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Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Pete Hines departs Bethesda, citing loss of influence after Microsoft acquisition
Pete Hines, Bethesda’s longtime VP of marketing and public relations, left the studio in 2023 after staying post‑Microsoft’s 2020 acquisition. He said he remained to protect the studio’s efficient development culture but grew powerless as Microsoft restructured the Xbox hierarchy, ultimately exiting after Starfield’s launch.
Also developing:
By the numbers: ElGoat secures $266K seed round
Rockstar Games announced two new hires—a Strategy Research Associate and a Senior Manager—focused on its Creator Platform as development of Grand Theft Auto 6 nears completion. The roles target expertise in user‑generated content ecosystems such as Roblox, Fortnite and Twitch. By building tools that let players design, publish and monetize custom GTA Online experiences, Rockstar aims to turn its live‑service title into a creator‑driven platform. The move signals a strategic pivot toward the same community‑powered model that powers today’s biggest sandbox games.
Hines suggests it became impossible to do his job after the Microsoft acquisition. He was part of the 2023 FTC trial over an email he circulated about Call of Duty getting to remain multiplatform while Bethesda games were made exclusive. https://t.co/Va6rvrrPPe
Bandai Namco released Code Vein 2 patch 1.0.7, delivering extensive performance optimizations that lower processing loads for collision, enemy spawning, partner outfits, and visual effects across all platforms. The update introduces a new difficulty toggle for replay runs, increasing enemy strength while...
Amazon announced that Luna will cease all third‑party storefront integrations, ending individual game purchases and external subscriptions effective April 10, 2026. The move shifts Luna’s focus exclusively to content bundled with Amazon Prime, abandoning the original strategy of competing with...
Roblox announced Roblox Plus, a $4.99‑per‑month subscription that initially offers no Robux but provides a 10% discount on in‑game purchases, increasing to 20% after three months. Additional perks include free private servers, fee‑free Robux transfers, and the ability to trade...
Netflix has integrated three Jackbox titles—Fibbage 4, Quiplash 3 and Drawful 2—into its Party Games collection at no extra charge. The move broadens the streamer’s TV‑based multiplayer offering and underscores its push toward family‑friendly interactive content.
Destructoid outlines a set of graphics and UI tweaks that eliminate stutter and lock Crystallfall at a smooth 60 FPS on a mid‑range PC. The author, using an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, 16 GB DDR5 and an RTX 3060, disables VSync, caps the frame rate,...
The Pirate King Hat is a rare cosmetic item in the open‑world RPG Crimson Desert, obtained by completing the “Beyond The Silent Waves” quest chain in Vellua Village. Players must sail southeast from the village, locate the pirate ship Singing Catfish,...
A YouTube leaker claims Sony will unveil three PlayStation 6 variants – a budget S model, a handheld and a flagship console – each built on AMD’s upcoming Canis or Orion APUs. Estimated retail prices range from $350 for the entry‑level...
Our Lab just posted a new research report from Zimran Ahmed about how the game industry is adapting to AI. He spoke to people at 20 different studios and found a wide range of approaches to adapt (or failures to...
Amazon announced that Luna will no longer allow purchases from EA, Ubisoft, GOG or other third‑party stores, and the Bring Your Own Library feature will be retired on June 3, 2026. Users can stream existing third‑party titles until June 10,...
EA announced the Battlefield 6 1.2.3.0 update for April 14, introducing Operation Augur, the LTV vehicle, and the Ripper 14" weapon. The patch overhauls progression by granting weapon and vehicle XP for active use and increasing overall XP rates. Revive mechanics are rebalanced: defibrillators...
Former Bethesda communications chief Pete Hines says Microsoft’s ownership has made the studio feel inauthentic and stripped him of the authority to safeguard its culture. He retired after feeling powerless to run Bethesda post‑acquisition, citing forced Xbox exclusivity and a...
Xbox Series X / S users now have access to a new Kiln Dynamic Background https://t.co/slkwlSNzwV
Pokémon Champions’ Singles mode pits players in 1‑v‑1 battles where you select three of six Pokémon. The Destructoid guide highlights the top contenders—Hippowdon, Garchomp, Meowscarada, Archaludon, Greninja and Hydreigon—detailing each one's strengths, weaknesses, and optimal item choices. Speed, stall tactics...
Doki Doki Literature Club, the 2017 indie horror game known for its unsettling exploration of mental illness, has been removed from Google Play after nine years on the store. Google cited violations of its terms of service concerning depictions of...
Legendary designer Ron Gilbert’s studio Terrible Toybox is set to release its auto‑scrolling roguelike RPG Death By Scrolling on PS5 on April 16, 2026. The pixel‑art adventure lets players choose from several characters, navigate constantly scrolling levels, and battle Death while collecting gold for...
Scoop: Epic is working on a Disney extraction shooter Ahead of its slated Nov launch, employees say they're worried about Epic's pattern of "Version 0.5" releases -- a challenge they say may have hurt adoption for the Epic Games Store, mobile...
Blizzard announced that season 2 of Overwatch, launching April 14, will integrate key perks directly into the kits of legacy heroes Mercy, Reaper and Pharah. Mercy’s flash‑heal, Reaper’s long‑range volley, and Pharah’s drift boosters become permanent abilities, removing reliance on temporary perks....
Graveyard Keeper is now free on PS4 without a PS Plus subscription, a move by Lazy Bear Games to boost visibility for its upcoming sequel. The sequel, Graveyard Keeper 2, is slated for a PS5 release, though Sony has not disclosed a...
Tyler "Ninja" Blevins announced an indefinite streaming hiatus, citing that the third‑person shooter Arc Raiders has become "unplayable" due to rampant cheating and stream‑sniping. He said he will only consider playing League of Legends or non‑gaming content until the issue is...
EA Sports’ FIFA 26 (FC 26) has rolled out a free Ultimate Team add‑on called Into the Spotlight Evolution, which lets players evolve a chosen card through five distinct upgrade tiers. The evolution imposes strict caps—overall 87, strength 90, and excludes centre‑backs...
Funcom announced that its Dune: Awakening survival game will prioritize PvE after data showed only about 20% of players engaged with PvP. Starting with patch 1.3.20.0, all PvP zones in Hagga Basin will be disabled and separate PvE and PvP...
4A Games is poised to announce the next installment of its post‑apocalyptic Metro franchise, likely during Sony's State of Play event slated for April 16. The new title is expected to feature a darker narrative influenced by the ongoing war...
Titan Hunters is an upcoming indie co‑op tower‑defense game that lets up to four players defend a castle against giant titans. Its visual style and monster design are heavily borrowed from the Attack on Titan manga, complete with exaggerated, comedic...
EA Sports’ FC 26 introduces the Il Capitano Evolution, a paid upgrade path that turns a qualifying centre‑back into a 91‑rated item for 125,000 in‑game coins. The evolution imposes strict caps—overall 89, pace 90, and excludes World Tour Silver Stars—while...
Hoyoverse’s Honkai: Star Rail version 4.2 drops on April 22, 2026, bringing the new Planarcadia storyline and a slate of 3rd‑anniversary celebrations. The patch adds four initial banners—including a Silver Wolf LV 999 banner—followed by a second wave featuring five‑star characters such as Evanescia and Feixiao....
Should be the standard for ALL COSTREAMERS across esports imo Watching the broadcast in full at the very least
A new analysis by Moore's Law is Dead estimates the bill of materials for Sony's upcoming PS6 lineup, putting the Orion home console at roughly $743, the handheld at $494, and a low‑power PS6S variant at $404. After accounting for...
Esoteric Ebb’s creator Ted Litchfield says the game is deliberately crafted so most players only experience about half of its content in a single playthrough. He has written roughly 700,000 words of narrative, expecting a large portion to remain unseen....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
HoYoverse announced Honkai: Star Rail's Version 4.2, slated for April 22, introducing two new 5‑star characters—Silver Wolf and Evanescia—and a transformable weapon. The update continues the Phantasmoon Games storyline and adds Warp Events that bring back six popular characters with buffs. A...
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...
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 Entertainment has announced a new limited-time crossover event that brings Doom: The Dark Ages to Diablo Immortal. https://t.co/J0ccu8Ccf5
