It’s time once again to cast our eyes over the seven days that have just gone by and bring you the highlights when it comes to gaming news.
There’s plenty to pore over this week, including a new GTA 6 trailer, Nintendo getting lawsuit-happy again, and the appearance of a beloved Xbox franchise on PlayStation, among other things.
Without further ado, then, let’s do what we always do: make ourselves a hot drink, pull up a chair (for you, of course!), and take a look at what’s been happening in the world of gaming this week.
Nintendo sues an accessory company over Switch 2 leaks
This week, The Game Post reported that Nintendo is suing accessory company Genki over “unofficial Switch 2 mockups” at this year’s CES event.
As part of its booth at CES, Genki apparently showed off unauthorised mockups of the Switch 2, and Nintendo isn’t happy, alleging “trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising”, per The Game Post.
Genki subsequently responded to the lawsuit, with the company saying it’s “taking [the suit] seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully”. Looks like this one’s going to run and run, as lawsuits often do.
Gears of War: Reloaded is coming to PlayStation
Earlier this week, Microsoft and The Coalition announced Gears of War: Reloaded, a newly-remastered version of the original Gears of War that will also mark the series’ debut on PlayStation.
The game is effectively an updated, upgraded version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and to reinforce that fact, Microsoft is giving Reloaded away to anyone who purchased Ultimate Edition before Reloaded’s announcement.
As for what you can expect from Gears of War: Reloaded, it’ll boast upgraded visuals, smoother gameplay, and all of the game’s DLC, including the extra Campaign chapter.
Starbreeze is now self-publishing Payday 3
The saga of the beleaguered Payday 3 continues, as developer Starbreeze announced this week that it will be publishing the game after acquiring the rights from former publisher Deep Silver.
Starbreeze says that the agreement with Deep Silver’s parent Plaion allows the developer to “significantly accelerate our content roadmap” for Payday 3, and to “pursue broader strategic opportunities” for Payday.
The game has caused no end of trouble for Starbreeze; its player count is routinely dwarfed by its vastly more popular predecessor, and it’s arguably indirectly resulted in more than one change of staff at the company as well.
RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 crosses two million sales
Sandfall Interactive’s JRPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (okay, it’s not a Japanese game, but come on) smashed another big sales barrier this week, according to the developer.
Within just twelve days, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has managed to shift two million copies, which isn’t bad, especially since you can just play it on Game Pass if you’re a subscriber.
Expect this one to keep climbing to greater and greater heights, thus further giving the lie to the idea that nobody really wants flashy-looking, well-realised turn-based RPGs. We’re looking at you, Square Enix.
A new GTA 6 trailer is here
To compensate for the recent delay to Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar released a new trailer for the game this week, showing off a little more of its world and characters.
The trailer shows the beginnings of the story, with protagonists Jason and Lucia reunited after the latter gets out of prison. Obviously, it’s not long before they fall back into the criminal lifestyle.
The official GTA 6 website has also been updated with tons of new information about the game, so while it’s going to be longer before you can play it, there is a silver lining.
May’s Xbox Game Pass haul revealed
As well as unveiling Gears of War: Reloaded, Xbox also revealed the Xbox Game Pass haul for the first part of May this week, and…well, it’s a little underwhelming.
As well as big hitter Doom: The Dark Ages, the likes of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Revenge of the Savage Planet, and Warhammer: Vermintide 2 are all coming your way as part of the service this month.
Admittedly, the one-two punch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered are already keeping most players busy, but we’re still just a touch deflated by this announcement.
A new Sony studio is working on another live-service game
After the failure of Concord, it seems Sony still hasn’t learned its lesson when it comes to live-service games, as the tech giant announced another live-service-focused studio this week.
The newly-formed teamLFG (which stands for “Looking for Group”, emphasising the studio’s multiplayer focus) is hard at work on its debut game, which will be an action-heavy multiplayer affair with influence from MOBAs.
The studio is actually a spinoff of Halo and Destiny developer Bungie, which has its own live-service offering coming up in the form of the rebooted Marathon later this year.
Mafia: The Old Country launches in August
Surprising absolutely nobody, Mafia: The Old Country is launching in August, and it’ll streamline the open-world efforts of its predecessor in favour of a more linear experience.
The game, which will revolve around the story of mafioso hopeful Enzo Favara, will be arriving on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series on August 8th.
2K says that Mafia: The Old Country is a “compelling story that doesn’t require a massive time commitment”, and as such, the game will be launching for the lower price of £49.99, which is a nice touch.
Europa Universalis V is official
Shock, and, indeed, horror – it turns out Paradox’s Project Caesar is, in fact, none other than Europa Universalis V, although we probably could have guessed that.
The fifth game in the series of grand strategy sims will allow you to play as “hundreds of nations and societies in a simulated living world of unparalleled depth and complexity”, according to Paradox.
No release date has yet been revealed, but we’ll probably be learning more about Europa Universalis V in the coming weeks.
