Thanks for joining us once again for a rundown of what’s been happening in the world of gaming this week! We appreciate you taking a little time out of your day to catch up with the industry’s goings-on.
As usual, goings-on there certainly have been this week. While we’re arguably entering the lull period between spring and the summer showcases, that doesn’t mean nothing’s been happening.
If you’re a regular, you know what we always say: grab your favourite drink, pull up a comfortable chair, and join us as we take a look at the week’s gaming news!
Capcom’s Pragmata has sold a million copies
Capcom’s newest IP Pragmata hasn’t succumbed to the new franchise curse, at least if its latest sales figures are anything to go by.
Within the game’s first two days on sale, Pragmata apparently managed to sell a million copies, so the game’s marketing campaign appears to be working pretty well.
It’s a great game, too, as we can attest, so if you aren’t one of the million people who’ve already checked it out, we’d recommend doing so posthaste.
Iron Galaxy is laying off more staff
It’s been a rough couple of years for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remake team Iron Galaxy, and this week hasn’t been any better, unfortunately, with more layoffs on the cards for the studio.
Iron Galaxy has apparently now laid off “a number of teammates and friends”, blaming “current market conditions” that the studio thought might be temporary but are instead “permanent”.
Unfortunately, Iron Galaxy is just one of a number of studios that has laid off staff in the last couple of years, with the industry’s head count shrinking massively due to a number of factors.
New Xbox Game Pass games are landing…
A brand new Game Pass haul was announced this week, and that’s not all the Game Pass news Xbox had for us, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
Late April’s additions to the Game Pass trove include the likes of Double Fine’s party game Kiln, Don’t Nod’s atmospheric exploration adventure Aphelion, and F.E.A.R.-inspired shooter Trepang2.
Of course, Game Pass tiers being the confusing mess that they arguably still are, you’ll have to double check that the tier you’re subscribed to will grant you access to these games. Ho hum.
…and the service is dropping its price
Not only are more games arriving on Game Pass this week, but Xbox also announced that it’s dropping the prices of a couple of the service’s tiers.
No reason is given for the price change, but last week, we reported that Xbox leadership apparently thought the service was getting too expensive, so this move is almost certainly related to that fear.
There’s a downside, though; Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass may be getting cheaper, but it’s at the cost of Call of Duty games hitting the service on day one, which will no longer happen.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is coming in July
Surprise surprise! Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has been officially announced (again), and it’s coming to PC and consoles on July 9th, although there’s no mention of a Switch 2 version, sadly.
The game is a ground-up remake of the 2013 pirate adventure, so it’s not just a simple remaster; you’re getting improved visuals, yes, but also better performance and even new content to swashbuckle through.
You don’t need to worry about this one being turned into a modern-style RPG, either; it’ll apparently hew more closely to the original game’s classic Assassin’s Creed style.
Xbox has a new direction and new priorities to show us
It’s a very Xbox-heavy week this week; first there were the new Game Pass games, then changes to the service’s pricing, and following those two revelations, another one arrived.
In a post simply titled “We Are Xbox”, execs Asha Sharma and Matt Booty announced the retirement of the Microsoft Gaming label (which we have to admit we didn’t really know anything about).
They say they’re now focused on daily active players for the service as a whole, and that new priorities will include a smooth Project Helix launch and further Game Pass clarification.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a year old, and it’s still selling
Lest you thought the industry was done talking about improbable darling Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, think again, for the game re-emerged this week in order to celebrate its first anniversary.
The game has passed eight million sales since its release last year, which is an incredibly impressive milestone for an independent turn-based RPG. Sandfall should be proud of itself.
In order to celebrate said anniversary, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also got some new haircuts this week, so if you’re looking for a new style for your party members, you’re in luck.
Resident Evil Requiem has passed seven million sales
It’s a bumper week for Capcom this week, as the studio revealed that another one of its games has passed a new sales milestone following the success of Pragmata.
Unusually, the news wasn’t announced by Capcom itself, but rather by game director Koshi Nakanishi, who posted a snapshot of a party to celebrate seven million sales for Resident Evil Requiem on Instagram.
The milestone further confirms that Requiem is the fastest-selling game in the series by far, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down significantly either.
Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion is coming next year
If you’re a fan of the story-driven MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, rejoice, for the game’s next expansion has been announced, and it’s coming next year.
Evercold will arrive in January, and it’ll bring with it new jobs, new regions to explore, and significant gameplay changes, as well as kicking off a brand new saga.
As well as a new expansion, Square Enix also revealed that Final Fantasy XIV will be coming to Switch 2, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing how the studio pulls this one off. It’ll be an impressive technical feat, to say the least.
