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
Get to Know the Main Characters in Kyoto Xanadu
Nihon Falcom refreshed the official Japanese site for Kyoto Xanadu, adding biographies for four previously unannounced main characters. The new cast—Rei Kamiya, Fuka Rikudo, Kazuki Nakiri, and Sena Nakiri—joins the five characters revealed at the game's initial showcase, expanding the school‑based narrative and labyrinth combat roster. Each character is paired with distinct weapon types and voice actors, underscoring Falcom's focus on personality‑driven RPG design. Kyoto Xanadu remains slated for a Summer 2026 release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
NEW FOR 2026! PG Connects Summit Malmö Tickets Have Gone Live!
PG Connects Summit Malmö launches May 27‑28, 2026 as a two‑day, focused networking event in partnership with MeetToMatch and powered by Xsolla. The summit replaces the traditional conference model, offering private lounge tables, meeting zones, and a blend of matchmaking...
Just when I Thought Android Handhelds Couldn't Get Any Weirder, Here Comes the Pocket Super Knob 5000
GameMT unveiled the Pocket Super Knob 5000, an Android gaming handheld distinguished by a physical knob replacing the traditional second thumbstick. It runs on a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, features a 5‑inch 1080p display, and includes a Hall‑effect thumbstick for...
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Now Available, $5 Upgrade
Nintendo launched Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, offering a $4.99 upgrade for current owners and a full-price digital version at $64.99. The Switch 2 version runs at up to 60 fps and supports 4K resolution when docked, delivering smoother...
KADOKAWA’s Oshi No Ko: Puzzle Star Lets Fans Relive the Anime via Match-3 Puzzles, Arrives on Mobile in Japan This...
Kadokawa announced Oshi no Ko: Puzzle Star, a match‑3 mobile game launching on February 25, 2026 for Android and iOS in Japan. Developed by NHN, the title features the anime’s chief animation director overseeing original skill‑card artwork. Players will solve...
Nemiga Reinstate 1eeR as IGL
Nemiga announced the reinstatement of Aliaksandr “1eeR” Nahorny as its in‑game leader, ending the brief loan of Aleksandr “shalfey” Marenov. The organization cited the lengthy adaptation required for a new captain, opting for the familiar structure 1eeR provides. This marks...
Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Pixel Flow Team at $1B Valuation
Scopely announced a majority‑stake acquisition of Istanbul‑based Loom Games, the studio behind the mobile puzzle title Pixel Flow, at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Pixel Flow, launched in late 2025, has already attracted more than ten million players worldwide. The financial...
Knockout Eggs Guide
Pocket Tactics outlines every purchasable Knockout egg in the Roblox‑based penguin‑flinging game, listing eight variants across four tiers and their ice costs ranging from 75 to 1,850. Each egg unlocks a themed skin, with higher‑tier eggs offering rarer designs. Players...
Rising Graphics Card Prices Have Killed Demand, at Least for One Manufacturer's GPUs
Graphics card prices have surged due to cryptocurrency mining, AI workloads, and a recent DDR5 RAM price explosion, pushing AMD's RX 9070 XT and RX 9060 XT to record highs. Japanese retailer data from GAZ:Log shows those price spikes coincided with rising inventory, indicating...
Scottish Games Industry Releases Manifesto Calling for Government Support Ahead of Parliament Election
Interactive Entertainment Scotland, backed by UKIE and studios nationwide, released a manifesto ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. It outlines three priority areas: a task‑and‑finish policy review, enhanced access to long‑term funding, and expanded talent development through education and...
Brazil Games Set to Bring over 30 Game Studios to GDC 2026
Brazil Games, together with Abragames and ApexBrasil, will bring over 30 studios to GDC 2026, showcasing Brazil as a co‑development hub. The delegation spans development, publishing and production services across PC, console and mobile. A mini‑booth will feature titles such as...
Netflix Shutting Down and Removing Its Hello Kitty Mobile Game
Netflix will remove the mobile rhythm game Hello Kitty and Friends: Happiness Parade on March 17, 2026, with the last playable day on March 16. The title, launched on the platform in November 2022, amassed over one million Android installs....
RaidForm Lets You Plan Formations, Build Defenses, and Enjoy Physics-Driven PvP Battles Unfold, Now Live on Mobile
Gameloops has launched RaidForm, a free‑to‑play round‑based PvP strategy game now on Android and iOS. Players design formations and base defenses within a limited budget, then watch physics‑driven auto‑battles resolve without micromanagement. The title features a diverse unit roster, permanent...
Bethesda Says Starfield's Next Update Will 'Change The Game' But 'It's Not Starfield 2.0'
Bethesda’s Todd Howard announced that the next Starfield update will "change the game" but clarified it is not a full sequel. The team is entering a phase to showcase new, meta‑level features that expand gameplay without overhauling the core experience....
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Orion & Lumen DLC and Update Launch on February 25
Level‑5 announced the February 25 launch of the Orion & Lumen DLC for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, marking the game’s third major update. The new trailer teases a storyline featuring the mysterious Disciples of Orion and the Football Frontier International stage....
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0.1 Available (Patch Notes)
Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons version 3.0.1 on February 18, 2026, targeting both Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Switch. The patch addresses performance slowdowns, item duplication, NPC pathing, and visual glitches introduced with the 3.0 launch. Specific fixes include correcting cloud alignment...
![[Industry News] 400,000 Euros Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Funding 2026](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/260219_gamecity_hamburg_prototype_funding26_en.png)
[Industry News] 400,000 Euros Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Funding 2026
Gamecity Hamburg is allocating €400,000 in non‑repayable prototype funding, with individual grants of up to €80,000 for digital‑game projects. The application window runs from February 23 to March 30, 2026, and targets developers, start‑ups, and SMEs that are based in or relocating...
Avowed's Custom Difficulty Won't Make Its Toughest Achievement Easier
Avowed’s latest Anniversary Update adds a Custom Difficulty option, but it does not soften the game’s hardest setting, Path of the Damned. The toughest achievement, “A Test of Your Reflexes,” still requires completing the story on that difficulty, keeping the...
Xbox Game Pass Adds The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and More
Microsoft’s second February Game Pass wave drops heavyweight RPGs, headlined by The Witcher 3 on February 19 and Kingdom Come II on March 3. The update also adds Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, EA Sports College Football 26, and several indie shooters, expanding the library’s genre diversity....
Todd Howard Claims the ‘Majority’ of Bethesda Are on Elder Scrolls 6, and Don’t Expect ‘Starfield 2.0’ Soon
Todd Howard revealed that the majority of Bethesda Game Studios is currently dedicated to The Elder Scrolls 6, which is nearing a major internal milestone but remains years from launch. He clarified that upcoming Starfield content is an expansion, not a...
Arc Raiders Sees 30% Player Count Drop as Marathon Looms
Arc Raiders, Embark Studios' retro‑futuristic extraction shooter, has seen its Steam concurrent player count tumble from roughly 410,000 in January to about 290,000—a near‑30% drop—while daily active users halved from 3.2 million to 1.6 million across platforms. The decline arrives just weeks...
Destiny 2 Delays Shadow and Order, Promises Tiered Loot for All Raids and Dungeons Alongside Pantheon 2.0
Bungie announced that the upcoming Destiny 2 update Shadow and Order will be postponed to June 9, 2026, three months later than planned. The delay accompanies a major expansion that adds tiered loot to every raid and dungeon, alongside a revamped Pantheon 2.0 raid‑boss...
EFootball 2026 Adds New Show Time Skill in “Attack Trigger” With Varane Arriving as a New Legend Card
KONAMI’s eFootball 2026 update introduces Attack Trigger, a new Show Time skill that raises teammates’ Attacking Awareness when the holder has the ball. The skill does not benefit the holder, only surrounding players, improving run timing and forward positioning. The...
Fans Uncover Strongest Evidence yet that Monster Hunter Wilds Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Datamined files from Monster Hunter Wilds reveal a tutorial image that displays local multiplayer support for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Earlier this year a PC update contained text strings referencing Switch 2 wireless features, which were later removed, adding weight to the...
Starbreeze Revenue Rises 19% to $24.5m in 2025
Starbreeze Entertainment reported a 18.8% rise in 2025 revenue to SEK 221 million ($24.5 million), yet the company posted a larger net loss of SEK 402.7 million ($44.6 million). Quarterly sales slipped 10.7% in Q4, driven by a decline in third‑party publishing and mixed performance of...
Game Pass Adds 5 New Retro Classics for Subscribers on All Tiers
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics update for February 2026 adds five vintage titles – two Infocom Zork adventures and three Atari 2600 games – to the subscription catalog. The new releases are instantly available to all Game Pass tiers in regions...
Vote with Emojis for Cluj's Most Exciting Final
Can't do a poll. Use the corresponding emoticon to represent your opinion on which potential final would offer the most entertment at Cluj ✊ 🥕 Vitality vs Falcons 🥔 Vitality vs MOUZ 🥜 Furia vs MOUZ 🥦 Furia vs Falcons
Here's the Cheapest Way to Get High on Life 2 Right Now, and Score Eight Games in the Process
High on Life 2 refines its predecessor with tighter pacing and a skateboard mechanic, keeping the series' signature talking‑gun humor. The sequel expands weapon personalities while adding skate‑boarding combat tricks, delivering a fresh yet familiar FPS experience. Players can secure...
Tencent's Tiny Wildlight Stake Dwarfed by Massive Cash Flow
Tencent's free cash flow last quarter was US$13B, so the amount they invested in Wildlight is (probably) minuscule for them. They and competitor Netease are in plenty of other deals that are not made public, both in the West...
How Secret Door Created Roguelite Shadowstone From the Roots of Sunderfolk | Interview
Secret Door announced two major updates: a 2.0 overhaul of its co‑op tactical RPG Sunderfolk and a brand‑new solo roguelite titled Shadowstone. Shadowstone emerged from an experimental mode within Sunderfolk, evolving into a standalone title that shares the same universe...
Danger's Backstory Before Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Is Quite Unsettling and Is One of the Reasons Why some Hate Charles...
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls announced three new playable X‑Men—Wolverine, Magik and the obscure character Danger—joining Storm’s Unbreakable squad. Danger’s origin stems from the X‑Mansion’s Danger Room, rebuilt with Shi’ar technology that granted it sentience. Professor Charles Xavier knowingly continued to...
Football Commentator Permits EA to Use an AI Version of His Voice for EA Sports FC
EA Sports FC commentator Guy Mowbray has authorized Electronic Arts to clone his voice using artificial intelligence, allowing the game to generate pronunciations for more than 20,000 footballer names. Mowbray currently records each name several times to capture different emphases,...
Embracing Brutal Difficulty in Modern Horror Platformers
For @RemapRadio, I spoke with Love Eternal designer Toby Alden about making a game with an alienating level of challenge in an era where games are often trying to appeal to wider audiences. Plus, it's a horror platformer. Of course...
Capcom Incorrectly States Street Fighter 6 Year 2 Pass Is 50% Off, but the DLC Is Still Discounted Along with...
Capcom mistakenly promoted the Street Fighter 6 Year 2 Character and Ultimate Passes as 50% off, but the actual discount is only 20%, pricing them at $24 and $40 respectively. The base game is currently 50% off at $20, while Year 1 passes...
Phaser Editor V5 Beta Now Available
Phaser Editor v5 entered beta, delivering a major productivity upgrade for game developers. The new version fully supports Phaser 4—including the updated filters system, Spine runtime, and fresh project templates—while preserving backward compatibility with Phaser 3. A standout feature is AI‑powered development via...
GreedFall: The Dying World Trophies Revealed for PlayStation 5
GreedFall: The Dying World expansion for PS5 unveils a full trophy list, featuring 15 visible awards and more than 30 hidden achievements. The trophies cover a range of actions, from crafting items and disarming traps to mastering skill trees and...
Runestone Expands Partnership With Roman Imperium Cup
Runestone announced an expanded partnership with Portugal’s Counter‑Strike 2 tournament, Roman Imperium Cup, becoming its official data partner for a multi‑event commitment through 2026. The deal gives the Cup access to Runestone’s secure live‑match data infrastructure, integrity monitoring, and fan‑focused analytics...
Outgoing Sucker Punch Boss Hopes Studio Can Make Games in 'Shorter Periods of Time'
Outgoing co‑founder Brian Fleming says Sucker Punch wants to shrink its development cycles from roughly five years to four. The studio’s recent hit, Ghost of Yotei, outperformed its predecessor and won a DICE award, proving the model can still deliver commercial...
ThinkPad X1 Beats Gamer Laptops for Game Development
I have been using a Thinkpad X1 for almost a year, and it hasn't fallen apart yet, unlike the "gamer-class" laptops of the past few years that fall apart hardware-wise, and never even get to a working state software-wise. Though this...
Todd Howard Confirms Elder Scrolls VI Still Years Away
Todd Howard says it's "going to be a while yet" until the release of The Elder Scrolls VI. (Source: Kinda Funny Games Interview) https://t.co/qSeOEFnwNW
AppsFlyer Talks Buyer Signals, Player Targeting and Staying Legally Compliant
At Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, AppsFlyer executives Edik Mitelman and Adam Smart unveiled a data‑collaboration platform that taps consumers' real‑world credit‑card spend to identify high‑value gaming audiences. By partnering with Mastercard and other financial institutions, the firm can segment...
Esports Leagues only Revamp Broadcasts After Talent Complaints
Funny how esports leagues suddenly find the need to take their broadcasts "in a new direction" when talent speaks out about issues.
Marathon Maps Feel Static Despite Promised Dynamic Events
One of my big questions for Marathon is how dynamic and alive each map will feel. In-game events described like this doesn't spur the imagination much https://t.co/nUrm93blOg https://t.co/cqpSGkhwiV
‘Let Us Normalize Delaying Games’: DayZ Creator Says Players ‘Have the Power’ to Tell Platform Holders Delays Are Okay
Dean Hall, creator of DayZ and developer of Icarus, used a Reddit AMA to ask players to stop stigmatizing game release delays. He highlighted the console version of Icarus, pushed back from February 26 to March 26, as a recent example. Hall...
Todd Howard: Leaks Never Damage a Game’s Success
Todd Howard says he doesn't think a leak has ever hurt the success of a game https://t.co/4NImrpYtkl
Kristen Bell Cast as Amy Rose in Sonic 4
Kristen Bell will voice Amy Rose in the Sonic 4 movie, coming next March. https://t.co/xDukyWKKYj
How Transport Fever 3’s Six-Year Development Journey Showcases the Gaming Industry’s Evolution
Urban Games announced Transport Fever 3 in May 2025, marking the third entry in its transport‑simulation franchise after the 2019 release of Transport Fever 2. The title has been in development for six years and will ship with more than 300 vehicles, adding...
Silent Stamina Depletion Removes Player Control Unnoticed
Stamina Bar that silently goes empty so that you cannot dodge/jump/roll at all, and there is no audiovisual feedback about this change of state. (i.e. almost all games with a stamina bar) https://t.co/JFj7VMPgc8
ED Freezes ₹505 Cr Held Abroad In WinZO Money-Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached ₹505 cr (≈$55.7 mn) held in WinZO’s US and Singapore shell accounts as part of a money‑laundering probe. The agency alleges the gaming platform used bots and algorithm‑driven personas to play against real users, inflating revenues...
Tekken 8 Director Explains How to Submit Feedback that They're Checking for on a Daily Basis
Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda announced that the development team now tracks community requests posted with #鉄拳8 or #TEKKEN8 hashtags on a daily basis. The game’s Season 3 Pass will introduce Kunimitsu, Bob, Roger Jr. and an unnamed challenger, while a major balance...