The gaming news cycle does not rest, and so neither must we, which means it’s time for another news roundup. Don’t these seem to be coming quicker and quicker each week?
Well, regardless of the problems that may or may not be arising with our perception of linear time, we’ve got lots to get through this week as usual. You’re going to need an extra-big hot drink this time around.
Here’s our roundup of the most important things that have been going on in the world of gaming this week!
Resident Evil Requiem just keeps selling well
Another big sales milestone was reached by survival horror adventure Resident Evil Requiem this week, with the game crossing 6 million sales and cementing itself as one of the most successful in its series.
The new sales figure means that Requiem is now the fastest-selling game in the series as a whole, beating out massive contenders like Resident Evil 4 (the remake, of course) and Resident Evil Village.
With sales like that, it’s no wonder Capcom is currently hard at work on updates and new DLC for the game. Watch this space for more about those!
Subnautica 2’s CEO must be reinstated, a judge has ruled
Developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton’s legal battle continues, and the latest development this week saw a judge ruling that former CEO Ted Gill must be reinstated in his position.
The judge found that Krafton had “improperly” taken control of Unknown Worlds after firing its three co-founders last year, and that the board resolution leading to the firing was therefore “ineffective”.
The drama continued, however, as Krafton subsequently announced a May Early Access window for Subnautica 2, a decision that Gill and his two co-founders objected to. We’re not done with this saga yet, it seems.
Nintendo quietly releases a major Switch 2 update
In characteristic Nintendo fashion, a huge Switch 2 update was released this week, but Nintendo didn’t make too much of a song and dance about it, so you might not even have noticed it.
The update contains many minor tweaks and improvements to the Switch 2 experience, but the one we’re most interested in is “Handheld Mode Boost”.
This allows Switch games being played on Switch 2 “to run as if the console is being played in TV mode”, according to Nintendo, so it’s a big performance boost for many games.
Nvidia’s DLSS 5 isn’t going over well
This week, Nvidia unveiled its latest DLSS iteration, DLSS 5, and if the reaction to the technology is anything to go by, the adoption rate for this one is going to be low.
DLSS 5 uses AI to upscale images via its “real-time neural rendering model”, but comments on the new iteration’s debut YouTube trailer suggest that fans aren’t particularly happy about it.
One refers to DLSS 5 as “sloptracing”, and another says the “best feature they can add for DLSS 5 is an off toggle”. Ouch. Nvidia seems dedicated, though, so don’t expect this one to go anywhere anytime soon.
Starfield comes to PS5 next month
That long-rumoured Starfield PS5 release date was finally announced this week, and Bethesda’s open-world (well, kind of) space RPG is coming to Sony’s console in April.
Starfield will arrive on PS5 complete with all of the updates it’s received since launching on PC and Xbox in 2023, and it’ll also come with a new free update that adds some big features.
That’s not all, though; you’re also getting a story DLC that introduces a new faction, a new companion, and some story quests for you to blast your way through.
IO Interactive isn’t publishing MindsEye anymore
In what is perhaps one of the least shocking developments in the gaming industry, MindsEye is no longer being published by IO Interactive, with publishing rights instead transferring to developer Build a Rocket Boy.
As part of the transition, a previously-announced Hitman collaboration that would see the two franchises enter each other’s respective universes has been cancelled.
This all comes after mass layoffs at developer Build a Rocket Boy, as well as studio executives blaming the game’s failure on a concerted effort on the part of influencers and other bad actors.
FBC: Firebreak content updates are done
Bad news if you enjoyed Remedy’s rather odd first-person shooter FBC: Firebreak: the game isn’t getting any more major content updates in future, although it will remain playable.
As part of revealing the patch notes for the latest update in the game, Remedy also confirmed that the Open House update will be the game’s last, and that the base price is being lowered as well.
Not only that, but Remedy is releasing a Friend’s Pass in order to allow players to play with their friends without those friends needing to actually buy the game themselves.
Crystal Dynamics is laying off yet more staff
Tomb Raider’s Crystal Dynamics is once again laying off staff, with 20 more employees losing their jobs this week as part of the studio taking a “hard look” at its “team structures”.
The announcement is heavy with the usual kind of corporate jargon you’d expect from a post announcing layoffs, complete with talk of “alignment” and “studio goals”.
Crystal Dynamics also reassures players and fans that the two Tomb Raider games currently in development are still on track, although we’re sure that won’t come as much relief to those without a job.
Crimson Desert might be controversial, but it’s sold well
Hotly-anticipated action RPG Crimson Desert launched this week, and if its day-one numbers are anything to go by, developer Pearl Abyss doesn’t need to worry about some of the negativity it’s been receiving.
The game apparently sold two million copies within just one day, so a lot of people have flocked to various platforms to check it out.
That’s despite the fact that the game’s reviews, while certainly broadly positive, haven’t been quite as stellar as some might have expected, leading to Pearl Abyss’ share prices tumbling over the weekend.
