The Week in Gaming - Issue #8

Highlights of the Week

• Stellar Blade’s social media was hacked over the weekend; hackers spammed cryptocurrency scam posts on their X social media account. The compromised account has since been fully recovered. Eurogamer

• Microsoft has backpedaled on its $80 price point for The Outer Worlds 2. Refunds for the price difference have been issued to pre-order customers. Video Games Chronicle

• Splitgate 2 is reversing its launch and heading “back to beta”, with a rerelease planned for next year. 1047 Games has laid off approximately 45 employees as a result of the events and its original Splitgate servers will be shutting down in August. Rock Paper Shotgun

Game News

• Final Fantasy 11’s biggest server, Asura, has been closed to new players due to stability issues arising from high player congestion. Players with existing characters on Asura will still be able to make a new one; new players will need to choose a different server to experience the game. Eurogamer

• Ubisoft has provided an update on Assassin’s Creed Shadows roadmap. The DLC, Claws of Awaji, is expected to be released on September 16. The DLC follows a content update at the beginning of September that will introduce hideout updates and allows players to change time of day and defog the world map. ComicBook Gaming

• Remedy’s FBC: Firebreak team has announced its new content and update roadmap for the game this week. The development team will be focused on onboarding, upgraded gameplay, and greater access to “Jobs” content. Eurogamer

Upcoming

• Live-action horror game Dead Take will be launching for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) on July 31. GamesBeat

• Manticore Games has announced their new multiplayer roguelike game, Out of Time. The game will be launching on the Epic Games Store on September 25. MMORPG.com

• Borderlands 4 has announced a Switch 2 release date of October 3. Nintendo Life

• The Battlefield 6 reveal trailer has been gone live, giving fans their first look at the game. Several reported leaks have the game launching on October 10, and an open beta has been confirmed from the Battlefield team. The Verge Games

• NASCAR 25 has confirmed its official release date as October 14. ComicBook Gaming

• The next entry in turn-based franchise Trails Beyond the Horizon will be launching on Switch and Switch 2 on January 15. Nintendo Life

• Critical Role has announced that they are working on their first video game, which will be set in the world of Exandria. The game is being co-developed with AdHoc Studio, founded by veterans from Telltale Games, Ubisoft, and Night School Studio. Eurogamer

• Dedicated battling game, Pokémon Champions, revealed a new gameplay trailer and a release window of 2026. The trailer showcased online and private battles for matches with strangers or your friends. The title will support both single and double battles. Eurogamer

• Space Marine 2 publishers reveal Hellraiser: Revival, a singleplayer horror with actor Doug Bradley returning as Pinhead. Rock Paper Shotgun

• Ubisoft has confirmed plans to release additional versions of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though it has not indicated what specific platforms will be added to the title’s slate. Video Games Chronicle

New Releases

• Puzzle solving and plushie collecting game Pokémon Friends has launched on the Nintendo e-shop. Eurogamer

• Descenders Next, RageSquid’s sequel to Descenders has shadow-dropped as early access on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and Game Pass Ultimate. Eurogamer

• Dreamhaven and Moonshot Games have officially launched space themed, crew based heist game Wildgate for PC, Xbox, and Playstation. MMORPG.com

• Supervive has officially launched its 1.0 version this week, receiving a resurgence of players according to SteamDB. MMORPG.com

• Sci-fi co-op survival game Abiotic Factor has received a massive update for its launch this week which includes crossplay, new items, combat and balance changes, and a slew of gameplay improvements. ComicBook Gaming

• “Dark” cozy game Grimshire has launched into Early Access on Steam this week. The Stardew Valley inspired title features permadeath and survival like farming and community building gameplay. ComicBook Gaming

• Iks, an enigmatic visual logic puzzler, is now available now on iOS. Pocket Gamer

• Soulslike game, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, has launched on Steam with a strong start in terms of concurrency, but has mostly negative reviews due to a number of significant performance issues. Eurogamer

• Naughty puppy simulator Doronko Wanko launched on Switch and Steam this week. You can never have too much puppy chaos in your life. Thanks Bentley and Doronko Wanko. Nintendo Life

Game Updates

• The Warframe dev team has announced that a new quest will be added to the game in order to explain its Warframe modding system, in attempt to tackle some of the onboarding confusion new players frequently experience in the game. Eurogamer

• Wuthering Waves has launched its update, the Unfading Melody of Life, which features a new location in the Fabricatorioum of the Deep, new exploration options and puzzles, and additional storylines. Pocket Gamer

• MindsEye's Hitman crossover mission has been delayed as the team continues to fix issues for the game. Eurogamer

• Elden Ring Nightreign's duo mode will be added to the game with their 1.02 update on July 30. Eurogamer

Spotlight: In Progress Developments

• Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra has opened for pre-registration this week. The 4v4 mobile MOBA is offering various goodies based on overall preregistrations received. Pocket Gamer

• Digital Extremes has announced that it is opening access to its upcoming fantasy RPG Soulframe to anyone who signs up for access to its alpha prelude tests. Eurogamer

• Riot Games has revealed that 2XKO’s closed beta will be available starting September 9 on Windows Pc, with other platforms following at a later date. The title will fully support cross-platform progression and inventory. GamesBeat

• Deadlock developer “Yoshi” posted an update for the game to fans on the official Discord server this week, indicating that the next update for the game “won’t be coming for some time still”. GamesRadar

• Techland has delayed Dying Light: The Beast to August 22. The announcement comes four weeks before it was due to release (originally Sept 19). Video Games Chronicle

Game Tech

• Microsoft has announced that it has shut down its TV and movie marketplace across all digital platforms, including the Xbox store. Game Developer

• PC gaming mouse and keyboard manufacturer Endgame Gear has admitted and apologized for unknowingly spreading malware after an infected version of their configuration tool software was left available to download from their website. Rock Paper Shotgun

• PlayStation has announced several new features as part of its latest beta firmware update, which includes a new Power Saver mode to scale back performance of supported titles and a new DualSense controller registration system to support up to 4 devices at once. Video Games Chronicle

• Nintendo’s LEGO Game Boy is releasing on October 1, with preorders now available in select locations. Nintendo Life

Social Impacts

• VTuber Ironmouse has led a mass exodus from her agency, VShojo, after claiming the agency had withheld over $500k in charity funds. Twelve of the 13 creators in the VShojo agency have officially announced their split as of Friday afternoon, with some also claiming unpaid wages as the reason for their departure. PC Gamer

• Darkpaw Games has announced the kickoff of its 2025 Extra Life fundraising efforts. Everquest and Everquest 2 will include in-game incentives for community donations, individual donors, and individually fundraising players. MMORPG.com

• Dungeons & Dragons unveils a collab with Netflix for a brand new, Stranger Things board game. ComicBook Gaming

• Anti-porn group, Collective Shout, claimed credit for Steam's sex game crackdown. The group has been calling for the banning or delisting of games they regard as violently sexist, exploitative and/or abusive since its founding in 2009. Rock Paper Shotgun

• Itch.io apologized for “frustration and confusion” this week after the company delisted thousands of NSFW projects from Itch.io creators. The deindex occurred following a “campaign” against the company and Steam by Collective Shout. Rock Paper Shotgun

Spotlight: TV & Film

• Netflix show, Pokémon Concierge, is getting a second season, starting September 4. Eurogamer

• The Five Nights at Freddy's 2 movie trailer has been released this week and will be releasing in theatres on December 5. Eurogamer

• The film adaptation of Elden Ring has reportedly found its first star, as insider leaks indicate that actress Cailee Spaeny is in talks for a role in the project. ComicBook Gaming

In Memoriam: “Father of Elder Scrolls” Julian LeFay has passed away. His studio OnceLost Games released a statement saying Julian’s “legacy will live on in every realm, every quest, and every moment of wonder” in their upcoming fantasy RPG, The Wayward Realms. Todd Howard, employees from Bethesda and OnceLost, and others have shared their thoughts across social media this week. Rest in Peace Julian. GamesRadar

Till next week,

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