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News•Feb 24, 2026
Saga and Etermax Bring Trivia Crack’s Willy to Life as an AI Character Agent | Exclusive
Saga, a hyperscaling AI platform, partnered with Etermax to launch an AI‑driven version of Willy, the mascot of the Trivia Crack franchise. The new agent can converse with users across social platforms, aiming to deepen community interaction and attract fresh players. Trivia Crack already commands about 150 million annual users, making Willy a high‑visibility brand asset. The initiative showcases how game studios are leveraging generative AI to extend IP beyond the core app experience.
By GamesBeat
Deals•Feb 24, 2026
Power Protocol Raises $3M From Bitkraft Ventures
Power Protocol, a blockchain infrastructure platform for gaming and digital entertainment, announced a $3 million investment from Bitkraft Ventures, bringing its total funding to $15.5 million. The capital will support the $POWER token economy and shared infrastructure for partner studios.
GamesBeat
News•Feb 23, 2026
Games Journalism’s Challenges in 2026: The BIG Show with Christopher Dring and Kaare Eriksen
Video game journalism entered 2026 under severe pressure, with widespread layoffs, shrinking freelance budgets, and shifting audience habits eroding traditional business models. At GamesBeat’s Hollywood & Games event, Alexander Lee interviewed Christopher Dring and Kaare Eriksen, who highlighted the sector’s...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 23, 2026
Brendan Greene to Headline GamesBeat Crossfire Event 2026 in SF, Joined by a Lineup of Industry Leaders; Larry Hryb (Major...
GamesBeat Crossfire 2026, scheduled for March 10 in San Francisco during GDC week, will feature PUBG creator Brendan Greene as the headline speaker and Xbox veteran Larry Hryb as the official emcee. The invite‑only, debate‑centric event promises live, unscripted discussions...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 23, 2026
Giant Raises $8M to Build Interactive Storytelling for Kids | Exclusive
Giant, a San Francisco‑based interactive storytelling startup, announced an $8 million seed round. The funding will power expansion of its AI‑native platform that lets children become story creators, converse with memory‑enabled characters, and build evolving worlds. By combining visual authoring tools...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 23, 2026
Roblox Creators View Film and TV Adaptations as a Promising Revenue Stream
Roblox creators are actively pursuing film and television adaptations of their original intellectual property, viewing entertainment deals as a lucrative new revenue channel. The platform’s user engagement is nearing that of major streaming services, with Q3 2025 user hours reaching...
By GamesBeat
Deals•Feb 23, 2026
Giant Raises $8M in Seed Round to Expand AI-Native Interactive Storytelling Platform
San Francisco‑based Giant announced an $8 million seed round to accelerate its AI‑native interactive storytelling platform for children, enabling them to create and engage with personalized story worlds. The funding will support product development and market expansion.
GamesBeat
News•Feb 22, 2026
Sarah Bond Bids Farewell to Xbox Colleagues
Sarah Bond resigned as Xbox president and COO, coinciding with Phil Spencer’s announced retirement as CEO. Bond, who spent eight years in senior roles and served as the No. 2 executive alongside Matt Booty, is leaving the company. Matt Booty will...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 20, 2026
Genvid Introduces Story Maps to Continue ‘DC Heroes United’ Narrative
Genvid has launched Story Maps, a new feature that adds branching narrative layers to its interactive streaming platform. The tool is being rolled out with the mobile game DC Heroes United, which debuted on November 20, 2024 and is licensed...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 20, 2026
WePlay Studios and Global Gaming League Will Host League Competitions in California | Exclusive
WePlay Studios announced a partnership with the Global Gaming League to stage league competitions in California, shifting some esports activity from Las Vegas to the West Coast. The collaboration combines WePlay’s high‑production content capabilities with GGL’s celebrity‑owned team model. Events...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 20, 2026
Black Voices in Gaming Showcase Reveals New Games and Trailers
Nonprofit XPerience Studios hosted the Black Voices in Gaming Showcase, a two‑hour livestream highlighting games created by Black developers. The event featured three exclusive announcements from Virtuoso Neomedia, including Santa Corps, Santa Corps 4 and the upcoming Virtuoso Skins Game. Additional...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 19, 2026
AI-Powered MMO Dreamworld Announces March 10 Early Access Launch
Dreamworld Realities announced that its AI‑powered sandbox MMO, Dreamworld, will enter early access on March 10 after a Steam Next Fest demo on February 23. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 and offers an infinite shared world where procedural...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 19, 2026
Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Pixel Flow Team at $1B Valuation
Scopely announced a majority‑stake acquisition of Istanbul‑based Loom Games, the studio behind the mobile puzzle title Pixel Flow, at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Pixel Flow, launched in late 2025, has already attracted more than ten million players worldwide. The financial...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 18, 2026
How Secret Door Created Roguelite Shadowstone From the Roots of Sunderfolk | Interview
Secret Door announced two major updates: a 2.0 overhaul of its co‑op tactical RPG Sunderfolk and a brand‑new solo roguelite titled Shadowstone. Shadowstone emerged from an experimental mode within Sunderfolk, evolving into a standalone title that shares the same universe...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 18, 2026
How Transport Fever 3’s Six-Year Development Journey Showcases the Gaming Industry’s Evolution
Urban Games announced Transport Fever 3 in May 2025, marking the third entry in its transport‑simulation franchise after the 2019 release of Transport Fever 2. The title has been in development for six years and will ship with more than 300 vehicles, adding...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 18, 2026
Annapurna Will Launch Musical RPG People of Note on April 7
Annapurna Interactive and Iridium Studios unveiled a new gameplay trailer and a Steam demo for People of Note, a turn‑based musical RPG. The title launches worldwide on April 7 across PC (Steam, Epic), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
Vertiqal Studios Is Staffing up in a Bid to Bring More Brands Into the Gaming Ecosystem
Vertiqal Studios, the Toronto‑based content and agency firm, is expanding its workforce to accelerate the integration of consumer brands into the gaming ecosystem. The company, formerly Wondr Gaming, rebranded in 2023 and now manages more than 350 owned properties that...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
Courtyard Launches Zodiac-Themed Pokémon Card Pack for Lunar New Year | Exclusive
Courtyard.io announced a Zodiac‑themed Pokémon card pack for Lunar New Year 2026, marking the game’s 30th anniversary. The limited set features twelve cards, each representing a Chinese zodiac animal, with prices starting at $99. Buyers receive a digital preview and...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
FirstLook 1.0 Launches with New Player Relationship-Tracking Features
FirstLook 1.0 launched after extensive playtests with studios like Krafton, Skybound and Bad Robot Games. The platform, now used by Remedy Entertainment, System Era, Dreamhaven, Avalanche Studios, Build A Rocket Boy, 11 Bit Studios and New Tales, adds creator campaign management...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
Star Trek Online Releases Corruption Seasonal Update on the MMO’s 16th Anniversary
Cryptic Studios released the Corruption seasonal update for Star Trek Online on its 16th anniversary, coinciding with the franchise’s 60th anniversary. The update launches on PC today, with a console rollout slated for March 10. Corruption adds new missions, story...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
NZXT Launches Small Desktop Case and Power Supply for Prebuilt PC Gaming Rigs
NZXT unveiled two new compact components—the H2 Flow Mini‑ITX case and the C850 SFX 850‑watt power supply—aimed at its pre‑built gaming rigs. Both products promise high‑performance builds in a smaller footprint, matching the capabilities of larger tower systems. The case...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
Gaming’s Identity Crisis: Matthew Ball Highlights Industry Fragmentation in New Presentation
Analyst Matthew Ball released a new report describing a growing identity crisis in video games, noting that the industry has become increasingly fragmented over the past year. He points to divergent business models, platform silos, and shifting consumer habits as...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 17, 2026
Zillow for Warcraft Is a New Way to Explore World of Warcraft Homes
Zillow has teamed up with Blizzard Entertainment to launch "Zillow for Warcraft," a dedicated microsite that showcases a curated collection of player‑owned homes in World of Warcraft. The launch coincides with the long‑awaited player housing feature going live in the...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 16, 2026
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Servers Will Shut on April 17
Activision announced that Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile servers will be shut down on April 17, 2026, ending the game’s online availability. The decision follows a period of declining player retention despite strong initial download numbers. Until the shutdown date,...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 14, 2026
Esports Nations Cup Adds Rainbow Six: Siege to 2026 Tournament Lineup
The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) announced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege will join its roster of 16 titles for the inaugural 2026 edition. The tournament will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2‑29, featuring 24 national teams...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 14, 2026
Intellivision Sprint Is a Surprising Blast From the Past | Impressions
Atari has revived the Intellivision brand with the new Intellivision Sprint, a dedicated retro console that bundles 45 classic titles. The device connects via HDMI, includes two wireless controllers, and uses physical overlays to accommodate each game’s unique control scheme....
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 13, 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Picks up Another Game of the Year | Dice Awards
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 captured the Game of the Year honor at the 29th Dice Awards during the Dice Summit in Las Vegas. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences highlighted the title for its breakthrough interactive storytelling, technical innovation,...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 13, 2026
State of Play Reveals John Wick, Castlevania and God of War Games
Sony’s latest State of Play, possibly its longest yet, showcased a slate of new PlayStation 5 titles including John Wick and Castlevania. The event culminated with a surprise God of War announcement: a remake of the original trilogy is in early...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 12, 2026
Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition Includes a Documentary and Unreleased SNES Prototype
Ubisoft is releasing Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition tomorrow on PC, consoles, and Ubisoft+. The compilation bundles the original 1995 platformer alongside several later versions, a brand‑new documentary, and an unreleased SNES prototype. New content is designed to preserve the franchise’s...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 12, 2026
The State of Xbox Hardware in 2026, and What the Future Might Hold
Microsoft’s FY2026 Q2 earnings reveal a 9% YoY drop in total gaming revenue, with Xbox hardware sales plunging 32% due to lower console volumes. The filing attributes the broader gaming slowdown to a strong 2024 first‑party content year that inflated...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 12, 2026
CCP Teams up with Sui on Eve Frontier Hackathon with $80K Prize Pool
CCP Games has partnered with the Sui blockchain to launch the Eve Frontier × Sui Hackathon 2026, offering an $80,000 prize pool. The online competition runs from March 11 to March 31 and challenges participants to build mods for Smart...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 11, 2026
How Gaming Can Foster Personal and Professional Change | Boss Mode with Dr. Marie-Claire Isaaman
The Boss Mode interview with Dr. Marie‑Claire Isaaman explores how video games can drive personal growth and professional development. Isaaman argues that interactive play cultivates problem‑solving, resilience, and leadership skills transferable to the workplace. She highlights initiatives by Women in...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 11, 2026
Why the Gaming Industry Is Insulated From a Potential AI Crash
The gaming sector has rapidly integrated AI tools for tasks ranging from NPC design to procedural content generation, yet experts say AI remains an efficiency enhancer rather than a production necessity. A potential AI market crash would likely strain fundraising...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 11, 2026
Bonfire Studios Announces Open Demo for Debut Title Arkheron
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,...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 11, 2026
IGDA Foundation Prepares for Second Download for Charity (DLC) Sale on Steam
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...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 11, 2026
Virtuix Expands Omni One VR Sales to Europe After IPO
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...
By GamesBeat
News•Feb 10, 2026
Mattel Acquires Full Ownership of Mattel163 From NetEase
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....
By GamesBeat