Quick Hits

• Aniimo is the latest Pokémon-inspired game to pop off on Steam, drawing over 160,000 concurrent players, per PC Gamer — yet more proof the "creature-collector but make it PC" boom isn't slowing down.
• Activision claims video game cheating is now a £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) a year industry, publishing a breakdown of the money flowing through account sales and boosting around its games, according to Eurogamer.
• Zelda's 40th anniversary is getting lavish: Nintendo Life has an in-person gallery of the Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and the "Electric Ocarina" ahead of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's 5th November 2026 launch.
• The Resident Evil movie smashed expectations with a $108 million global opening ($60 million in North America), breaking multiple records including director Zach Cregger's own, reports GameSpot and Destructoid.
• Dune: Awakening's massive new update is built for parents and single-player fans — and the game is at its lowest price ever, says GameSpot.

Pokémon & Nintendo

The Pokémon-like gold rush continues: Aniimo has crossed 160,000 concurrent players on Steam, with PC Gamer declaring it the latest Pokémon-inspired game to blow up. If you've been waiting for the creature-collector wave to crest, this is your sign it hasn't yet. Meanwhile, over in the actual TCG, Kotaku reports that misprinted "Blood Mew" cards from the 30th anniversary set — designed to ease The Pokémon Company's stock issues — have accidentally created a cursed new rarity that has collectors furious and resellers salivating. On the community front, r/pokemon is buzzing about early shipments of the Polaroid collab and asking whether a restock is coming for everyone left empty-handed by scalpers.

On the Nintendo side, the hype machine for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2 (5th November 2026) is in full swing — Nintendo Life got hands-on with the 40th anniversary Zelda console and the "Electric Ocarina" trinkets in person, and it all looks gloriously excessive in the best way. In slightly tougher news, Nintendo Life reports that the 007 First Light team says "some compromises are inevitable" on Switch 2 after yet another delay past that 'Summer 2026' window, though the devs note "we're definitely getting close to the final phase." Also from Nintendo Life: the Splatoon Raiders development team apparently has no plans for DLC or balance updates, per a recent Famitsu interview. Brighter news for musou fans — a Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition remastered demo is hitting Switch 2, with online two-player support coming in a post-launch update ahead of the full game's arrival next month.

Call of Duty

Cheating isn't just a nuisance — it's an economy. Eurogamer reports that Activision has published a breakdown claiming cheating generates roughly £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) per year through account sales and boosting, reframing the fight against cheaters as a battle against a genuinely massive underground industry. Expect this number to fuel the anti-cheat conversation for weeks.

Indie Games

Kotaku has a sobering report: a YouTube channel is being accused of taking advantage of "vulnerable, first-time indie developers" with expensive advertising campaigns that reportedly deliver little to no return on investment — a cautionary tale for anyone about to sign a marketing cheque. On the cheerier side, IGN reports that Escape from Playtime, the co-op survival horror extraction spinoff of Poppy Playtime announced at Gamescom last month, now has a Steam Early Access release date. Horror fans also got a treat from Eurogamer: Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival has a playable demo live on Steam right now ahead of its full launch on 8th October. And launching today (September 21st) is The Rabbit Haul on Steam — nurture your farm by day, defend your crops from the thieving Trash Panda Posse by night. Finally, PC Gamer highlights the latest co-op indie taking over the internet, likening it to a beloved board game "just with bombs" — apparently the co-op chaos formula is thriving.

Steam & PC

PC Gamer's Steam Week in Review asks the question we've all wondered: an indie publisher released 29 terrible-looking Steam games in a single day — will they actually make any money? It's a fascinating window into the shovelware economics of the storefront. GameSpot declares Dune: Awakening's massive new update perfect for parents and single-player fans, and notes the soft-MMO survival game is at its lowest price yet — with 50+ hours logged, their writer calls it one of last year's favorites. In sadder news, Kotaku reports Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has dipped into three-figure player counts on Steam, with less-than-impressive sales likely to blame — the fighting game is, ironically, still fighting for its life.

Gaming Roundup

The Resident Evil movie is a bonafide hit: GameSpot and Destructoid both report Zach Cregger's adaptation beat box office expectations with a $108 million global opening ($60 million in North America), breaking multiple records — including Cregger's own previous best. For guide-followers, Destructoid also has all the cooking recipes in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter if you're chasing those tasty buffs.