Pokémon & Nintendo

• After surviving Nintendo lawsuits and selling 40 million copies, the survival creature-collector Palworld has officially launched its 1.0 build today. In a genuinely awesome move, the developers confirmed they will not be raising the price for the full release as "a small way of saying thank you" to the fans who supported the early access journey.
• It was a legendary weekend for mobile gamers, as Pokémon Go celebrated its 10th anniversary by literally taking over Times Square. Niantic perfectly recreated the game's iconic 2016 trailer by giving players the chance to battle a massive Mewtwo raid right in the heart of New York City.
• Trainers, get your Flying Types ready, because Pokémon Legends: Z-A is shaking up its repetitive cycle with a brand-new ruleset for its next Ranked Battle season. The upcoming July season takes battles to the skies and promises to completely mix up the current competitive meta.
• Competitive players have discovered a game-breaking bug in the battle simulator Pokémon Champions that makes the nightmare cat Incineroar even more of a menace. The glitch heavily benefits the starter Pokémon, and players are desperately awaiting a hotfix to balance the scales.
• The exceptionally charming LEGO Pokémon Eevee set has received its very first price cut. In an era where console prices seem to constantly climb, it's incredibly refreshing to see a beloved franchise spin-off actually drop in cost.
• Nintendo fans rejoice, as the critically acclaimed Deltarune Chapter 5 is getting its ver. 0.0.241 patch on Switch 1 & 2 soon. This exciting update doesn't just squash bugs; it adds brand-new dialogue, including a highly secretive conversation that ties together three of the game's biggest mysteries.
• Fumi Games has dropped a massive Version 1.2.0 update for the stylish Mouse: P.I. For Hire on Switch 2. Alongside a huge sweep of bug fixes, the noir shooter now boasts a highly specific new 40fps mode and an uncapped Variable Refresh Rate option.
• If you haven't played MIO: Memories In Orbit yet, you are missing out on one of the best metroidvanias in recent memory. Thankfully, developer Pix'n Love has announced that the stellar game is officially getting a proper physical edition on the Switch 2.
• The Japanese boxed charts are looking incredibly healthy this week, entirely thanks to Rhythm Heaven Groove absolutely wiping the floor with the competition. The infectious rhythm game is putting up massive physical sales numbers, proving the enduring power of Nintendo's quirky franchises.
• A ratings board listing has popped up online indicating that 1000xRESIST is officially eyeing a release on the Switch 2. Sunset Visitor's breathtaking narrative adventure was one of the most celebrated hidden gems of 2024, and playing it on the go will be a massive win for the hybrid console.

Call of Duty

• In a move that has players scratching their heads, Activision has surprise-dropped Call of Duty Black Ops 1+2 ports onto the PS5. Currently retailing for $40 each (or half off for PS Plus subscribers), the 12-year-old games are being sold at a premium and bafflingly do not include the original multiplayer DLC maps.

Arc Raiders

• Just days after proudly celebrating a major drop in suspicious accounts, Embark Studios is already on the offensive again in Arc Raiders. The development team has swiftly targeted and patched yet another problematic duplication exploit to keep the extraction shooter's economy balanced.

Indie Games

• Hooded Horse has announced an incredibly unique new strategy game, Rogue Carrier, that tasks players with captaining a research ship on a violently volatile planet. You'll have to navigate waters that boil with aggressive, violent squid, blending RTS mechanics with deep survival elements.
• The underwater survival genre is thriving right now, as Subnautica 2 is proudly celebrating a monumental 5 million copies sold. To mark the occasion, the team is gearing up to push out Adaptive Measures, the game's very first major early access update.

Steam & PC

• Valve's "Compatibility Fairy" visited us overnight, as Steam Machine Verified medals have officially begun appearing on various games' store pages. Similar to the Steam Deck, this long-awaited system rates games as Verified, Playable, or Unsupported, ensuring players know exactly how the upcoming hardware handles their library.
• PC gamers experienced a brief moment of panic yesterday when Steam started throwing a "too many requests" error across the platform. Services were quickly restored, but it served as a funny reminder of how much we all rely on the digital storefront for our daily gaming fixes.
• It looks like Ubisoft simply cannot help themselves, as they have shockingly added a cash shop and weekly challenges to their "faithful" remake of the 13-year-old Assassin's Creed Black Flag. The single-player microtransactions have caused the newly titled Resynced to be aggressively review-bombed on Steam, despite pulling in an impressive $14 million.

Gaming Roundup

• Industry legend John Carmack has responded to the significant layoffs at id Software, expressing sadness but noting that "to continue being produced long term, games need to succeed, not just be beloved." It's a sobering reminder of the harsh business realities facing even the most iconic developers in the industry today.
• The Backyard Sports franchise has officially made its triumphant return with the launch of the all-new Backyard Baseball. The incredible story behind the franchise's revival involves a dedicated teacher and a private investigator who fought to bring the beloved childhood series back from the dead.
• The Disney Dreamlight Valley Honeyglow Woods expansion continues to deliver robust content, keeping players hooked with extensive new quests like Chapter 12: Old Plans, New Wind and Interlude 4: Curiosity Satisfied. The update also includes a bunch of repairable Blueprints to find and new recipes like the Toasted Picnic Sandwich to master.