The latest stories from the gaming world
Microsoft launched a recurring dev-focused show on May 7. Episode one made PlayFab Foundation Mode free for every Xbox game across seven service pillars, shipped DirectStorage 1.4 with Zstandard compression, opened the April GDK, debuted Xbox PC Remote Tools, and kicked off a multi-surface Marketplace rebuild. Project Helix got a closer look — Xbox Magnus AMD SoC, FSR Diamond AI upscaling, dev kits in 2027, late-2027 launch.
Nintendo announced sweeping price hikes on May 8, 2026: Switch 2 jumps from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US (+$50), with Canada and Europe seeing similar increases — all effective September 1. Japan gets hit harder and earlier on May 25, with the Switch 2 jumping ¥10,000 and original Switch hardware climbing 26 to 36 percent. Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions also rise in Japan effective July 1. Nintendo cited market conditions and the global business outlook without naming tariffs, semiconductors, or the yen.
Capcom shadow-dropped a free Resident Evil Requiem update on May 8 adding Leon Must Die Forever — a roguelike Extra Games mode starring Leon S. Kennedy. Five difficulty ranks, randomized routes through Wrenwood, the Rehab Ward, and Raccoon City Central Camp, an Ability Enhancer system with bronze/silver/gold perks, star-ranked weapon drops from Red and Blue enemies, and a Special Content shop for permanent unlocks. PS5, Xbox Series, PC, and Switch 2.
Cold Iron Studios and Daybreak just announced Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 with an IGN-exclusive reveal trailer on May 7, confirming Summer 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC with full crossplay. The sequel jumps from three-player to four-player co-op, adds a customizable Specialist class that mixes major and minor abilities from every other class, and ships with dedicated Horde maps at launch.
Bandai Namco has officially opened global pre-registration for Digimon UP, a free-to-play, pixel-art monster-raising RPG built mobile-first. Twelve fan-favorite Partner Digimon at launch, branching Digivolution paths tied to care quality, and a worldwide release on July 28, 2026. Hit 100,000 sign-ups and Gekkomon unlocks for everyone at day one.
Teyon used NACON Connect 2026 on May 7 to drop a Pillars of the Hunt dev diary for Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish. The first-person, single-player action-RPG sets you loose in an open New York where you can finish missions with stealth, gunplay, or a non-lethal Persuasion-and-Investigation build that talks vampires down instead of shooting them. Summer 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC, with Game Pass day one.
RGG Studio's Xbox Presents showcase confirmed Stranger Than Heaven's 50-year saga across five Japanese cities, a per-arm combat system, a full Showman entertainment sub-game, a cast led by Snoop Dogg and Tori Kelly, and the bombshell that protagonist Makoto Daito eventually becomes Makoto Tojo — founder of the Tojo Clan.
NEOWIZ shipped the official sequel to its 60-million-download cozy hit worldwide on April 29 in six languages — no battle pass, no PvP, no ads-as-progression, just merge play, a sharehouse system, and a quietly franchise-sized rollout.
Nintendo's surprise 15-minute Direct on May 6 unveiled a Star Fox 64 remake with full voice acting, 4v4 Battle Mode, Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming, and a $49.99 June 25 launch on Switch 2.
Multiple credible leakers point to a ground-up Ocarina of Time reimagining for Switch 2, with Monolith Soft co-developing and a June Nintendo Direct reveal expected alongside a late 2026 launch window.
Racing Master hits iOS and Android globally on May 8 with 120+ licensed cars, real-world circuits, and Codemasters racing DNA after dominating Asian app stores for months.
Odencat’s Meg’s Monster launches free on phones May 7 with the full game, Lost Memories DLC, and a vertical-first interface redesign. The 96% positive Steam JRPG ditches gacha and stamina for a clean free-with-ads model.