Today's Gaming Pulse
Kingdom Hearts IV drops new trailer, reveals Keyblade‑chain mechanic
Square Enix released a fresh Kingdom Hearts IV trailer that showcases a new Keyblade‑chain mechanic and a fire‑based Keyblade. The teaser places the game in Quadratum, a digital recreation of Tokyo’s Shibuya district, and hints at ties to the abandoned Final Fantasy Versus XIII concepts. The announcement confirms the title’s continued development for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 platform.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Roblox expands AI capabilities with Morpheus acquisition
How Different Types of Technology Have Built the New Casino Floor
Advances in live‑streaming, mobile‑first design, and random number generators have reshaped online casino experiences. High‑resolution 4K cameras, OCR and AR enable seamless live dealer games from providers like Evolution and Playtech. HTML5‑optimized mobile apps, now exceeding 30 in New Jersey, offer intuitive thumb‑friendly interfaces. RNGs from Play’n GO, Hacksaw and Pragmatic Play, verified by third‑party testing, ensure fairness across virtual slots and table games.
Ice Maze: A Free Game That Makes English Learning Fun
Ice Maze is a free, browser‑based puzzle game that teaches English sentence structure through colour‑coded semantics. Developed by James Abela of Garden International School, the game lets students navigate a rabbit through mazes, collecting words to form grammatically correct sentences....
Japan: Nintendo Switch 2 Sells 57K Units and Switch Family Sells 26K Units
Nintendo’s second‑generation console, the Switch 2, topped Japan’s hardware sales for the week of 9‑15 February, moving 57,779 units. The broader Switch family—including OLED, Lite and the original model—added another 26,481 units, bringing total weekly hardware shipments to over 84,000. PlayStation 5 titles...
Pokémon TCG Pocket Is Getting a Paldea-Themed Booster Pack
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will launch a new Paldean‑themed booster pack, “Paldean Wonders,” on February 26, 2026. The set spotlights the Scarlet and Violet starters—Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly—and adds region‑specific cards such as Smoliv, Klawf, Pawmi, and Paldean Wooper. Highlight...
Poppy Playtime Bron's Personality, Appearances, and More
Bron, the red dinosaur mascot introduced by Playtime Co. in 1961, appears in Poppy Playtime Chapters 1 and 2 and is hinted to become the main antagonist in Chapter 3. The character’s personality is defined by a love of puns and a relentless work...
This Surprisingly Popular Steam MMO Is Now on the Epic Games Store, with a Free Starter Pack if You're Quick
Stalcraft X, the blocky post‑apocalypse MMO set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, has arrived on the Epic Games Store as a free‑to‑play title. To celebrate the launch, Epic is offering a limited‑time starter pack that includes weapons, ammo, wearables and...
FANTATALE’s SEA Adaptation Eternal Tower Saga Launches Soon on Mobile and PC with MMORPG Combat and Tower Exploration
TEENY.studio announced that Eternal Tower Saga, the Southeast Asian version of the anime‑style MMORPG FANTATALE, will launch on Android, iOS, and PC across the region. The game combines tower‑exploration combat with housing, guilds, alliances, and a variety of social mini‑games....
Best Overwatch Settings for Optimized PC Performance
The guide outlines optimal Overwatch 2 graphics and performance settings for both high‑end PCs and the Steam Deck handheld. It recommends fullscreen mode, disabling V‑Sync, enabling Nvidia Reflex + Boost, and keeping render scale at 100 % to maximize frame rates while preserving visual clarity....
MOUZ vs The MongolZ Headline Opening BLAST Open Rotterdam Matches
BLAST has released the opening schedule for BLAST Open Rotterdam, kicking off on March 18 and running through March 29. The first eight matches feature MOUZ versus The MongolZ on March 19, alongside matchups such as Team Falcons vs NRG...
Todd Howard Says Bethesda Isn't 'Fully Ignoring' AI
Bethesda game director Todd Howard said the studio is not ignoring AI but is using it only for data‑driven tasks, not for creative content. He described AI as an analytical tool to speed up big‑data and player‑behavior analysis while preserving...
How To Get Pets in Survive The Cold (Roblox)
The guide explains how players can acquire pets in the Roblox survival title Survive the Cold. Pets appear frozen throughout the map and must be taken to a home base and left by a campfire for five minutes to thaw....
Pax Dei's Master Crafting and Crafting XP Will Go Live Tomorrow With Verse 5.1.2
Pax Dei will roll out the Verse 5.1.2 update tomorrow, bringing Master Crafting and a Crafting XP overhaul to live servers. Items crafted with a 95 %+ success rate can now become Master Crafted, gaining permanent power boosts and credit to the maker....
Lost in Genshin Impact's Lore? One Dedicated Traveler Has Mapped It All Out
A Reddit contributor known as Historical-Photo2587 has built an exhaustive Genshin Impact lore map on Mural.co, visualizing the game’s 6,500‑year timeline in bite‑sized segments. The interactive board stitches together story quests, artifact descriptions, weapon lore, TCG cards, enemy backgrounds, and...
Fnatic Issues Statement Following Recent Online Player Abuse
Fnatic issued a public statement reaffirming its zero‑tolerance stance toward online abuse targeting its players, after a spike in personal attacks and death threats. The organization unveiled an action plan that includes reporting threats to authorities and imposing bans on...
League of Legends Americas Cup 2026 Format and Schedule Revealed
Riot Games unveiled the inaugural League of Legends Americas Cup, slated for March 4‑8 in São Paulo. The tournament pits the second‑ and third‑place teams from the LCS Lock‑In and CBLOL Cup in a double‑elimination bracket, with opening best‑of‑three matches followed by...
Valve Steam Deck Mistakes to Avoid for a Simpler, Smoother Setup
Poladr0id’s guide warns Steam Deck owners that over‑customising the handheld can destabilise the system and diminish enjoyment. The author stresses that a few purposeful tweaks—like controller remapping—outperform a clutter of plugins. Cheap accessories such as low‑grade chargers and cases often...
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...
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...
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
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...
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