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Every morning
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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
Japanese ensemble New Japan BGM Philharmonic Orchestra performed a full orchestral version of the 1986 arcade title Arkanoid’s brief original soundtrack. The performance, captured on video, transforms the game’s sub‑minute synth theme into a concert‑ready arrangement. By reimagining a classic break‑out game’s music, the event showcases how retro gaming IP can be repurposed for live entertainment. The rendition underscores a broader trend of video‑game music entering mainstream cultural venues.
IO Interactive announced that 007 First Light will launch on May 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving later that year. The game promises an original James Bond origin story presented in a third‑person...
Developer Bungie announced a zero‑tolerance stance on cheating in its sci‑fi extraction shooter Marathon, rolling out new reporting tools and expanding telemetry to catch offenders. The latest patch, version 1.0.5.3, also rebalances gameplay by reducing melee knife effectiveness and making...
Google’s Android 17 Beta introduces system‑wide controller remapping, letting users assign button layouts for any connected gamepad across the entire OS. The feature eliminates the need for per‑game configuration or third‑party companion apps, streamlining the mobile gaming experience. Android’s move...
LordKnight released a provisional Winners and Losers tier list ahead of Guilty Gear Strive version 2.00, scheduled for April 9, 2026. The list crowns Axl, Chipp and I‑No as the biggest beneficiaries, while Asuka, A.B.A. and Testament are flagged as major losers. Additional characters...
The Hillside Manor Strongbox is an early‑game puzzle in Crimson Desert, located on the second floor’s southwest corner of the manor in northeastern Hernand. Players can bypass hostile guards by slipping through a rear window, then must rotate three dials...
Bungie's new extraction shooter Marathon has sold roughly 1.2 million copies and now averages 20,000‑30,000 concurrent players on Steam. The title’s modest live‑service numbers contrast sharply with Sony’s $3.7 billion acquisition of Bungie and its desire for Fortnite‑scale revenue. Compared with failed...
Purple Ray Studio announced Koshmar: The Last Reverie, a single‑player action‑adventure slated for a 2027 release on PC via Steam and unspecified next‑gen consoles. The game follows Violet, a teen who explores lucid dreams and nightmarish realms, balancing combat, puzzle‑solving,...
CyberConnect2 announced that its tactical RPG *Fuga: Melodies of Steel* will debut on Android and iOS in summer 2026. The mobile version bundles the Deluxe Edition content and all three DLC packs at no extra charge. Optimized touch controls, multiple...
Bylina, a Slavic‑folklore‑inspired action RPG, launches on PC on April 20 via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. Developed by Far Far Games and published by Digital Vortex, the game follows the young bogatyr Falconet as he shares his body with...
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On, a Game Freak title, revives the delisted 3DS horse‑racing solitaire for Apple Arcade. The game pairs Golf‑style solitaire rounds with horse positioning, creating a strategic loop where card skill directly impacts race outcomes. A breeding mechanic...
IO Interactive announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light will not arrive with the rest of the titles on May 27, 2026, but will be pushed to later summer. The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC releases remain on schedule...
Hello Games has rolled out the Xeno Arena update for No Man’s Sky, introducing turn‑based creature battles that echo Pokémon. Players will explore planets, capture alien lifeforms, and recruit them as companions for strategic duels at Holo‑Arena tables in space...
Forza Horizon 6’s preview reveals a massive, densely packed open‑world set in Japan, touted as the series’ most diverse map yet. The demo runs in a 30 FPS quality mode on Xbox Series S, delivering striking visuals and promising a 60 FPS performance mode...
Riot Games unveiled VCT 2027, a unified VALORANT esports tier that replaces regional leagues with open‑qualifier VCT Cups and accelerates progression to Masters and Champions. The new format offers multiple qualification windows, over 20 tournaments across 16 cities, and cash incentives for...
Forza Horizon 6 launches May 19, delivering a stunning open‑world recreation of Japan that includes landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing. The preview build on Xbox Series X offers only the prologue, but lets players roam most of the...
Scorbit, a smartphone‑based tournament platform, has launched real‑money arcade, pinball and barcade competitions that award cash prizes. The feature lets players compete in physical venues while wagering through the app, merging classic arcade gameplay with a connected, monetized experience. By...
Forza Horizon 6, the next open‑world racing entry, arrives with a sprawling Japan‑based map that blends neon‑lit cityscapes and rural backroads. A preview shows the game delivering the series' signature arcade fun while encouraging hours of side‑road exploration. Its launch coincides...
Forza Horizon 6 transports players to a meticulously crafted open‑world version of Japan, letting them experience right‑hand drive and left‑hand traffic in a high‑speed racing sandbox. The preview highlights how the studio treated the country itself as a character, delivering...
The UK video‑games industry shed a net 1,537 development jobs between April 2024 and September 2025, marking a 4.5% annualised decline and ending a 14‑year growth streak. Medium‑sized studios (16‑40 staff) bore the brunt, losing 21.6% of their workforce, while very large...
Fortnite is set to add a Toy Story‑themed cosmetic lineup, featuring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Emperor Zurg and an Alien sidekick, to the Item Shop as early as April 9, 2026. Leakers HYPEX and ShiinaBR say the bundle will include skins, emotes, a harvesting...
Xbox Game Studios and Playground Games released a six‑minute prologue for the Japan‑set open‑world racer Forza Horizon 6. The video highlights a 2024 Nissan GT‑R Nismo beside a bullet train, a snow‑ready Polaris RZR Pro 4, a 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 on...
Microsoft’s Xbox Project Helix is a forthcoming hybrid console that blends traditional console ease with PC‑level flexibility, offering access to both Xbox and PC game stores. The device incorporates FidelityFX Super Resolution, advanced ray tracing, and an AI‑driven Copilot assistant...
Pocket Gamer Connects rebrands as Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics and will run October 20‑21, 2026 in Helsinki, aligning with Finnish Games Week. Tickets are now on sale, with Super Early Bird discounts saving up to €425 (≈$460). The two‑day event expects over...
GamersGate is running a limited‑time Capcom sale that slashes prices on virtually every fighting title the publisher has released for PC. Street Fighter 6 is now $20, with Year 1 DLC passes 35% off and Year 2 passes 20% off, while the Capcom...
Open Sea For Brainrots, a Roblox‑based ocean‑running game, has just released two new promotional codes: DEVIL and RELEASE. The DEVIL code grants a divine Lerulerulerule, while RELEASE awards a mythic Frulli Frula. Players can redeem the codes via the in‑game...
$PLTK is a prominent gaming company that may be up for sale. A strategic review has finally been announced after five difficult years since the IPO. The stock is down about 90% over this period. The company trades at around 4x EV/ 2026E...
Pokémon Champions, a free‑to‑start battle simulator on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, is distributing a level‑50 Machamp through its Mystery Gift system. Players enter the code CHAMP10N to claim the Fighting‑type Pokémon, which features the No Guard ability and four high‑damage...
Mom Life Simulator, a new niche title on Steam, debuted on April 27 with a launch‑day discount. The game tasks players with juggling childcare, household chores, and personal well‑being, positioning itself as the latest entry in the expanding "simulator" genre that...
Lossless Scaling is an AI‑driven upscaling and frame‑generation tool that enhances visual fidelity and smoothness for games and emulators. It operates across Windows and Linux‑based handhelds such as the Steam Deck and Legion Go via plugins, delivering pixel‑perfect integer scaling...
Veteran Swedish player Jesper "JW" Wecksell guided his own organization, Eyeballers, to a 2‑1 victory over Fokus at PGL Bucharest, securing the team’s first MVP‑event playoff appearance in over five years. The win follows a default over FaZe and strong...
Xbox is running two beta tests in April 2026, a closed beta for the upcoming Game Pass title The Expanse: Osiris Reborn and an open beta for the free‑to‑play fighter Invincible VS. The closed beta is limited to players who pre‑ordered the Miller’s...
PUBG’s 41.1 patch launches Xeno Point, a co‑op PvE roguelite mode set on a corrupted Miramar map, and adds high‑profile crossovers with Stellar Blade’s EVE and K‑pop group aespa. The update also introduces destructible terrain on Erangel, a Level 3 Jammer...
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass adds the award‑winning Hades 2 on April 14, alongside a slate of new indie and strategy games, while retiring several older titles. The move sharpens the service’s value proposition against competing subscription platforms.
Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled The Playerbase, a program that will scan the likeness of a chosen PlayStation fan into Gran Turismo 7. The limited‑time initiative, announced by VP Isabelle Tomatis, will later roll out to additional PlayStation Studios titles.
Jordanian game studio Maysalward has unveiled the Golden Agers workshop, a full‑day program aimed at adults 65 and older. The initiative teaches seniors how to use digital devices, play memory‑ and movement‑focused games, and record personal stories and cultural heritage....
Crimson Desert lets players switch among three protagonists—Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka—but Oongka remains unpopular. He unlocks late, after roughly 50 hours of play, and his slow, heavy attacks lack traversal abilities. A mandatory early boss fight forces players to use...
Veteran game creator Daisuke Ishiwatari cautioned that prolonged overspecialization threatens developers’ adaptability and future employability. He highlighted Arc System Works’ new top‑down RPG Damon and Baby, where staff handle entire characters to diversify skills. Ishiwatari’s warning echoes similar concerns from...
Supercell co‑founder and CEO Ilkka Paananen will receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Games Awards on April 17. The honor places him alongside industry legends such as Hideo Kojima, Shigeru Miyamoto and Gabe Newell. Paananen’s 25‑year career includes building Supercell into a mobile‑gaming powerhouse...
“Small contracts” from Japanese game companies? Japanese game industry consultant here. In my 15 years around the block, I never witnessed “handshakes”or “small contracts” seal a deal. No matter if JapanJapan or JapanWestern studios, big or small, mobile or console.
Pokémon Champions launched on Nintendo Switch, offering players ten distinct starter lineups each paired with five free supporting Pokémon. After completing the tutorial, users select one starter—Pikachu, Charizard, Tyranitar, and others—without any cost. The guide highlights that Pikachu provides the...
Industry veterans Vladimír Geršl and Guillaume Jamet have launched Sail.game, a curated matchmaking platform that connects game developers with publishers. In early access the service logged over 13,000 interactions and onboarded more than 200 verified publishers. Developers pay a €99...
I saw the IP on reddit for the animgraph2 beta server but it has some map addon are there any IPs for EU animgraph 2 servers floating around?
![[Industry News] Collective of Industry Creatives Form New Independent Outsourcing Studio](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/1OH1_Logo_PRESS_RELEASE_small.jpg){kind=logo}
Veteran digital creator Russ Tyler launches 1oh1Designs, a fully remote independent studio offering co-development and art outsourcing for games, film, TV, and advertising. The studio draws on a decade of experience across digital marketing, web, AR/VR, UI systems, and game...
Spike Chunsoft announced that the physical releases of Shuten Order for Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Switch in North America will be delayed by one week, now shipping on April 30, 2026. The postponement is attributed to ongoing global shipping...
Seismic Squirrel announced that the Aether & Iron original soundtrack is now streaming worldwide on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Amazon Music and Steam, with a purchase option also on Steam. The 15‑track score was composed by two‑time Grammy winner...
The Lioncrest Manor puzzle in Crimson Desert is located northwest of Hernand Castle and can be accessed by climbing through a back‑door window after bypassing front guards. Inside the east room on the second floor, players encounter a 3×3 rotating‑tile...
Crimson Desert introduces a camp fast‑travel point that becomes usable after players start Chapter 4. The process begins by using the Focus Light ability to burn vines near the cabin, exposing an incomplete nexus. Players must then complete Leon Roberts’ quarry...
Arnout reflects on why sim racing, though often dismissed as merely a game, serves as a serious hobby, a technical challenge, and a viable niche business. He describes how virtual reality transforms the experience from a static rig to an...
CyberConnect2 announced that its turn‑based RPG Fuga: Melodies of Steel will arrive on iOS and Android in the summer of 2026, with pricing still to be determined. The mobile version will ship with touchscreen‑optimized controls and will bundle all content from the Deluxe Edition plus...
