Today's Gaming Pulse
Kingdom Hearts IV drops new trailer and confirms Switch 2 launch
Square Enix unveiled a fresh Kingdom Hearts IV trailer that highlights the long‑awaited Keyblade‑chain mechanic and a new fire‑based Keyblade. The teaser sets the game in Quadratum, a digital recreation of Tokyo’s Shibuya district, and teases connections to the abandoned Final Fantasy Versus XIII concepts. Release platforms were confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2.
Mattel Announces Mattel Match, a Match-3 Game Starring Childhood Favorite Brands
Mattel, in partnership with Uken Games, has launched Mattel Match, a free‑to‑play match‑3 puzzle game available on iOS and Android. The title incorporates iconic Mattel properties such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher‑Price, and blends classic match‑3 mechanics with modern live‑service features like social leaderboards, battle passes, and seasonal events. Players can collect virtual versions of Mattel toys in in‑game galleries, unlocking new items as they progress. Monetization relies on in‑app purchases and optional battle‑pass subscriptions.
Basketball Classics Now Available for Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch
Basketball Classics, an 8‑bit styled basketball title, has launched on Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at a $9.99 price point with a 10 percent launch discount. The game, originally released on PC in 2018 and fully launched in 2019,...
Hades 2 and Date Everything Lead Gayming Awards 2026 Nominations
The sixth annual Gayming Awards announced their nominees, with Supergiant Games' Hades 2 and Sassy Chap Games' Date Everything each earning three nods across 14 categories. Hades 2 joins five other titles—Ball x Pit, Blue Prince, Ghost of Yōtei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and South...
‘Star Wars’ Launch Marks Fortnite’s Most In-Depth Creator IP Integration Yet
Epic Games announced on March 19 that Fortnite creators now have access to a suite of Disney‑licensed Star Wars assets, including characters, force powers, sound effects, and vehicles such as droid battle tanks. Creators can begin building and testing experiences immediately, but...
PlanetPlay Rallies Games Industry for Global “Battle for the Habitats” Campaign
PlanetPlay has unveiled the "Battle for the Habitats" biodiversity campaign, running from Earth Day (April 22) to World Environment Day (June 5). Partnering with the Rainforest Alliance and Oceana, the initiative targets over 100 PC, console and mobile titles and aims to...
Spirit Spoil malbsMd's Liquid Debut 2-0 in BLAST Rotterdam Opening Round
Spirit defeated Liquid 2‑0 in the BLAST Open Rotterdam opening round, marking the debut of Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa for the Czech squad. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets led Spirit with a 1.99 rating on Mirage and continued his dominance on Ancient. Liquid’s...
Free Play Days Has Five Free Xbox Games to Play This Weekend
Microsoft’s Free Play Days weekend (March 19‑22) makes five titles free to play. Game Pass subscribers can access Totally Reliable Delivery Service and Hell Let Loose, while Sea of Thieves, Trailmakers and Firefighting Simulator: Ignite are free for all Xbox...
Bee Garden Codes March 2026
Pocket Tactics released the latest Bee Garden promotional codes for March 2026, including TRADING, DEVSAREBACK, BEEGARDEN, and RELEASE. Each code grants two daily spins, a luck fountain, and either arcade tickets or a silver charm. The article outlines a three‑step redemption...
The Last Caretaker’s New Major Update, Curiosity Wakes, Adds Sharks with Laser Beams on Their Heads
The Last Caretaker’s third major update, Curiosity Wakes, is now live on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It introduces a space‑contact Council of Humanity, new enemy types such as Ram Sharks, Laser Sharks and ArchAngels, and cooperative tools like...
Unlock Endless Play: Free Guide to Evergreen Games
We've released a FREE whitepaper on evergreen games. These are games built around exceptional replayability with no fixed endpoint. The paper looks at why these games thrive and what developers and publishers need to know about them. https://t.co/LrqktDsvFD
Daybreak and The Heroes Journey Creators Settle Lawsuit, $3.5 Million in Damages Possible if Deal Violated
Daybreak Games settled its lawsuit against the EverQuest emulator The Heroes Journey and its creators, Kristopher Takahashi and Alexander Taylor. The agreement bars the developers from distributing or promoting any EverQuest‑related emulator, with a $3.5 million damages clause if they breach...
LinkedIn Launches New Logic Puzzle Game Patches
LinkedIn has introduced Patches, a spatial‑logic puzzle game launching on March 19 2026. The title builds on the success of Zip and draws inspiration from the Japanese Shikaku puzzle, offering simple mechanics that grow harder throughout the week. LinkedIn Games reports millions...
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...
UGCon Wants to Be the Definitive Conference for User-Generated Content Creators
UGCon is debuting on May 21‑22 at Topgolf Las Vegas, targeting the fast‑growing user‑generated content (UGC) sector in gaming. The conference will spotlight UGC on platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft, emphasizing brand and intellectual property integrations within virtual...
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