First Pass

52 stories from 4 sources

Ownership, AI, and Platform Politics Drive Gaming’s Biggest News

Day’s Recap

Supporting Articles

Rep. Ritchie Torres is introducing legislation aimed at giving players ownership of digital games instead of treating them as long-term licenses. The proposal takes aim at the rules that let companies control access to games people have paid for.

7:21 PMIGN

A major game decompilation community is shutting down after a flood of AI-assisted projects began rapidly recreating, porting, and remixing games. The sudden wave has made it harder to maintain the community's original standards and purpose.

1:58 PMIGN

House House says Big Walk will not launch on Xbox because of Microsoft's ties to Israel and the company's status as a priority target of the Palestinian-led BDS movement. The co-op walking adventure is available on other platforms, leaving Xbox players out for now.

6:05 AMThe Verge

GTA 6's 90-second launch trailer packs in a lot of new material, from characters and locations to vehicles, activities, and small world-building details. A close look turns the brief teaser into a much fuller preview of Rockstar's next open-world game.

12:35 PMIGN

Control Resonant has sold one million copies, making it Remedy’s fastest-selling game. The milestone comes despite leaks and piracy following its digital release in September.

7:04 PMIGN

Sega is pulling Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from digital storefronts after a rough launch. Players reported bugs and complained that parts of the remaster appeared to use poor AI upscaling.

6:35 PMThe Verge

Other Developments

A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.

Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan says he avoids online discussions and subreddits about Blizzard’s hero shooter. He described disconnecting from the game’s online conversation as a way to protect his mental health.

7:44 PMIGN

Steam is giving developers a cleaner way to organize achievements across a base game and its DLC. Players will still unlock them normally, but supported games can now display each group separately instead of mixing everything together.

7:18 PMThe Verge

A professional Dota 2 player says police officers asked him to play a full match to prove he was really himself. Fortunately, he was good enough at the game to make the most unusual identity check work.

5:57 PMIGN

Street Fighter’s movie cast has openly backed the idea of a crossover film with Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon appears receptive, but he wants the franchises to cross over in a game first.

5:38 PMIGN

Fast travel in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is not available from the start. The guide explains how far players need to progress and when the feature finally unlocks.

5:10 PMPolygon

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave has already inspired speculation about which of its characters could join the next Super Smash Bros. game. Six candidates stand out as especially strong picks for the roster.

5:00 PMPolygon

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