Know What's Happening in Gaming
Know What's Happening in Gaming
GTA 5 set to leave Xbox Game Pass on April 15, 2026
Grand Theft Auto 5 will be removed from Xbox Game Pass on April 15, 2026, ending its longest run on the service since April 2025. The title has been added and removed multiple times since 2020, underscoring the volatility of third‑party games on subscription platforms.
Bonfire Studios revealed an open demo for its debut title Arkheron, a fast‑paced competitive PvP action game slated for a Steam PC launch on February 20. The game pits fifteen three‑player squads against each other as they ascend a surreal, ever‑changing Tower, battling monsters and rival teams. Players have no fixed heroes; instead they loot items mid‑match to craft unique builds that evolve floor‑by‑floor. The final two squads clash in a winner‑takes‑all showdown at the Tower's apex.
SNK’s Season 2 balance patch for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves reshapes the competitive hierarchy, as Alioune releases his first post‑patch tier list. Hotaru, previously the dominant pick, falls to roughly sixth place, while Hokutomaru vaults to the top of...
Overwatch has been relaunched with a major content reset, dropping the "2" label and introducing a fresh lobby UI. The update adds five new heroes and kicks off the "Reign of Talon – Season 1: Conquest" storyline, featuring a five‑week faction...
Publisher 505 Games and developer MercurySteam announced that Blades of Fire will launch on Steam on May 14, a year after its Epic Games Store debut. The release coincides with a free Version 2.0 update across all platforms, adding Game Plus, new...
The IGDA Foundation is launching its second annual Download for Charity (DLC) event on Steam from March 27 to April 6, 2026. Developers can pledge at least 5% of sales—20% is encouraged—to fund the foundation’s inclusive, sustainable game‑development programs. The...
Grasshopper Manufacture’s new hack‑n‑slash *Romeo is a Dead Man* launches with a striking main‑menu that resembles an astral fish tank, where a single disintegrating fish drifts among floating planets and dancing coral. Menu text fragments into pixel‑sized atoms when not...
Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced that Subnautica and its expansion Subnautica: Below Zero will arrive on Nintendo’s Switch 2 on February 17. The titles, originally released on Switch 1 in 2020, have been upgraded to run at 1440p docked and 1080p handheld with a...
Bellring Games announced that its dark‑fantasy PvPvE extraction RPG Mistfall Hunter will launch in July 2026 on Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The PS5 port is being built to ship day‑and‑date with the other platforms. A...
Return to Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle, two iconic 1980s Macintosh platformers, are receiving a definitive‑edition bundle on Steam. The release, overseen by series co‑creator Mark Stephen Pierce’s studio Ludit Holdings, features fully remastered visuals and audio, refined controls,...
Sony announced its Helldivers feature film starring Jason Momoa, slated for a November 10, 2027 premiere. The sci‑fi shooter adaptation will be directed by Justin Lin, the veteran behind the Fast & Furious franchise. The movie follows the launch of Helldivers II in...
Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games unveiled a new "Love Story" trailer for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, timed for Valentine’s Day. The teaser highlights a fresh narrative centered on protagonist Aidan and the Genesis Configuration puzzle box. The game promises...
Virtuix, the maker of full‑body VR treadmill systems, announced that its Omni One hardware will now be sold across Europe following its recent initial public offering. European customers in Germany, the United Kingdom, France and other EU nations can place...
Microsoft withdrew a DMCA takedown notice it had filed against the voxel sandbox Allumeria, which was accused of using Minecraft gameplay and assets. Valve initially removed Allumeria’s Steam page in response, but restored it after Microsoft’s claim was withdrawn. The...
JabhiM, one of the 48 qualifiers for Capcom Cup 12, released a personal match‑up chart for Terry Bogard ahead of the tournament. The chart highlights Terry’s strong positions against JP, Ken, Marisa, Mai, Elena, C. Viper and A.K.I., while flagging tougher battles...
Stranger Land: The Beginning is an indie, web‑based stealth platformer released by developer AyoXixx using the Phaser framework. Players guide a yellow cubic avatar through neon‑lit futuristic levels, activating portals while evading drones and security systems. The game features a...
Blizzard will unveil Diablo 4's second class during a 30th‑anniversary livestream on February 13. The reveal is tied to the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion, slated for release on April 28, and will also preview revamped skill trees and new end‑game mechanics. The...
Ubisoft has launched the "Eye of the Beast" season for its troubled open‑world pirate title Skull and Bones, introducing a multi‑phase Kraken boss and a new Corvette support vessel. The update also revives the Founding Event to celebrate the game’s...
Riot Games’ new fighting game 2XKO launched in January 2026 and quickly climbed PlayStation’s free‑to‑play download charts, ranking third in the United States and Canada and tenth in Europe. The title outperformed heavyweight titles such as Fortnite, Roblox, Marvel Rivals,...
Japanese indie studio Grasshopper Manufacture announced during a Grasshopper Direct video that it plans to release an unannounced title later in 2026, following the February launch of *ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN*. Founder Goichi Suda emphasized the project is “almost...
Terrinoth: Heroes of Descent marks the first video‑game adaptation of the modern classic board game Descent. The title offers eight distinct adventurers and twenty story‑driven dungeons, with turn‑based combat that stresses positioning, elevation and line of sight. It supports up...
Mattel announced it will acquire NetEase’s 50% stake in the mobile‑gaming joint venture Mattel163, valuing the studio at $318 million. The deal, slated to close by the end of Q1 2026, will be funded largely with cash generated from the existing partnership....
Invincible Vs introduces two new playable Viltrumites, Anissa and Lucan, expanding its roster to four characters from the franchise. Lucan is designed as a grappler with unblockable moves and super‑armor, while Anissa focuses on high‑speed rush‑down and counter‑attack options. The...
Indie studios IronEqual and STRAFTAT have launched a playable demo for VHOLUME, a first‑person parkour adventure inspired by Mirror’s Edge. The demo is now available on Steam for PC, though the full game’s launch date remains unannounced. Set in a...
International esports tournament operator BLAST has renewed its partnership with ASUS Republic of Gamers for the 2026 season of its Counter‑Strike 2 series. Under the agreement, ASUS ROG will provide official monitors, PCs, laptops, keyboards and mice for six BLAST Premier...
The episode dives into Nitro Concepts' Immersion Metahaptics Kit, a high‑end haptic seat system that uses USB‑controlled actuators to simulate gear shifts, engine rumble, ABS, wheelslip, and road feel for racing simulators. Reviewers from TweakTown found the tactile feedback surprisingly...
Unknown Worlds released a new dev vlog for Subnautica 2 showcasing a dive elevator and confirming that multiplayer will be optional. Every feature has been built with co‑op capability, but no part of the game will require other players. The dive...
Savvy Games Group announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Stockholm‑based visual‑effects studio NMBRS at the D.I.C.E. conference, aiming to boost esports and game development in Saudi Arabia. NMBRS will establish a Riyadh presence, bringing VFX expertise from titles such as...
Besiege, the physics‑based building game, announced its first major expansion, The Broken Beyond, targeting a Q2 2026 release. The expansion transports players to space, featuring a new campaign, specialized propulsion blocks, and a fresh fuel system. It adds orbital gravity mechanics,...
Embark Studios has launched the Shared Watch PvE event in Arc Raiders, running through February 24. Players earn merits and rewards by damaging or destroying the game’s Arc bots, while PvP kills provide no benefits. The update also reintroduces the Cold...
Developer JSLegendDev rebuilt his Sonic infinite runner using Phaser 4 Release Candidate 5, fixing performance problems that plagued the original version. The step‑by‑step tutorial walks readers through Vite project setup, sprite animation, arcade physics, collision handling, combo scoring, sound integration,...
Supermassive Games announced that its next Dark Pictures entry, Directive 8020, will launch on May 12, 2026. The sci‑fi horror title introduces a "Turning Points" system that lets players rewind pivotal choices, while retaining a traditional Survivor Mode with permanent death. The...
The Khronos Group marked its 25th anniversary by launching a series of celebratory videos that showcase its flagship open standards such as OpenGL, Vulkan, OpenXR, glTF and OpenCL. The consortium, led by President Neil Trevett, highlighted how its member‑driven model has...
![[Industry News] Bastion Brings Exceptional Service, International Reach to North American Games Companies with Launch of Bastion America](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/Rebekah_Nicodemus_4.jpg)
Bastion, the award‑winning video‑games communications agency, has opened Bastion America, a US‑based arm designed to deliver the same high‑caliber strategic, media and community services to North American developers. The new division is led by Rebekah Nicodemus, a former Amazon Games...
Build A Rocket Boy installed Teramind monitoring software on staff PCs without prior notice, prompting employees to notice slower performance and later sign an updated IT privacy policy. The rollout coincided with executives alleging a coordinated external campaign to sabotage...
Wishful's Planet of Lana II will launch on March 5 2026, with a Steam demo hitting the platform on February 11. The demo showcases the sequel’s expanded hand‑painted visuals, larger puzzles, and new mechanics such as Mui’s ability to control wildlife thralls, including an...
Cygames released a detailed guide for Ilsa, the newest DLC fighter in Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, ahead of her in‑game debut later today. The guide reveals a unique nine‑bullet resource system that fuels her attacks and follow‑ups, with a dedicated reload...
GE‑Proton 10‑30 has been released, bringing community‑maintained patches that improve compatibility for Arknights Endfield, EA titles, and winewayland systray handling. The update also introduces experimental support for compiling Proton on aarch64/ARM platforms, though it requires an unreleased umu‑launcher build. Users are advised...
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut described his IEM Kraków 2026 Grand Final as flawless, leading Vitality to a decisive victory over FURIA and securing a rare back‑to‑back IEM title. He highlighted his peak hybrid AWP performance, noting how it opened strategic options for his...
![[Industry News] Hitoshi Sakimoto Invites You to Join Him for Game Music Festival 2026](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/featured.jpg)
Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto announced a 40th‑anniversary concert, “The Colors of Harmony,” in London on 13 June 2026 as part of the Game Music Festival. The event will showcase orchestral versions of his scores for Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and...
![[Industry News] Aether & Iron, Narrative RPG, Coming to PC March 31](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/aether.png)
Seismic Squirrel announced that its narrative‑driven RPG *Aether & Iron* will launch on PC via Steam on March 31, 2026. The game places players in an alternate‑1930s New York where aether enables vertical cityscapes and anti‑gravity tech. Players control Gia, a...
Mario Tennis Fever launches on the upcoming Switch 2 with a $70 price tag, delivering solid core tennis mechanics but a lackluster single‑player adventure. The review criticizes the adventure mode’s disjointed vignettes, excessive cutscenes, and filler content that feels more like...
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will launch with a roster of 20 fighters, confirming the size of the initial character pool. So far only eight heroes—Captain America, Iron Man, Storm, Doctor Doom, Star‑Lord, Ms. Marvel, Spider‑Man and Ghost Rider—have been officially named, leaving...
Ayaneo unveiled the Next II, a 13‑inch Windows gaming handheld that tips the scales at 3.14 pounds, dwarfing rivals like the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go. The device packs a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor with a Radeon 8060S GPU, delivering performance comparable to...
Bandai Namco released Tekken 8 Version 2.09 on February 9, accompanied by the Season 3 Pass priced at $35. The patch introduces new DLC, a Qipao costume pack, and a five‑week 2nd‑anniversary campaign, but it does not alter character balance. Server maintenance runs from 1:30 p.m. PT...
Riot Games announced it is laying off roughly 80 employees from its 2XKO fighting‑game team, representing about half of the development staff. The cuts come just weeks after the game’s 1.0 launch on PC and consoles, with the company citing...
#BTS on episode 1 of @dhl_global x @eslcs The Dispatch - full ep on Youtube now. Amazing work by the team at chewproductions
Amazon has announced Callum Vinson as Atreus for its live‑action God of War series, joining Ryan Hurst as Kratos. Vinson, known for roles in Chucky and The Night Agent, brings youthful credibility to the ten‑year‑old son central to the 2018...
Former Rockstar QA tester Alex Kane’s studio Pawsmonaut Games is set to release Aethus, a sci‑fi survival title that blends Satisfactory‑style automation with a narrative‑driven third‑person perspective. Players explore layered underground caves, build holographic bases, and uncover a megacorp’s dark...
Team Ninja released a weekend patch for Nioh 3 that eliminates a rare bug which corrupted player save files when exiting at shrine checkpoints. The update also addresses several stability issues, including multiplayer map fall‑throughs, crashes when selecting “Become A Visitor,”...
Iter-8 is a new indie title that blends upward mining with tower‑defence mechanics, tasking players with excavating a brutalist monolith while fending off waves of red‑eyed monsters. Resources harvested in the mines fund upgrades for both the drilling equipment and...
