Pokémon & Nintendo — new reveals, game updates, Nintendo Direct news, Switch content, Pokémon announcements

• The Palworld Lawsuit Looks Like a Massive Dud: Remember when Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Pocketpair over Palword? Well, according to reports, Nintendo is set to net incredibly little from the ongoing patent infringement lawsuit, with some experts claiming there is a "zero chance" of winning. After nearly two years of legal drama, it leaves many of us wondering why they even bothered!
• LumenTale: Memories of Trey Review: If you're craving that classic monster-catching dopamine, LumenTale: Memories Of Trey just dropped on Switch and it’s hitting all the right nostalgic notes. Reviewers are calling it a refreshing, albeit occasionally jarring, throwback to the Black & White-era of Pokémon.
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword Specs Revealed: Capcom's incredible support for the Switch 2 continues! We finally have the resolution and frame rate details for Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, which is slated to slash its way onto the new system this September.
• Original Rayman Legends is "Staying Put": Great news for platformer purists! Ubisoft has confirmed that the original Rayman Legends won't be delisted or replaced when the upcoming Rayman Legends Retold remake launches later this year.
• Mega Man Star Force Update: If you've been jamming out to the Mega Man Star Force: Legacy Collection, keep an eye out for a new patch dropping early next week. The update will focus on squashing bugs and improving overall functionality.
• Best Switch Football Games: With a massive international football tournament officially kicking off, Nintendo Life has updated their definitive guide to the best soccer games on both the original Switch and the Switch 2.
• Gotta Fetch 'Em All: The Pokémon Company is expanding its merchandise empire to our furry friends with a brand-new line of pet accessories. Your dog will love it, and your cat will probably just tolerate it!
• Pokémon Switch 2 Controllers: Want to deck out your new console? A massive deluge of third-party controllers has arrived, and IGN has rounded up every Pokémon-themed Nintendo Switch 2 controller you can buy right now to spice up your setup.

Fortnite — season updates, collabs, new skins, map changes, competitive scene

• The Unvaulting Event Countdown: Start your countdowns, because Fortnite OG is about to get flipped upside down! The highly anticipated Unvaulting Event is officially going live in about 24 hours, bringing plenty of exciting map changes and classic loot back to the island.
• Nova Crystals in Droid Tycoon: If you've been grinding the massively popular Fortnite Droid Tycoon mode, you'll need to get your hands on the newly added Nova Crystals. These late-game resources are essential for maxing out your base, so make sure you know exactly where to farm them!

Indie Games — notable releases, hidden gems, devlogs, Steam Next Fest picks

• Empulse is a Treat for Titanfall Fans: Splitgate developer 1047 Games is back with Empulse, a blistering new competitive shooter that serves as the perfect spiritual successor to Titanfall 2. If you've been missing high-speed, wall-running action, this is one to watch.
• Scarlet Deer Inn: Don't let the cozy, hand-embroidered aesthetic fool you—Scarlet Deer Inn is hiding something genuinely dark beneath its pleasant exterior. This medieval adventure game looks like a lovely, chill time, but developers are warning players to expect some surprisingly grim twists.
• The Bruising Hurdle of Indie Funding: Industry veterans from studios like Bloober, Jagex, and 11 bit studios recently opened up about the incredibly difficult process of funding a game prototype. The consensus? Publishers are absolutely exhausted, with one dev noting, "there's nothing worse than an AI-generated pitch."

Steam & PC — top charts, big sales, Steam Deck compatibility, major PC releases

• Valve Facing Legal Action Over Game Prices: A Dutch non-profit organization is preparing to take Valve to court over alleged anti-competitive practices used to keep game prices artificially high on Steam. This could be a massive, industry-shifting legal battle for PC gaming!
• The $100 AI Game Scam: Steam's ongoing battle with low-effort asset flips continues, as one absolute joker is actually trying to charge $100 on the storefront for an almost entirely AI-generated game. It's a stark reminder that Valve's quality control still has a long way to go.

Gaming Roundup — other notable news, trailers, industry moves

• Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Deep Dive: Ubisoft just dropped a massive developer deep dive for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, promising loads of exciting new content that wasn't present in the original 2013 release. Get ready to set sail all over again!
• Xbox Wants to Accelerate Bethesda Releases: Xbox is reportedly pushing to "accelerate" the release schedules for both Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. Given that we just passed the eighth anniversary of the The Elder Scrolls 6 teaser trailer, maybe—just maybe—we'll finally get some actual news soon.
• FromSoftware Faces Hedge Fund Pressure: A Hong Kong-based hedge fund and major Kadokawa shareholder is reportedly trying to put the screws on FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki. The aggressive "profit leaks" pressure campaign is definitely a drama worth keeping an eye on.
• George Miller Seeking to Sell Mad Max: Mad Max mastermind George Miller reportedly wants to make one more movie and a TV show before selling the rights to the entire franchise. Hollywood studios are currently circling the post-apocalyptic IP.
• Rocket League x FIFA World Cup 2026: To celebrate the massive global tournament, Rocket League has officially launched its FIFA World Cup 2026 event! You can hop in right now to earn plenty of exclusive, soccer-themed rewards for free.
• EA FC 26 Summer SBCs: EA FC 26 players won't want to miss the new 1 of 3 91+ TOTS Summer Nations or UEFA Winners SBC, which is currently live in Ultimate Team. EA Sports has improved the rewards further this week by adding some massive rating boosts for your squad.