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
![[Industry News] Just Add Water Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Industry Veteran Gareth Betts as Senior Producer](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/GBProfile-768x1024.jpg)
[Industry News] Just Add Water Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Industry Veteran Gareth Betts as Senior Producer
Leeds‑based Just Add Water Development has appointed industry veteran Gareth Betts as Senior Producer, effective mid‑April. Betts arrives with more than three decades of experience, most recently a five‑year stint at Bandai Namco overseeing the Dark Pictures Anthology. The hire is positioned to strengthen JAW’s production pipeline as it targets AA‑level projects and new intellectual property. Betts will also mentor emerging talent and guide submissions to the UK Games Fund.
JioBLAST, Esports Foundation Roll Out ‘India Rising: Road to EWC’ Initiative
JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation have signed a strategic agreement to launch India Rising: Road to EWC, a national competition and festival that will serve as a qualifier for the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh. The inaugural edition focuses...
Rovio Set for Restructure After Sega Acquisition Disappoints
Sega’s $775 million acquisition of Rovio has underperformed, with the Japanese firm reporting no economic value created. Rovio’s FY2026 sales fell to €181 million (≈$213 million) and are forecast to dip further to €158 million (≈$186 million) in FY2027. The companies are restructuring, scaling back...
Billie Eilish Just Turned Roblox Into Her Concert Stage
Billie Eilish’s 3D documentary film “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR” was turned into an immersive activation on Roblox’s music hub, The Block, from May 6‑10. The virtual environment recreates her concert stage, allowing fans to explore, role‑play as the...
Sega Confirms It’s Still Working on Its Numerous Reboots of Classic IPs Despite Cancelling Its Super Game
Sega announced that the ambitious Super Game project has been cancelled, but the company reaffirmed that its slated reboots of classic franchises remain on track. The four titles—Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage—are still slated...
HEROIC Bow Out of PGL Astana to Magic
Swedish outfit HEROIC was eliminated from the PGL Astana 2026 tournament after a 2‑1 loss to world‑ranked team magic. The defeat followed earlier setbacks against FURIA and Gentle Mates, eroding the confidence built from a 2‑0 win over Aurora on...
![Dumau: "[ArT]'s Trying to Find a Balance, for What We Like and What He Sees in the Game"](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/Tzvm-cdxkei0V_1jlVLByK.jpg?auto=compress&ixlib=java-2.1.0&m=%2Fm.png&mw=107&mx=20&my=473&q=75&w=800&s=5b2afca10fd7b7c18dcadce1e09b292e)
Dumau: "[ArT]'s Trying to Find a Balance, for What We Like and What He Sees in the Game"
Legacy defeated M80 2‑0 at IEM Atlanta 2026, earning a spot against Astralis and momentum before the IEM Cologne Major. The win follows a mixed 2026 season that saw a top‑eight finish at ESL Pro League but early exits in...
Seeking UNO Partner for Upscale Venice Game Night
I want to partner with @uno on an elevated game night in Los Angeles at a private club in Venice who has the connect?
Sega Has Canceled Development of Its ‘Super Game’, as It Pivots Away From Live Service Games
Sega has scrapped its five‑year "Super Game" project, a ¥100 billion (≈$882 million) initiative aimed at creating a cross‑title, triple‑A live‑service ecosystem. The cancellation was confirmed in the latest earnings slide, as the company shifts resources away from free‑to‑play titles after weak...
PUBG Mobile Scraps “Hand of the Almighty” Item and Issues Public Apology as Muslim Players Voice Discontent
PUBG Mobile removed the newly added “Hand of the Almighty” card after Muslim players protested the name as disrespectful to Islamic beliefs. The item debuted in the v4.4 update, prompting an official apology from Tencent that expressed deep regret and...
How to Get the Cackle Emote in FFXIV
Final Fantasy XIV’s Dawntrail (7.5) expansion introduces the Shantotto Cackle emote, a nostalgic nod to the series’ roots. The emote drops as a random reward from the final Alliance Raid, Windurst: The Third Walk, after players complete the preceding raids and reach...
Pocketpair Trademarks Palworld Online
Pocketpair has filed a trademark for “Palworld Online” in both the United States (April 27) and South Korea (April 24). The move comes as the game, which already offers four‑player co‑op and 32‑player dedicated servers, prepares for its version 1.0 launch later in...
Sega's Rovio Acquisition Becomes Massive Financial Disaster
3 years later, and the Rovio deal turned out to be the expected disaster for Sega. In their financial report from today, Sega mentions Rovio 15x in 62 pages, all in negative context (massive write-downs, losses, restructuring, declining sales etc.):...
Echoes of Aincrad Ultimate Edition Exclusive Sword Art Online Unanswered//Butterfly Anime Teaser Released
Bandai Namco released a fresh teaser for the Unanswered//butterfly anime, an exclusive short that ships only with the Echoes of Aincrad Ultimate Edition. The game is slated for a July 10 launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Fans...
Coffee Talk Tokyo Getting Physical Switch and Switch 2 Release
Chorus Worldwide confirmed that Coffee Talk Tokyo will hit the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2 eShop on May 21 2026, with a physical Game Card version slated for September 4 2026. The physical edition will be sold through retailers such as Amazon, allowing...
Tokyo Game Show 2026 Teaser Video; Giveaway Campaign and First Wave of Influencers Announced
The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association unveiled a teaser video for Tokyo Game Show 2026, marking the event’s 30th anniversary and its first five‑day schedule from September 17‑21 at Makuhari Messe. The visual, created by illustrator Zashikiwarashi, debuted across YouTube, X, Instagram and other...
PATLABOR the Case Files Launches This Summer
Good Smile Company and Chime Corporation announced that PATLABOR the Case Files, a 3D action game based on the classic anime, will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam this summer. The title will support English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional and...
Fire Emblem Shadows New Disciple "Hanya: Noble Royal" / Book 3 Chapters 5 & 6" Launching May 13th, 2026
Fire Emblem Shadows will roll out its next content update on May 13, 2026, adding Book 3 “The Axe’s Heir” and Chapters 5 and 6. The patch also introduces a new recruitable character, Hanya: Noble Royal. The game blends real‑time strategy with social‑deduction...
Visual Novels Shaped Modern Narrative Games, Kojima Confirms
visual novels are the foundation of your favorite narrative games today, always innovating games as a whole. put some respect on the genre. Hideo Kojima said a visual novel inspired him to work in games. Final Fantasy or JRPGS wouldn’t...
From Gamer & Anime Fan to Tournament Veteran
Once upon a time I was a big gamer and anime head. Went to conventions amd played in local fight game tournaments and everything.
Sony Deploys AI Across PlayStation Studios, Showcases AI‑Enhanced Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the rollout of internal AI tools across its first‑party studios, highlighting the Mockingbird system used to remaster Horizon Zero Dawn. Executives say the technology accelerates production while keeping human creativity central, and AI‑driven payment routing has...
Interviewed Pearl Abyss Founder on Next Global Hit
i’m the guy who interviewed Pearl Abyss’ founder in 2022 about how they’re going to make the next massive global hit. who are you?
200 Character Autos Preview Sparks 2026 Excitement
My favorite insert in 2026 is the of /5 autos of every character … here’s a preview to the FP … these autos of all 200 characters in the set to /5 are gonna be fun to chase https://t.co/j4unGOKEFt
Arjan Brussee Launches ‘Immense Engine’, Europe’s First Home‑grown General‑Purpose Game Engine
Guerrilla Games co‑founder Arjan Brussee announced the Immense Engine, a fully European‑hosted, AI‑driven game engine designed as an alternative to Unreal and Unity. The initiative targets developers seeking compliance with EU regulations and reduced reliance on US‑based tools.
Upcoming Release Makes Gaming Drama Seem Trivial
toxic gaming discourse is my hyperbolic time chamber. gaming is just Raditz and Nappa compared to what releases later this week. https://t.co/JWViC0PlrI
How to Get the Slumbering by Blossoms Legendary Outfit in Infinity Nikki
Infinity Nikki’s latest Where All Souls Return (2.5) season introduces Legendary Outfits, with Slumber by Blossoms as the inaugural 5‑star look. Players must progress through chapters 6‑9, unlock Heart of Infinity Grid nodes, and then craft the outfit using a...
Saros Blends Literary Depth with Airtight AAA Gameplay
Saros’s airtight game feel and literary inspirations make it one of the most compelling and replayable AAA games I’ve played in years. https://t.co/Af9anv1NSV
Simple Indie Games Succeed when Execution and Impact Shine
I gave a 10 to a 3-hour indie game with no fail state, only walking and interaction segments with minigames that only require QTE button pushes, and only 4 characters. These can be valid, important games. It all depends on execution...
Discord Nitro Bundles Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition, 50+ Games
Discord and Xbox have launched a joint subscription tier that adds a starter edition of Xbox Game Pass to Discord Nitro. The bundle gives Nitro subscribers access to more than 50 downloadable games and 10 hours of cloud gaming each...
Windows Central Podcast: How Does Windows K2 Impact the Next Xbox?
Microsoft’s gaming division rebranded to Xbox, with a leadership overhaul led by Asha Sharma. The company unveiled Project K2, a Windows 11 overhaul that introduces a WinUI 3 Run box, indefinite update pauses, and a low‑latency profile claimed to speed app launches by...
Architecting Albion Online: How Sandbox Interactive Built a PvP MMO to Scale Across Platforms
Albion Online, launched in 2017, runs on a single Unity project that spans PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and Xbox Series X|S. Sandbox Interactive separates core simulation from Unity rendering, ensuring identical gameplay logic across devices while scaling visual fidelity. An...
“The Smash Community Can’t Govern Itself”: Ultimate TO and Coach L4st Accused of Sexual Assault
Team Liquid coach and prominent Smash figure Ryan “L4st” Krichbaum was banned from Georgia‑based tournaments after three anonymous individuals accused him of rape, emotional abuse, coercion and multiple sexual assaults. Georgia Smash announced an indefinite ban from all regional and...
Tripo 3.1 in ComfyUI: Production-Ready, High-Detail 3D Asset Generation.
ComfyUI now supports Tripo 3.1 through Partner Nodes, enabling high‑detail 3D asset generation within existing workflows. The integration offers high‑density geometry, PBR‑ready materials, and hero‑level quality for close‑up production use. Users can create models from text, images, or multiview inputs and...
Winners and Losers of 7.41c
Valve’s 7.41c patch reins in the high‑tempo “zoo” meta that dominated early 7.41, curbing early‑game pressure from heroes like Lone Druid and Alchemist. The update trims tempo‑boosting mechanics and adjusts key items, shifting power toward slower‑scaling, team‑fight oriented heroes. Spectre...
How Rockstar Squeezed a Whole City Into Your PS2
Rockstar overcame the PlayStation 2’s 32 MB RAM limit by partitioning Liberty City into streaming grid squares, loading assets only when needed. The engine combined level‑of‑detail models, aggressive texture compression, and asynchronous DVD reads to keep performance stable. These innovations enabled GTA III...
Interview: TinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik Talks Past Successes, Lessons Learned, and Future Plans
tinyBuild celebrated its 15th anniversary as CEO Alex Nichiporchik outlined the publisher’s data‑driven, collaborative approach to indie games. He highlighted a core success metric—doubling the investment within the first launch month—and cited the free giveaway of the original *Graveyard Keeper* that...
Arcade Game Lets Players Control Trump Invading Iran
There's a working arcade game at the D.C. War Memorial this week where you play as Trump invading Iran.
Yoshio Sakamoto: Legend Behind Miis, Tomodachi Life,
Created and written by the creator of Miis and Tomodachi Life (and Super Metroid’s director. Yoshio Sakamoto is a legend) https://t.co/tIS5dabSt5
Steam's Most-Wishlisted Game Is Out This Week Following a Year of Corporate Drama that Involved One of the Most Embarrassing...
Subnautica 2, the long‑awaited sequel to the hit survival title, entered early‑access on May 14 after topping Steam wishlists with more than 5 million users. The launch follows a year‑long corporate showdown between publisher Krafton and developer Unknown Worlds, centered on a $250 million...
GeForce NOW Breach Affects Single Country, No Passwords Taken
The breach is limited to GeForce NOW users in just one country, and no passwords were stolen. https://t.co/6CZUppgiu8
Dune: Awakening Announces Server Migrations and List of Servers Closing Later This Month
Funcom announced that Dune: Awakening will undergo server migrations on May 26, closing a set of low‑population worlds and redistributing players to healthier servers. Affected worlds will be flagged in‑game within 24 hours, allowing transfers without a token using new auto‑transfer tools...
Nintendo's Switch 2 Price Jump Hits Shares Like The Wii U Debacle
Nintendo announced a price increase for the Switch 2, sending its shares down 7%, a drop that mirrors the Wii U’s market fallout. The console’s strong 2025 launch is now clouded by rising component costs and a thin 2026 game lineup. Flagship...
Ghost Shooting Redeem Codes and How to Use Them (May 2026)
Ghost Shooting, BitStrong Games' latest action‑shooter, relies on weekly redeem codes to reward players. The article outlines how to claim codes via the in‑game Settings menu and directs users to the game’s Facebook and Discord for the latest offers. As...
Persona 5 Royal Keychains Finally Get to US and Canada Gashapon Machines
Bandai Namco’s Persona 5 Royal rubber mascot keychains are now available in Gashapon machines across the United States and Canada, with the full lineup arriving by the end of May 2026. The capsules feature all playable party members, each paired with their signature...
All Challenges in Everything Is Crab and How to Unlock Them
Everything is Crab features a tiered challenge system that rewards players with unique Darwin evolutions. The guide lists 17 challenges across seven tiers, each requiring higher Pressure levels and completion of prior tier challenges. Unlocking a tier grants a specific...
Watch A Dozen Gamers ‘Raid’ EA To Block Saudi Takeover In Protest Outside The Battlefield Publisher’s Headquarters
A group of gamers and the Players Alliance staged a peaceful demonstration outside Electronic Arts' Redwood City headquarters to protest a pending $55 billion Saudi‑backed buyout. The protest featured a 50‑foot sheet bearing over 70,000 signatures, signs decrying layoffs, microtransactions, and...
What Year Does Mixtape Take Place? A Polygon Investigation
Polygon investigates the ambiguous era of Beethoven & Dinosaur’s indie hit Mixtape. While the soundtrack and a Montell Jordan reference point to 1995, the game mixes ’80s film influences and slang that feels decades early. The article argues the title aims for a...
Game Industry Lobby Group that Argued Against Preservation Efforts From Libraries Is Now Pushing Back on Stop Killing Games, Saying...
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is opposing California's Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921), which Stop Killing Games supports to require developers to notify users of server shutdowns and offer offline versions, patches, or refunds. ESA claims the bill would force...
Roblox's AI Push for Photorealism Meets Developer Resistance
Roblox announced plans to integrate AI tools that can render games in photorealistic style, but many independent developers on the platform are skeptical, saying the aesthetic shift could alienate the core audience. The clash highlights a broader tension between platform‑level...
RuneScape's Dungeoneering Remaster Is Out Today
Jagex launched the Dungeoneering remaster for RuneScape, delivering smoother gameplay, a stronger reward loop, and a visual overhaul of Daemonheim. The update refines core mechanics without altering the skill’s foundation, adding clearer systems, better‑paced content, and new floor‑buffs. Token rewards...