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

• Fallout 3 & New Vegas Remasters Announced: War never changes, but it is getting a fresh coat of paint! Bethesda has officially confirmed that remasters for both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are in the works, though we are still waiting on a concrete release date. These are heading to the Nintendo Switch 2, making it an incredible time to be a wasteland wanderer on the go.
• Stage Tour Brings Rhythm to Switch 2: If you miss the golden era of music games, Stage Tour is here to save the day on the Nintendo Switch 2. Developed by veterans of the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero franchises, the game is slated for a late 2026 launch and will fully support guitar controllers so you can rock out anywhere.
• Switch 2 Gets Major Reviews and Patches: Reviews are in for Culdcept BEGINS - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, praising it as an incredibly addictive distillation of the classic card-meets-board game series. Meanwhile, Aspyr has dropped a new update for Rise of the Tomb Raider on the Switch 2, targeting much-needed performance improvements and crash fixes.
• Pokémon TCG Highs and Lows: It has been a wild week for Pokémon fans, especially with Pokémon Go officially celebrating its monumental 10th anniversary! Unfortunately, it wasn't all celebrations—one Pokémon TCG collector finally pulled incredibly rare Pitch Black Packs at Walmart, only to discover that someone had completely wrecked their car in the parking lot moments later.
• Nintendo's Industry Standing: As Sony and Microsoft continue to lay waste to the industry with massive layoffs, an opinion piece highlights how Nintendo is currently enjoying a massive reputation boost among players. By maintaining a steadier ship, the Big N is winning the "players' choice" award this summer.

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

• Hot Bat Summer Takes Over Fortnite: Batman and Gotham's most iconic supervillains have officially arrived on the island for Fortnite Chapter 7, Season 3. The "Hot Bat Summer" event is live now, tasking players with an array of themed quests that offer sleek seasonal rewards.
• Find Batman's Beach Buggy: Want to patrol the map like the Dark Knight? You can now track down Batman's Beach Buggy in specific locations across the Fortnite island. Guides are already live to help you find this signature vehicle so you can make a dramatic, bat-themed entrance into your next squad match.

Call of Duty — Warzone/Black Ops updates, new seasons, weapons, competitive

• Modern Warfare 4 Fixes Viral Visual Bug: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 developers at Infinity Ward have swiftly fixed an ugly visual bug that caused blinding muzzle flashes during the game's first public Kill Block mode footage. The devs are encouraging fans to "keep the energy coming" as they continue to polish the highly anticipated shooter.
• MW4's Gunny Assistant Explained: If you were worried about AI taking over your loadouts, don't panic—Activision has confirmed that Modern Warfare 4's "Gunny" loadout assistant is not an AI chatbot. However, they did admit that the developer is exploring using AI technology elsewhere in the franchise's ecosystem.
• Black Ops 2 Renaissance: Nostalgia is proving to be a powerful weapon, as over 5 million players jumped into the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 revival on the PS5 within a single week. It's clear that the community is absolutely starving for the classic, fast-paced boots-on-the-ground action that older titles provide.

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

• A24 Addresses Backrooms Copyright Strikes: A24 has finally issued a statement clarifying the numerous takedown notices filed against Backrooms fan art. This comes directly after Backrooms director Kane Parsons publicly promised to investigate and stand up for the artists in the community.
• ZA/UM Suffers Layoffs Despite Acclaim: In a heartbreaking turn of events, ZA/UM has announced layoffs despite the massive critical acclaim surrounding their recent release, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. It's a stark reminder that even universally praised indie games can struggle to sustain a studio in the current economic climate.
• Shape the News in Suzerain Stories: If you love political intrigue, keep an eye on Suzerain Stories: The Neutral Lens. This upcoming indie title lets you step back into the shoes of President Anton Rayne, allowing you to literally shape the in-game news media and control the narrative of your fictional country.

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

• Valve Talks Exclusives and Open Platforms: Valve recently spoke out about the concept of exclusives, stating that they consider the "entire PC catalog" to be their launch exclusive rather than locking down specific titles. It’s a massive win for consumers and reinforces why the PC ecosystem remains so incredibly healthy.
• Secret Valve Game Modes Revealed: A retiring Valve programmer spilled some fascinating tea, revealing that at least one of the studio's most beloved game modes was actually developed in total secret. They hid the project away to avoid pushback from their peers before officially pitching it!
• The PC Memory Crisis is Getting Worse: Build a new PC recently? Valve has warned that there is no end in sight to the current PC memory crisis. They noted that RAM and VRAM prices are "honestly, still getting worse," making high-end PC gaming a tougher pill to swallow for our wallets.
• Physical Steam Games are a Thing Now: One dedicated PC gamer is taking game preservation into his own hands by manufacturing his own physical Steam games. He is creating incredibly expensive, custom cartridges to give digital-only PC titles a premium physical release.

Gaming Roundup — other notable news, trailers, industry moves

• The Elder Scrolls 6 Reassurance: Following the devastating recent Xbox layoffs, Bethesda has moved to calm fans by confirming that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still "on the way." The studio claims they are exactly where they planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day.
• Bungie Loses Marathon Game Director: Bungie is going through a tumultuous time, and Marathon game director Joe Ziegler has officially announced his departure from the studio. His leaving raises a lot of questions about the upcoming extraction shooter's development trajectory.
• Overwatch 6v6 and Stadium Struggles: Blizzard's attempt at bringing back 6v6 to Overwatch is being widely criticized by fans as a bad compromise that simply doesn't work. Furthermore, the studio stopping work on the Stadium mode is being called an even bigger fumble than the infamous cancellation of their PvE campaign.
• Saudi Arabia's EA Takeover Clears Hurdle: The gaming industry is bracing for a massive shift as Saudi Arabia's staggering $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts is reportedly set to clear its final EU hurdle by the end of July. This will fundamentally change the landscape of third-party publishing as we know it.