Quick Hits

• A YouTube leaker going by 'malo392' claims a brand-new Super Smash Bros. game is in the works, alongside new Nintendogs, Metroid, and 3D Mario projects — juicy, unverified, and causing quite a stir (via Nintendo Life). Standard rumor rules apply.
• Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek admits Valve deliberately "leaked" its own Left 4 Dead 2 cinematic trailer after the ESRB refused to let it release officially.
• Steam has reportedly earned ~$15 billion (~£11bn) in 2026 already, with Forza Horizon 6 the biggest-earning new arrival, per new analysis covered by Eurogamer.
• Pokémon Champions director Masaaki Hoshino vows turn-based battles are here to stay, while single-player has been ruled out entirely (via VGC).
• Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says the industry is "crashing" and AI is making it worse — a notable cooldown from one of AI's loudest cheerleaders (via Kotaku).

Pokémon & Nintendo

The rumor mill is running hot: Nintendo Life reports that leaker 'malo392' — who apparently still has something to prove — claims a fresh Super Smash Bros. is in development, plus Nintendogs, Metroid, and 3D Mario. Salt, meet grains.

On firmer ground, Firaxis unveiled Civilization VII's first expansion, "Earthrise," landing in 2027 alongside a major free update as the series celebrates 35 years. Tripwire Interactive and Demiurge Studios also announced Maneater 2, an "open-water action-RPG" surfacing on Switch 2 in 2027 following its State of Play reveal.

In chart news, Switch 2 exclusive Orbitals debuted at No. 3 in the UK charts, while Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition crashed out of the Top 40. Looking ahead: Bandai Namco detailed performance and resolution for Tales of Eternia Remastered on Switch/Switch 2 ahead of next month's launch, reviews are in for Milestone's open-world racer Hot Wheels Infinite Rush ahead of next week's Switch 2 release, Square Enix lined up Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts for Tokyo Game Show (September 17–21), and the revamped PSVR dolphin adventure Jupiter & Mars: Definitive Edition hits the Switch eShop Thursday, September 10. Square Enix also screened a Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy recap trailer at its Final Fantasy VII Revelation PAX West panel.

On the Pokémon front: VGC's interview with Champions director Masaaki Hoshino doubles down on turn-based battles and the competitive future — no single-player, though. Meanwhile, IGN reports Pokémon Go players feel Mewtwo is being milked too hard after a lackluster weekend event marred by yet more server issues. Brighter news for collectors: Amazon has restocked rare Pokémon TCG sets for its Labor Day sale. And in arcade land, Kotaku notes Stern's new Fallout pinball machine follows its Pokémon table — though this one leans on the TV adaptation.

Indie Games

Double Fine's first game since parting ways with Xbox is a goofy bus-driving sim about slapping passengers who break the rules — and doing a good job (via Rock Paper Shotgun). In "you can't make this up" news, IllFonic patched a sex minigame out of Halloween: The Game, calling it a "major oversight" (via IGN). And Gamescom has apologized for its initial response to indie developers' hardware thefts, admitting "our first response did not strike the right tone" (via Eurogamer).

Hidden gems to watch: Laser Guy, a twin-stick "anti-shooter" about a stressed dev who can't stop firing eye-lasers; Pinetrail, a calm, Death Stranding-adjacent delivery game with thieving boars; Wanderburg, Randwerk's minimalist medieval roguelike with a roaming fortress (launch countdown via Destructoid); and How to Fish, whose ridiculous physics and killer spider crabs won over PC Gamer.

Steam & PC

The Left 4 Dead 2 tale is the day's best yarn: the ESRB wouldn't clear Valve's 2009 cinematic trailer, so — per Faliszek's confession to Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and IGN — Valve just "leaked" it itself. Peak Valve.

Money-wise, Eurogamer reports Steam's ~$15bn year is being boosted by Forza Horizon 6 as the top-earning new release. PC Gamer's Steam Week in Review counted 54 idle games launched last week, many eerily similar — a caution flag for storefront slop. Riot's co-founder calls the long-gestating League of Legends MMO the studio's "grail quest" five years post-announcement (via IGN). In hardware, IGN's Skytech Blaze 5 review suggests a solid pick for anyone who'd rather not assemble a "modern-day puzzle," and Fanatical is giving away a 2TB Steam Machine — entry costs a $1 mystery key, and everyone gets something (via GameSpot).

Gaming Roundup

Sweeney's turn against AI — plus his stated regrets about humoring NFTs — is the industry headline of the day (via Kotaku). Mortal Shell 2 added an experimental mode that scales difficulty based on how much you do or don't die. IGN came away impressed by Tarae: The Unbound, a Krafton-published action RPG from South Korea's Boundary studio whose East Asian folklore sets it apart from Diablo-likes. GameSpot rounds up the weirdest worlds that could technically appear in Kingdom Hearts 4 after its D23 trailer, plus a full vampire-court boss guide for The Blood of Dawnwalker. And for trophy hunters, Destructoid has Onimusha: Way of the Sword covered — a 20–40 hour Platinum if you master the combat.