#28 Weekly Gaming News Industry Trends Round Up

Sony backs down on linking PSN accounts. Microsoft shuts down prominent studios. Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much. Ubisoft's first-person shooter is landing this month. Netflix announces Virgin River and Sonic Mania Plus. iPad Pro looks like Apple's best and thinnest gaming console. Nintendo breaks silence on Switch 2 whilst taking down over 8,000 emulators. Brazil adopts a breakthrough legal framework for games. Hades II is now available in early access on PC. YouTuber commissions modding guru to overhaul Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite's artstyle and how should you compare and assess gaming platforms? - We got you covered...All this plus much more!

Also in our weekly round-up:

• Remedy and Tencent's co-op multiplayer game is canceled

• COD community share its hopes ahead of June CoD Event

• S1mple talks about his potential return

• Pros complain to Riot about recent changes

• Best loadouts to use in the Fortnite x Star Wars update

• Ubisoft confirms what's next for Rainbow Six Siege

• PS5 allows players to be invited to multiplayer games via phone app

• Team Liquid deploys SAP AI tool for drafting players 

• CS players unable to cope effectively with stress

Gaming News 🕹️

• Diablo 4 community falls in love with lead developer after one live stream

• Netflix announces Virgin River game, Sonic Mania Plus coming to platform

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage finally arrives on June 6 for iPhone and iPad

• These are the most unexpected eSports games

• All new Fortnite Star Wars skins: Cost, release date, and more

• Microsoft confirms its next Xbox Game Showcase is on June 9

• Alan Wake 2 creator, Remedy Entertainment, cancels multiplayer game in favour of existing IP

• Call of Duty community share its hopes ahead of June 9 CoD Event

• Bodycam mech shooter has a slick rainy-day look and Zelda-like vehicle construction

• Remedy and Tencent's co-op multiplayer game Kestrel has been cancelled

• V Rising 1.0 review: one of the slickest survival games gets even slicker

• The Witcher 3's official modding tool arrives soon, will let users edit "Almost Anything"

• Ubisoft's first-person shooter XDefiant is launching on May 21

• Helldivers 2’s first patch since PSN fiasco makes much-needed DOT and Scope fixes

• Top Indie Games that have changed the industry

• Blizzard snuck in surprise quality of life changes into Diablo 4's massive list of season 4 patch notes

• Gray Zone Warfare players can now change factions so they can team up with their friends

• Hades II is now available in early access on PC

• PC game releases we're most excited about in May

• Check out the trailer for this big, cooperative Halo campaign mod

• What is 1v1.lol? Explaining Fortnite's biggest rival

• Ubisoft confirms what's Next For Rainbow Six Siege

• Battle Breakers have returned to Fortnite

• Five new Steam games you probably missed

• Early access Soulmask release date announced

• Hunter x Hunter fighting game everything you need to know

• Overwatch 2 reduces Quick Play leaver penalty

• Vanguard just went live and LoL players are already claiming it's bricking their PCs

• Apex Legends, Madden NFL, FC Pro are rewriting the future of esports

• Full list of PvE game modes in League of Legends -- past and upcoming

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 📈

• Fighting game YouTuber commissions modding 'god' to overhaul Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite's artstyle

• Scammers have resorted to selling CPUs without dies, as a well-known Korean overclocker has discovered

• How Persona 5 Dev's New Game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, changes combat and relationships

• Brazil adopts breakthrough Legal Framework for Games

• Evil Geniuses launches streetwear collection inspired by VALORANT coach Potter

• Global Esports hires sports psychologist Dr. Michelle Pain for BGMI team

• Money spent at UK games events jumps 140% thanks to esports

• PS5 update will let you invite people to multiplayer games through your smartphone's apps

• Merging worlds: The future of esports production

• Team Liquid deploys SAP AI tool to optimize League of Legends drafts

• WePlay Studios: from esports tournaments to live event productions 

• Why Esports Tourism is on the rise

• CS players 'unable to cope effectively with stress' - study

Web3 Games 🎯

• Ronin's path from curated Ethereum gaming to 'Pervasively Permissionless'

• Avalanche Game ‘Shrapnel’ now lets players buy SHRAP with credit/debit cards

• Solana Game Nyan Heroes returning with expanded Play-to-Airdrop rewards

• Solana Labs teams up with Google Cloud on Web3 games via GameShift

• Yuga Labs will build its Otherside metaverse on Improbable’s Msquared

• Solana Game 'MixMob: Racer 1' reveals iOS and Android launch date

• CCP Games readies tests for blockchain game Project Awakening

Industry News 🛡️

• Sony backs down on demand that Helldivers 2 players log into a PSN account

• Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns

• Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much and too self-serving

• Microsoft is shutting down the studios that made Prey, Redfall and Hi-Fi Rush

• Bungie continues recent streak of Ws by making most Destiny 2 expansions free to everyone

• Palestinian Relief Bundle raises $578,517 

• Nintendo breaks silence on Switch 2, promises announcement by April 2025

• Activision to pay $23.4m for patent infringement

• Patriots Division raises $5M for 5v5 action game Shadow War

• Unity appoints ex-Zynga exec Matthew Bromberg as CEO

• Nintendo forecasts 19.3% sales drop for fiscal 2025

• Razer partners with 5 startups as Add-Ons to Cortex platform

• EA misses targets and offers weak forecasts for annual bookings

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the most profitable film of 2023

• Brazil’s president signs into law legal framework for digital games industry in Brazil

• Manor Lords creator defends referring to himself as a solo developer

• How should you compare and assess gaming platforms

• Esports investment report, April 2024: Drone Racing League, Simon Kjær and Beyond Gaming

• Everything about 2XKO from Evo Japan 2024

• Esports media platform TalkEsport raises $1m in funding round

• Jensen admits FlyQuest 'disrespected' MSI 2024 play-ins opponent

Level Up Your Hardware 🎧

• Nvidia will now take care of the fiddly GeForce Now set-up on Steam Deck for you

• Gigabyte G6X (2024) review

• First official AI PCs are just about to land but they're not what you're expecting

• Asus accidentally revealed the new AMD Strix Point naming scheme, before quickly pulling a 'nothing to see here'

• New "Fire Vapor" Xbox Controller Announced

• New iPad Pro looks like Apple's best and thinnest gaming console yet

• Asus ROG Keris II Ace review: Near perfection in an esports mouse

Esports Players & Teams News 🏆

• Fnatic round up the top eight for the Mid-Season Invitational Bracket Stage

• Team Liquid vs Top Esports MSI 2024 Bracket stage recap

• US Esports Federation and Ghost Gaming launch International Esports Exchange

• 30 esports organizations join the Esports World Cup Club Support Program

• Wolves Esports to miss out on a Major for the first time since the pack joined Rainbow Six Siege

• Valorant community outraged over G2 Esports memeing about Sentinels' loss

• Philippine esports body slaps 3-year ban on players involved in match-fixing

• Moist Esports sues US Immigration over Apex Legends visa issues

• I work an 8-to-5 Job to Supplement My Esports Career

• Pudge is officially the most played hero in Dota 2 with over 1 billion picks

• David Beckham-backed Guild joins Esports World Cup Club Program

• The British coach of the Russian esports team Forze was fired for a post congratulating the Ukrainian team Monte

• All Knights withdraw from League of Legends' LATAM league

• S1mple talks about his potential return

• Apeks leaves behind CS2 roster

• The Peacemaker makes a comeback to professional Esports after a year-long hiatus

• Top 5 eSports Teams to Bet on in 2024

• Odin.gg extends PGL deal

• New MSU varsity esports Valorant team looks to create winning culture

• Who's in FaZe Clan? Full FaZe roster following 2024 overhaul

• Apex Legends' Moist Esports team is suing US Immigration Over a Missed Appearance (and More)

• Pros complain to Riot about recent changes

• Spring Esports State Champions crowned in Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart

• REJECT secures shock ALGS Split win in LA

• All teams qualified for Masters Shanghai

• PSG Talon, GAM Esports stay afloat at Mid-Season Invitational

• Williams Esports x British Esports Student Racing League sign off a successful season

• Fnatic fight their way to the LoL MSI 2024 Main Stage (lower brackets)

• GameExpo 2024 returns to Dubai with innovative tech showcases and esports tournaments

Tournament, League & Season News 🏅

• ACADME Esports intends to organize a Counter-Strike 2 tournament in Western Canada

• Africa's Esports Boom - Biggest Call of Duty: Mobile Tournament 

• Nintendo World Championships allegedly making a return according to latest leak

• Street Fighter's Capcom Cup 11 heads to Japan

Events 🗓️

• Game Music Festival 2024 May 4 - May 4

• Digital Dragons 2024 May 19 - May 21

• Nordic Game Spring 2024 May 21 - May 24

• Central Asia Game Show 2024 June 6 - June 8

• XP Game Summit 2024 June 13 - June 14

• DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 June 14 - June 15

• HIT Games Conference Barcelona 2024 June 20 - June 21

• Gamescom Latam 2024 June 26 - June 30

• TwitchCon Europe 2024 June 26 - June 30

• Games for Change Festival 2024 June 27 - June 28

• Develop:Brighton 2024 July 9 - July 11

Guides, Tips and Tricks 🗝️

• Counter Strike 2 Ranking System Explained 2024

• The best way to get through Imperial cave shield walls in LEGO Fortnite – Bed glitch

• Best loadouts to use in the Fortnite x Star Wars update

• All Door Symbols & what they mean in Hades 2

• How to beat Hecate boss fight in Hades 2

• How to get Cinder in Hades 2

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!
gmgames.gg