🎮 Daily Gaming Digest — April 30, 2026

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Pokémon & Nintendo

Nintendo's Copyright Hammer Falls on Beloved Pokémon YouTuber — Fan-favorite channel "PokéNational Geographic" has been forced to shut down after a barrage of copyright strikes from Nintendo. The creator shared a heartbreaking message saying "I don't know how to save the channel, I don't know if I can." It's another aggressive move from Nintendo's legal team, and the community is not happy about it.

Pokémon x Goldfish Snacks Are Coming for the 30th Anniversary — You can't eat Pokémon, but you can eat Pokémon-shaped Goldfish crackers! Limited-edition packs are on the way to celebrate Pokémon's 30th anniversary this year, and honestly, this is the crossover snack we didn't know we needed.

Japanese Pokémon Store Deploys Absurd Anti-Scalper Measures — One TCG shop in Japan is now requiring customers to pass a quiz before they can purchase cards. It's bizarre, it's creative, and frankly, if it stops scalpers from hoarding product, we're all for it.

Disqualified Pokémon GO Player Finally Speaks Out — Firestar73, the player stripped of a tournament win after weeks of controversy, has shared his side of the story, calling for reforms in how competitive Pokémon handles accidental disruptions. This one's been brewing for a while and it's worth following.

Monster Crown: Sin Eater Impresses on Switch — Nintendo Life gave this one-man-developed monster-catching RPG a positive review, calling it "satisfyingly deep and open-ended." If you've been craving a Pokémon-like with more edge, this might be your next obsession.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Updated to Version 1.4.0 — With a NEW STORY — This is the big one, folks. Nintendo has dropped a surprise update for Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Switch that doesn't just fix bugs — it adds entirely new story content. After February's patch, nobody expected this. Go download it right now.

Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition Rated for Switch 2 — Ahead of Dragon Quest Day next month, a new classification for a Switch 2 version of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition has surfaced. Square Enix and Nintendo clearly aren't done bringing beloved RPGs to the new hardware.

Tales of Eternia Remastered Rating Leaks Online — A PEGI rating for Tales of Eternia Remastered on Switch appeared briefly online before being pulled. Bandai Namco continues its aggressive remaster campaign and classic JRPG fans are eating well.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gets Patch 3.0.3 — A new update for both Switch and Switch 2 versions drops today, following the anniversary leaf statue addition from earlier this month. Grab it now if you're still tending your island.

Zelda Dungeon Maker? Sort Of — Temple Maker 64 Hits Steam — A solo developer has created Temple Maker 64, an N64-inspired tool that lets you build your own 3D Zelda-style dungeons. Nintendo still hasn't given us an official one, so the community is doing it themselves.

Total Chaos on Switch 2 Struggles with Performance — This first-person survival horror set on the mysterious Fort Oasis island launched on other platforms in November 2025, but its Switch 2 debut is marred by chaotic frame rates. One to wait on for patches.

Dbrand Launches Bold New Joy-Con Holder — The accessory maker claims its new Switch 2 controller grip is more comfortable than a Pro Controller. That's a spicy claim, dbrand — we'll be the judge of that.

Happy Birthday, Yoshiaki Koizumi! — The 35-year Nintendo veteran and Senior General Manager at Nintendo EPD turns 58 today. The man behind so many of our favorite Mario and Zelda moments deserves all the celebration.

Star Fox Puppet Mystery Solved — As rumors of a new Star Fox game continue to swirl, Eurogamer has finally tracked down what happened to those iconic promotional puppets Nintendo used to market the original SNES Star Fox back in the '90s. A wonderful piece of gaming history.

Shovel Knight x Crypt of the NecroDancer Crossover DLC Out Now — Brace Yourself Games is celebrating Crypt of the NecroDancer's 11th anniversary with a brand-new Shovel Knight crossover DLC pack, available right now. Two indie legends, one incredible mashup.

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Fortnite

No major Fortnite-specific updates today, but keep your eyes peeled — Resident Evil Requiem director revealed that Capcom cut an entire chapter from the game before release as part of a "rigorous process of selection and elimination." With RE collabs historically hitting Fortnite, this franchise remains one to watch. Meanwhile, Injustice 3 is rumored to be NetherRealm's next fighting game — and if DC skins return to the Item Shop alongside an announcement, it'll be a huge moment.

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Call of Duty

Call of Duty Movie Director Has a Controversial Past Unearthed by Fans — Internet sleuths on ResetEra dug up a 2013 interview with director Peter Berg that's raising eyebrows across the community. If you had any doubts about the resourcefulness of gaming detectives, this should put them to rest. The COD movie's production just got a lot more interesting — and not necessarily in a good way.

Xbox Games on PlayStation Cross $650 Million — Microsoft's multiplatform strategy is paying off massively, with Xbox titles on PS5 generating over $650 million in revenue. This obviously includes Call of Duty, which has been a tentpole of that cross-platform push. New Xbox boss Asha Sharma acknowledged "we know we have work to do" as console revenue continues to slide.

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Arc Raiders

Riven Tides Update Brings New Blueprints and Challenges — The latest Arc Raiders update adds four brand-new blueprints for players to hunt down, along with the fearsome Arc Turbines — massive enemies that require serious coordination to take down. PC Gamer has guides up for both if you need help tracking them down.

The Powered Descender Is Killing Everyone and It's Hilarious — Players are not having a great time with the new powered descender gadget, with many falling to fiery deaths instead of gracefully rappelling. "I am extremely disappointed," reads one community post that's become an instant meme. It's the kind of chaotic early-access energy we love.

Moss Farming Guide Is Already Essential — Need Moss for crafting? You'll find it on logs in the Dried Riverbed area of the Riven Tides zone. Meanwhile, Fertilizer is proving trickier to locate — check near the Avian Alarm project areas if you're hunting for it.

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Indie Games

Game Quest: The Backlog Battler Turns Your Shame Into a Game — This brilliant upcoming indie from a solo dev literally pulls your unplayed Steam library and turns those games into waves of enemies you have to fight. You can even battle against your friends' backlogs. With my 400+ unplayed games, I'm absolutely doomed.

Windrose Outlines First Major Content Update — The pirate survival hit has already sold over 1 million copies and peaked above 200,000 concurrent players after just two weeks in early access. The studio has outlined its first big content update, though it sounds like fans will need to be patient — it's going to take a bit.

Crimson Desert Devs Get Massive Bonuses — In a genuinely heartwarming story, Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young announced that every single employee at the studio received a bonus payment following Crimson Desert's breakout success. This is how you treat your team.

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Steam & PC

New Steam Controller Launches May 4th — Valve's long-awaited new Steam Controller drops this Sunday, and the company is rolling out the red carpet with a Steam client update featuring battery warnings, gamepad quick-chat, and remote download controls. There still aren't many PC-first gamepads on the market, and Valve says they "saw an opportunity."

Valve Is Pressuring Microsoft to Fix Windows Gaming — Here's a huge story: Valve's push with SteamOS and Linux gaming is reportedly forcing Microsoft to make significant improvements to Windows gaming performance. Years of letting Windows degrade for gamers may finally be getting addressed, and we have Valve's competitive pressure to thank.

American Truck Simulator: Illinois Expansion Coming Mid-May — SCS Software has locked in a release date for the Illinois expansion, and they're also teasing a brand-new truck. If you're a long-haul trucker at heart, your route map is about to get bigger.

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Gaming Roundup

PlayStation Finally Addresses PS5 DRM Concerns — After reports last week about quiet, controversial DRM changes affecting PS4 and PS5, PlayStation has issued an official statement. The drama around always-online requirements and game ownership isn't going away, and this response will be heavily scrutinized by the community.

Amazon Prime Day Moves to June 2026 — For the first time in years, Prime Day is leaving its traditional July slot. If you've been eyeing gaming deals on peripherals, monitors, or games, mark your calendars for June instead.

Free Zombie Game Available Before 1.0 Launch — If you're a fan of Left 4 Dead-style co-op shooters, there's a free-to-play window open right now for an unforgiving zombie game ahead of its full 1.0 launch this summer. Worth checking out if you need something to play this weekend.

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That's your daily dose, gamers. The Super Mario Galaxy 2 story content drop came out of absolutely nowhere and the Steam Controller launch on May 4th is shaping up to be a big moment for PC gaming. Stay fragging. 🎮