[PATREON UNLOCK] Update Patch - January 2025

Update Patch News Roundup (05/01/25)

Another week, but the difference is this is the first of 2025. While you might think that means news is slow, as many are still on vacation and celebrating the accomplishments they reached last year, that wouldn’t exactly be true. In fact, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most celebrated years in gaming. While one of these hugely anticipated consoles or games may slip into the next few years, even thinking that the “Switch 2” and Grand Theft Auto VI will come out in the same year brings something primal out of my shrivelled, gamer heart. Also, we’ve got some exciting fighting game news and a surprising amount of Marvel content for a video games’ weekly newsletter. 

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite & Beyond Proves To Be Much More Than Just A ‘Functional’ Mod

Marvel Rivals isn’t the only video game-related Marvel darling to be in the limelight lately - Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond, the Maximilian Dood-funded mod from the heavens, is finally out in the wild, and to say people are excited is an understatement. This free mod, which revamps the much-maligned Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, had supporters in a frenzy crowdfunding over $7000 for the Tampa Never Sleeps tournament for the game. 

The Year Of The Snake Kicks Off With Some Free Games

While you may still be busy with vacation or holiday festivities, don’t forget about some of these deals that have arrived with the new year. January’s PlayStation Plus Essential games include: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. I haven’t heard anyone mention that Suicide Squad made it to its fourth season, where it introduces ‘Medieval Earth’ and Deathstroke. Regardless, if you did pick it up when it was an Epic freebie, it may be time to arm yourself against Brainiac as Deadshot, King Shark, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang, or if you haven’t played since launch, you can now check out the seasonal characters; Joker, Mrs Freeze, Lawless and Deathstroke. 

Microsoft, not to be left out, has a number of new games for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members - including the Persona 3 Reload’s Expansion pass which must be claimed by January 31st, 2025. Persona 3 Reload wouldn’t be complete without going into the ramifications of what happens after the end of the game, so don’t miss out on ‘Episode Aigis - The Answer’ if you can help it. 

Marvel Rivals Introduces Four Heroes and Maybe More? 

Marvel Rivals, the latest hero shooter and Marvel game to enter popular culture, is adding, to no one’s surprise, The Fantastic Four. Understandably, some younger readers may not be familiar with the Ever-Lovin’ Thing, Mister Fantastic, Johnny Storm, and the Invisible Woman, but that’s all bound to change soon enough with their entry into Marvel Rivals. As much as the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been deemphasised lately, this is a clear nod to the upcoming next phase of the MCU, and its headliners who, sadly, aren’t the X-Men. While we still have some of Phase 5 to go, which includes Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*(Yes, the asterisk is part of the title),  The Fantastic Four: First Steps will bring us into Phase 6 along with Avengers: Doomsday, hopefully a Spider-Man Flick, and maybe even a Blade film if it can ever get out of development hell. It looks like there’s still more planned to come to the game as . Dataminers and leakers have put forth the following characters that appear to be in the works: 

• Angela

• Blade

• Captain Marvel

• Deadpool

• Emma Frost

• Hit-Monkey

• Jean Grey/Phoenix

• M.O.D.O.K.

• The Hood

• Ultron

• Valkyrie

Additionally, You can celebrate The Year Of The Dragon - 2024 - as Squirrel Girl and Tippy Toe are both Dragon-ized as a new cosmetic for purchase if that’s your jam. 

Lastly, Marvel Rivals issued an apology for being overzealous in banning players who weren’t actually cheating. In a feat reminiscent of something Dr. Doom would scheme up, a number of players were banned for 100 years for “cheating”. What this actually turned out to be was players looking to play on Linux or macOS as the game was not natively released there. Netease Games says all players affected who were not actually cheating would be let back into the hit hero shooter.

2025: The Dark Souls of Gaming Years?

It’s only January and already 2025 is looking to be one of the great years for video games. Front and center of course is the ‘Switch 2’, which Nintendo is rumored to release this year. While Nintendo moves at its own pace, the ageing Switch definitely needs an upgrade if it’s to keep pace with even Nintendo’s own games as its already struggling to run first-party releases like Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019), and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Even outside of Nintendo, the Steam Deck has provided an outlet for many to experience a similar, yet more powerful platform that can even play Nintendo games. However, the biggest factor in Nintendo releasing new hardware might be its current anti-piracy push. Quite a few high-profile Nintendo releases over the lifespan of the Switch were available online for those with the know-how and moral flexibility. Rumours point to this being a big reason for Nintendo to be looking to get the ‘Switch 2’on the market as fast as possible. 

Next on everyone’s mind is Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI. It is an understatement to say the entire industry is watching this game, whether to move out of the way of it or see what can be learned from it. While this game may very well slip into 2026 or later, this game acts as gaming’s boogeyman and will answer a very important question on the state of AAA(or AAAA) gaming - is putting that many years and that much money into a game worth it?

Outside of those two highlights, there’s still a murderer’s row of possible releases this year. Half-Life 3 rumors have started up again courtesy of the Gman’s voice actor, Mike Shapiro and a Valve family/friends beta that isn’t Deadlock. While 2XKO, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Avowed, Monster Hunter: Wilds, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Fable, Doom: The Dark Ages, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Borderlands 4, Elden Ring: Nightrein, Judas, Mafia: The Old Country, The Outer Worlds 2, Dying Light: The Beast, The Wolf Among Us 2, Ark 2, Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Civilization 7, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, skate., Gears of War: E-Day are all tentatively positioned as 2025 releases. While some of these titles may slip into 2026 or later, even the pickiest of gamers is going to have a hard time not finding something to hopefully love in 2025.

And More To Be Announced

While publishers and developers may not be ready to make an actual announcement, there have been quite a few teases and developers commenting on what’s to come in the future. Starting with two ladies who know how to throw down, we’ve seen new art for Mai Shiranui and Elena, the latter of which has a bit of an updated look as we await their arrival in Street Fighter 6. SNK Corporation established KOF Studio over the holidays, which may seem to highlight a new game in the works as the company seeks to expand the brand. While its non-fighting games may not have been all that successful, we’ve already known for quite a while the company is making a new Samurai Shodown game in the vein of an action RPG as opposed to a fundamentals-testing fighting game. While some have mixed feelings about the reborn SNK due to an infusion of Saudi Arabian money, knowing the company is expanding rather than bowing out of gaming again is a good thing. 

Arrowhead, better known as the Helldivers 2 developer, is taking feedback for its next move. Johan Pilestedt, the director of Helldivers 2, says he’s in the “high concept” phase currently. The game does not appear to be ‘Helldivers 3’, as Pilestedt has previously suggested Helldivers 2 would grow until it became ‘Helldivers 3’. 

CD Projekt Red claims The Witcher 4 will have ‘immersive NPCs’ in response to previous Witchers and Cyberpunk 2077 being criticised for having generic NPCs. While that is a huge task for CD Projekt Red, at the time, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was lionized for its diverging quest choices and grey morality. 

Some new Tekken 8 features have been teased recently, centring around customisation. Players will be able to customise who’s on the main screen and each character will keep their own customisations should you choose to drop Dragonuv for Lidia. 

Deltarune creator Toby Fox took to Bluesky to reassure chapters 3 and 4 were still on track for a 2025 release. However, he did not mention any news on any further chapters.

Update Patch News Roundup (12/01/25)

It is the second week of the year, and the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) is delivering exciting news for the year in gaming and beyond. From alleged ‘Switch 2’ reveals to Steam Deck competitors being shown to the public, in this Update Patch we’ll dive into what’s been reported.

A Sneak Peak At Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s ‘Virtua Fighter Project’

While we initially saw the beautiful Virtua Fighter Project at Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is back at CES with a “pre-development concept” video. The game, which fans are referring to as ‘Virtua Fighter 6’ was represented with a tech demo that didn’t show “actual gameplay”. The video hints at early concepts, traditional martial arts cinematics, and next-gen stage interactions which could hint at a number of directions for the next entry in the Virtua Fighter franchise. Also in the video is a player character wandering around a 3D world before engaging in a battle, similar to Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode.

Sega has previously said it will seek to innovate the series as that is core to the history of Virtua Fighter, but at the same time, Sega has stated how the game didn’t rely on ‘fireballs’ or flashy moves like in Street Fighter or Tekken. It will be interesting to see how the Like A Dragon and Monkey Ball studio balance keeping its very traditional fighting game audience while attracting a wider playerbase at the same time.

Layoffs, Layoffs, Layoffs

2024 had an industry-record amount of layoffs, and 2025 is already continuing the trend: Rocksteady, famous for the Batman: Arkham series, suffered layoffs halving its QA department among other areas. This adds to the layoffs made at the studio in September. 

The team at Splash Damage working on Transformers: Reactivate, also suffered layoffs in addition to stopping development on the game completely. Transformers: Reactivate was announced three years ago, but we’ve heard little about it since. Additionally, six minutes of footage of the game has been leaked by an anonymous Transformers fan account.

Multiple Mobile Consoles Announced At CES 2025

With the ‘Switch 2’ on the horizon, and the Steam Deck bringing a more expansive and PC-friendly experience to the masses, it was only a matter of time before competitors introduced themselves. At CES 2025, a number of handheld consoles were announced. Lenovo, following up the Lenovo Legion Go, introduced the Lenovo Legion Go S. This model is launching with SteamOS installed, additionally, the more powerful Lenovo Legion Go 2 is set to launch later this year. Acer is following up last year’s Nitro Blaze 7 with two new models: the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11. These numbers represent how big the console is(8 and 11-inches respectively), so if you find yourself struggling to enjoy smaller handhelds, the Nitro Blaze 11 being the biggest handheld on the market may be just for you.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ was already available, but at CES 2025 MSI pointed out features such as its new Intel Core Ultra 7 Series CPU featuring an Intel Arc 140V GPU. Along with a larger display, hall effect joysticks, and dual-tone colour scheme, these elements should make up for the somewhat underpowered original MSI Claw. Microsoft also chimed in about its Xbox mobile device, citing “the best of Xbox and Windows together” and that more would be revealed in the future.

Tencent has teamed up with Intel for the Sunday Dragon 3D One, which promises to bring back a Nintendo 3DS-esque experience with autostereoscopic 3D. The system is quite large at 11-inches, with detachable controllers, and a whopping one terabyte of storage. No release date for the Sunday Dragon 3D One has been announced. The Zotac Zone 2025 is here mere months later to replace the original Zotac Zone. The 2025 model upgrades the CPU to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, as well as doubling the memory and storage. 

‘Switch 2’ Rumors Go Into Overdrive

Not to be left out of the mobile console conversation, there are a fair number of ‘Switch 2’ rumours going around and being given new life at CES 2025. Genki, an accessory maker, is claiming to be showcasing a ‘Switch 2 Replica’ behind closed doors at CES 2025. While it’s odd for this not to come from Nintendo directly, it is not unheard of for consoles or console prototypes to be given to developers and partners under strict terms and conditions. According to Genki, the Switch 2 is significantly larger than the Switch. 

Recent rumours also say the ‘Switch 2’ controllers have a mouse-like function and a magnetic connection to prevent the infamous stick-drift on Joy-Cons. The Switch 2 logo has also supposedly leaked. To top it all off, there are even claims the ‘Switch 2’, which has not been officially revealed, will go on sale in April by Genki. While all these features sound good, Nintendo has yet to announce the console, which would clarify which of these rumours, if any, are true.

Xbox Game Pass Titles For January Revealed

Microsoft has announced January’s Gamepass Games: 

• Road 96 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 7

  • Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass/Game Pass Standard

• Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview; Xbox Series X/S) - January 8

  • New to Game Pass Standard

• My Time at Sandrock( Console) - January 8

  • New to Game Pass Standard

• Robin Hood - Sherwood Builders (Xbox Series X/S) - January 8

  • New to Game Pass Standard

• Rolling Hills (Console) - January 8

  • New to Game Pass Standard

• EA Sports UFC 5 (Cloud and Xbox Series X/S) EA Play - January 14

  • Game Pass Ultimate

• Diablo (PC) - January 14

  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Additionally, the following are leaving Xbox Game Pass on January 15th:

• Escape Academy (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Common’Hood (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Exoprimal (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Figment (Cloud, Console and PC)

• Insurgency Sandstorm (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Those Who Remain (Cloud, Console, and PC))

Tencent Blacklisted By The US Government

Tencent, notable for investing in many parts of the gaming industry and either owns or has a large amount of shares in developers like Riot Games, Epic Games, and Ubisoft, has been put on a blacklist by the United States government. While this designation has no sanctions or other restrictions, American companies are encouraged not to do business with companies on the blacklist. This blacklist originated in 2020 from an executive order that prevented US companies from investing in companies with ties to the Chinese military. Tencent in response, has alleged this was a mistake, citing no involvement with ‘the Chinese military’ or a ‘military-civil fusion contributor’. The United States’ government was already eyeing companies with Chinese ownership such as Tiktok citing a security threat, so it would be unsurprising considering the change in regime should Tencent remain blacklisted.

EVO Announcements To Take Place Next Week

I hope you’ve been practising your cancels and studying the matchups, as Sony’s Evolution Championship Series (EVO) will likely be making an announcement of the lineup for EVO 2025 on January 14th, at 5PM PT/8PM ET.  While we’re sure to see games such as Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6, it will be interesting to see if games such as 2XKO or Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite & Beyond make centre stage, among other surprises. Last year, a throwback tournament for Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike gave us what many consider to be a new “EVO Moment” courtesy of Hayao’s Hugo. 

Update Patch News Roundup (19/01/25)

The Switch 2 has finally, officially been revealed, but gamers will have to wait a bit longer for several important questions to be answered. A former PlayStation Exec says his piece about the past and present of PlayStation and Jason Schreier also has something to say on the same subject as well. Finally, we will see some familiar blasts from the past in certain fighting games and learn what EVO 2025’s lineup will be in this Update Patch. 

Switch 2 Officially Announced

Nintendo has finally revealed the Switch 2 itself after many a leak, rumour, and tall tale. Nintendo’s socials debuted a two-minute look at the hardware which showed the newer Joy-Cons connecting to the console via magnets. Additionally, we have confirmation a new mysterious button on the right Joy-Con. The video also shows the Joy-Cons sliding across the ground, possibly hinting at the rumoured ‘mouse’ function for the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons. Though there is no release date or pricing information available, Nintendo has also clued us into when more information will become available by announcing a Nintendo Direct for April 2nd. 

Switch 2 Roundup

Nintendo’s share price rose to a 52-week high with the official announcement of the Switch 2. Dr. Serkan Toto spoke to VGC on this subject and attributed this jump to Nintendo playing it ‘safe’ with a conservative new console design, potentially avoiding another Wii U debacle. 

In the initial reveal video, Nintendo also graced us with another surprise in the form of a new Mario Kart. While details are scarce, eagle-eyed viewers have noted the number of starting spaces, which hint at the idea that this unnamed Mario Kart game could support up to 24 racers at a time - though the video we see only 15 characters. Either way, this would bring the total amount of racers up from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s 12. Additionally, this game’s art style may be slightly different from what we’ve seen from Nintendo’s more unified ‘house’ style, with Donkey Kong appearing drastically different and Princess Peach taking on a more classic look.

Nintendo also revealed that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, but there would be some games that may not be supported or fully compatible. Whether this refers to games that rely on Joy-Con peripherals like Labo and Ring Fit Adventure or if several games won’t be supported on a software level, remains to be seen. 

The Switch 2 Trial Event will start on April 4th in New York and Paris, continuing to the end of May throughout various places in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. This series of events will allow players to get hands-on time with the Switch 2 in advance of its launch, but players must register ahead of time.

PlayStation Cancels Two More Live-Service Games, Including A ‘Live-Service God Of War’ Game

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games have both had their live-service games cancelled. Neither studio will be shut down, according to Sony. It is unknown what the studios will be working on going forward, and it’s also unknown if this will lead to job cuts.

Shuhei Yoshida’s First Interview After Leaving PlayStation

Shuhei Yoshida left PlayStation after 31 years this month, and he had a lot to say. Speaking with Kinda Funny, he spoke freely about the PlayStation Vita, Bloodborne, and the live-service approach. On the PlayStation Vita, Yoshida lamented some of PlayStation’s choices such as a proprietary memory card, making players spend more. Yoshida also felt the back touchpad wasn’t necessary, as it just ended up being an additional cost. The biggest culprit for the PlayStation Vita’s struggle was a lack of development teams to support both the home consoles(PS3, PS4) and the PlayStation Vita. Most interestingly, Yoshida states at one time, the PlayStation Vita could’ve been even more similar to the beloved Switch console with a video output option. These comments are interesting not just because of Yoshida’s tenure at PlayStation, but also because PlayStation is reportedly looking to enter the mobile market again soon.

Yoshida also spoke on the much-requested Bloodborne update or port. Yoshida thinks it all boils down to Hidetaka Miyazaki being too busy to helm the project himself. FromSoftware Inc. has had no lack of success lately, with Elden Ring winning many an award and a standalone multiplayer adventure in the form of Elden Ring NightReign. Miyazaki has previously said he’s not “opposed” to it, but would “get in trouble” for saying he wants a port. 

Yoshida also had something to say about PlayStation’s current push into live service. Yoshida stated “It probably didn’t make sense to stop making another God of War or single-player game”, though he did add that as Hermen Hulst came into power, PlayStation had received more in terms of resources. 

LA Wildfires

As wildfires which could become the costliest in US history ravage the state of California, it isn’t only individuals doing their part to raise money. Sony has said it’s donating five million dollars to first responders, community and relief and rebuilding efforts and other assistance programs. LA-Based PlayStation studios Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and Santa Monica Studio have also pledged to donate. Riot Games has also pledged to donate by un-vaulting a skin and through a bundle as well.

EVO Lineup And Fighting Game Trailers

The Evolution Championship Series (EVO) will be taking place from August 1st to the 3rd at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hill in Las Vegas. Evo 2025’s official lineup has been revealed - mostly: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Guilty Gear Strive, Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes will all be main stage games this year. Though don’t fret if you don’t see your game of choice on the main stage, there is also an extended lineup of games that are run by EVO, including medals and stream presence for; BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Killer Instinct(2013), The King of Fighters XV, Rivals of Aether II, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.. The announcement teaser shows two additional spots in the ‘extended lineup’, so there may be even more surprises in store for tournament-goers and audience members.

Street Fighter 6’s Mai got a gameplay trailer showing off her more modern Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves look as well as classic Fatal Fury gameplay mechanics, flame stocks, aerial abilities, and fan juggles.

Mortal Kombat 1 also presented its tribute to Crom in the form of a gameplay trailer of Conan the Barbarian. Conan clearly knows how to use a sword, can toss his Kameos, he can also charge certain strikes and has a revive of sorts.

Guilty Gear Strive players will have to wait a bit longer to put on the gloves of the retired assassin Venom. Arc Systems Works stated this was to release him in the “best quality possible”, and he’ll now drop into Guilty Gear Strive after ARC WORLD TOUR Finals 2024 which take place from March 21st to 23rd.

The King of Fighters XV may have received its final patch with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves nears its April release date.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has revealed the contents of its first DLC, the Hero of Justice Pack. Based on the latest Dragon Ball: Super movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, this pack comes with:

• Gohan (Super Hero)

• Gohan (Super Hero Super Saiyan 2)

• Ultimate Gohan (Super Hero)

• Gohan (Beast)

• Piccolo (Super Hero)

• Piccolo (Potential Unlocked)

• Orange Piccolo

• Orange Piccolo (Giant)

• Gamma 1

• Gamma 2

• Cell Max

The pack will be released on January 23rd with a 72-hour early access edition also available. The pack also comes with Piccolo in a Red Ribbon soldier disguise as is tradition for odd character outfits in the series, but the developer Bandai Namco teases even more is coming.

Update Patch News Roundup (26/01/25)

Metaphor: ReFantazio Manga Premiers, First Chapter Free

Atlus’ 2024 fantasy epic, Metaphor: ReFantazio, isn’t done in the spotlight just yet, with a manga adaptation in English able to be read for free now. The Japanese adaptation is to be serialised in the weekly V-Jump magazine, the series will be published in a physical English edition later this year. Art is done by Yoichi Amano of Dragon Quest Treasures: Another Adventure Fadora no Takarajima fame.

Xbox’s January Game Pass Includes Five Day One Releases

Microsoft has announced its latest Game Pass games for the month of January as well as one game for February as well:

Day One Releases:

• Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) - Out 1/21/25 on Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

• Sniper Elite: Resistance (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 30 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

• Eternal Strands (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 28 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

• Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) - January 28 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) - January 31 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Other January Game Pass Games:

• Flock (Console) - January 22, Game Pass Standard

• Gigantic: Rampage Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 22 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Console) - January 22 now with Game Pass Standard

• Magical Delicacy (Console) - January 22 Now with Game Pass Standard

• Tchia (Xbox Series X|S) - January 22. Now with Game Pass Standard

• The Case of the Golden Idol (Console) - January 22, now with Game Pass Standard

• Starbound (Cloud and Console) - January 22 with Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Standard

• Shady Part of Me (Cloud, Console, and PC) - January 29 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

February Game Pass Games:

• Far Cry New Dawn (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 4 with Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

Games Leaving January 31st:

• Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Broforce Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Darkest Dungeon (Could, Console, and PC)

• Death’s Door (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Maquette (Cloud, Console, and PC)

• Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Marvel Snap ‘Snapped’ Out of Existence Due To US Ruling Against ByteDance

Along with the short livedTiktok ban and potential Tencent blacklisting the Trump Presidency put forth last week, an additional side effect of the new administration's policy was that it caused Marvel Snap to go offline as well before coming back online. Marvel Snap was published by ByteDance’s gaming arm, Nuverse. The developer, Second Dinner,  is seeking a new publisher to prevent such a shutdown in the future. As of writing, Marvel Snap is not downloadable on the app store, but the Second Dinner says it’s working on restoring availability. 

Tariffs On Mexico Could Increase Software Prices, Reduce Amount of Physical Releases 

Proposed tariffs from the Trump Administration could result in increased software prices and fewer physical game releases. Mat Piscatella of market research firm Circana reasoned in a thread on Bluesky that the proposed 25% import tax on Canada and Mexico would reduce the number of physical game releases in the US, and increase prices for games that do take this route - due to the majority of physical game disc sold in the Americas being produced in Mexico. Piscatella also says this does not exclude digital games, as price parity may be a factor pushing the digital versions to the same, higher price. Circana plans to reveal a full 2025 outlook this week, after publishing December sales data for the US Market on January 23rd.

Earthblade And Horizon MMO Cancelled

Celeste developer Extremely OK Games has cancelled its next project, Earthblade. The last project update written by the developers explains in great detail how Earthblade was cancelled due to internal development issues, and disputes about who owned rights to the IP of Celeste as well. Though Extremely OK Games lost Pedro Medeiros in the process (a founding member of the team, who is now currently working on Neverway), the studio has now reached a resolution to work on smaller games in order to avoid scope creep.

PlayStation’s cancellations continue with a Horizon MMORPG that NCSoft was working on being shuttered.  Projects codenamed H, J and Pantera, were being worked at at the studio,with H being known to be the unnamed Horizon MMORPG. The developers that were working on Project H have either left the company or been reassigned to different projects at NCSoft. This partnership dates back to 2023, when Sony Interactive Entertainment struck a deal to create an MMORPG. It is important to note that this is a separate online Horizon game from the one being developed internally at Sony which Guerrilla Games announced in 2022.

Genshin Impact’s Cognosphere Fined $20 Million For Engaging In ‘Dark Patterns’

Cognosphere (HoYoverse in the US) was fined $20 Million dollars for using ‘dark patterns’ in its game, Genshin Impact. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged Cognosphere uses deceptive practices to hide the cost of in-game transactions and obfuscate players’ odds of winning rare prizes, ultimately violating a children’s privacy law. Cognosphere did reach an agreement with the FTC, settling for the $20 Million fine as well as other restrictions. Cognosphere is no longer allowed to sell lootboxes to players under 16 without parental consent. Cognosphere will be blocked from selling lootboxes unless there’s an option to purchase them outright, must disclose loot box odds and exchange rates for multi-tiered currency, and delete any information of children 13 or younger unless they obtain parental consent to retain it. 

In an updated statement from Cognosphere, it confirmed a settlement was reached, however, Cognosphere did say many of the allegations were inaccurate.

GLAAD Nominates Outstanding LGBTQ-Inclusive Video Games, Taking a Second Look At A 20-Year Old Localisation Decision

GLAAD, in preparing its 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on March 27th, has finally put out its nominees for media representing “Exemplary achievements for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect our lives,”. This of course includes video games - 10 games were chosen for their inclusive and well-written stories at a time when LGBTQIA+  people face increased opposition. In particular, the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a 21-year-old game, is lauded for its restored depiction of Vivian, a ghost witch and one of Mario’s party members. In the game's 2004 localisation on the GameCube Vivan’s dialogue was rewritten to obfuscate her transgender identity which was an important part of her character in the Japanese original. Other games include Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Caravan SandWitch, Dread Delusion, Dustborn, Fear the Spotlight, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Minds Beneath Us, Sorry We’re Closed, and Until Then. 

New Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers Trailer 

Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers, a 12-episode anime set to premiere in April 2025 received another trailer. The game’s voice actors will be reprising their roles, and the trailer hints at going deeper into the game’s intricate lore. The series also takes place after Guilty Gear Strive, so if you want to know what’s going to happen next, or perhaps more about upcoming DLC character Unika, Crunchyroll will be the place to be.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Finally Releases Its Trailer For Sandalphon

During Cygames Cup, a trailer for Sandalphon debuted. The name is no coincidence, as this six-winged archangel will join the battle on February 26th.

There’s a Pink Ninja Named Floyd In Mortal Kombat, And Modders Have Already Made Him Playable

While most players are probably getting in touch with their inner barbarian with Conan made playable in Mortal Kombat 1’s most recent update, some players have found a secret reminiscent of a 90s arcade rumour. A pink ninja named Floyd will appear in certain stages, and he will give ‘hints’ on how to fight him. Modders have dug into the game, finding the various clues, and while no one is sure how to access this secret challenge, they have managed to make him playable all the same. While he shares moves with other MK ninjas, many of his moves are, unsurprisingly, named after Pink Floyd songs such as ‘Wish You Were Here’. 

Not to be left out, Skynet has sent a short video on what humans can expect when faced with the T-1000 in the form of a fatality.

Update Patch News Roundup (26/01/25)

It is the final week of January 2025, but in this Update Patch, Geoff Keighley is ready to set the gaming world ablaze again with Summer Game Fest 2025. A surprising announcement about the Video Game History Foundation lets you read the GamePro magazines from your childhood. Whether you prefer your fights inside the ring or outside of it, Capcom, SNK. and 2K Sports have some announcements, and Bioware is gearing up for ‘Mass Effect 5’. 

Video Game History Foundation Unveils Classic Magazine Library And More

The Video Game History Foundation, the mission of which is to preserve, celebrate and teach the history of video games, made an exciting announcement this week. The Video Game History Foundation has opened its doors as of January 30th, with early access to its digital archive that can be accessed without even leaving your home. 

Video game preservation efforts are important, in particular when so much of the medium becomes ‘lost media’ so easily. Even still, the Video Game History Foundation lost a legal battle late last year seeking an exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). 

Of particular note in the collection is the complete run of Game Informer, which was shuttered suddenly and without warning last year. Mark Flitman, a retired game producer who worked at Konami, Acclaim, Midway and Mindscape had the Video Game History Foundation digitise “mountains” of paperwork and digital file backups he’s kept over the years. The Video Game History Foundation is looking to catalogue more and is accepting materials from game developers still. 

Fatal Fury: City Of The Wolves Beta Test Announced

If you’ve been tossing your baseball cap in the air and can’t seem to stop asking people “Are you okay?”, you may be happy to hear SNK has announced a Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Open Beta Test. Taking place on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam from February 20 (12 am Pacific Time) through February 24 (11:59 pm PST). Eight playable characters will be selectable of the 17 total, though it’s unknown who you’ll be able to play as at the time of writing. In an era where flawless online gameplay with rollback is the standard, a beta was expected, but it was also announced with a teaser that Masami Obari, famed anime director and also the creator of three Fatal Fury OVAs (Original Video Animations), would be helming a promotional animation for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

X (formerly known as Twitter) user Renz also brought a few new details to the table: the Open Beta Test would be a completely new build with adjustments as a result of feedback from the community. SNK plans to reveal all Season 1 DLC characters in March or April. We currently know two of the five with Ken Masters (Scheduled for Summer 2025) and Chun-Li (Scheduled for Winter 2025) of Street Fighter fame, but no others. There is currently no plan for a demo/trial, as the Open Beta Test is SNK’s first priority. And finally, the Steam Deck version is in the polishing process.

If you can’t wait until then, Fatal Fury 2 is now available on the Nintendo Switch Online service. This instalment of the game features the lane system (a mechanic grafted to Terry and Mai in Street Fighter 6) and her stage in Fatal Fury 2, Aokigahara,  is her World Tour area in Street Fighter 6.

Someone At Activision Blizzard Appears To Be Leaking Slack Screenshots To Right-wing X (Formerly Twitter) Users

Activision Blizzard employees are being faced with increased internet harassment as a result of leaked Slack messages. Senior QA tester Sam Hudson confirmed this, stating several of their colleagues had been ‘doxxed’. The employee is said to have taken screenshots of Activision Blizzard King (ABK) Slack discussions starting on January 20th, which happens to be the date of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Twitter account YellowFlashGuy then shared several messages over the next day, including name and profile pictures of several ABK employees. Ex-Firefall Creative Director turned right-wing talking head Mark Kern also showed a picture of a Slack message from Activision President, Rob Kostich, telling employees that the company would continue DEI policies through the Inclusive Growth team. 

This continues online harassment campaigns such as the one targeting “DEI” and Sweet Baby Inc.. In related news, Square Enix has recently instituted a new “Group Customer Harassment Policy”, which allows employees who feel unsafe to bring that up to the company, which can then do anything from refusing to serve that particular customer all the way to taking legal action. This is part of a larger movement in Japan to combat a growing culture of harassment targeted at developers. 

Capcom Spotlight To Take Place February 4th, Followed By A Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase

Capcom has announced a Capcom Spotlight with a Monster Hunter Wilds showcase in tow. Taking place on February 4th at 10 pm GMT (2 pm PT). The Capcom spotlight is said to last around 20 minutes, with three titles being highlighted: Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, and Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. Presumably, Capcom will give more information about the missing Xbox version of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, a first real look at Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and more information if not a release date for Capcom Fighting Collection 2. The 20-minute showcase of Monster Hunter Wilds may sate players until its February 28th release date. 

Speaking of Capcom, Netflix’s Devil May Cry series received a teaser as well as a release date of April 3rd.

WWE 2K25 Allows Intergender Matches After Last Year’s Debacle Around Them

2K Sports has announced the release date for WWE 2K25 to be March 14th among other exciting details. The game’s cover will be graced by Roman Reigns, who will also be the focus for two main new modes in this year’s entry into WWE. Showcase mode, styled as ‘The Bloodline’s Dynasty’ involves the extended Anoa’i family with stars like Roman Reigns, The Rock, Yokozuna, and Jacob Fatu. Another new mode this year exclusive to current-gen systems is ‘The Island’. The Island will allow players to explore, level up and challenge other players while looking to score a contract by impressing Roman Reigns. 

Hinted at initially by current Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, the game will also feature a somewhat controversial element that hasn’t officially been in a WWE game since 2K Sports took over the franchise decades ago -  to the point a famous modder was banned last year for their efforts to reimplement the feature. Intergender matches will be fully featured in WWE 2K25, so modder Status will have one less thing to jury-rig. I’m sure many in the fandom want to see Rhea Ripley take Dominik Mysterio down a peg in the virtual ring, and they can do so with the normal, Deadman, or Bloodline Editions.

Gearing Up For Mass Effect 5: Bioware Downsizes As Dragon Age: The Veilguard Director Moves On

Bioware has announced its restructuring plans as Dragon Age: The Veilguard has wrapped up, and it includes layoffs. While an unspecified number of employees have been transferred to other teams within EA, IGN reports that a smaller number of Dragon Age team members are being terminated. Gary McKay, Bioware’s general manager stated that this will see the studio “become more agile, focused studio that produces unforgettable RPGs.”.

EA previously stated EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed, with the Dragon Age entry only achieving 50% of projected sales. 

Corrine Busche, an 18-year veteran of EA and Game Director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard received an offer she “couldn’t turn down”. Busche stated she will be staying in the CRPG space and did not want to reveal much more.

Summer Game Fest 2025 Announced For June 6th

Geoff Keighley has announced this year’s Summer Game Fest will be taking place June 7th through the 9th, with the two-hour Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff on June 6th (5 pm to 7 pm ET, 10 pm to 12 am GMT) at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, California. The invite-only media ‘Play Days’ will be in Downtown Los Angeles and produced by Iam8bit. The Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff will be broadcast live on Twitch, YouTube, X (formerly known as Twitter), Steam, and other platforms. Keighley teased that more than 40 publishers will be in attendance. Summer Game Fest 2024 featured some heavy hitters including Black Myth: Wukong, Warhammer 40,000:Space Marine 2, and Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. This year’s new addition is a business-to-business event curated by VGC’s Christopher Dring. Public tickets will go on sale this Spring.