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
Infamous Keepers Is a Reverse Dungeon Crawler Where You Have to Survive After Mass Layoffs and Oh No Is This...
Infamous Keepers, a reverse‑dungeon‑crawling roguelite from Goblinz Studio, is set for early 2027 release. It expands on Legend of Keepers with isometric tactical planning, letting players deploy traps and assign employees to fend off hero raids. The Steam page is live, allowing wishlists ahead of launch. The game’s premise mirrors recent mass layoffs in the games industry, turning workforce cuts into a literal battlefield metaphor.
Sony and Fnatic Launch 720 Hz OLED Inzone M10S II Gaming Monitor
Sony, together with esports organization Fnatic, announced the Inzone M10S II, a 27‑inch OLED gaming monitor that can run at 540 Hz in QHD or jump to 720 Hz at 720p. Priced at $1,099.99 and slated for release later this year, the display...
Phasmophobia Is Getting Its First-Ever Collab—And It’s a Perfect Fit
At the Galaxies Showcase on April 16, Kinetic Games announced that Phasmophobia will host its first-ever collaboration, teaming up with Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake. The limited‑time event drops on May 12 and introduces the Dark Place, a signature Alan Wake location that will overlay...
Battlefield 6 Will Introduce a Server Browser, Proximity Chat, and More Updates in 2026
EA released a 2026 roadmap for Battlefield 6, outlining new content through Seasons 3‑5, including Battle Royale solo, ranked play, naval warfare, and core features like a server browser and proximity chat. The first two seasons fell short, delivering limited maps, weapons,...
How Narrative-Driven Puzzles Shape Causal Loop’s World and Progression, Out April 23
Causal Loop, launching on PlayStation 5 on April 23, intertwines its narrative and puzzle design from the ground up. The developers shifted from separate prototyping to a unified approach where each puzzle serves a clear story purpose, using a diegetic interface that...
‘The Sims 4’ Marketplace Launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Making UGC Available for the First Time on Consoles (Gaming News Roundup)
EA announced that The Sims 4 Marketplace is now available on PlayStation and Xbox as of April 16, letting console players browse, purchase, and download community‑created Maker Packs and Kits directly in‑game using Moola. The launch removes the need to restart a...
Construction Simulator: Evolution Introduces New Demolition and Manual Labor Gameplay
Construction Simulator: Evolution marks the series' biggest leap, adding demolition and hands‑on manual labor to the core construction experience. Players can now equip excavators with hydraulic breakers, steel shears, and concrete crushers, while avatars wield hammers, shovels, and nail guns...
It Blows My Mind That The Division Used To Look Like A World Of Warcraft-Style MMORPG
Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment revealed that *The Division* began as a World of Warcraft‑style MMORPG, complete with hotbars, cartoonish visuals, and even a dog companion. A new “Devs Playing” video shows developers discussing the original MMO design before the project pivoted...
Petit Planet Character Trailers Introduce Medowlyn, Msafiri, and Yunguo
HoYoverse has rolled out three new character trailers for its upcoming social‑simulation title Petit Planet, building anticipation ahead of the Stardrift closed beta. The videos introduce Yunguo, a red‑panda cultivator who tends gardens; Medowlyn, a sheep‑type plushie designer; and Msafiri,...
First Look: Metro 2039 Arrives This Winter
First images from Metro 2039, coming this winter from 4A Games for PC, Xbox and PlayStation.
My Tomodachi Life Is Hilariously Off the Rails
I hope your Tomodachi Life is as off the rails as mine. ❤️ #tomodachilife #videogames #kindafunny
Sea of Thieves Begins New Bilge Rats Weekender Event, Resets Doubloons and Gives Opportunities to Earn Some
Sea of Thieves launched its first Bilge Rats Weekender event, running from today through April 20, alongside a major Doubloon reset that caps wallets at 4,000. The update makes every Outpost shop purchasable with gold and introduces two exclusive Bilge Rats...
Network Effects and Exclusives Outweigh Digital Library Loss
Lots of good points here but I still fundamentally disagree with the Phil Spencer line that failure was inevitable after losing the digital library race in the PS4 generation. It's a factor for sure, but I think broader network effects...
Adventure Photography Game Tops Yearly Ratings
An Adventure Photography Game Has Quietly Become The Highest-Rated Game Of The Year https://t.co/deegFlsrX7 @sigonogames @SigonoScott @ShueishaGamesJP
Gaimin Gladiators Terminate Felps' Contract
Gaimin Gladiators announced the abrupt termination of João “felps” Vasconcellos’ contract, ending his six‑month tenure. The Brazilian rifler had helped the squad win the ECL South America Finals and secure a spot at the IEM Cologne Major. The organization named...
Ludwig Challenged to Conquer Eve and Return in KSP
I was so entertained watching @LudwigAhgren and @michaelreeves watch Artemis II reentry and splashdown. Ludwig, I know you love video game challenges... I hereby challenge you to land on Eve and return back to Kerbin in Kerbal Space Program. DO...
Expedition 33 Star Charlie Cox Has Finally Played the RPG
Charlie Cox, the voice of Gustave in the acclaimed RPG *Expedition 33*, spent a year fielding fan jokes about never playing the game. After recording just four hours of dialogue, he repeatedly dismissed his gaming credentials, even calling himself a “fraud.”...
Northernlion Cancels Streamer Supercruise Just Three Days After Announcing It, Surprising No One But Disappointing Everyone
Twitch personality Ryan "Northernlion" Letourneau announced a five‑day streamer cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship departing Tampa, but canceled the event just 72 hours later. The Supercruise, which would have featured fellow creators Dan Gheesling, Squeex and LovelyMomo, faced mounting...
Ashes of Creation Founder Posts Court Case Filings, Including Evidence About Alleged Loan-To-Buy Scheme, Intimidation, And More
Steven Sharif, founder of Ashes of Creation, released court filings accusing Intrepid Studios' former board of a loan‑to‑own scheme that allegedly starved the company of cash, forced mass layoffs and transferred assets to Rob Dawson’s TFE Holdings. The documents include...
Playdate Season 3 Is Coming Later This Year
Panic confirmed that Playdate Season 3 will arrive in time for the 2024 holidays, extending the console’s curated surprise‑game model. While the exact number of games and price remain undisclosed, the announcement follows a three‑year gap since Season 2’s launch. Season 2 delivered...
How Ebay’s Trading Card Marketplace TCGPlayer Is Using Xerox to Expand, Maintain ‘Trust’ With Magic: The Gathering, ‘Pokemon’ and ‘One...
eBay‑owned TCGPlayer launched the Roca Sifter, an automation device that identifies, prices and sorts trading‑card‑game cards without damaging them, thanks to a partnership with Xerox. The company says the Sifter works through sleeves, lowering costs for game stores and expanding trust...
Zonic: "Vitality Win a Lot of Games by People Already Being Scared and Thinking that They Can't Win. You Have...
Falcons shocked the CS:GO world by defeating Team Vitality, snapping the French squad's 18‑game winning streak at IEM Rio. Coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen emphasized a mindset of disrespecting opponents, taking risks, and confronting star player ZywOo head‑on. The team also...
PlayStation’s Long-Lost Fairgame$ Reportedly Pivoting to Include an Extraction Mode After Years of Silence
PlayStation’s Haven Studios is reportedly revamping its long‑shelved title Fairgame$ by adding an extraction‑shooter mode, a genre that has surged in popularity since 2020. The game, first unveiled in 2023 as a competitive heist experience, remains in development three years...
Embark Expands THE FINALS Esports With $200K Global Circuit, Stockholm Championship Return
Embark Studios announced a $200,000 Global Circuit for its FPS title THE FINALS, featuring an open‑entry regional online series that feeds into a 16‑team live Grand Major in Stockholm from November 27‑29, 2026. The circuit spans the Americas, EMEA, and...
ARC Raiders’ Blazing Marathon Is Rapidly Slowing Down. Is It Finally Time to Start Worrying About Its Future?
ARC Raiders launched in October and quickly became a flagship live‑service extraction shooter, regularly hitting new player‑count peaks. By January 2026 it reached a record 481,966 concurrent players, but the average has since fallen to roughly 92,000, an 80% decline....
Wizards Of The Coast’s New Critical Role-Style Show Is A Mini Baldur’s Gate 3 Reunion
Wizards of the Coast is debuting an actual‑play series called *Dungeon Masters* on April 22, 2026, with episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. The five‑person cast features Baldur’s Gate 3 voice talent Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde, alongside veteran DM Jasmine Bhullar,...
Plinko-Style Roguelike Strategy PC Hit Nubby’s Number Factory Is Out on Mobile
Nubby’s Number Factory, a plinko‑style roguelike that launched on PC, is now available on Android via Google Play. The developer offers a full paid version at $4.99 and a free lite version mirroring the Steam demo, both ad‑free and without...
Show HN: Shader Lab, Like Photoshop but for Shaders
Shader Lab is a new browser‑based visual editor that lets users create GPU shaders using a Photoshop‑style interface. The tool presents familiar layers, masks, and a suite of effect sliders—including bloom, distortion, CRT, and glitch—so designers can tweak visual parameters...
Remembering the Legendary Yongsan iPark Esports Studio
10 years ago the most legendary esports studio of all time closed. New OGN location (while it lasted) was nice, but you can never beat the magic that the Yongsan iPark Mall studio had. If walls could talk... https://t.co/0zqM6zMPBL
Tomodachi Life Living the Dream Personality and Personality Chart
PocketTactics released a detailed guide for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, outlining the 16 in‑game personalities across four core groups. The guide explains how regional naming differences map to identical traits and provides exact answer selections for movement, speech, energy,...
Metro 2039 Revives Series' Bleak Post‑Apocalyptic Atmosphere
Metro’s particular style of post-apocalyptic bleakness and misery is back with Metro 2039, and I’ve already reinstalled Metro Exodus to get in the mood. https://t.co/CbYJVKrEPU
Chinese Esports Host Accused Of Blackface Following On-Stream Stunt
Chinese esports commentator Zha Zha appeared on the 2026 NBPL Spring Tournament stream painted entirely in black, echoing a popular in‑game stealth skin used by top *Naraka: Bladepoint* players. The stunt was intended as a tactical reference, not a response to...
"War Is Our Reality": 4A Reveal Metro 2039, a Horror FPS Inspired by Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Metro 2039, the next single‑player entry from Kyiv‑based 4A Games, re‑enters the Metro universe with a horror‑FPS set in a devastated Moscow metro. The game adopts a distinctly Ukrainian viewpoint, weaving explicit parallels to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into its narrative...
Battlefield 6 2026 Roadmap Reveals New Maps, Ranked Play, Naval Warfare, And More
Battlefield Studios unveiled its 2026 roadmap for Battlefield 6 and the free‑to‑play Redsec mode, outlining a series of seasonal updates through the year. Season 3 (May) will debut the franchise’s largest map, Railway to Golmund, and add ranked play to Redsec, while...
Krauser Teased for Impending Return in Fatal Fury: City of the Wovles, NeoGeo AES+ Console Unveiled Based on Original Hardware
SNK announced that Wolfgang Krauser will return as a DLC character in the upcoming fighting title Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, teasing a new stage and a gameplay trailer later this month. The company also unveiled the NeoGeo AES+...
Company of Heroes 3: Dare & Destroy DLC Announced with 4 New Battlegroups
Relic Entertainment announced the "Dare & Destroy" DLC for Company of Heroes 3, set to launch on May 14 for PC at $24.99. The expansion adds four distinct battlegroups—US Free French, Wehrmacht Siege Breaker, British Special Services, and Deutsches Afrikakorps Elite Forces—each with...
Battlefield 6 Adds Naval Warfare, Wake Island, a Server Browser, and Map Reworks in 2026
Battlefield 6’s 2026 roadmap rolls out a series of major updates, starting with Season 3’s Railway to Golmud, the franchise’s largest map. Season 4 adds naval warfare on the new Tsuru Reefs map and revives Wake Island with operational carriers. The update also...
Epic Games HR Chief Departs, Company Offers No Comment
The head of HR at Epic Games is no longer at the company. Her last day was April 15 but the Fortnite maker declined to elaborate further. https://t.co/pwzisIXP2c
Epic’s Head Of HR Is Out Less Than A Month After 1,000+ Layoffs
Epic Games announced that chief people officer Monika Fahlbusch will leave the company, with her last day on April 15, less than a month after the firm cut more than 1,000 jobs. The departure comes amid a second wave of...
How Tencent Is Using AI to Make Fighting Games More Fluid | GDC Interview
Tencent’s MoreFun Studios is deploying generative AI to fine‑tune character movements in real time for its upcoming fighting title, The Hidden Ones. At GDC’s Festival of Gaming, head of AI Elvis Liu demonstrated how the system can produce fluid animations...
Mii Interactions Took Six Years to Perfect, Says Lead Programmer
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream lead programmer Takaomi Ueno has said one of the most challenging aspects of development was Mii interactions and that it took around "six or seven years" to get right. https://t.co/Wx0vgq0II5
Reddit Praise for Bungie's Marathon Highlights Gender Inclusivity in an “Unc” Shooter
A Reddit thread about Bungie's live‑service shooter Marathon praised the game's community for being welcoming to feminine‑presenting players, while the top‑voted reply coined the term “unc game.” The discussion underscores shifting gender dynamics and the rising influence of gamers over...
Xbox's New Chief Asha Sharma Prioritizes Platform Foundations
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief starts making her mark. In this week's Notepad 📒 I reveal more of Asha Sharma's Xbox memo, including a "deeper investment in the Xbox platform foundations." Live now for subscribers 👇 https://t.co/hA5cQ2CL1M
Roblox’s AI Assistant Gets New Agentic Tools to Plan, Build, and Test Games
Roblox announced a suite of agentic features that upgrade its Roblox Assistant from a simple prompt‑response tool to a collaborative development partner. The new Planning Mode lets the assistant analyze code, ask clarifying questions, and generate editable action plans before...
Lana Del Rey Sings Theme for New 007 Game
Lana Del Rey is set to perform the theme song for the new 007 game First Light. https://t.co/xRA8WztZG5
YouTuber Who Showcases "Adult-Oriented" Resident Evil Requiem and Stellar Blade Mods Claims Capcom's Laywers Asked Him to Take Down over...
YouTuber GrizzoUK posted an alleged Capcom legal notice demanding the removal of 1,004 videos that feature adult‑oriented mods for Resident Evil Requiem, Stellar Blade and other titles. The email cites copyright infringement and brand‑image concerns, giving a April 21 deadline. GrizzoUK...
Indie Teams Drive Innovation as AAA Layoffs Rise
Interestingly the innovation is in the frontier with indie teams and vibe coding, while AAA just sheds more and more jobs.
Pragmata’s, Resident Evil Requiem’s RE Engine Path Tracing Integration Explained in Hour-Long Video
Capcom and Nvidia unveiled an hour‑long GDC presentation detailing how they integrated real‑time path tracing into the RE Engine for Resident Evil Requiem and the upcoming Pragmata. The feature, built over 18 months by Capcom engineers Kenta Nakamoto and Kosuke...
KRAFTON Announces Closed Test for 'PUBG: Black Budget' In EU
PUBG Studios, a KRAFTON subsidiary, announced a three‑day closed community test for its upcoming extraction shooter ‘PUBG: Black Budget’ in the European region. The test, scheduled for April 22‑24, will be invitation‑only and limited to EU residents with prior experience in...
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Games and Movies Are Rushing to Jump Into Bed While They're Still Getting to Know Each Other | Opinion
The London Games Festival’s Screen Play event highlighted a booming transmedia wave as video‑game IPs flood Hollywood. Industry leaders cited A24’s Elden Ring adaptation and a claim that roughly 25% of future movies will stem from games, signaling a shift...