#26 Weekly Gaming News Industry Trends Round Up

Overwatch 2 cracking down on cheats. Charity bundle for Palestinian relief has over 350 games for $8. Ultra-realistic FPS coming to PC. Half of Steam's most wish-listed games coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one. PS5 Pro vs. PS5: 3 biggest expected upgrades. Epic Games launches Unreal Engine 5.4. Steam Deck users are to enjoy Switch exclusive RPG. The Witcher 3's official mod editor has a playtest on Steam. Cheaper Evercade retro consoles arriving in July. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor released early on EA Play. What is the 'Xbox Series Z' and does it exist? Plus Much More

Also in our weekly round-up:

• Forgotten Persona coming to PC and Switch but there's a catch

• Creator of 2021’s nastiest horror game is back, with mermaids

• Where to download PC games for free (legally)

• Fortnite adds Rock Band 4 Guitar support

• Nibiru offers $15M in dev grants for building on its blockchain

• AI and Machine Learning in Esports is enhancing performance

• GameSquare reports $52m revenues and $31m net loss for 2023

• Esports World Cup 2024 CS2 Qualifiers: Falcons, Heroic suffer early exits

• CBLOL breaks viewership record

Gaming News 🕹️

• For $8, you can get 373 games, digital comics, and more in a new charity bundle for Palestinian relief

• Call of Duty could be coming to Game Pass, maybe

• Steam Deck users will soon be able to enjoy Nintendo Switch exclusive RPG

• The Witcher 3's official mod editor now has a playtest on Steam

• Half of Steam's most wish-listed games are coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one

• Forgotten Persona game coming to PC and Switch, but there's a catch

• Ultra-realistic tactical FPS and rival to Tarkov finally coming to PC

• Where to download PC games for free (legally)

• Overwatch 2 matchmaking change leaves players stranded in queue for hours

• The creator of 2021’s nastiest horror game is back, with mermaids

• MW3 Ranked's weapon test bans more guns rather than adding them

• Fortnite has added a Rock Band 4 Guitar support in new update

• Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles coming to PS5, Xbox Series alongside co-op mode update this summer

• Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door fans are excited about game’s release next month

• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor released early on EA Play

• Dead Island 2 debuts on Steam to 'mixed' reviews for a very silly reason

• Almost 12 years after release, 7 Days to Die finally announces it's leaving early access

• Sony auto-play mode could save gamers hours of grinding

• Fight giant robots in the Mecha Break closed beta on April 26-29

• Rockfish Games’ Everspace 2 wins top honor at German Computer Game Awards

• Billie Eilish Fortnite Skin and Big Event for Season 3

• Yars Rising revives a 40-year-old Atari game as a modern metroidvania

Non-Fungible Conference is “so back” in Lisbon: 28-30 May
Celebrate the NFT culture

The Non-Fungible Conference (NFC), leading conference on Web3 and NFT, returns to Lisbon on May 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2024. The 3rd edition of the event in the Portuguese capital will gather key leaders of the Web3 universe to celebrate art, fashion, gaming and much more at the iconic Carlos Lopes Pavilion in Parque Eduardo VII, Lisbon. In 2023, over 4400 participants, 200 speakers, 70 sponsors, and dozens of international artists, brands, and media attended this experimental event.

Trends 📈

• AI and Machine Learning in Esports is enhancing performance

• What is the 'Xbox Series Z' and does it exist?

• UK esports and gaming bar chain Platform closes down

• PlayStation exclusive gone with no warning as players lose server access

• Web3 gaming executive explains how blockchains will expand the esports economy

• Ryan Gosling thinks the Angry Birds movie stopped A Nice Guys sequel from happening

• Nintendo emulator Delta hits the iOS App Store, no sideloading required

• There’s a TV show coming based on Sega's classic arcade game Golden Axe

Web3 Games 🎯

• Xsolla and Curine Ventures launch academy for game ecosystem in Kuala Lumpur

• Xterio teams with BNB Chain to take Web3 games to new L2 blockchain

• Nibiru offers $15M in developer grants for building on its blockchain

• Earn Alliance launches Challenges to help with Web3 game discovery

• Planet Mojo (MOJO): Blending Mythical Esports in a Web3 Arena

Industry News 🛡️

• GameSquare reports $52m revenues and $31m net loss for 2023

• Japan’s rating board criticized for passing Stellar Blade but banning Dead Space remake

• Diablo is donating 6.66 million maggots and counting to a wildlife sanctuary in honour of Duriel the Maggot King

• Epic Games launches Unreal Engine 5.4 with latest performance and visual fidelity updates

• Korean streaming platform CHZZK surges as Twitch shuts down 

• Embracer Group to split into three companies focusing on Games for different platforms

• Call of Duty League eliminates franchise entry fees following major structural change

• ESL FACEIT Group partners with Kick for DreamHack activations

Level Up Your Hardware 🎧

• PS5 Pro vs. PS5: 3 biggest expected upgrades

• DDR5-10000 memory is close the managing body of the standard, extends the base DDR5 spec

• Asus is creating the VR 'gaming headset of the next generation' built on Meta's Horizon OS lifted off the Quest 3

• Cheaper Evercade retro consoles will arrive in July

• The 5 best mechanical keyboards for 2024

• Razer reveals massive Kishi Ultra phone controller

• ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review: Not just for gamers

• Asus ROG Carnyx review

• Meta is creating a Quest VR headset in the style of an Xbox, which probably means it's black with a bit of green

Esports Players & Teams News 🏆

• Overwatch 2 is cracking down on 'unapproved peripherals' for console to 'level the playing field for all players'

• Falcons, HEROIC miss out on Esports World Cup as BetBoom, Sashi pass open qualifiers

• TheMongolz qualify for Esports World Cup 2024

• ESL Pro League Season 19 teams, format, schedule, talent, prizes, fantasy

• BLEED qualify for Thunderpick World Championship

• Team Liquid unveils World of Warcraft Eve Ascension 2024 plans

• CBLOL breaks viewership record

• Sashi defeat Cloud9 and Eternal Fire in shock EWC qualification run

• Snappi on having no star player: "There's a world where we can do it by committee"

• Esports World Cup 2024 CS2 Qualifiers: Falcons, Heroic suffer early exits

• M80 beat Liquid to qualify for EWC; MIBR through from South America

• FNCS Major 2 2024 – Format, Schedule, and Big Drops

• Esports event veterans Roald van Buuren and Jan Moerland launch ELO Agency

• Esports organisation Beyond Gaming shuts down

• Stalwart Esports announces its new PUBG Mobile lineup ahead of PMSL 2024 CSA Spring

• Cloud9 vs LOUD – VCT Americas 2024 Stage 1: C9 stays undefeated

Tournament, League & Season News 🏅

• Apex Legends Urban Assault Collection Event everything we know about it

• OpTic Texas to host 2024 Call of Duty League Championships

• Red Bull Instalock Overview – Teams, Format, Prize

Events 🗓️

• W.A.S.D 2024 April 25 - April 27

• Game Music Festival 2024 May 4 - May 4

• Digital Dragons 2024 May 19 - May 21

Guides, Tips and Tricks 🗝️

• Best Valorant 1v1 tips to win every duel

• How to fast travel in No Rest for the Wicked

• AFK Journey Crystal Defense Battle Guide: Best Team Formation to Defend the Crystal and Beat the Enemies

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements!

This round is over..
We are reloading our ammo with esports, industry, gaming news and trends intel for the next newsletter..

See you same time next week!

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