Title: 8 Things To Never Say To An Adult Lego Fan Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:30:37 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/8-things-to-never-say-to-an-adult-lego-fan-2000683584 From talking about price to annoying stickers to saying 'Legos,' here are some tips for how to chat with an AFOL

Title: Overwatch’s Hilarious April Fools’ Event Is Throwing Balance Out The Window Once More Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:13:20 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/overwatch-april-fools-day-event-patch-notes-googly-eyes-2000683968 The ‘Underwatch’ mode turns a bunch of knobs and switches to create chaos

Title: The Black Ops 7 X Half Baked Tracer Pack Featuring Dave Chapelle Is A Real Thing But Players Aren’t Impressed Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:45:12 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/blops-7-half-baked-weed-ltm-420-update-2000683931 Also: classic Tomb Raider gets a patch for its ugly new cosmetics

Title: Every Ability The Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions Have In Champions Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:34:25 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/pokemon-legends-z-a-mega-evolutions-abilities-champions-2000683952 The Legends games don’t include Abilities, but these new forms are coming to the battle simulator

Title: PS Plus Subscribers Get Five PS5 Games This Month, Including A Lot Of Tomb Raider Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:16:13 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/ps-plus-subscribers-five-free-ps5-games-tomb-raider-lords-of-the-fallen-2000683943 April technically has five free games to grab, including some remastered Tomb Raider titles and Lords of the Fallen

Title: Resident Evil fans have adopted a Love & Deepspace character as the son of Leon S. Kennedy and one of his potential spouses Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:47:36 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/resident-evil-fans-have-adopted-a-love-and-deepspace-character-as-the-son-of-leon-s-kennedy-and-one-of-his-potential-spouses In an intersection of my particular interests that I most certainly didn't have on my 2026 bingo card, fans of the Resident Evil franchise – and in particular its recently-released ninth main entry, Resident Evil Requiem – have suddenly become obsessed with a very different favourite of mine: sci-fi otome gacha mobile game Love and Deepspace. Read more

Title: Caleb's third Myth has finally arrived in Love and Deepspace, and it's good news for all the husbandbro fans out there Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:46:11 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/love-and-deepspace-caleb-third-myth Love and Deepspace’s latest update is here, adding a new Memory Pair for Caleb. The event is dubbed Ghosts' Final March, and it’s available now as part of a new Limited Wish Pool, as it has always worked. Read more

Title: Never one to lag behind HSR and ZZZ, Genshin Impact will introduce its own new pink-haired animal-themed girl in Version Luna 6 Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:25:30 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/genshin-impact-luna-6-new-mondstadt-area Today’s Genshin Impact Special Program has wrapped up, and it’s brought us some big news about the next major update. Luna 6 is the next phase in the action RPG’s story, titled Song of the Welkin Moon: Rondo - Augured Homecoming. Read more

Title: Stalker 2’s first expansion officially revealed, and it's taking us to the power plant where it all began Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/stalker-2-cost-of-hope-expansion-reveal One of the biggest reveals out of today’s Xbox Partner Preview showcase has been the new Stalker 2 expansion. The developer did tease some sort of announcement ahead of the event, but I don’t think an expansion was on many of our bingo cards. Read more

Title: Crimson Desert's first patch aims at fixing controls, but it mostly affects mouse and keyboard Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:47:46 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/crimson-desert-patch-1-00-03-first-mouse-keyboard-ui-fixes Crimson Desert has been out for a few days now, and as positive as its been received by many players, the game suffers from several fundamental issues that anyone who’s played it has called out. Read more

Title: The Incredible And Unlikely Story Of How Glen Powell Became Fox In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:27:00 -0700 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-incredible-and-unlikely-story-of-how-glen-powell-became-fox-in-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie/1100-6539159/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f The Super Mario Galaxy Movie introduces Fox McCloud and other characters not seen in the 2023 movie, but getting him in the movie was not Nintendo's idea. Not only that, but adding Fox required Nintendo to break its rules about mixing IPs. And when it came to finding a voice actor, it turned out that Glen Powell had already pitched himself, not knowing Illumination and Nintendo were planning to put Fox in the movie.Speaking to Forbes, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto said it was Illumination boss Chris Meledandri who came to him to pitch Fox. It wasn't an immediate yes, though, as Miyamoto pointed out that Nintendo tends to "avoid mixing IPs." However, Miyamoto ultimately agreed to the idea, in part because The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes place in space and Fox is a character who flies through space."I felt that I wanted to see that," Miyamoto said of putting Fox in the movie, even if he expected the idea to face an uphill battle with the powers-that-be at Nintendo.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: World Of Warcraft Is Getting A Fantastic New Transmog Option Soon Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:01:00 -0700 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-of-warcraft-is-getting-a-fantastic-new-transmog-option-soon/1100-6539163/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Anyone who plays World of Warcraft knows the real endgame is looking cool, and Blizzard is giving players another way to do just that with a new transmog feature coming in patch 12.0.5.As revealed in the latest 12.0.5 public test realm development notes, players will soon be able to choose how to sheath their one handed weapons using the game's transmog system. Those options include sheathing weapons on the back, hip, or whether to be hidden entirely. For those classes or specializations that dual wield one-handed weapons, each weapon can be transmogged independently, meaning one weapon could be on the back while another could be on the hip. Unfortunately, two-handed weapons aren't currently able to be worn on the hip (likely because they would be dragging through the ground), but they can still be hidden if desired. In the live game, the only way to do this currently is by using certain cloak transmog appearances that hide weapons.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: Frasier Pinball, Horses In Among Us, And More Of The Best Gaming April Fools' Day Jokes Ever Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:02:00 -0700 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-gaming-april-fools-day-jokes/2900-5219/ Foolin' aroundToday is April 1, otherwise known as April Fools Day, aka the day you can't trust anything you see on the Internet. To mark the occasion, we're taking a fond look back at some of the best gaming pranks of all time. Check out our favorites and let us know if we missed any great gags of yesteryear. April Fools' Day approaches every year with a palpable sense of curiosity and dread. For every half-smile we crack at a gaming company's attempt at a prank, there are other times we hold our heads in our hands, wondering what that company was thinking.In this gallery, we've collected some of the best April Fools' efforts from gaming's long history. From a magazine article that sent street fighters a-flutter to a keyboard consisting of a single key, these are the pranks that made us laugh the most. PSA to game companies: These are the kinds of jokes we like. You can also check out our previous roundups for the 2024 and 2025 April Fools' Days, and try to guess just how many companies joked about releasing dating simulators.Spoiler: It was a lot. GameSpot's Breath of the Wild Guardian video Yes, we're starting the list with one of our own pranks. No, we are not biased in the slightest. On April Fools' Day in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was not even a month old, and players were still discovering all of its hidden secrets. We thought we'd capitalize with this cheeky video on how to mount a Guardian, and then turn its laser weapon on other enemies. If only it were true. IGN's live-action Legend Of Zelda trailerWe're not the only publication to pull a Zelda-themed video prank. Some of you may recall when IGN produced a full trailer for a live-action movie adaptation of Nintendo's adventure series, which honestly could have served as a good starting point for a real film. Perhaps the upcoming project directed by Wes Ball will take some pointers. Game Informer's Darth ClarkRounding out a trifecta of April Fools' media mischief is the ever-irreverent Darth Clark, who has terrorized the Game Infarcer section of Game Informer's April issue for years. His presence was particularly felt in 2013, when multiple GI readers wrote to the editorial staff of Clark's column--despite the word "parody" at the bottom of the page. Among Us Horse modeSomeone at Among us developer Innersloth was clearly watching old episodes of Mr. Ed in 2022, as the company released a trailer for a mode featuring equine versions of the little spacemen just in time for April Fools'. The four-legged friends did make their way into the game for a limited time, so while some might have been annoyed, you can't look a gift (space) horse in the mouth. Frasier pinballAlso in 2022, Stern Pinball created quite a stir with this limited-edition Frasier pinball set to enjoy after eating your tossed salad and scrambled eggs. Unfortunately, the link in the post rolled right into a song by a guy named Rick, which left Frasier fans wanting more. World of Warcraft T.I.N.D.R. BoxSometimes, even Level 70 Death Knights need love. This was the focus of Blizzard's World Of Warcraft T.I.N.D.R Box prank in 2015, which gave players an in-game item that, once given to a garrison member, could help them find their true love. WoW has a long history of April Fools' jokes and great fake patch notes. Final Fantasy 14's fighting gameTechnically this entry came after April Fools' Day--April 25, to be precise--but the idea of a Final Fantasy XIV fighting game was a tantalizing one. Sadly, Ultimate Fight never came to be, but for one shining moment, we believed. The Yakuza April Fools' RPG video that ended up being what Yakuza 7 actually wasWhile Yakuza 7 was in development, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio released an April Fools' trailer detailing a shift in the franchise's combat mechanics from a free-flowing action style to a turn-based model. Legend has it that fan reaction was so positive, the studio decided to actually make the change, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon as we know it was born. Overwatch googly eyesSometimes, the best pranks are the simplest ideas. Blizzard came through with an incredible idea in 2020, and all they had to do was put googly eyes on every playable hero in Overwatch. It's hard not to laugh when a badass like Doomfist is staring at you with those big ol' eyes. For Honor tiny charactersHoney, we shrunk the swordsmen! Ubisoft's contribution to the April Fools' festivities in 2020 was a small one, but it made for some big laughs watching ferocious battles play out amongst such tiny combatants. NZXT gaming handheld with keyboardPC maker NZXT's April Fools' joke in 2022 had the slight tinge of prophecy attached to it, as they unveiled the fake H-AND handheld PC. The fictional kit came with a "32-core 64-thread APU," a "tenkeyless pullout keyboard," "plenty of RGB," and more. While the keyboard was certainly silly, portable PCs have since gained popularity, so maybe they were on to something? Razer HyperSense suitRazer took the "metaverse" idea and kicked it into high gear with the HyperSense suit, a "highly advanced, full-body gaming suit" powered by haptic technology. We laughed, then immediately winced thinking about its implementation in Meta's legless Horizon Worlds universe. Corsair 1% keyboardCorsair riffed on its own K100 keyboard with the K1--a single key hardwired into a PC and surrounded by RGB lighting. What's more, the single key on the K1 was the "F" key, so we had to pay respects to the joke. FFXIV Tactics AlexanderSometimes April Fools' jokes are funny, and sometimes they're just cruel. Tactics Alexander, a completely fictional retro turn-based RPG "revealed" by Square Enix in 2017, is one such example of April cruelty. Why can't this be real? Ms. Pac-Man Google MapsGoogle likes to turn its search engines into a joke during April Fools' time, and sometimes that means the Google Maps platform turns a map of the world into a massive game of Ms. Pac-Man. This is the kind of April Fools' innovation we like; maybe we get a Google Maps Mario Kart course in due time? PlayStation FlowNo, we're not talking about the console-exclusive indie hit from Thatgamecompany, we're talking about the 2015 video Sony released of submersible gaming equipment. The goggles for your eyes and the bands for your arms and legs would combine to let you actually swim through underwater moments in your favorite games. As far as elaborate April Fools' Day pranks go, Sony had a winner here. Sanic CollectionThe "Sanic" meme featuring a child's drawing of Sega's iconic hedgehog reached new heights in 2018, when Sega created actual official merchandise featuring the off-shoot Sonic. The merch was only available for a week, though--"gotta go fast," indeed. Fight Sheng Long in Street Fighter IIFinally, we have one of the most iconic pranks in video game industry history: Here's the time Electronic Gaming Monthly convinced a legion of players that Sheng Long--a mistranslation turned into a person--was hidden in Street Fighter II somewhere. A version of the character eventually did debut in Street Fighter 4, and while he was under a different name, Gouken bore a very real resemblance to the old prank version. Dave the Diver is going to look a little better in a few decadesDave the Diver has long been a favorite here in the GameSpot offices, thanks in part to its retro-inspired pixel-art visuals. But could the game be even better with an injection of ultra-realism? The answer is a definite maybe, but you're going to need the patience of a saint to experience the ocean depths in glorious 3D. In 2025, developer Mintrocket announced Dave the Diver: Remastered, and the bad news is that you'll have to wait until 2049 to play it. The good news is that it'll be out before The Elder Scrolls 6, at least. Delta Force replaced humans with kitties, was instantly betterLook at you, with your human senses and opposable thumbs, playing your PC games. You lack the hunter's instinct of nature's perfect--and cuddliest--killing machine, and it's no wonder that Delta Force decided to ditch humans for cats. Tactical gameplay with extra fluff, these killer kitties were announced to be the perfect replacements for fallible humans, thanks to their night vision, instincts, and general disdain for human life. The Talos Principle addressed the brainrot generationThanks to years of doomscrolling and brainrot internet content culture, our brains are more cooked than an egg that has been microwaved for too long. Fortunately, Croteam saw an opportunity and carped that diem by introducing a "streamlined" version of its puzzle game, The Talos Principle. Perfect for anyone who didn't feel like charging up their neurons to help them overcome the game's riddles, this new version of the game replaced walls of text with emoji and added Serious Sam games for background noise.Heck, you could even generate your own puzzles in the game, using a level editor. But because having an idea and actually executing it are two different things, Croteam added a one-button prompt to do all the hard work for you. Cyberpunk 2077 floppy disks looked cool and cumbersomeCyberpunk 2077 has been easy to purchase, but in a truly evil act, CD Projekt Red announced that a floppy disk version was in development--97,619 3.5-inch floppies, to be exact. It would probably take a while to copy all that data over, and the purchase didn't include a storage container for all those neon yellow diskettes. Powerwash Simulator turned to grimeIn an update that made us feel ill, developer FuturLab announced an update for Powerwash Simulator that sucked all the hygienic joy out of the game. Instead of being able to blast filthy environments with streams of purifying H20, players would instead make these areas worse with tools that sprayed mud and slime everywhere. Please give us a minute; we need to go lie down for a spell. Sega CLC was the '90s take on video game expansionsHumanity called it hubris when we built a gaming tower to the heavens, but we called it the next logical step in preserving our nostalgia. Sega's Cartridge Loadable Content allowed us to have all the Sonic games we could ask for on our Sega Genesis, ready to play and completely stable if constructed on a day without any wind pressure whatsoever. Rainbow Six Siege you laterNow those are good optics! While there's no all-in-one solution to a scope that works well at any range in Rainbow Six Siege, this little joke suggested the next best thing. Instead of a single scope, how about all of them? A couple of years back, Ubisoft suggested attaching several of them to your weapons, and it sure was a sight to behold.

Title: Here's An Exclusive Look At MTG: Secrets of Strixhaven's Witherbloom Pestilence Commander Precon Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/heres-an-exclusive-look-at-mtg-secrets-of-strixhavens-witherbloom-pestilence-commander-precon/2900-7627/ Following a quick romp in the sewers with some radical turtles, Magic the Gathering is headed back to school with Secrets of Strixhaven. Ahead of the set's April 24 release date, Wizards of the Coast offered GameSpot an exclusive interview with senior game designer Daniel Holt, as well as the full deck list for Witherbloom Pestilence.Helmed by a new commander (Dina, Essence Brewer), Witherbloom Pestilence is a Golgari deck that is primarily concerned with victory through sacrifice and lifegain--the later of which should sound familiar if you're a Dina, Soul Steeper fan. However, this deck is packed with some powerful new cards that make enabling sacrifice easier than ever, as well as plenty of pests, token generators, and strong creatures. Older favorites, like Gyome, Master Chef, make for exciting and unexpected inclusions, while fantastic new cards, like Stensian Sanguinist, are sure to be instant staples.GameSpot: Dina, Soul Steeper is an extremely popular and beloved commander. What challenges did you face when creating Dina, Essence Brewer, and how did you balance implementing her in a new way while retaining the qualities that define her?Holt: Each of the commander preconstructed decks are helmed by a returning legendary character from Strixhaven: School of Mages. When starting these decks and figuring out their design and creative direction, I asked, "What does the uncommon card from the original set look like now as the face of this deck?" It's been a couple years. There was a whole Phyrexian invasion, and these returning students are now much more powerful.Dina has been mostly absent from the spotlight during that time, unlike some of the other students such as Quintorius and Zimone, so this was only going to be her second standalone card--not counting Dina's team-up card with Zimone in March of the Machine.Her previous card cared about gaining life, draining life, and sacrificing creatures to activate her ability. All very Witherbloom things, which set her up perfectly here. I decided to let powering up your other creatures be the way you can start closing out games, as opposed to directly draining life, although there is some of that in the 99 of the deck as well. I did keep the sacrifice and life gain aspects to help synergize with the other Witherbloom cards in the deck.Aside from Dina, what cards do you find most central to the deck? What were some of the first cards you considered when fleshing it out?Holt: Like any good sacrifice deck, you need things to sacrifice. Getting an engine going that outputs lots of tokens is going to give you the fuel to get started.The new card, Ribtruss Roaster, is a sac outlet itself, but if you use Devour or add counters using Dina, he will start releasing a swarm of pests at the end of each of your turns. Ophiomancer is a popular card that gives you a Snake token every turn if you don't already have one. You can get around that restriction every turn if you just sacrifice that token as well! I created a riff on this card with Pest Rescuer in green doing similarly but with Pest tokens. Not only are you getting fodder every turn, but you're gaining life while you're at it!Ways to close out the game are also important for any commander deck, especially those building engines like this one. The tried-and-true options such as Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat were natural inclusions, but new cards like Defiling Daemogoth will drain your opponents based on the life you're gaining along the way. And then when your opponents are all fairly low, you can claim the win with Exsanguinate cast off the new prepare creature card, Stensian Sanguinist.Victory through sacrifice is obviously an extremely popular strategy in Magic. What sets Witherbloom Pestilence apart from previous sacrifice-focused decks?Holt: Players love a good sacrifice engine theme in commander, and I wanted to deliver on that here. Unlike normal sacrifice decks though, this precon also has a lifegain subtheme. Not only are you staying alive to remain in the battle, but the life gains are important to trigger all your Witherbloom effects such as Trudge Garden and Blossoming Bogbeast to create a beatdown army on your opponents.In true Witherbloom fashion, one of the best creatures to sacrifice for value are pest tokens found in the college. Not only are they perfect sac fodder, but they gain you one life upon death, paying you off for all your other cards.Gyome is a fantastic card and I see how it works in this deck, but it still feels a bit out of place comparatively and thematically. Why choose to include him in Witherbloom Pestilence?Holt: With these decks, I wanted to include as many cards flavored to be in Strixhaven as possible so that players felt more immersed right out of the box. This meant using reprints from the original Strixhaven main set and commander decks, as well as assorted cards throughout Magic. I also obviously had the new cards found in this deck and Secrets of Strixhaven main set.Gyome was a perfect fit because he is great on his own, has great flavor for the deck, and does help support the secondary lifegain theme the precon is going for with its new and returning cards that look for lifegain.What past cards do you think will synergize well in Witherbloom Pestilence?Holt: You'll find a lot of past cards already reprinted in the deck that work well with both sacrifice and lifegain themes. Players can take this deck and lean a little more in either direction to build the deck more to their preferred playstyle. In terms of new cards though, players will find the new "Infusion" mechanic works great in any Witherbloom deck with lifegain triggers.

Title: Crimson Desert Players Love Watching NPCs Work In Real Time Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:58:00 -0700 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/crimson-desert-players-love-watching-npcs-work-in-real-time/1100-6539161/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Crimson Desert has loads of systems for you to engage with, like fishing, bounty hunting, armor dying, and cooking. There's even a point where you'll start recruiting NPCs to join your camp, and players are enamored by watching Pywell's many denizens get to work in real time, as they're replete with schedules and everything.Over on the game's official subreddit are three separate posts of three redditors requesting the same construction: a stone statue. After unlocking the Greymane Camp at the start of Chapter 3, you can begin to recruit and dispatch workers to complete activities. This ranges from lumbering and mining to building and guarding, and some redditors have captured the activity in real time. Users lakitu76, TopSeaworthiness1679, and Responsible-Wind1788 shared posts of a time-lapse of workers hammering away at a statue, fiddling with and sticking on pieces of stone as Kliff just stood idly by. Meanwhile, user Vinjulmik posted a screenshot of their entire camp working on a bridge as Kliff watched them sweat.When you send your recruits to do some work, they actually leave, too. According to users in the game's subreddit, your hires will head to the location you send them to and stay there until the job is finished; once they're gone, they'll be greyed out in your Comrades tab, indicating that they've not yet returned from their duties.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: How to get the Fallen Kingdom armor in Crimson Desert Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:24:46 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/crimson-desert-fallen-kingdom-armor-location/ In Crimson Desert, the Fallen Kingdom armor is the perfect set if you want a fierce look combined with good lightning resistance. It features vibrant red and green tones along with an imposing helm. While in the early stages of the game, this is a great armor to chase since all of its parts are located within Hernand. You just need to know where to look.

Title: 5 new PC games to play on Steam in April 2026 Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:58:29 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/best-new-pc-steam-games-april-2026/ You might think there aren't that many upcoming games in April, and you'd be wrong. It's true this month is missing big spotlight-stealing hits like Resident Evil Requiem or Pokémon Pokopia, but there's a trove of indie games flying under the radar that we're keeping an eye on in between things like Pragmata and Outbound. God games, convenience store sims, more Moomin, builders, and mouse shooters — it's a strong month for variety, and value, as nearly all of these games cost a fraction of what you'd pay for a new AAA game.

Title: McDonald's KPop Demon Hunters ad reunites Rumi and Jinu, sort of Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:50:24 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/mcdonalds-kpop-demon-hunters-rumi-jinu-duet/ It's been almost a year since KPop Demon Hunters first hit our screens, building a fervent fandom with its slick, stylish animation and songs that quickly rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. One of our personal favorites is "Free," featuring Rumi (Ejae) and Jinu (Andrew Choi) belting out a heartfelt ballad about their desire to run from the expectations placed on them. It was the only duet the two shared, until now.

Title: The best April Fools' Day 2026 jokes from gaming companies Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:32:56 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/april-fools-day-2026-video-games-jokes/ April Fools' Day is here, meaning you can trust even less of what you read on the internet today. Plenty of corporations are getting in on the fun, including game developers and publishers. Some are obvious parodies, while others are ideas we wouldn't mind becoming a reallity, like how the Palworld dating sim started as a joke and now will be an actual game.

Title: All chaos cube locations in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:26:10 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/fortnite-chapter-7-season-2-chaos-cube-locations-dark-voyager-path-all/ Chaos cubes are small orange cubes that have been scattered around the FortniteChapter 7 Season 2 map. Finding the cubes will help track the Dark Voyager's path across the island, and give you a ton of XP in the process. However, some of the cubes are fairly hard to find and others are in tough-to-reach locations.

Title: Game On: Five New Titles Now Streaming on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:00:47 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-screamer/ That gaming backlog won’t clear itself — GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices. This week, five new titles are ready to play instantly in the cloud gaming platform’s library. Screamer drifts onto the scene with retro‑racing attitude and pixel‑perfect speed. Plus, Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.1, “Unraveled for Daybreak,” touches down. Hit the Gas The ‘90s called — it wants the cloud. Screamer from Milestone roars back onto the track as a blistering arcade racer that thrives on speed, precision and pure retro attitude. Tight corners and neon‑soaked straights define a style built for thrill seekers who crave the rush of classic ‘90s racing action. The mix of sharp visuals, snappy handling and roaring engines creates an experience that’s equal parts vintage energy and modern muscle. Running on GeForce NOW, Screamer puts pedal to the metal with ultralow latency and buttery‑smooth streaming. In the cloud, every race launches instantly, every drift hits with full force and every victory feels just a little louder. Let’s Play Today All aboard the Astral Express. Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.1, “Unraveled for Daybreak,” is available now, bringing new adventures aboard the Astral Express. The crew touches down at Star Rail FEST, a grand interstellar celebration packed with new zones, characters and challenges. Detective Ashveil joins as a new five-star Lightning hunter, chasing conspiracies hidden behind the glitz of the Phantasmoon Games. Dive into the new Wispae War Saga, enjoy free Warps and explore fresh Divergent Universe content filled with rewards and events. Play the latest Honkai: Star Rail update instantly on GeForce NOW — no installs, just starlight and action. Members can also look for the following: Screamer (New release on Steam, March 26, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) King’s Quest (New release on Ubisoft, March 25) BATTLETECH (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Despot’s Game (Xbox, available on Microsoft) Diablo II: Resurrected (Steam) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. You get a magic wand that can save any character from their death in a video game. But you can only choose one. Who do you save? Beware spoilers in the replies and choose wisely. — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) March 25, 2026

Title: Smooth Moves: 90 Frames-Per-Second Virtual Reality Arrives on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-virtual-reality-update/ It’s a double feature on GFN Thursday. This week, GeForce NOW offers smoother sights in virtual reality (VR) and a sprawling new land to conquer. Streaming at 90 frames per second (fps) comes to supported VR headsets. And Crimson Desert, which recently surpassed 3 million wishlist additions on Steam, debuts in the cloud with GeForce RTX 5080‑class power. Catch it as part of four new games on GeForce NOW VR, but Make It 90 FPS Power levels rising … to 90 fps. VR in the cloud is getting a smoothness upgrade. GeForce NOW is boosting support for Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest devices and Pico devices to stream at up to 90 fps for Ultimate members, bringing crisper motion and more responsive gameplay straight from the cloud. The app update is starting to roll out to members starting today. Members can transform the space around them into a personal gaming theater with GeForce NOW, playing favorite PC titles on a massive virtual screen. With support for up to 90 fps for Ultimate members, gameplay feels smoother, movement more natural and action more comfortable. All premium members can continue to enhance their experiences with NVIDIA RTX and DLSS technologies in supported titles. Just fire up GeForce NOW on supported VR platforms, step into a virtual big screen and let the cloud handle the heavy lifting. From chill sessions in a virtual theater to high‑octane firefights, 90 fps helps keep every moment looking sharp and feeling responsive. A Storm Brews Into the cloud with “Crimson Desert.” Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert, a stunning, open‑world action adventure set in a war‑torn fantasy land, pairs large‑scale exploration with cinematic storytelling and hard‑hitting, combo‑focused combat. One moment is a quiet ride across windswept plains, the next is a chaotic clash against towering foes with mystical power effects lighting up the battlefield. Follow Kliff, a mercenary whose close‑knit group is destroyed in a sudden ambush. The journey centers on exploring a massive, detailed world, taking on story missions, riding mounts, finding supplies and facing dangerous enemies as Kliff works to bring his scattered companions back together. GeForce NOW brings 5080-class power to the game across supported devices, delivering high settings, smooth action and lush visuals without the need to worry about system specs. Members can jump into its cinematic battles and sweeping landscapes on the device of their choice, from low‑spec laptops to compatible TVs and mobile devices. Joining the Family It’s time to make an offer no tank can refuse. World of Tanks is rolling out the red carpet for Battle Pass Special: Mafia from March 19-29, welcoming the respectable family from the fine city of Lost Heaven and bringing their signature mix of loyalty, ambition and firepower to the battlefield. Recruit iconic characters from 2K’s original Mafia game, unlock stylish 2D looks like Little Italy and Lost Heaven Noir, and command the Italian Predatore tank to make sure every deal ends with a bang. Respect is earned — and it’s best earned playing on GeForce NOW, where the action hits fast and smooth — powered by the cloud. In addition, members can look for the following: Everwind (New release on Steam, March 17, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Retro Rewind – Video Store Simulator (New release on Steam, March 17) Crimson Desert (New release on Steam, March 19, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Fallout 3 (Steam) Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Motor Sport, Icarus and Ark Survival Ascended — currently available to all GeForce NOW members — will no longer be available on the free tier starting Wednesday, April 1, as the basic rig type does not meet the game’s updated minimum system requirements. Premium members can continue to play these games uninterrupted. For some icing on the cake, the GeForce NOW Reddit community is running a giveaway for a VR headset. Find details on how to enter. Plus, check out GeForce NOW creator Airie Summer’s gaming giveaway on X much love to nvidia for the community giveaways ♡@logitechg pro grade performance gears https://t.co/lRpSTKhQHJ @nvidiagfn entries open @ channel during the following times xoxomarch 12, 19, & 26 from 09:30 a.m. to 05:30 p.m. ethttps://t.co/q67SOJNpbO #nvidiapartner pic.twitter.com/uQ6L1rcVcj — airie (@airiesummer) March 12, 2026 . 

Title: GeForce NOW Raises the Game at the Game Developers Conference Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:00:53 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gdc-2026/ GeForce NOW is bringing the game to the Game Developers Conference (GDC), running this week in San Francisco. While developers build the future of gaming, GeForce NOW is delivering it to gamers. The latest updates bring smoother performance, easier game discovery and a fresh lineup of blockbuster titles to the cloud. Game discoverability gets a boost with new in‑app labels for connected accounts for Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+. It’ll be easier than ever to see titles already available through linked subscriptions, so members can seamlessly jump into games they already own. Virtual reality gets a smooth upgrade — supported devices now stream at 90 frames per second (fps), up from 60 fps, delivering more responsive and immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences. Account linking is also leveling up. Following Gaijin single sign-on announced at CES in January, GOG account linking and game library syncing are coming soon. The GeForce NOW library continues to grow with new releases joining the cloud at launch: CONTROL Resonant and Samson: A Tyndalston Story. Plus, select Xbox titles will join the Install-to-Play library. In addition, there’s a lineup of five new games to catch this week, including Capcom’s Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, on top of the latest update for Fortnite. Gaming Is Buzzing GeForce NOW is rolling into GDC with an easier way to keep track of titles, as well as performance upgrades and a growing lineup of major titles ready to stream at launch. Keeping track of which game lives on which service can be tricky. In‑App labels — coming soon to GeForce NOW for connected subscriptions — will help make it simple for members to know exactly what games they can play on GeForce NOW. Once a member connects their Xbox Game Pass Account or Ubisoft+ account, clear labels will appear directly on the game art inside the GeForce NOW app — eliminating guesswork and making it easy to see exactly what’s available to play from their game subscription services. Set it and forget it. Account linking is expanding too. On top of Gaijin single sign-on, GeForce NOW is adding GOG account linking and game library syncing in the coming months.               Smooth moves. Virtual reality is also getting an upgrade. Starting Thursday, March 19, VR devices that GeForce NOW supports, including Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest and Pico devices, will stream at 90 fps for Ultimate members, an increase from 60 fps. The higher frame rate enhances smoothness, responsiveness and realism across every session — whether gamers are chasing enemies through neon-lit streets or exploring far‑flung alien worlds. GeForce NOW’s Install‑to‑Play library is also expanding with select Xbox titles, including Brutal Legend from Double Fine Productions and Contrast from Compulsion Games. These additions bring more flexibility for members to download and install their owned games alongside streaming favorites. That’s just the start. Highly anticipated games are headed to the cloud at launch: Bending reality. CONTROL Resonant — Remedy’s upcoming action‑adventure role-playing game (RPG) that blends supernatural powers with a warped Manhattan facing a reality-bending cosmic threat. Unravel a family story steeped in myths. Samson: A Tyndalston Story — the game from Liquid Swords is a gritty action brawler, set in the city of Tyndalston, launching on PC. Free to Save the World Chaos in the cloud. Fortnite’s original adventure is back in the spotlight — and soon, it’ll free to play. Fortnite first launched in 2017 as a story-driven co‑op experience, and on Thursday, April 16, the “Save the World” update will officially be free to play for all players. Pre-registration begins on Thursday, March 12. Join forces against hordes of husks, solo or with the squad, in a player vs. environment action-packed story, complete with gathering, crafting and collecting. Pick a favored playstyle with four distinct classes to choose from, over 150 heroes and weapons to upgrade, and loadout customization options to hone builds even further. With hundreds of updates since its original launch and over 100 hours of content, squads can build, grind gear and engineer elaborate homebase defenses to keep the Storm King at bay. “Save the World” isn’t available on mobile devices, including tablets. On GeForce NOW, Fortnite “Save the World” streams straight from the cloud — no waiting around for updates or patches. Low‑latency streaming keeps building, shooting and trap placement feeling snappy across supported devices. Stay in the action with GeForce NOW. Gear Up for Glory The cloud makes it easy to suit up in style. From chaotic infantry clashes to roaring jet dogfights, every match is an unpredictable explosion of strategy and mayhem in EA’s Battlefield 6.  This week, GeForce NOW Ultimate members can drop into the action with serious style — a new reward, the Advancing Gloom Soldier Skin, gives soldiers a sleek, battle-hardened look fit for the frontlines. Members can claim it in their GeForce NOW account portals, redeem it at EA.com/redeem, then show up ready in true Ultimate fashion. It’s available through Sunday, April 12, or while supplies last. Being a GeForce NOW member pays off. Whether streaming on the go or maxing out graphics in the cloud, members get exclusive rewards to keep and flaunt. Start the Games Twin monsters, one cloud. Twin Rathalos, born in a twist of fate, set the stage for the third entry in the Monster Hunter Stories RPG series, launching on GeForce NOW. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is an RPG series set in the Monster Hunter world, where players can become a Rider, and raise and bond with their favorite monsters. Play it instantly on GeForce NOW and take the adventure anywhere, on any device. In addition, members can look for the following: Warcraft I: Remastered (New release on Ubisoft, March 11) Warcraft II: Remastered (New release on Ubisoft, March 11) 1348 Ex Voto (New release on Steam, March 12, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (New release on Steam, March 12, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (New release on Steam, March 12, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) This week’s additional GeForce RTX 5080-ready game, on top of the addition of John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, 1348 Ex Voto and Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection: Greedfall: The Dying World 1.0 (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: NVIDIA Virtualizes Game Development With RTX PRO Server Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:30:07 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/gdc-2026-virtual-game-development/ Game development teams are working across larger worlds, more complex pipelines and more distributed teams than ever. At the same time, many studios still rely on fixed, desk-bound GPU hardware for critical production work. At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) this week in San Francisco, NVIDIA is showcasing a new approach to bring together disparate workflows using virtualized game development on NVIDIA RTX PRO Servers, powered by NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs and NVIDIA vGPU software. With the RTX PRO Server, studios can centralize and virtualize core workflows across creative, engineering, AI research and quality assurance (QA) — all on shared GPU infrastructure in the data center.  This enables teams to maintain the responsiveness and visual fidelity they expect from workstation-class systems while improving infrastructure utilization, scalability, data security and operational consistency across teams and locations. Simplifying Complex Workflows As game development studios scale, hardware can often sit underutilized in one location while other teams wait to access it for production work. QA capacity is hard to expand quickly. Over time, workstation hardware, drivers and tools diverge, making bugs harder to reproduce. AI workloads are often isolated on separate infrastructure, creating more operational overhead.  The NVIDIA RTX PRO Server helps studios move from workstation-by-workstation scaling to centralized GPU infrastructure. Studios can pool resources, allocate performance by workload and support parallel development, testing and AI workflows without expanding physical workstation sprawl. Centralized GPU infrastructure enables studios to run AI training, simulation and game automation workloads overnight, then dynamically reallocate the same resources to interactive development during the day, improving overall utilization and reducing idle capacity. The NVIDIA RTX PRO Server supports virtualized workflows for 3D graphics and AI across the game development lifecycle for: Artists: Providing virtual RTX workstations for traditional 3D and generative AI content-creation workflows. Developers: Powering consistent, high-performance engineering environments for coding and 3D development. AI researchers: Offering large-memory GPU profiles for fine-tuning, inference and AI agents. QA teams: Enabling scalable game validation and performance testing using the same NVIDIA Blackwell architecture used by GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. This allows studios to support multiple teams — including across sites and contractors — on one common GPU platform, improving collaboration and reducing debugging issues that can arise from disparate hardware. Supporting AI and Engineering on Shared Infrastructure AI is becoming a core part of everyday game development, spanning coding, content creation, testing and live operations. As these workflows expand, studios need infrastructure that can support AI alongside traditional graphics workloads without introducing separate, siloed systems. With the RTX PRO Server, studios can support coding agents, internal model experimentation and AI-assisted production workflows without spinning up a separate AI stack for every team. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPU features a massive 96GB memory buffer, enabling developers to run multiple demanding applications simultaneously while supporting AI inference on larger models directly alongside real-time graphics workflows. NVIDIA Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) technology partitions a single GPU into isolated instances with dedicated memory, compute and cache resources. Combined with NVIDIA vGPU software, MIG can help studios securely allocate GPU capacity across users and workloads. In combined MIG and vGPU configurations, a single RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPU can support up to 48 concurrent users, maximizing utilization while maintaining performance isolation. Enterprise-Ready Deployment for Game Studios NVIDIA RTX PRO Servers are designed for enterprise-grade data-center operations. Studios can deploy virtual workstations on RTX PRO Servers via NVIDIA vGPU on supported hypervisor and remote workstation platforms. That means RTX PRO Servers can fit into studios’ existing infrastructure and IT practices, rather than requiring one-off deployments. Major game publishers already use NVIDIA vGPU technology to scale centralized development infrastructure and improve efficiency at studio scale. ​Learn more about the NVIDIA RTX PRO Server. See these workflows live by joining NVIDIA’s booth 1426 at GDC or attending NVIDIA GTC, running March 16-19 in San Jose, California.  See notice regarding software product information.

Title: March Into the Cloud With 15 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:00:30 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-march-2026-games-list/ March is in full bloom, and that means a fresh wave of games heading to the cloud. 15 new titles are joining the GeForce NOW library this month. Leading the March lineup is Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert, an open‑world action‑adventure set in a war‑torn fantasy land, alongside plenty of other games to explore. Whether looking to shake off the winter blues or jump into some bracket‑worthy gaming action, there’s something for everyone in the cloud. March into the cloud and see what’s new — and keep an eye on GFN Thursdays all month for more updates. This week kicks off the month with eight new games. March Gaming Madness In LORT we trust. LORT dials chaos up to 11 and snaps the knob clean off. Big Distraction’s off‑the‑rails adventure hurls players into a world where every corner hides a bad idea waiting to become a great story, powered by wild weapons, weirder characters and “Did that just happen?” moments. Catch every glorious disaster in full fidelity and play it on GeForce NOW, available this week. Here’s are this week’s eight new additions: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass, March 3, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered (New release on Steam, available March 3) Esoteric Ebb (New release on Steam, available March 3) The Legend of Khiimori (New release on Steam, available March 3, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Slay the Spire 2 (New release on Steam, available March 5) Docked (New release on Steam, available March 5) Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) LORT (Steam) And look forward to the games coming throughout the rest of the month: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (New release on Steam, March 12, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Everwind (New release on Steam, March 17) Crimson Desert (New release on Steam, March 19) Screamer (New release on Steam, March 23) Nova Roma (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, March 26) Legacy of Kain: Ascendance (New release on Steam, March 31) Subliminal (New release on Steam, March 31) February in the Books In addition to the 24 games announced last month, 18 more joined the GeForce NOW library: Anno: Mutationem (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Blizzard Arcade Collection (Ubisoft Connect) Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (Steam) Capcom Fighting Collection (Steam) Diablo (Ubisoft Connect) Diablo + Hellfire Expansion  (Ubisoft Connect) Diablo II: Resurrected (Ubisoft Connect) Galactic Civilizations 3 (Xbox, available on the Microsoft Store) KILLER INN (Steam) Mega Man 11 (Steam) MotoGP22 (Xbox, available on the Microsoft Store) Spellcasters Chronicles (Steam, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) STALCRAFT: X (Epic Games Store) Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (Steam) Torment: Tides of Numenera (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) TCG Card Shop Simulator (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Trine Enchanted Edition (Epic Games Store) Trine 2: Complete Story (Epic Games Store) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below, then see what Blue Thunder Gaming thinks of GeForce NOW.  

Title: PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for April: Lords of the Fallen, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:30:02 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/04/01/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-april-lords-of-the-fallen-tomb-raider-i-iii-remastered-sword-art-online-fractured-daydream/ April’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup features three games available to all PlayStation Plus members*. Battle your way to a demonic god in Lords of the Fallen, relive (or discover) Lara Croft’s first adventures with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and battle foes solo or together in co-op action game Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream.  These titles will be available to all PlayStation Plus members from Tuesday April 7 until Monday May 4.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Lords of the Fallen Overthrow a resurrected demon god in this all-new adventure set in an interconnected world five times larger than the original game. In Lords of the Fallen, you play as one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, who must journey through the realms of the living and the dead to disrupt the reign of Adyr, a cruel tyrant who has ushered in a new age of devastation for humanity. Along the way, you’ll endure colossal boss battles and get to grips with a fast and challenging combat system. With nine character classes and hundreds of weapons to choose from, you’ll customize your hero and develop your own play style as you set out to defy the gods. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Play the original three Tomb Raider adventures: for the first time ever, play the complete experience with all expansions and secret levels on modern platforms in this definitive collection. Experience the classics boasting upgraded graphics, with the option to switch to the original polygon look at any time. The collection includes a new Challenge Mode: replay levels with customized modifiers and complete achievements to unlock 10 New Outfits that enhance Lara’s abilities. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Galaxia, a new system allowing players to relive the past, has been added to ALfheim Online; however, Galaxia spins out of control causing players from all over time and space to be displaced! To set the timeline back on track, Kirito must work with fallen friends…and foes. True to the Sword Art Online series, join a raid party and prepare for a fight with high difficulty bosses together! How you prepare for the fight is the key to victory. Each with their own specific role on the battlefield, 21 SAO characters from various arcs are gathered to fight. Team up with a total of 20 players from around the world in one of five parties comprised of 4 players each for multiplayer co-op action! View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Last chance to add March’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games to your library  PlayStation Plus members have until Monday April 6 to add PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2, The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road to their game library.  *PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information. 

Title: Players’ Choice: Vote for March 2026’s best new game Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/04/01/players-choice-vote-for-march-2026s-best-new-game/ Last month was filled with vast open worlds, extractions, and rivals! Some big new releases included Marathon, Crimson Desert, MLB The Show 26, and Scott Pilgrim EX. Which game was your favorite? How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. View Poll

Title: PS5 Pro New PSSR Upscaler is now Accessible on Assassin’s Creed Shadows! Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:16 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/03/31/ps5-pro-new-pssr-upscaler-is-now-accessible-on-assassins-creed-shadows/ On April 7, we’re officially offering the new upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) to Assassin’s Creed Shadows PS5 Pro players, alongside Title Update 1.1.9. PSSR is an AI library that analyzes game images pixel by pixel as it upscales them, and it’s been used to boost the effective resolution of over 50 titles on PS5 Pro to date. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was supporting the original PSSR since its launch and now will be among the first titles to offer this new version, launching April 7 at 7:00am Pacific Time. Here’s a deeper look at the optimization it brings to the image quality overall: Improved image quality across all modes With the upgraded PSSR, image quality is consistently improved throughout the game. Environments appear cleaner and more stable, with better reconstruction of fine details. “The upgraded PSSR significantly enhances Assassin’s Creed Shadows by delivering sharper pixel quality and exceptional image stability, effectively eliminating distracting visual artifacts caused by motion and vibration, and creating a smoother, more immersive experience that allows players to stay fully engaged in the world without interruption.” – Robert Foriel, Technical Art Director These benefits apply across all PS5 Pro modes — Performance, Balanced, and Quality — which render at different internal resolutions with Dynamic Resolution Scaling. The new PSSR allows each mode to deliver higher visual fidelity, reducing the trade-offs between performance and image quality. Whether targeting higher frame rates or higher internal resolution, the final image remains sharper and more stable than before. Play Video Better handling of complex rendering Assassin’s Creed Shadows features dense vegetation, advanced ray-traced lighting, and a wide range of dynamic effects — all of which can be challenging for image reconstruction. The new PSSR delivers particularly strong results in these scenarios: Dynamic vegetation: Windy grass shows some of the most visible improvements. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, foliage is driven by our Atmos system with fluid simulation–based wind, resulting in highly complex and natural motion across large environments. This kind of dense, thin geometry is especially challenging, with constant motion and frequent visibility changes across frames. The upgraded PSSR preserves fine details at close range, allowing individual blades of grass to remain clearly defined even in motion, while also improving crispness at longer distances, with cleaner edges on trees and other distant foliage.  Play Video Particles and transparency: Particle effects appear cleaner and more stable. These elements often involve layers of transparency and independent motion, which makes it challenging to determine which motion vectors to use — the particle’s, the background’s, or a combination of both. The new PSSR handles these scenarios seamlessly, keeping particle effects visually consistent during motion and maintaining the cinematic feel of the world. Play Video Ray-traced lighting and stochastic effects: Real-time ray tracing generates inherently noisy signals because only a limited number of rays are traced per frame. This produces both low-frequency noise — subtle variations that are difficult to perceive — and high-frequency noise that can be amplified during upscaling. The new PSSR handles these stochastic signals more effectively, allowing ray-traced effects like reflections, ambient occlusion, and dynamic lighting to be reconstructed more accurately across complex scenes. It reduces the need for manual adjustments, while the resulting image remains stable and visually consistent even in areas with dense foliage or complex lighting interactions. Play Video A smoother, more consistent experience Overall, the new PSSR results in a sharper, cleaner, more detailed and immersive experience with less compromise than ever. “Integrating the upgraded PSSR into Assassin’s Creed Shadows was straightforward — the code changes were minimal, almost identical to the original PSSR integration,” says Nicolas Lopez, Technical Architect. “Yet the upgrade brings a noticeable improvement in image quality across the board. It’s rare to get such a significant visual boost with so little tuning required.”  Get ready for April 7 We hope you enjoyed this technical deep dive into the making of the updated PS5 Pro version of Assassin’s Creed. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, now with one year of updates under its belt. The new PSSR enhancements will be available starting April 7. Thank you to the contributors of the article: Sebastien Daigneault, Project Lead Programmer – Rendering, and Robert Foriel, Technical Art Director at Ubisoft.

Title: Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game – elemental bending breakdown Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/03/30/avatar-legends-the-fighting-game-elemental-bending-breakdown/ Have you ever wondered how you’d fight if you could bend an element? Maybe even ALL the elements? Last October at New York Comic-Con 2025, we had the privilege of revealing Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, a competitive fighter that brings the bending arts of the Avatar universe into your hands. Play Video Here at Gameplay Group International we are proud to announce our partnership with PM Studios to publish Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. Bringing deep expertise in development, distribution, and publishing, PM Studios continues to build a strong portfolio of acclaimed titles and popular franchises. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game officially releases on July 2, and we are excited to bring this action-packed experience to players worldwide!  We’re also excited to share that Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will launch at $29.99 for the Standard Edition. At release, the game will feature a roster of 12 playable fighters, each inspired by the bending styles and personalities of the Avatar universe. Each character’s bending style translates seamlessly into the fighting game format, with even shared elements expressed in distinct and dynamic ways. Players can shape their approach to combat by selecting from three support characters tied to each fighter, unlocking modified abilities and new strategic possibilities based on their preferred play style. At the core of the combat system is the Flow Mechanic. With a single input, players can dodge incoming attacks, slip beneath projectiles, launch into the air, or chain directly into character-specific abilities. Each fighter has their own Flow options, enabling fluid, creative movement that captures the agility and spectacle of the series. Some bending styles, however, are impossible to overlook. Azula’s is one of them. Ruthless, unpredictable, slightly unhinged, and yet, incredibly precise, we knew we had to get her just right. Zuko’s younger sister and the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, Azula is fiercely ambitious and unrelenting in her pursuit of power. Her blue flame and lightning attacks reflect the drive and intensity that make her one of the most dangerous firebenders in the Avatar universe. In Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Azula dominates the skies with exceptional air mobility. She can weave in and out of combat using aerial movement and fire attacks that let her control space above the battlefield. Azula’s struggling states of mind have been captured in two polarizing gameplay toolkits. In Focused Mode, Azula fights with calculated precision, setting traps and controlling space with lethal attacks. Her movements become smoother, with many of her special abilities leaving behind oil traps that can be ignited  with a flick of her wrist. She also gains access to a grounded fireball, giving her stronger space control. This is the Azula of deceit, control, and composure, the poised future ruler of the Fire Nation. In Firelord Mode, Azula abandons restraint and fully embraces chaos. Traps are replaced with raw destructive power as her move set shifts toward relentless offense. Her attacks grow significantly more powerful, her movement becomes more erratic, and several of her abilities transform entirely. For example, her standard fireball evolves to a towering wall of flame that slowly advances across the battlefield, forcing opponents to face it head-on. Not every fighter relies on bending, though. Sokka stands out on the roster as one of the few characters who holds his own without it. A core member of Team Avatar (aka the gAang), he hails from the Southern Water Tribe alongside his sister Katara. He relies on wit, grit, and weapon hits. Sokka is the sarcastic strategist of Team Avatar, relying on creativity, humor, and improvisation instead of the power of the elements. To reflect his eccentric personality, Sokka plays very differently from the rest of the cast. He can cancel many of his normal moves directly into powerful Flow options, allowing players to constantly reposition and keep opponents guessing. The tradeoff is that Sokka cannot chain his normals into C attacks like the other fighters, meaning players must rely on mobility, timing, and creativity to stay ahead. His arsenal includes a club, his Meteorite Sword, and his trusty boomerang. Instead of straightforward offense, Sokka thrives on tricky movement, unexpected positioning, and attacks that force opponents to constantly adapt. With clever tricks, unpredictable movement, and a loyal boomerang that always returns, he proves that you don’t need bending to become a legend. Fighters as different as Azula and Sokka highlight just how many ways there are to approach combat in Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. The Standard Edition of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will launch at $29.99, and we can’t wait to see how you shape these bending styles into something entirely your own. Be sure to wishlist the game now on PlayStation 5 to stay updated as we get closer to launch.

Title: Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 537: Speaking Saros Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:59:09 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/03/27/official-playstation-podcast-episode-537-speaking-saros/ Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Sid, Brett, Kristen, and I are back this week to talk about our latest platinum trophy runs, hands-on with Saros, and more. This week also features an interview with two Housemarque devs working on Saros — Creative Director Gregory Louden and Art Director Simone Silvestri. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: South of Midnight  | PS5  Legacy of Kain: Ascendance | PS5  Darwin’s Paradox | PS5  Fishbowl | PS5  MotionRec | PS5 Damon and Baby is now available — discover what sets this twin-stick shooter apart in our hands-on report. You can also experience its unique blend of comedy and action yourself, since it’s out now. Virtual Hunter VR launches on PS VR2 on May 27— explore a vast open world sim, hunt diverse prey, experience dynamic weather, and decorate your lodge. Directive 8020 PS5 Pro Features — Supermassive devs detail PS5 Pro’s ray tracing, PSSR, and performance features for a haunting sci-fi narrative when the game launches on May 12. Super Meat Boy 3D launches on PS5 on March 31 — See how the tough-as-nails side-scrolling series transitions into 3D, introducing new abilities like wall running and more. The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Title: Nintendo's legal fight with Palworld suffers a reversal as the USPTO reject their patent on character-summoning battle mechanics Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:00:22 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/nintendos-legal-fight-with-palworld-suffers-a-reversal-as-the-uspto-reject-their-patent-on-character-summoning-battle-mechanics Nintendo's efforts to patent the idea of summoning a videogame character and letting it fight another character have suffered a significant reversal in the USA, even as the Mario makers continue a copyright infringement lawsuit against Palworld developers Pocketpair in Japan. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has now revoked the character-summoning patent in question, though their decision is "non-final". Nintendo have two months to respond and argue their case. Read more

Title: Starcrafty strategy game Stormgate is about to lose its multiplayer modes, due to an AI company buying up Frost Giant's server provider Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:35:43 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/starcrafty-strategy-game-stormgate-is-about-to-lose-its-multiplayer-modes-due-to-an-ai-company-buying-up-frost-giants-server-provider Stormgate is set to go offline-only at the end of April, with developers Frost Giant Studios having announced that the server provider for the strategy game's multiplayer modes have decided they no longer want to be a server provider for online games. That's a byproduct of said provider, Hathora, having been taken over by an AI company who plan on using their latest purchase "to work on compute orchestration for AI inference at scale". Read more

Title: The first new Heroes of Might and Magic strategy game in over 10 years will launch this month Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-first-new-heroes-of-might-and-magic-strategy-game-in-over-10-years-will-launch-this-month Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will release in PC early access on April 30th, Hooded Horse and Ubisoft have announced. The new strategy RPG from developers Unfrozen is the first freshly baked HOMM game in over a decade, and will launch with a mixture of familiar and new modes, spanning singleplayer and multiplayer. If you're new to the series – there is the faint but horrifying possibility that you were not yet born, when the last one came out - it's a turn-based, empire-building affair, where you alternate between tending to your towns and sending heroes, fantasy beasties and armies on quests. Read more

Title: Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami partners with Stellar Blade devs Shift Up to make "smaller, experimental titles alongside a large-scale flagship" Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:39:24 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/resident-evil-director-shinji-mikami-partners-with-stellar-blade-devs-shift-up-to-make-smaller-experimental-titles-alongside-a-large-scale-flagship Resident Evil director, Devil May Cry producer and former Tango Gameworks boss Shinji Mikami is now making games for Shift Up, developers of Stellar Blade. You know, the one with the shiny bums and quite good hack-and-slash mechanics. The one that has a DLC version of 2B off've Nier Automata (pictured). Shift Up have acquired Mikami's new company Unbound, which he founded in 2022 after leaving Tango. Read more

Title: Is a blizzardy Skyrim return persuading me to retry Elder Scrolls Online? Not really, but naval combat and underwater exploration might Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:04:29 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/is-a-blizzardy-skyrim-return-persuading-me-to-retry-elder-scrolls-online-not-really-but-naval-combat-and-underwater-exploration-might I'll be honest right off the bat. As a single player Elder Scroller, the Elder Scrolls Online's never managed to hook me for more than a few hours. I've given it a couple of goes, usually during periods when it's gone free to play, but have always bounced off its vast MMOiness. Might the slew of fresh additions coming across the next couple of years be able to change that and finally convince me to spend significant time with ESO in the same way I have Fallout 76 in the past few years? The answer could be yes, if the naval combat and underwater exploration Zenimax have just revealed are as fun as they sound on paper. Read more