Know What's Happening in Gaming
Know What's Happening in Gaming
Gaming Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Bethesda veteran Pete Hines exits after Microsoft reshuffle
Pete Hines, Bethesda’s longtime vice‑president of marketing and public relations, left the studio in 2023 following Microsoft’s 2020 acquisition. He said he stayed to protect the studio’s efficient development culture but grew powerless as Microsoft restructured the Xbox hierarchy, ultimately departing after the Starfield launch.
Also developing:
By the numbers: PlayVS acquires LeagueSpot
Brothers Dan and Mac Reynolds, known for fronting Imagine Dragons, are debuting their first video game, *Last Flag*, a capture‑the‑flag hero shooter. The title, developed under Night Street Games, introduces a unique flag‑hiding mechanic that adds strategic depth to classic CTF gameplay. Dan contributed a 70s‑styled soundtrack, while the brothers expanded from a solo effort to a small development team. *Last Flag* launches on Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 14 for $15, with a promotional $12 price through April 22.
Klei Entertainment announced *Don’t Starve Elsewhere*, a new entry that moves the franchise into three‑dimensional terrain with varied elevations. The sequel adds fresh biomes, animals, enemies and bosses while integrating multiplayer and dynamic weather systems that debuted in earlier DLC....
Quarter Up, a newly formed studio, is assembling a veteran team of fighting‑game developers. The crew’s résumé includes work on the 2013 reboot of Killer Instinct, a title praised for its deep mechanics and visual flair. Leveraging that expertise, the studio...
Xsolla’s Chief Marketing and Growth Officer Berkley Egenes discussed the company’s global‑first strategy on a sponsored episode of The Big Show recorded at the GDC Festival of Gaming. He emphasized Xsolla’s role in helping developers launch, monetize and scale games...
Brazilian CS:GO organization paiN has exercised its purchase option on rifler Guilherme "piriajr" Barbosa, ending his loan from Bounty Hunters that began in January. The 23‑year‑old posted a 1.05 rating for paiN and was instrumental in the team's first‑place finish...
Temtem: Pioneers, formerly Project Downbelow, has been unveiled as an open‑world survival crafting ARPG that expands the Temtem franchise. The Kickstarter campaign has already secured $56,000, more than half of its $104,965 target, and promises stretch goals as funding progresses....
Remy Siu, creator of the award‑winning FMV title 1000xResist, warns that the lack of a universal video codec is stalling the next wave of full‑motion video games such as his upcoming Prove You're Human. FMV titles must bundle four or...
1000xResist was/is one of my favorite games of the past few years. It spoke powerfully to the personal and societal traumas from the early days of COVID-19. Now, they're making a game about AI? Of *course* I had to talk...
The article revisits the “gamer’s dilemma,” a moral paradox where virtual killing is socially tolerated while virtual child sexual abuse is condemned. It cites the banned 2006 Japanese game RapeLay as the extreme case, contrasts it with studies debunking links...
Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go, has completed a major transformation by selling its gaming division and rebranding as Niantic Spatial, a pure‑play mapping and geospatial‑AI firm. At the end of last month the company appointed former IBM executive Inhi Cho Suh as...
Game Boy Advance’s library still offers titles that hook players within minutes, a crucial factor for today’s short‑attention audience. The article highlights ten standout games—from Treasure’s Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Gunstar Super Heroes to Nintendo classics like Mario Kart:...
World of Tanks: HEAT, Wargaming’s new alternate‑history tank shooter, will enter a closed beta from April 16‑20. The test spans PC (Steam, GeForce NOW, Steam Deck), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, featuring nearly the full game build. Players can try eight Agents, with three...
Razer has launched the Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds, priced at $130, with a 40‑hour total battery life and upgraded active noise cancellation. The earbuds use Razer’s proprietary HyperSpeed 2.4 GHz wireless link for ultra‑low latency audio, supporting PCs, PS5, Steam...
Nintendo launched Hello, Yoshi, a free downloadable game for Switch and mobile, extending its My Mario toy line. The touch‑based title lets players stretch Yoshi’s face, pop bubbles, and collect power‑ups like Super Mushroom and Super Star. A built‑in sleep timer nudges kids to...
Lyrical Games and developer One More Level announced Valor Mortis, a first‑person soulslike set in a plague‑ravaged Napoleonic Europe, slated for a Fall 2026 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The new trailer revealed traversal tools such as a grapple...
Retroid has added two new color options—Yellow and Turquoise—to its Pocket 5 handheld, borrowing the finishes from the now‑discontinued Pocket G2. The price stays at $199, and a matching Grip case is offered for $15. Existing owners can also buy clear backplates...
Double Fine's Kiln open beta is now live. You can request access and play on PC through Steam https://t.co/LAgFdSG550 https://t.co/dyeFv4VVcN
Coldblood Inc. announced that its simulation‑horror RPG *Neverway* will launch in October 2026 for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). A free, hour‑long prologue demo is already live on Steam, letting players experience the game’s blend of life‑sim farming and psychological...
Funselektor Labs and Strelka Games have unveiled a new off‑road title, Over the Hill, positioned as a more relaxed counterpart to SnowRunner. The latest trailer highlights a rugged Algerian landscape dotted with ancient ruins and meteorite fields, emphasizing winch‑based recovery...
Lyrical Games, the indie publisher behind the Ghostrunner franchise, released a new trailer for Valor Mortis, a first‑person Soulslike set during the Napoleonic era. The game is being developed by One More Level, a Kraków‑based studio, and was showcased at...
Sunset Visitor’s new title Prove You’re Human casts players as digital copies tasked with convincing a sentient robotic head that it isn’t human. The game mixes dialogue‑driven interrogation, CAPTCHA‑style puzzles, and live‑action footage to explore the AI’s self‑awareness. Its premise...
Indie studio Coldblood announced that its debut title Neverway will launch in October 2026, targeting the Halloween gaming surge. Marketed as a "nightmarish life‑sim RPG," the game follows Fiona, who becomes an immortal herald for a dead god on a...
Overworld, a developer of AI‑driven world models, launched Waypoint 1.5, the newest version of its real‑time simulation platform. The update adds native support for both macOS and Windows and introduces a streamlined local runtime that runs entirely on consumer hardware. Waypoint 1.5...
The Triple-i Initiative’s third showcase aired today, spotlighting 40 indie games from a global roster of creative studios. The event delivered a mix of brand‑new title announcements, fan‑favored DLC reveals, and firm release‑date commitments. By bundling these disclosures into a...
Indie pirate adventure *Windrose* enters early access on April 14, 2026, after a highly praised demo that amassed over one million wishlists. The full version expands the open‑world experience with upgraded graphics, additional outfits, weapons, and the ability to build...
Keywords Studios evaluated over 500 AI tools for game development and found only about six that genuinely enhance production pipelines. The firm’s head of transformation, Jon Gibson, says most tools are built for flashy demos rather than solving concrete studio...
Borderlands Mobile debuted on the iPhone App Store as a free‑to‑play first‑person shooter, marking the franchise’s first original title built for smartphones. Developed by Take‑Two’s mobile subsidiary Zynga, the game uses the series’ signature cel‑shaded art and includes a main...
BetBoom announced that Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov has been benched because of unresolved US and Schengen visa issues, while Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko returns to the active roster for the remainder of the season. The team also confirmed the comeback of Daniil...
Riot Games announced in March 2026 that Canadian VALORANT star Ava “florescent” Eugene has been cleared of any Esports Global Code of Conduct violations after an investigation found insufficient evidence. The decision follows a 2025 sexual assault allegation that sparked...
Button Mash's Final Sentence, a battle‑royale typing game, launched on Steam for PC on April 9, 2026, published by Polden Publishing. Players compete in a hangar, typing on virtual typewriters while a single‑bullet revolver adds a high‑stakes twist. The game supports massive...
Crop, the upcoming farming title from 11 Bit Studios and Carbonara Games, drops players onto a derelict farm naked in a car boot and forces them to bury the previous owner before cultivating food for a starving village trapped in a...
Testerup, a mobile app on iOS and Android, promises cash rewards for completing in‑game milestones without any upfront investment. After 45 days of playing titles such as Gecko Out and Arrows, the author accumulated $20.45, still far short of the...
Gearbox Publishing and Gearbox Software announced a new downloadable content expansion for Risk of Rain 2 called “Hallowed Concepts.” The DLC introduces two new playable Survivors, three fresh stages—including the Damp Caverns, Tenebrous Quagmire, and Lurid Basilica—and a suite of curses...
Jeremy Faucomprez, senior game designer for Six Days in Fallujah, died on March 6, 2024, with his death ruled a suicide. Known for his work on Insurgency, Day of Infamy, and Insurgency: Sandstorm, he was celebrated for mission design that blends...
Radical Fish Games announced that its new action RPG *Alabaster Dawn* will launch on Steam Early Access on May 7, 2026. The game puts players in the role of Juno, the Outcast Chosen, tasked with restoring a world scarred by the shadow...
GamesBeat Summit 2026 will convene senior gaming executives, investors and creators in Los Angeles for a curated, high‑signal event focused on dealmaking and strategic partnerships. The summit highlights that gaming now generates over $200 billion globally and reaches billions of players,...
The Lift, a first‑person supernatural handyman simulator, has announced console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series alongside its PC release. Development is handled by Fantastic Signals and publishing by tinyBuild. The launch window has shifted from an anticipated 2026 debut...
Future Friends Games and Panik Arcade have launched the "Unholy Fusion" DLC for the horror roguelite slot game CloverPit, priced at $2.99. The expansion introduces a Surgery Machine that lets players fuse charms, adding 30 new fusion charms, ten additional...
Total Mayhem Games has launched a free PC demo of the upcoming cooperative puzzle title *We Were Here Tomorrow* on Steam. The demo lets two players experience the series’ signature walkie‑talkie communication inside a new retro‑futuristic Norcek facility. It introduces...
Capcom veteran Katsuya Akitomo, the original concept creator of Darkstalkers, recently resurfaced on X to recount his early involvement. He pitched a fighting game built around public‑domain horror monsters, contributing only initial character drafts before the project moved forward without...
Black Tabby Games announced the launch of its publishing label, Black Tabby Publishing, with Sunset Visitor’s FMV title Prove You’re Human as its first fully funded project. The publisher will provide development capital, release‑management, and a straightforward 70/30 revenue‑share deal...
Brain Jar Games announced that its rhythm‑driven beat ’em up Dead As Disco will enter early access on May 5, 2026. The launch will debut four playable idols and more than 30 streaming‑safe tracks in the Infinite Disco mode. The early‑access...
HypeTrain Digital and developer Push On unveiled the first full gameplay trailer for the first‑person dark fantasy RPG Alkahest during the Triple‑i Initiative. The trailer, now live on the game’s website, showcases the title’s release on PlayStation, Xbox and PC...
Elden Ring’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 edition will be sold exclusively as an $80 game‑key card, bundling the base game with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Pre‑orders have opened even though a launch date remains unannounced, and no physical cartridge...
Indie studio 1:1 Studio unveiled its debut title City Masterplan, a glossy city‑building simulation that promises true 1:1 scale construction across massive 24 × 24 km maps. The game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and emphasizes realistic traffic and supply‑chain mechanics. While no...
Lenovo’s handheld gaming PC, the Legion Go 2, saw its price jump to $1,999.99 at Best Buy, up from the $1,099.99 launch price of the Ryzen Z2 variant. The premium model now costs nearly $2,000, while the more affordable version rose to $1,499.99, making...
Indie studio sunset visitor 斜陽過客 announced its next narrative game, Prove You're Human, at the Triple‑i Initiative Showcase. The title pits players against an uncanny AI named Mesa, blending conversation and CAPTCHA‑style debates to explore anxieties around generative AI and...
Riot Games announced a 2027 overhaul of the Valorant Champions Tour that eliminates the traditional season‑long ladder in favor of a tournament‑centric structure with open qualifiers and regional cups. Partner teams will now operate on two‑year contracts and must reapply...
Zynga and NaturalMotion have quietly launched Borderlands Mobile, a free‑to‑play looter shooter, on the US App Store. The game adapts Gearbox’s flagship Borderlands franchise for smartphones, featuring campaign missions, Tower of Terror and Circle of Slaughter modes. Developed by London‑based...
The Triple‑I Initiative showcase unveiled a packed slate of indie titles, ranging from horror‑infused management games to new entries in legacy franchises. Highlights include the early‑access launch dates for Spacecraft (May 20) and Romestead (May 26), a crossover DLC for Rift of...
