Gaming Buzz

Xbox Price Hike Announcement: Microsoft revealed price increases for Xbox consoles, controllers, and select first-party games, effective immediately. New first-party titles will rise to $79.99 during the 2025 holiday season, sparking discussions about rising gaming costs.

Fortnite Star Wars Season Incoming: Fortnite’s Star Wars Season: Galactic Battle kicks off May 2, bringing Emperor Palpatine’s legions to Battle Royale Island, with new skins and events generating buzz among players

House of Da Vinci VR Launches on PSVR2: The House of Da Vinci VR, an intricate puzzle game, launched today on PSVR2, offering players a chance to unravel mysteries in a visually stunning VR setting.

Call of Duty: Warzone & Black Ops 6 Season 3 Reloaded: A new Season 3 Reloaded update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone brings new content and changes. Warzone sees the Train Station opening, the return of the moving train, and vertical ascenders. Black Ops 6 gets new multiplayer maps (Haven, Signal, and Blazetown). The patch includes gameplay adjustments and bug fixes for both titles.

Valnet Acquires Polygon: Valnet has acquired the premium gaming publication Polygon from Vox Media, expanding its gaming media portfolio. This acquisition is expected to enhance Valnet’s reach in the gaming journalism sector.

Prime Gaming Offers 23 Free Titles for May: Amazon’s Prime Gaming has unveiled 23 new free games for May 2025, including popular titles like LEGO Star Wars, Thief, Wolfenstein, and Saints Row. Subscribers can download these games throughout the month.

Nintendo eShop Updates: The Nintendo eShop has released new titles for May 1, 2025, including EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26, bringing fresh content to Nintendo Switch users.

Borderlands 4 Gameplay Deep Dive at PlayStation State of Play: Today, PlayStation hosted a special State of Play event featuring a 20-minute gameplay deep dive for Borderlands 4. Gearbox developers showcased new missions, killer weapons, exciting Action Skills, and both new and returning characters. The session also highlighted the game’s September 12, 2025 release date and revealed new key art. Fans can catch the full presentation on PlayStation’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

MotoGP 25 Officially Launches: MotoGP 25* released today across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Switch. The latest entry in the iconic racing series brings updated rosters, improved physics, and enhanced visuals for motorcycle racing fans.

Xbox Indie Selects – April 2025 Picks: Xbox announced its Indie Selects for April 2025, spotlighting creative new titles. Highlights include co-op heist games, mountain gliding adventures, relaxing tea-drinking sims, quirky sticker commerce, and offbeat runner games. These fresh indie releases are now available on Xbox platforms, offering a variety of unique experiences for players.

Skin Deep: A PC-exclusive stealth-action game, has been released today.

Sonic Rumble, the upcoming party battle royale game from Sega and Rovio, has had its worldwide release postponed to address quality-related issues.

Nintendo has released a new firmware update for the Switch, which now prevents playing the same game on two consoles online simultaneously.

Smash Drums Hits PSVR2 Soon: Smash Drums, a rhythm game, is set to launch on PSVR2 on May 15. PlayStation shared a feature list, building anticipation for its immersive drumming experience.

Far Cry 4 Receives 60 FPS Upgrade on PS5 & Xbox Series X/S: Ubisoft has released a long-awaited 60-frames-per-second (FPS) update for Far Cry 4 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, over a decade after its original release. The update enhances the experience for modern gamers, offering smoother gameplay. Additionally, Far Cry 4 will be available on Xbox Game Pass starting April 30, 2025, accompanied by widespread discounts.

Forza Horizon 5 Launches on PlayStation 5: Playground Games’ open-world racing game Forza Horizon 5 is now available on PlayStation 5, bringing its expansive driving experience to a new audience.

Towerborne launches today (April 29, 2025) on Xbox Series X|S, PC & Cloud: Now available on Xbox Game Pass! Developed by Stoic Studio (The Banner Saga), this side-scrolling action RPG features solo & co-op play, cross-progression, and the new Class Mastery Update at launch.

Borderlands 4 Release Date Moved Up: The release date for Borderlands 4 has been moved up from September 23rd to September 12th, 2025. This adjustment is believed to strategically position the game ahead of the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI. A 20-minute gameplay deep dive is scheduled during Sony’s State of Play on April 30 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET.

Amazon Gaming Week Offers Live Deals: Amazon Gaming Week is currently featuring some of the best Xbox and PC gaming deals, with live updates on discounts for various gaming hardware.

Microsoft Faces Criticism Over Union Contract Delays: Video game workers at Microsoft subsidiary ZeniMax Media are calling out Microsoft for delays in bargaining, leaving them without union contracts two years after unionization efforts began.

Blizzard and Nexon Collaboration: Trending discussions on X highlight Blizzard Entertainment’s partnership with Nexon to develop Overwatch 3 as a mobile MOBA and a new StarCraft game, possibly shifting to an open-world shooter format. Nexon will publish these titles in East Asia, aiming to expand Blizzard’s franchises to new platforms.

Sony PlayStation Store Removes Scam Games and Developers: In April 2025, Sony removed several developers and their low-quality or scam games from the PlayStation Store. This move aims to improve the store’s quality by delisting misleading titles that copy popular games and degrade user experience. Developers such as Adventure Games, Gaming Dev, and Grizzly Games were affected, reflecting Sony’s ongoing efforts to maintain a trusted marketplace.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Launch Buzz: Nintendo fans in Japan had the opportunity to test the upcoming Switch 2 console at a pre-launch event in Tokyo. Attendees played titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bonanza. Despite concerns over potential price increases due to U.S. tariffs, demand remains high, with over 2.2 million lottery applications for the console. The Switch 2 is priced at ¥49,980 in Japan and $449.99 in the U.S., with global hands-on events planned in cities like New York, Berlin, and Hong Kong.

Skin Deep: A Chaotic Immersive Sim: Skin Deep, developed by Blendo Games, is set to release on April 30 for PC. This unique immersive sim combines stealth and slapstick humor, allowing players to use unconventional methods like banana peels and sneezing to navigate challenges. Set aboard intricately designed spaceships, the game offers a fresh take on the genre with its interactive and absurd mechanics. ​

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Adds Real-World Personalities: SNK’s upcoming fighting game, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, has announced the inclusion of real-world figures like soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci as playable characters. The game, set for a 2025 release, has faced mixed reactions from fans regarding these additions. Promotional efforts include appearances at events like WWE’s WrestleMania 41 and animated trailers directed by Masami Obari.

Skyblivion Continues Amid Official Remaster Release: Despite Bethesda’s official release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, the fan-made project Skyblivion will continue development. The team behind Skyblivion, a total conversion mod recreating Oblivion in Skyrim’s engine, received support from Bethesda, including free keys to the official remaster. The project aims to offer a unique experience with redesigned assets and new content.

Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation: Forza Horizon 5 launched early on PlayStation, reportedly selling 3 million copies already, according to posts on X. This marks a significant moment as a former Xbox exclusive expands to new platforms, generating buzz about Xbox’s strategy under Phil Spencer’s leadership.

Nintendo Switch 2 Preorder Chaos: Nintendo opened preorders for the Switch 2, but the process was marred by errors and canceled orders, as shared on X. This has sparked widespread discussion among gamers about Nintendo’s handling of the highly anticipated console launch.

Marvel Rivals Player Strike: Players of Marvel Rivals initiated a strike, as noted in X posts, highlighting community unrest. This reflects growing tension around the game’s updates or monetization, making it a trending topic.

Upcoming PS5 and PS4 Releases: New games announced for release next week (April 28–May 4) include Forza Horizon 5, Cooking Companions, and FragPunk on PS5 and PS4, creating excitement for PlayStation fans looking forward to diverse genres from racing to horror.

PSVR2 Weekly Update: New Features and Releases: The PlayStation VR2 platform saw several announcements and updates this week. Notably, the arcade basketball game Just Hoops added hand-tracking support, becoming the third PSVR2 game to do so. Upcoming releases include Walltown Wonders, a cozy town builder set for May 7. Developers also announced that Aces of Thunder will include a flat-screen mode post-launch to expand its player base across PC and PS5.

Diablo 4 Season 8 Overhaul: Blizzard announced a significant rework of Diablo 4’s battle pass system for its upcoming eighth season, launching on April 29. The new “Reliquaries” system divides rewards into themed categories, allowing players more choice and addressing previous criticisms of the battle pass structure.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Lineup: Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console has a robust lineup of third-party support, with 46 games confirmed and 17 set to launch alongside the console in June. Notable titles include “Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade,” “Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition,” and “Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition.”

Discord CEO Steps Down: Jason Citron, co-founder and CEO of Discord, announced his decision to step down from his role. He will transition to a board member and advisor position, with Humam Sakhnini, former vice chairman of Activision Blizzard, succeeding him as CEO starting April 28.