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
Alas, You and I Will Never Look and Sound as Good as Rebounder
ThirtyThree Games has released a playtest for Rebounder, a precision platformer that blends Kaizo‑style difficulty with a four‑ink, pulp‑print aesthetic reminiscent of classic comic art. Players control a 2D astronaut who navigates levels by grabbing, hurling, and rebounding off explosive alien spores, encountering surreal hazards such as sliding elevators and hallucinogenic milk. The game’s soundtrack hides secret cues, and the developers describe the protagonist as a “crusty worker” on a far‑off job site. Interested players can sign up for the Steam playtest now.
Gastly | Pokémon Guide
Gastly, the Ghost‑Poison Pokémon, is 95 % poisonous gas and 5 % enemy souls, making it a fan‑favorite for its eerie design and its role as the first stage of the iconic Gengar line. It evolves into Haunter at level 25 and then...
Genshin Impact's Devs Trademark yet Another Title While Its Latest Games Are Still in Beta
Hoyoverse filed a trademark for a new title, “Nodusfall,” on April 29 2026, signaling another game in development while its flagship live‑service titles Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail remain in beta. A second filing, “Vassago,” appears linked to the company’s AI...
Xbox Adds New Profile Pics and Dynamic Backgrounds to Celebrate New Xbox Logo
Microsoft has rolled out a suite of new Xbox profile pictures, dynamic backgrounds, and themed profile backdrops to celebrate its freshly unveiled logo. The visual assets showcase four iterations of the logo, each echoing a different console generation—from the classic...
Behaviour Interactive Layoffs and Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Staying Power | Week in Views
Behaviour Interactive announced layoffs as demand for its external mobile and casual game development fell, affecting partnerships with firms like NetEase, Disney, EA and Tencent. The cuts spare its flagship title Dead by Daylight, which remains central to the studio’s...
Planet of Lana Pitch Targets Live-Action Film, Amber Midthunder Attached
Added a detail to this article to make clear that Story Kitchen's Planet of Lana pitch to studios is for a live action film (with, as I previously reported, Prey's Amber Midthunder attached to star in it)
Neverness to Everness F2P Earns $15M Day One, PC Dominates
Neverness to Everness (F2P) generated over RMB 100 million ($15m+) on its first day (Better than Tower of Fantasy). In China, 65% of revenue was from PC, 35% from mobile. Overseas, 75% of revenue was from PC + PS5. https://t.co/BM8Tie0ZOw
Free Update for Game Pass Gem Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor Adds Endless Mode
A free Update 1.1 for Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor adds an Endless Mode, fixes two buggy achievements, overhauls weapon tags, and introduces a Mastery system with exclusive rewards. The Endless Mode speeds up enemy waves in the first ten stages and limits players...
Morrowind Turns 24 Today, so Come Nerevar and Celebrate as an Elder Scrolls Tax Collector with This Huge OpenMW Quest...
The 24th‑anniversary mod "Death and Taxes" expands Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind by turning the Imperial Offices of Census and Excise into a fully fledged faction with over 100 new quests. Developed by modder MollyAvast, the mod integrates with the OpenMW engine...
Gambonanza Masterfully Combines Balatro and Chess and It's Out Now
Gambonanza, an indie roguelike that fuses chess with Balatro‑style mechanics, launched on May 1 2026 for native Linux. The game delivers fast, snack‑size matches where players capture all enemy pieces on a tiny board, while a pool of over 200 Gambits lets...
Fans and Yoshida Reveal FFXIV’s Past, Present, Future
Kotaku's coverage of Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest wraps up with this long, in-depth dispatch from about the state of the game, its legacy, and its future. We heard a lot last week from Naoki Yoshida. In this report we...
Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting Announced for PC – Pixel Art Yuri Mystery and Puzzle Game Inside a Retro Computer
San Francisco‑based indie studio Petallix Games has unveiled Backtrace: Mechanisms for Forgetting, a pixel‑art yuri mystery and puzzle title set inside a stylized 1984 microcomputer. The game will launch on PC through Steam, though a specific release date remains unannounced....
Epic Games Store Launches on iPhone in Japan
Epic Games announced that the Epic Games Store is now available on iPhone devices in Japan, letting iOS users download titles such as Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe directly from the mobile storefront. The rollout grants access to more than...
Engadget Podcast: Is the Valve Steam Controller Worth $100?
Engadget’s latest podcast examines Valve’s newly released Steam Controller, which retails for $100. The episode features host Jessica Conditt testing the controller’s ergonomics, dual‑trackpad layout, and deep Steam integration. While the device is praised for its innovative design, the price...
Star Wars Expands in Fortnite with Official Creator Tools and New Experiences
Epic Games is deepening its collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm by releasing official Star Wars creator tools within Fortnite. Starting May 1, players can explore hundreds of community‑built Star Wars islands using authentic assets, while three new game modes—Galactic Siege, Escape Vader and...
Xsolla Partners with PocketGamer.biz for Regional Top Game Maker Reports
PocketGamer.biz has teamed up with global game‑commerce platform Xsolla to launch a series of regional Top Game Maker lists, beginning with the Top 50 UK Game Makers. The partnership leverages Xsolla’s merchant‑of‑record role for more than 60% of the top‑100 highest‑grossing games...
Roblox’s New Reality Mode Shows How Far NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 AI Upscaling Can Push a Simple Game
Roblox unveiled "Roblox Reality," a cloud‑edge AI upscaling system dubbed DLSS 5 Lite that aims to deliver photorealistic graphics on modest hardware. The solution streams high‑fidelity assets generated by NVIDIA‑style super‑upsampling through a CDN, letting the client render a video feed while...
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round Gets KOF XIV Mai Shiranui and Kula Diamond
Koei Tecmo announced that Dead or Alive 6 Last Round will launch on June 25, 2026 with a crossover DLC featuring King of Fighters XIV versions of Mai Shiranui and Kula Diamond. The DLC includes five debut costumes per character—bunny...
Star Wars Invades Fortnite on PS5, PS4 with Three New Game Modes and Plenty More
Epic Games and Lucasfilm Games have rolled out a major Star Wars update for Fortnite on PS5 and PS4, introducing three distinct game modes. Galactic Siege offers a 10‑v‑10 class‑based battle across iconic locations, while Droid Tycoon lets players construct and...
ESA's Iicon Was a Promising Start, but Needs More Commitment and More Candour | Opinion
The ESA launched iicon as a boutique replacement for the waning E3, limiting attendance to a few hundred senior executives in a modest Las Vegas casino. The agenda focused on strategy, regulation and transmedia partnerships, drawing names like Andrew Wilson,...
Microsoft Updates Xbox Smartphone App and Xbox Ally Handhelds with New Features
Microsoft has refreshed the Xbox smartphone app on iOS and Android with Wishlist Alerts, notifying users of new releases, pre‑installations, DLC drops and sales. At the same time, Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds now automatically route gameplay to a TV when docked,...
Evo Japan 2026 Early Results, Stream Ft. Sahara, Blaz, MenaRD, LowHigh, Arslan Ash, Laggia, Fuudo, Go1, Xiaohai, Higuchi, DualKevin, Kilzyou...
Evo Japan 2026 kicked off in Tokyo with a record‑breaking turnout, highlighted by Street Fighter 6 drawing nearly 7,700 competitors—the largest fighting‑game field ever. Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive and several other titles also saw strong sign‑ups, while 2XKO boasted the biggest prize...
Riot Games Leaders Join Journey Stage Panel at Gamescom Latam
About to start a panel with Riot Games leaders on Journey stage at Gamescom Latam
Union Claims Nacon's Decision to Shutter Spiders Was a "Premeditated and Deliberate Choice"
French union Le Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) has called for a boycott of Nacon after the publisher announced the liquidation of its studio Spiders, affecting 71 workers. The union describes the closure as a premeditated move, accusing...
Gaming Ads: Unlocking an Underused Advertising Powerhouse
Scott Ensign, Chief Strategy Officer at @ButlerTill, discusses why gaming is still one of the most misunderstood and underutilized channels in advertising and how brands can finally unlock its full potential. https://t.co/bgRersWIG8
"I Found a Project that Completely Solves This": PS5 and DualShock Controllers Get Full Wireless Features on PC Thanks to...
A GitHub project called DS5Dongle lets PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers work wirelessly on Windows PCs with full adaptive‑trigger and haptic support. The hack uses a $7 Raspberry Pi Pico 2W as a Bluetooth bridge, making the PC think the controller is wired. The latest...
Linux Support Coming For The ASUS ROG RAIKIRI II: A $160 High-End Gaming Controller
ASUS has announced mainline Linux support for its premium ROG RAIKIRI II wireless gaming controller, priced around $160. The controller offers 1 kHz polling, TMR joysticks, dual‑mode triggers, and multiple connectivity options, including a PC/Xbox mode switch. A patch adding the necessary...
Xbox Hardware Revenue Plunges 33% as New Boss Asha Sharma Confronts Sales Slump
Microsoft disclosed that Xbox hardware revenue fell 33% year‑on‑year in Q3 FY2026, the steepest decline since the Series X launch. New Xbox chief Asha Sharma acknowledged the shortfall, promising a refocus on core fans and upcoming hardware under the Project...
How to Complete Week 5 Challenges in BO7 & Warzone Season 3
Week 5 challenges for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 3 are now live, letting players complete any six tasks to unlock the MK.78 Lightframe PDW conversion and earn up to 10,000 XP. Rewards range from 2,500 to 5,000 XP per challenge...
17 Years Ago, This Call of Duty Studio Made an Underrated Marvel Game, but Playing It Now Isn't Easy
Raven Software, known for titles like Star Wars: Jedi Knight, released *X‑Men Origins: Wolverine* on May 1, 2009 across PSP, PS2, Wii, and a more graphic Uncaged Edition for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The PSP version emphasizes Marvel’s street‑level lore, featuring The...
Mine8: The Most Popular Game on Verse8's Vibe Coding Platform
Snack Games’ Mine8 has become the most‑played title on Verse 8’s AI‑driven Vibe Coding platform, logging more than 3 million plays and 1,100 likes as of April 2026. The stage‑based mining game blends a simple pickaxe mechanic with a layered progression system that...
EnJoyPay and Pocketgamer Announce Global Game Developer Mixer in Ho Chi Minh City
EnJoyPay and Pocketgamer.biz are co‑hosting a Global Game Developers Mixer on 8 May 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. The free, invitation‑only event will bring together local and international studios to discuss growth tactics, regional publishing hurdles, and the shifting landscape of global payment...
IO Interactive Clarifies Design of 007 First Light Controller
IO Interactive has addressed criticism of the design of the 007 First Light limited-edition DualSense wireless controller, confirming it's not what some fans think. https://t.co/iVLnVNuVNe
Xbox Series X|S Gets Two Awesome New Dynamic Backgrounds
Microsoft has released two new dynamic background themes for the Xbox Series X|S, featuring visuals from Diablo IV and the fighting game Invincible VS. The Diablo IV background showcases the demon Mephisto amid lightning and moving clouds, while the Invincible VS theme displays the...
May Game Release Dates: These Are the Biggest Games Releasing This Month
May 2026 brings a packed video‑game calendar, headlined by Forza Horizon 6, 007 First Light, and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The month also sees the early‑access launch of Subnautica 2 and a wave of indie releases such as Mixtape and Directive 8020....
Epic Unveils Fortnite‑Star Wars Celebration Roadmap
Epic Games has released the roadmap for its month-long Fortnite x Star Wars Day celebrations, which includes a "galaxy of new Star Wars games" and more to keep fans busy. https://t.co/vENAwlAXHF
Total War: Warhammer 40,000's Map Destruction Is "the Biggest Mental Shift" For the Strategy Series in Years, but "We've Kept...
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 introduces extensive map destruction, letting players demolish forests, buildings, and even terrain features with ordnance or orbital strikes. The developers stress that only strategically meaningful areas are destructible to preserve balance. This capability shifts the series' mental...
Chase & Status to Feature as Characters in New James Bond Game, 007: First Light
IO Interactive announced that British drum‑and‑bass duo Chase & Status will appear as themselves in the upcoming James Bond video game 007: First Light. The game, slated for a May 27, 2026 launch on Xbox, PlayStation and PC, continues the franchise’s tradition of...
Roblox Reality Is Like DLSS 5 for Roblox, Except It Invents Photorealistic Details the Game Never Had
Roblox announced an in‑development system called Roblox Reality that uses cloud‑based AI video generation to add photorealistic details to its multiplayer games. The hybrid pipeline renders basic geometry on the client while servers upscale scenes with a generative model, a...
Tales of Festival 2026 Will Have Live Performances by Hanako Oku and DEEN
Bandai Namco announced that Tales of Festival 2026 will take place at Yokohama Buntai on July 4‑5, featuring live performances by singers Hanako Oku and the pop group DEEN. Oku will appear on July 4, performing the opening and ending themes of Tales...
Subnautica 2's Early Access Has Chased a Campervanning Game About Starting Fires and Hacking PCs Into an Earlier Release
Square Glade Games announced that its camper‑vanning title Outbound will launch on May 11, three days earlier than originally planned, to avoid clashing with Unknown Worlds' Subnautica 2 early‑access release on May 14. The shift also means the Outbound demo currently on Steam...
‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ Won’t Include Any Product Placement or Brand Collabs
Take‑Two Interactive chief Strauss Zelnick announced that Grand Theft Auto 6 will contain no real‑world product placements or brand collaborations, keeping the game’s world entirely fictional. The decision contrasts with the growing trend of in‑game advertising seen in titles like NBA 2K....
How to Beat Ratatoskr Boss in Marvel Rivals Blood Hunt
Marvel Rivals’ Blood Hunt mode pits players against the Ratatosko boss, a mid‑tier enemy with bite, horn, tail, and leap attacks that can heal herself. The guide advises keeping distance, coordinating team damage, and favoring ranged heroes such as Moon...
TerraTech Legion Is an Awesome Modular Vehicle-Building Survivor-Like Out Now
TerraTech Legion launches as a hybrid survivor‑like bullet‑heaven and modular vehicle‑building roguelite, priced at $9.99 (≈£8.99/€9.99). Players navigate multiple planets, completing mission‑based star challenges while assembling customizable combat rigs block by block. The game rewards XP, loot drops and package...
"Turning Solitary AI Dreams Into a Social, Playable Reality" Is the Aim of Roblox's New Upscaling Tech, Which Will Make...
Roblox unveiled "Roblox Reality," an AI‑driven upscaling system that transforms its signature blocky graphics into photorealistic visuals. The hybrid architecture splits duties between the existing game engine and a new Video World Model that generates high‑fidelity pixels while preserving physics...
GameMaker Says AI Coding Is Inevitable, Sony Clarifies DRM Confusion, and How Video Games Are Helping Rikers Inmates - Patch...
GameMaker announced integration of Claude Code, signaling that AI‑assisted "vibe coding" is now an industry inevitability. Sony clarified recent DRM changes, confirming only a single online check is needed for a perpetual offline license. Xbox hardware revenue plunged 33% year‑over‑year...
Sony Confronts Backlash over New PlayStation DRM that Displays 30‑day Playtime Timer
Sony has responded to growing criticism after a 30‑day online‑validation DRM appeared on PlayStation consoles, showing a countdown timer that limits offline play. The company’s support bots confirmed the feature, while users and insiders debate whether it’s a bug or...
Hanwha Life Esports Brion Snaps 6-Game Losing Streak with Win Over DNS
Hanwha Life Esports' Brion (BRO) ended a six‑game losing streak by defeating DN Supers 2‑0 in Round 1 of the 2026 LCK regular season. The win was built on early lane dominance, relentless objective control and a gold advantage that topped...
DNS Head Coach Joo Young-Dal: "The Reason for My Social Media Post... To Protect Trust Between Coach and Players"
DNS Head Coach Joo Young‑dal addressed the team’s 0‑2 loss to Hanjin Brion, leaving the DN Supers at a 1‑8 record in the 2026 LCK season. He blamed impatience and disjointed team fights for the collapse, while emphasizing the need...
Develop:Brighton Conference Programme Is Now Live
Develop:Brighton has launched its three‑day conference programme ahead of its 20th anniversary, featuring tracks on production, technology, and business strategy. The lineup includes high‑profile speakers from Epic Games, Ubisoft, Frontier Developments, ustwo, and Dead Nice Studios, with additional sessions to...