Today's Gaming Pulse
Valve hikes Steam Deck OLED prices amid component cost surge
Valve announced a price increase for its Steam Deck OLED handheld, pushing the 512 GB model to $789 and the 1 TB version to $949. The company cited rising memory and storage component costs and broader supply‑chain challenges as the reason for the hike.
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By the numbers: Goldenpeak invests majority stake in Ampere Analysis
Nioh 3 – Review In Progress
Nioh 3 expands the series with a Ninja Style Shift that delivers a fast, agile combat alternative alongside the traditional Samurai stance. The game blends tight, skill‑based fighting with a semi‑open world where map discovery unlocks stat boosts, loot, and hidden quests. Exploration is incentivized through tiered rewards and the challenging Crucible zones, which provide high‑risk, high‑reward gear. While the depth of customization is impressive, extensive menu navigation can interrupt the action’s momentum.
Neverness to Everness Gameplay Video Showcases Open-World Action and Anomaly Combat
Perfect World Games released new gameplay footage for Neverness to Everness ahead of its third Closed Beta Test. The 12‑minute video reveals open‑world action RPG elements, including anomaly battles in Hetero City and a variety of civic activities. The third...
KRAFTON Turns BGMI Gameplay Data Into Career Skills in India With New Career Mode Experiment
KRAFTON has launched a new "Career Mode" for Battlegrounds Mobile India that converts in‑game behavior into measurable soft‑skill indicators. The tool analyzes gameplay statistics and scenario‑based responses, then generates a personalized report highlighting traits such as communication, teamwork, and leadership....
NIGHT CROWS Reveals New Cannon Class With Long-Range Combat and Battlefield Control
WEMADE has introduced the Cannon, a new ranged, physical‑damage class for the global version of NIGHT CROWS ahead of its second anniversary. The class emphasizes long‑range suppression, area bombardment, and status‑effect attacks to control large‑scale battles. Its unique Tactical Variation...
Escape From Tarkov Developer Battlestate Games Reveals New Sci-Fi Game COR3
Battlestate Games, the studio behind Escape from Tarkov, released a teaser for its new sci‑fi title COR3. The video depicts a ruined futuristic city, an orbital colony, and an astronaut with a red‑star Bogatyr suit giving a middle‑finger salute. The...
The Original Meets the Parody: Escape From Duckov Secures a Collaboration with Escape From Tarkov
Escape from Duckov, a parody of the hardcore shooter Escape from Tarkov, announced an official collaboration with the original title. Battlestate Games revealed the partnership on X, teasing a joint event with a "Wanna party up?" teaser image. Duckov retains...
Skull & Crossbow
Rafitorcha’s new indie title Skull & Crossbow launches on Itch.io, turning the infamous "Attract Mode" creepypasta into a retro arcade shooter. The game emphasizes precision shooting and strategic movement over speed, using simple WASD/arrow keys and a space‑bar fire mechanic....
Nexon CEO Daehyun Kang Takes Direct Control of MapleStory: Idle RPG After Probability Controversy
Nexon announced that co‑CEO Daehyun Kang will also lead the Maple Division, directly overseeing MapleStory: Idle RPG. The move follows a probability‑error scandal that saw a month‑long stat bug and undisclosed item odds, prompting the company to issue full refunds...
Tekken 8 Season 3 Roadmap Reveals Kunimitsu, Bob, Roger Jr., And More New Characters
Bandai Namco unveiled Tekken 8’s Season 3 roadmap, adding Kunimitsu in late‑spring, Bob in summer, Roger Jr. in autumn, and a mystery character in winter. The schedule spreads new DLC fighters throughout 2026, extending the game’s live‑service lifespan. The announcements arrive as Tekken 8’s...
Netmarble Updates MONGIL: STAR DIVE Website With New Character Details, Expanded Language Support Ahead of Global Launch
Netmarble has refreshed the official MONGIL: STAR DIVE website, adding detailed character profiles, 2D art, 3D models and dual‑language voice clips. The site now supports twelve languages, expanding beyond Korean, English and Japanese to reach a global audience. The update...
Looking Back at Catacomb 3D, the Game that Led to Wolfenstein 3D
John Romero reunited id Software’s founders to revisit Catacomb 3D, the 1991 first‑person adventure that introduced texture‑mapped walls and mouse support. The game was a modest commercial effort—earning only $5,000 from Softdisk—yet its immersive perspective convinced the team to abandon a...
Kaiju No. 8 The Game Marks Half Anniversary With New Chapter, Playable Character, and Major Rewards
Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME marks its six‑month milestone with a half‑anniversary event that adds Main Story Chapter 8 “Plan D,” a new frozen‑Dubai setting, and a five‑star playable character, Over Limit Sagan Shinomiya. The update also launches a daily free‑gacha promotion offering up to 80...
Team Liquid Celebrates 25 Years With Coffee Table Book and Alienware-Backed Documentary
Esports powerhouse Team Liquid marked its 25th anniversary with a three‑part campaign that includes a 247‑page coffee‑table book, a retro‑styled pro‑kit jersey, and an Alienware‑backed documentary titled “Origins: Team Liquid.” The book, titled “Behind the Blue,” showcases never‑seen photos and...
Gen.G Clinches Baron Group Victory as Super Week Decides 2026 LCK Cup Playoff Field
Gen.G secured a 3‑0 sweep over Hanwha Life Esports in the decisive Super Week match, propelling the Baron Group to a 16‑14 overall lead over the Elder Group. The victory locked all five Baron Group teams into the upper playoff...
Why Civilization VII Is the Way It Is, and How Its Devs Plan to Win Critics Back
Firaxis Games announced a spring "Test of Time" update for Civilization VII, addressing player backlash by restoring the option to play a single civilization throughout all three ages and replacing the controversial legacy‑paths with a new Triumph system. The patch...
Here's What Cities: Skylines 2’s New Developer Is Updating First
Paradox handed the Cities: Skylines 2 franchise to Iceflake after parting ways with longtime developer Colossal Order. Iceflake’s first developer diary outlines a patch centered on visual and UI upgrades, including a streamlined onboarding flow, clearer icons, and a new in‑game...
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined Trophies Revealed for PlayStation 5
Square Enix unveiled the full trophy roster for the PlayStation 5 remake of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, featuring a single platinum award titled “Legends of the Forgotten Past” and a sprawling set of hidden bronze trophies. The list reveals more than fifty secret...
The Redesigned Offerwall Monetization Dashboard: What’s New and Next
Tapjoy, now part of Unity, has rebuilt its offerwall publisher dashboard to deliver a unified, data‑rich interface. The redesign adds advanced filtering, dynamic visual reports, and new app‑level metrics such as DAU, DUV, and DUC. A refreshed placement page gives...
NCSOFT Promotes Sunggu Lee to Senior VP as AION 2 Drives Executive Shake-Up
NCSOFT announced a senior‑level reshuffle on Jan. 29, promoting Chief Business Officer Sunggu Lee and COO Koo Hyunbeom to Senior Vice President. The moves are tied to the strong commercial performance of AION 2, which has generated over KRW 100 billion since its...
T1 Faces Dplus KIA in Crucial LCK Cup Super Week BO5
T1 enters a decisive best‑of‑five against Dplus KIA during LCK Cup Super Week, aiming to equalize the Baron Group standings at 14‑14. The Korean powerhouse currently sits 4‑0 in the group, while Dplus KIA is the second opponent in the...
GRAC, KOCCA Sign MOU to Strengthen User Relief for Probabilistic Items
South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAD) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) signed a memorandum of understanding to improve relief for users harmed by probabilistic‑item systems, such as loot boxes. The agreement links GRAD’s Probabilistic Item User...
Guilty Gear -Strive- Nintendo Switch Gets Free DLC With 43 New Character Colors
Arc System Works America released a free downloadable content pack for Guilty Gear –STRIVE– Nintendo Switch Edition, adding 43 new character color options. The Additional Character Color Pack provides Color 16 for 31 of the game’s fighters, except Lucy, and expands...
PUBG Mobile Teams Up With The King of Fighters for Limited-Time Crossover Featuring Iconic Fighters
PUBG Mobile has launched a limited‑time crossover with The King of Fighters, running from Jan. 30 to Mar. 10, 2026. The event adds character outfits, emotes, a companion hawk and themed glider and parachute inspired by Mai Shiranui, Nakoruru and Iori Yagami....
Meet Gertie
In this episode, the host chats with a veteran game designer about his latest project, Coven of the Chicken Foot, which centers on an elderly witch named Gertie and her bond with a monster in a decaying fantasy world. The...
Community Event — TT Winter Olympics 2026
TrueTrophies announced its Winter Olympics 2026 community event, timed with the Milano‑Cortina Games. The competition runs from 10 am UTC on 6 February to 10 am UTC on 23 February 2026 and features nine trophy‑based challenges, including two persistent and several manually‑started tasks. Registration is open immediately, and...
KRAFTON Recruits Ex–LOTTE ON CTO to Drive Company-Wide AI Transformation
KRAFTON has appointed Lim Kyung‑young, former CTO of LOTTE ON, as Vice President and Head of AI Transformation. Lim brings over two decades of experience in IT services and game development, including leading Nexon’s Crazy Arcade BnB M to 10 million users. His recent roles include...
"Oh, This Is Gonna Be Very Different": An Ex-Blizzard Developer's Eye-Opening Year
The episode follows ex-Blizzard veteran Chris Sigaty as he reflects on his transition from leading blockbuster launches at Blizzard to building indie‑style games at Dreamhaven, a studio founded by former Blizzard co‑founder Mike Morhaime. Sigaty discusses the challenges of launching...
Why Reviving the Shuttered Anthem Is Turning Out Tougher than Expected
EA shut down Anthem’s servers in January, making the multiplayer sci‑fi title unplayable. A volunteer group called The Fort’s Forge has reverse‑engineered the game’s network traffic, reproducing the Blaze authentication and BIGS data services in a private‑server demo. Their proof‑of‑concept...
Build a Sokoban Puzzle Game in Phaser
Scott Westover’s new course demonstrates how to build a full-featured Sokoban puzzle game using the Phaser framework and Phaser Editor. Learners create three playable levels, implementing push‑block mechanics, win detection, and smooth scene transitions while mastering reusable prefab structures. The...
PlayStation Gameplay Chart, Week Ending January 25th, 2026
TrueTrophies released its weekly PlayStation Gameplay Chart for the week ending Jan 25 2026, ranking the most‑played titles across PS4 and PS5 based on data from 2.9 million active accounts. Fortnite remains the most‑played game, followed by Roblox and Grand Theft Auto V, while...
PlayStation Game Releases — January 26th to February 1st
Sony’s PlayStation platform will add sixteen new games and bundles between January 26 and February 1, 2026, covering a wide spectrum of genres from 2D action platformers to VR cooking adventures. The slate includes indie titles like Deep Combat and Vironics, a...
Hexstorm: Tears of Arcadia
Hexstorm: Tears of Arcadia blends steampunk visuals with a moving tower‑defense battlefield, placing players on the Arcadia airship to manage an interconnected energy grid. The roguelike structure forces adaptive strategies each mission, while permanent ship upgrades persist across play sessions....
A Krampus Version of Asteroids
Michael Smith released a step‑by‑step tutorial for Crepeoid, a Krampus‑themed Asteroids clone built with Phaser.js. The video walks viewers through gameplay mechanics, event‑driven state management, and object‑oriented code architecture, highlighting Ship and Missile base classes. Development spanned roughly one month,...
PhaserFX
PhaserFX is a lightweight library that adds game‑feel to Phaser 3.60+ projects with a single command, removing the need for hand‑crafted tweens. It delivers high‑performance visual effects—explosions, motion, camera shakes, and ghost trails—through more than two dozen hand‑tuned presets. The package...
Opus + GPT-5.2 Game Build
Ray streamed the creation of a 5v5 multiplayer soccer game from scratch, completing a functional prototype in six hours despite no prior Rust or game‑dev experience. He leveraged a suite of AI agents—Gemini for sprites, Cursor and Droid for feature...
Intro to Phaser with Julien
Julien hosted a Phaser workshop at a time‑themed game jam, demonstrating how to build platformers with advanced time manipulation mechanics. He covered techniques such as slowing, freezing, time travel, gravity‑based zones, movement‑dependent time, looping, and aging puzzles. Julien emphasized Phaser’s...
Finally, a New Controller that Solves the Switch 2's "Flat Joy-Con" Problem
Nyxi has launched the Hyperion 3, the first third‑party controller to attach magnetically to Nintendo's Switch 2, directly addressing the console’s thin Joy‑Con grip complaints. Building on the Hyperion 2, the new model adds ergonomic shaping, Hall‑Effect joysticks and Bluetooth 5.0 while retaining magnetic...
Interview: As Arc Raiders Surges, Nexon CEO Eyes the West (and Is Dreaming of Gaming's "Third Wave")
In this interview, Nexon CEO Junghun Lee discusses the unexpected runaway success of Arc Raiders, which has sold over 12.4 million copies and outperformed the company’s own forecasts. He explains how the game’s social dynamics—teamwork, betrayal, and interpersonal drama—have driven its...
Why Adding Modern Controls to 1996's Tomb Raider Simply Doesn't Work
The 2024 Tomb Racer I‑III Remastered collection updates the 1996 classic’s visuals and adds a modern control option. However, the original’s tank‑style controls and strict grid‑based level design clash with the new scheme, making platforming and puzzle precision feel guesswork. While...
The First New Marathon Game in Decades Will Launch on March 5
Bungie announced that the long‑awaited Marathon revival will launch on March 5 for PS5, Windows and Xbox Series X|S, narrowing the previously vague release window. The game will be sold as a $40 Standard Edition or a $60 Deluxe Edition that adds...
Reports of Ad-Supported Xbox Game Streams Show Microsoft's Lack of Imagination
Microsoft is reportedly testing an ad‑supported tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing non‑subscribers to stream games they already own for limited sessions. The pilot would grant roughly one hour of gameplay per session, funded by short video ads. This approach...
Video Game Layoffs Also Look Like This
The episode examines the granular details of recent mass layoffs in the video game industry, focusing on a July 2, 2025 Microsoft cut that eliminated 4% of its global workforce, including 81 gaming roles in a single building. By analyzing...