Pokémon & Nintendo

• Pokémon Pokopia on the Nintendo Switch 2 just dropped its Version 1.1.1 patch, bringing some small but highly welcome fixes to the game following yesterday's event announcement. Even more exciting, the limited-time "Wish Upon a Jirachi" event kicks off next week, marking the very first event that wasn't included at launch!
• In Japanese chart news, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has finally been knocked from its number-one perch. The culprit? None other than the baseball phenomenon Powerful Pro!
• Hype is real for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on the Switch 2, and fans are already eagerly counting down the hilarious, meme-worthy moments they can't wait to see updated.
• Digimon Story Time Stranger is heading to the Switch 1 & 2 next month, and Bandai Namco is blessing all platforms with a free accompanying update.
• Retro fans rejoice: the Switch release of Glover is getting the PlayStation version added in a fantastic free update. Meanwhile, Astroneer is taking a bold leap into co-op extraction adventure with its Starseeker early access drop!

Fortnite

• During yesterday's State of Unreal presentation, Epic Games unveiled a heavy generative AI focus for Unreal Engine 6. In a surprising move, Vampire Survivors studio Poncle has officially announced they are "reviewing" their upcoming Fortnite collaboration in the wake of these AI announcements.
• Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney delivered an impassioned speech on the industry's future, warning that "one view of the future is that Roblox grows and eats gaming." Sweeney also outlined a massive Epic Games Store revamp over the next year that should finally bring the client up to the bare minimum of modern PC gaming features.
• Despite the AI controversy, new Fortnite collabs are still charging ahead, including crossovers with Control Resonant, Sonic Crossworlds Racing, and Phantom Blade Zero.

Call of Duty

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are officially being ported to PlayStation consoles. However, developer Treyarch wants fans to temper their expectations, confirming these are straight ports and not modern remasters.

Indie Games

• Steam Next Fest is in full swing, and players are making their voices heard with their playtime. Out of over 500 available demos, only a single title in the top-played tier featured an AI disclosure, proving that gamers are currently flocking to handcrafted indie experiences!
• Communications head John Buckley from Pocketpair has planted the flag firmly on the right side of the ongoing AI discussion. It's a refreshing stance from the studio that brought us the massive breakout hit Palworld.

Steam & PC

• Valve just dropped a massive official SteamOS update that paves the way for the forthcoming Steam Machine hardware. The update introduces a bunch of new display features and faster patch deployment for the desktop-hybrid OS.
• If you're eagerly waiting for your hardware reservations, Valve has rolled out a more detailed timeline for Steam Controller orders so you can track exactly when your device will arrive.
• The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU has finally been given the proper categorization it deserves in the Steam Hardware Survey, giving the card its long-overdue credit.
• Modders and tinkerers, rejoice: teardown pictures of the new Steam Frame controller point to a highly repairable design!

Gaming Roundup

• Peter Serafinowicz, the voice actor behind Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, hasn't minced words about his time in the galaxy far, far away. He recently called the prequel film "the biggest disappointment of my life" and slammed his pay as terrible.
• If you're looking to expand your bookshelf, the deluxe edition books for The Hunger Games are currently enjoying a massive sale ahead of Amazon Prime Day.