of Play](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/Scopely_Game-Array.png)
[Industry News] Scopely at 15: Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary and the Power of Play
Scopely celebrated its 15‑year anniversary, marking a milestone of more than $15 billion in lifetime revenue and over 150 billion hours of gameplay. The mobile‑gaming firm has expanded from a small Los Angeles office to a global workforce of 3,000+ employees operating...
![[Industry News] Perforce Is Betting on Creators in the Age of AI Execution](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/26818133-1a88-4c0d-93e3-a13a3a3fa4a8-1749140855371.png)
[Industry News] Perforce Is Betting on Creators in the Age of AI Execution
Perforce announced a suite of creator‑focused initiatives at GDC 2026, including a live podcast with Sandfall Interactive co‑founder Tom Guillermin, an open 3‑D art competition, and a partnership with AWS for a Real‑Time Workflow Survey. The company also unveiled new...
Xbox Store Drops UWP; PC Games Now Win32 Only
the same UWP no longer accepted in the Xbox Store, and all Xbox PC games are win32 these days 🙃
Honor of Kings Opens Its Doors in India Bringing the Global MOBA Giant to Mobile Players
Tencent’s Honor of Kings, the world’s biggest mobile MOBA, is now officially available to Indian players on both Android and iOS. The launch follows a global rollout that achieved 50 million downloads and over $100 million in revenue within its first month....
GDC: A Selfie Gold Mine for Attendees
GDC is a selfie gold mine. Thanks to the big crowd of folks who came to GamesBeat Crossfire https://t.co/48YvDKJ7oV
'Stealth Hit' Pokemon Game Sends Nintendo Shares Soaring
Nintendo’s newly released life‑simulation title Pokemon Pokopia sparked a 9% jump in the company’s shares after its March 5 launch on the Switch 2 console. The game earned an 89 Metacritic score, quickly selling out stores worldwide and earning praise for bridging...
Warzone Season 2 Reloaded Patch Notes: REV-46 and M8A1 Nerfs, New Perks, More
Activision’s Warzone Season 2 Reloaded mid‑season patch reshapes the battle‑royale meta with significant weapon tweaks, new perks, and economy adjustments. The REV‑46 SMG and M8A1 AutoStrike‑X8 receive the harshest nerfs, while the MXR‑17, Peacekeeper Mk1, Kogot‑7 and other SMGs see modest buffs....
Raven Software Explains Weapon Skin Removal and Squad Size Limit in Warzone Black Ops Royale
Raven Software clarified why the new Warzone Black Ops Royale mode launches with a single squad size—quads only—and without weapon skins. The studio said the focus is on perfecting core gameplay before adding flexibility or cosmetic features, and that future...
Octopath Traveler Arrangements Break & Boost Volume 3 Is Now Available Digitally, CD Release Set for April
Square Enix has released Octopath Traveler Arrangements Break & Boost Volume 3 as a digital album worldwide on March 11, with a physical CD already available in Japan and a Western launch scheduled for next month. The collection features ten tracks from...
Chrono Trigger Orchestral Concert North America Dates Revealed
Square Enix announced a North American Chrono Trigger Orchestral Concert series slated for October 2026, with performances in New York (Oct 10), Chicago (Oct 14) and Los Angeles (Oct 18). The event mirrors the 30th‑anniversary concert held in Japan earlier this year and will feature...
How to Unlock Swordfish A1 in Black Ops 7 & Warzone
Activision’s Black Ops 7 and Warzone have introduced the Swordfish A1, a four‑round burst marksman rifle with rapid fire and minimal recoil. The weapon is only obtainable by completing all nine challenges in the free Counter Skies event pass during Season 02 Reloaded,...
PS5 Fans Will Learn About Up to 40+ New Games During This Lengthy Livestream
The Future Games Show returns on March 12, 2026 with a 90‑minute Spring Showcase livestream featuring more than 40 upcoming titles across platforms, including several PS5 exclusives. Hosted by actors Devora Wilde and Shai Matheson, the event will highlight games...
AI Maps Lighthouses, Then Turns Them Into Monster‑warding Game
I had Codex create a version of the map of the lighthouses of the Northern seas, including real colors, light patterns & distances But then I had it also create a mode set in a Lovecraftian 1920s where you need to...
Champion Prediction Street Voter Results; Poll: Who Is Going to Win Capcom Cup 12 and How Much Are You Actually...
Capcom Cup 12 is set to launch with a $1 million prize pool and 48 top Street Fighter 6 competitors. The in‑game Champion Prediction Street Voter placed 2G | Blaz at the forefront with 18.5% of votes, followed by Xiaohai and Leshar. For the...
Acclaim Brings The Harlem Globetrotters Back to Gaming with Super Basketball Classics
Acclaim Entertainment announced Super Basketball Classics, a new arcade‑style basketball game that pairs the iconic Harlem Globetrotters license with the retro‑inspired mechanics of its 2020 title Basketball Classics. The sequel upgrades graphics with reflective courts and adds a creation suite,...
Ghost of Yotei Nearly Stole One of Breath of the Wild's Most Distinctive Features
During a GDC talk, Sucker Punch revealed that Ghost of Yotei originally prototyped a full rock‑climbing system inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The team found the mechanic clashed with the game’s design, as unrestricted climbing...
Sega: Cost and Limited Reach Dictate Why Standalone Retro Game Releases Are Unlikely
Sega says it will not release standalone versions of the retro games hidden inside the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series because modern distribution costs are high and the market for individual classic titles is limited. The company embeds titles like Daytona...
Why Did Dispatch's Devs Push Through to Make It Despite Initial Disinterest From Investors? "Arrogance and Stupidity"
AdHoc Studio’s founders Nick Hermand and Dennis Lenart pushed through investor skepticism to launch the narrative‑driven game Dispatch, citing a mix of "arrogance and stupidity" as their motivation. Investors repeatedly labeled single‑player, story‑heavy titles as niche or dead, pointing to...
Update: New Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Characters Potentially Leaked by Retailer
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, the upcoming 4v4 Marvel fighting game, is slated for an August 6, 2026 release on PlayStation 5 and PC. A Bulgarian retailer, Ozone, briefly listed Magneto and Scarlet Witch among the 20‑character launch roster, prompting leak speculation. The retailer...
ESL Pro League S23 Finals Playoff Bracket Set
ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals bracket is set, featuring eight teams that survived the online Swiss stage. The LAN finals will take place at the Annexet in Stockholm from March 13‑15, with Spirit and MOUZ entering from opposite sides...
10 Hacks Every Laptop Gamer Should Know
The article outlines ten practical hacks that let laptop gamers extract desktop‑level performance from portable rigs. It stresses using the proprietary charger, maintaining airflow with a hard surface, and installing games on an SSD to cut load times. Additional tips...
Walmart’s Video Game Clearance Sale Drops Popular Titles for Switch, PS5, and Xbox by up to 50%
Walmart is running a video game clearance sale featuring nearly 100 discounted titles for Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X and accessories. Flagship deals include Stellar Blade for $37 (down 47%), LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for $24.84 (58% off),...
4.1 Honkai: Star Rail Special Program Set, Silver Wolf 4.2 Character Teased
HoYoVerse announced that the Honkai: Star Rail 4.1 Special Program stream will air on March 13, 2026, previewing the second act of the Planarcadia storyline and unveiling the new five‑star Lightning‑damage character Ashveil. The same communication confirmed a revamped five‑star...
How to Get and Use Anti-Virus Packs in Marathon
The Marathon Lockdown event on the Dire Marsh map mandates the use of Anti‑Virus Packs to survive the corrupted field. Players can acquire these packs either by unlocking the MIDA faction and purchasing the upgrade—requiring rank 5, 23 Unstable Lead and...
Indifferent to Low‑quality D1 Bounty Quests
The interesting thing to me is that the quests are shitty D1 bounties AND I DON'T EVEN CARE
Like Pokémon Pokopia? You'll Love Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2, the sequel to Koei Tecmo’s block‑building title, offers a richer sandbox experience that will appeal to fans of the hit game Pokémon Pokopia. While both games task players with rebuilding fragmented worlds, Builders 2 adds a central narrative...