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
Valve's Steam Controller Reservation System May Give You Steam Deck Flashbacks
Valve is launching a reservation queue for the Steam Controller on May 8 at 6 pm UK time, letting existing Steam users sign up to buy the device as stock arrives. The system mirrors the 2022 Steam Deck launch, offering a first‑come‑first‑served model with a 72‑hour purchase window to curb reseller scalping. Officially priced at £89, the controller is fetching over £200 on secondary markets, prompting Valve to stagger fulfillment by region, starting with the US and Canada. The move also hints at a larger hardware push, as Valve recently imported up to 20,000 Steam Machine units for a future release.
Game Pass Platformer Replaced Sees Progression & Chapter Select Fixes In New Xbox Update
Sad Cat Studios rolled out a new Xbox Series X|S update for its Game Pass platformer Replaced, targeting long‑standing progression blockers. The patch also corrects the Chapter Select function so unlocked chapters persist after returning to the main menu. A prior...
Overwatch's Junkrat's Loot Hunt Event Is Back This Weekend, and I Can't Wait to Get Trash From My Loot Boxes
Blizzard is re‑launching the Junkrat Loot Hunt event in Overwatch from April 8 to April 12, coinciding with a double‑XP weekend. Players earn points for daily matches, with wins counting double, and can unlock up to nine standard loot boxes as they...
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Rallies Staff with Four‑point Plan and AI Pullback
Xbox chief Asha Sharma addressed hundreds of employees in a Thursday all‑hands, unveiling a four‑point action plan, committing to biweekly console updates, and announcing the winding down of Microsoft Copilot on consoles and mobile. The rally also marked a rebranding...
Battle of Polytopia World Championship Returns with $10,000 Prize Pool
The Battle of Polytopia World Championship is back for 2026, offering a $10,000 prize pool. Qualifiers begin on May 11, giving players a free path to the eight‑player final in October. The revival signals renewed investment in mobile esports.
Take‑Two CEO Says GTA 6 Delay Aims to Prevent Crunch, Stresses Sustainable Development
Take‑Two Interactive chief Strauss Zelnick told Business Insider the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed to avoid crunch, likening development to doing homework rather than pulling all‑nighters. The comment offers rare executive insight into labor practices at a studio...
Angry Birds 2 Collabs with Subway Surfers to Bring in Themed Events and Characters Across Both Games Starting May 11,...
Rovio and SYBO have announced a crossover between Angry Birds 2 and Subway Surfers that will roll out on May 11, 2026. The partnership introduces Angry Birds characters Red and Chuck into Subway Surfers, along with new outfits, hoverboards and themed collectibles. In...
Desktop Heroes: Shipping an Idle RPG on Steam with Phaser and Electron
Desktop Heroes, an idle RPG released on Steam in October 2025, lives at the bottom of the screen using Phaser and Electron. The three‑person Telazer Games studio leveraged its web‑game expertise to ship a $3.99 title that runs persistently above the...
Genshin Impact Version Luna VII Update ‘Song of the Welkin Moon: Andante – Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana’ Launches...
miHoYo announced that Genshin Impact’s Version Luna VII launches on May 20, bringing a new Archon Quest that thrusts Sumeru into turmoil while Nahida lies in a mysterious slumber. The update introduces three playable characters—5‑star Pyro mage Nicole Reeyn, 5‑star...
Popular Gacha Game Faces Backlash After Disappearing for 2 Months and Censoring Characters
After a 66‑day offline period announced on March 2, 2026, Amazing Seasun Games relaunched its anime‑styled gacha shooter Snowbreak: Containment Zone on May 8, 2026. Players immediately noticed that many female characters’ outfits and animations had been heavily censored, stripping the game...
Arc Raiders Studio Confirms AI Anti-Cheat Is Tracking Player Behavior
Embark Studios released an AI‑driven anti‑cheat system for its multiplayer title Arc Raiders. The solution combines kernel‑level telemetry with machine‑learning models to detect abnormal player behavior, while a human team reviews every ban appeal. It also trains models to distinguish...
A New Borderlands 4 Update Brings Massive Weapon Buffs as Gearbox Readies Its Second Raid Boss
Gearbox released a major Borderlands 4 patch that dramatically boosts damage for under‑performing weapons and improves legendary shield capacity. Key weapon categories see double‑digit increases—Daedalus SMGs +17%, Maliwan SMGs +15%, Tediore pistols +20%—while Order‑manufactured arms recharge 33% faster. The update also...
Why New York City Is Betting Big on Games with Its Second Annual Video Game Festival
The second annual NYC Video Game Festival returns on May 9 at Convene Brookfield Place, expanding from its inaugural run that drew 1,500 visitors. Organizers project foot traffic of up to 2,000 and have introduced a $10 general‑admission fee, with proceeds...
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Revealed to Arrive This "Summer"
Cold Iron Studios announced Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, slated for release this summer 2026. The sequel moves from three‑person squads to four, adds a fully customizable Specialist class, more xenomorph variants, and a dedicated horde mode. Daybreak Game Company replaces...
Free Update Brings Nine New Achievements to Game Pass Title Aerial Knight's DropShot
A free "With a Vengeance" DLC for Aerial_Knight's DropShot adds nine new achievements, including eight requiring S‑rank or higher in the new Rush Mode and a "Ladies First" challenge that demands full ammo after eliminating all NPCs. The update also...
Exeggcute | Pokémon Guide
The PocketTactics guide delivers a full rundown of Pokémon Exeggcute, covering its evolution into Exeggutor via Leaf Stone, regional Alolan variant, and detailed location lists spanning all nine generations. It also outlines base stats, type match‑ups, movesets—including level‑up, TM, and...
Electrode | Pokémon Guide
Pocket Tactics’ Electrode guide breaks down the Pokémon’s evolution, stats, and move pools across all game generations. It details the Kantonian pure‑Electric form and the Hisuian Electric/Grass variant, including abilities, hidden ability, and EV yield. The article lists every in‑game...
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Still Looks Set for 2026 Release
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis remains on track for a 2026 launch, as Electric Square’s LinkedIn post reaffirmed the original window announced at The Game Awards 2025. Earlier speculation of a February 2027 release has been dismissed. The title will...
Hololive Indie Action-Adventure Game An Automaton's Journey Releases for PC via Steam on June 4
Hololive’s indie label, CCMC Corporation, announced the Steam launch of Xyros Games’ action‑adventure title An Automaton's Journey on June 4. Players control Hololive English –Justice– Vtuber Cecilia Immergreen in a 2D Zelda‑style open world featuring eight dungeons and a cast of...
All Genshin Impact 6.6 Livestream Codes
miHoYo released the Genshin Impact 6.6 livestream codes, offering players Primogems and in‑game items tied to the Luna 7 program. The codes introduce three new characters—Nicole (Pyro), Lohen (Cryo) and Prune (Anemo)—and a rerun chance for the Pyro Primarch Mavuika. Redemption...
Fallout 1 and The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind Now Run on Fallout 4's Pip-Boy and Computer Terminals, Thanks to a...
A modder named RPGKing117 has enabled the original Fallout and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to run inside Fallout 4’s Pip‑Boy and terminal screens. The Morrowind version streams a custom‑built OpenMW 0.50 instance through a shared‑memory bridge, while the Fallout 1 port is...
Is Vampire Crawlers Too Easy for Its Own Good?
Poncle’s turn‑based spin on the hit auto‑battler Vampire Survivors, Vampire Crawlers, replaces weapons with cards and adds a combo multiplier. The combo system lets cheap cards explode in power, letting players run decks that play every card each turn with...
Eden's Frontier Preview: Fluid Combat and Nostalgic Vibe
Frontiers Group Entertainment unveiled a playable demo of Eden’s Frontier at gamescom LATAM, highlighting a fluid, combo‑driven combat system centered on the blue creature Blu. The demo revealed core mechanics such as timed dodges, dash‑cancels, projectile reflection, and quick‑access items,...
1985 PC-8801 Version of Hydlide II Gets an EGG Console Port to PC Steam on May 15
D4 Enterprise announced that its EGG Console port of Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness – the original 1985 PC‑8801 version – will launch on Steam on May 15, 2026. The Steam page confirms the release date, while the game will retain Japanese...
Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok Introduces Maglielle and Gallanza in New Character Trailers
Cygames released English and Japanese trailers unveiling two new playable characters, Maglielle and Gallanza, for the Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok expansion. The expansion, which bundles the base game with new content, launches on July 9, 2026 for PS4, PS5, Nintendo...
Nintendo Increases Switch 2 Price Starting Sept. 1
Nintendo announced a $50 price increase for its Switch 2 console, raising the base model to $500 effective Sept. 1. The hike marks the first adjustment since the device launched in June 2024 and is attributed to sustained market pressures, chiefly a...
2K Lay Off Staff at Project Ethos While Touting "a Renewed Direction and Vision" For Their By-the-Numbers Hero Shooter
Take‑Two’s 2K Games announced staff reductions at 31st Union, the studio behind the free‑to‑play Project Ethos. The cuts follow an internal memo from new studio head Ben Brinkman, who says the team must be streamlined to match a revised “skill‑based PvP roguelike”...
Valorant's Neon Is Losing some Pep From Her Step, and Shotguns Haven't Escaped the Nerf Hammer
Riot Games announced major tweaks to Neon in Valorant’s Patch 12.09, removing the speed boost from her High Gear jump and aligning her mid‑air movement with melee speed. The update also standardizes shotgun inaccuracy while moving, adds a 15% crouch accuracy...
DeepMind Trains AI on 23 Years of EVE Online Decisions
EVE Online — if you know, you know. If you don't, it just sounds strange. DeepMind is now training AI inside it. On 23 years of player decisions — real people, real consequences.
AI Could Rescue Graphics Costs—Or Flood Games With Slop
The generous reading of PlayStation's CEO's comments on AI is that the technology will solve gaming's high budget graphics race. The more cynical reading is a future where AI is both the cause of slop and the only way to effectively...
How Android Gamers Are Now Getting Desktop-Level Frame Rates
Lossless frame generation, once limited to high‑end PCs, is now available on Android, letting devices generate extra frames for smoother, PC‑quality gameplay. The technology works best on flagship processors such as Snapdragon Elite Gen 5, but mid‑range phones can still see...
Project Helix Confirmed for Later This Year
More new on the next Xbox, Project Helix, has been confirmed for later this year. https://t.co/fzSHlIVF6i
Microsoft May Have Teased a New Xbox Dashboard with Fewer Ads
At the March 2026 Game Developers Conference, Microsoft unveiled a prototype Xbox dashboard that trims the ad load, shifting the user profile to the top‑right and removing the clock. The redesign, shown on both the console and the Xbox Ally...
Gaming in SEA: Understanding the Growing Opportunity for SMEs and Payment Providers
Southeast Asia’s gaming market is shifting from a niche hobby to a high‑frequency digital economy, with in‑game spending up 12% since Q4 2024. The surge is driven by mobile‑first gamers, competitive esports, and a growing appetite for microtransactions and account upgrades....
"Your Infidelity Will No Longer Be Broadcasted to Everyone as It Happens" Declares Crusader Kings 3's Latest Patch, Unless You...
Paradox Interactive’s latest Crusader Kings 3 patch addresses a bug that broadcast players’ extramarital affairs in real time. The fix stops live notifications of infidelity, though pregnancies that began under the 1.19.0.4 update will still trigger the issue. Additional tweaks include...
GameStop Wants eBay, Nintendo Confirms Switch 2 Price Hike, and Union Boss Says EA Buyout Is a National Security Risk...
GameStop has lodged a $55.5 billion takeover bid for eBay, backed by $20 billion of debt financing, sparking questions about funding and strategic fit. Nintendo confirmed a global price hike for its upcoming Switch 2 console, aligning the hardware with competitors’ pricing trends....
Case Solved: The London Files - Unique Detective Game with Logic Puzzles and Hidden Objects
Minimol Games showcased *Case Solved: The London Files* at Gamescom LATAM, offering a detective experience built around hidden‑object searches and classic logic puzzles. Players locate cartoon‑styled items hinted at by speech balloons, then use those clues to solve multi‑step logic...
The Battle of Polytopia World Championship Returns with a $10,000 Prize Pool
The Battle of Polytopia is launching its second official World Championship with a $10,000 prize pool and an expanded live final in Stockholm on October 10. Players will battle through 12 tribal qualifiers beginning May 11, culminating in a September 20 Face Off that...
Nintendo Confirms Long‑Rumored Switch 2 Price Hike
Rumors have long suggested that Nintendo would ultimately increase the Switch 2 price, and unfortunately, that day has indeed arrived. https://t.co/ZTeRKdiMni
Flexion Launches Exprexion to Help Expand Mobile Game Monetisation Beyond Apple and Google
Flexion has introduced Exprexion, an integrated suite that combines alternative app‑store distribution, creator‑led marketing, and direct‑to‑consumer sales tools for mobile game developers. The platform supports secondary stores such as Amazon, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and ONEstore, aiming to reduce reliance on...
Nintendo Switch Has Now Sold 155.92 Million Units
Nintendo announced that the Switch has sold 155.92 million units worldwide, putting it within five million of Sony’s PlayStation 2, the current all‑time best‑selling console. The milestone was disclosed in the company’s FY2025 financial results, which also showed an 8 % revenue increase...
Where Is The Candy Blossom Stall In Grow A Garden?
The Candy Blossom stall was removed from Grow A Garden’s Easter 2026 map after the Easter Finale, ending any new way to obtain the coveted Candy Blossom seeds. Players without a seed cannot craft the tree, and the game’s trading...
Sony PS5 Sales Plunge 46% as Memory Shortage Forces Price Hikes
Sony reported that PS5 shipments fell 46% year‑over‑year to 1.5 million units in the fourth quarter, attributing the drop to a global memory‑chip shortage and two price increases. The slump threatens console‑hardware revenue even as the company leans on higher‑margin software...
Sony Takes $765 Million Write‑Down on $3.6 Billion Bungie Deal
Sony announced a $765 million impairment loss on its 2022 $3.6 billion purchase of Bungie, reflecting weak sales of Marathon and a slump in PlayStation hardware. The write‑down, over 20% of the original price, highlights the risks of large‑scale gaming M&A.
New Game Digest: New Soft Launches From Century, Take-Two and Ten Square Plus Digimon, Racing Master and More
The latest Mobile Gamer digest highlights several new soft launches and releases across mobile and console platforms. Century Games’ narrative title Just Desserts entered Android soft launch in Australia, Canada, the Philippines and the UK, while Ten Square’s PvP shooter...
Nintendo Hikes Switch 2 Price Worldwide Amid Memory‑cost Surge, Tariffs
Nintendo announced a global price increase for its Switch 2 console—about 10% to $499.99 in the United States, 20% to ¥59,980 (≈$387) in Japan and 6% to €499.99 (≈$540) in Europe—citing rising memory component costs and tariff pressures. The move follows...
Even Seven-Year-Old GPUs Will Be Able to Run Subnautica 2, According to Its Latest System Requirements
Subnautica 2 enters early access on May 14, becoming the most wish‑listed title on Steam. The developer announced system requirements that let a seven‑year‑old Nvidia GTX 1660 with an i5‑8400 achieve 30 fps at 1080p on low settings, while a top‑tier RTX 5070 Ti and i9‑14900K...
Andy Serkis Hails 'Expedition 33' As Hollywood’s Game Snobbery Fades
Andy Serkis, famed for his motion‑capture work, praised the 2025 Game of the Year winner Expedition 33, calling it a beautiful, emotionally resonant experience. He said the long‑standing Hollywood snobbery toward video games is finally eroding, opening doors for more A‑list...
Xbox Play Anywhere and First-Person Frenzy Sales Now Live on Microsoft Store
Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere and First‑Person Frenzy sales have launched on the Microsoft Store, featuring nearly 200 discounted titles across both promotions. Discounts range from modest 10% cuts to deep 95% markdowns, with marquee games like Hogwarts Legacy, Borderlands 4, and...
Proton Experimental Gets Fixes for Rocket League, Crimson Desert, Helldivers 2 and More
Valve released a new Proton Experimental update on May 7, 2026, targeting broader Windows game compatibility on Linux and SteamOS. The patch marks Konkan Coast Pirate Solutions as playable and resolves launch failures for Helldivers 2 and Rocket League, including locale and controller...