Can it really be that time of the week again? That’s right: it’s time for us to step back in time (for we are blessed with such a power) and revisit what’s been happening in the world of gaming news.
The gaming world as a whole feels rather like it’s in a bit of a waiting period at the moment; with the Switch 2 on the way and a big presentation from PlayStation potentially expected this week, punches are largely being pulled.
That doesn’t mean nothing’s been happening, though, so let’s take a look at the week that was in terms of gaming!
Reports say a PlayStation State of Play show will happen next week
Reports have been swirling which suggest that a PlayStation State of Play presentation will take place sometime in the next seven days, and since a State of Play show usually happens around this time every year, that timing would make a lot of sense.
Leaker NateTheHate2, who correctly identified when the Switch 2 would be announced, has repeatedly stated that the State of Play is set to air this coming week, so we should be getting an official announcement soon.
As for what the presentation will contain, it’s a mystery at the moment, but there are a few signs that suggest something major might be on the way, more on which later.
First new Battlefield footage shown as EA reveals testing initiative
The first footage of the new Battlefield game has been revealed, and it looks…well…rather like a Battlefield game, to be honest. It’s got soldiers, they’re shooting stuff, and buildings are exploding. Wahey!
Said game doesn’t have a name or a release window yet (except for “2026”), but EA has revealed something it calls Battlefield Labs, a testing initiative that lets members of the community have a say in development.
The initiative is most likely a response to the terrible launch and subsequent scathing reception of Battlefield 2042, something EA would no doubt like to avoid repeating.
Sumo Digital won’t be working on its own IP anymore
Bad news if you’re a fan of the likes of Snake Pass, as it’s been announced that the game’s developer Sumo Digital won’t be working on its own IP going forward.
Instead, the studio will be focusing on third-party development and work for hire, which means we’re likely to see a lot more Sackboys and the like rather than anything more original.
Sadly, it looks like said decision will also result in layoffs, although Sumo is remaining cagey when it comes to who’s being laid off and when, as well as how many staff members will be affected. Twas ever thus, eh?
Thankfully, Sumo has also confirmed that its current for-hire projects aren’t being affected, so we hope that work on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 continues apace.
Another Bloodborne fan project has been hit with a DMCA
Last week, Lance McDonald’s 60fps Bloodborne patch was hit with a DMCA notice by Sony, sparking fresh rumours that a new project based on the IP – whether a remaster or remake – could be coming.
More fuel was added to that particular fire this week when fan developer Lilith Walther’s Bloodborne PSX demake project was hit with a similar notice, leading to the project becoming unavailable to download on Itch.io and in other places.
Could this then mean that Sony has something in the works for Bloodborne? If that State of Play presentation happens this week, we may well find out sooner rather than later.
EA seems to have implied Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed because it wasn’t live service enough
In a new financial document released this week, EA appeared to suggest that the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard was down to the fact it didn’t contain enough live service aspects.
The studio admitted last week that Veilguard sold underwhelmingly, and now, EA has potentially pointed to the lack of “shared world elements” in the game as a reason for that failure.
Admittedly, the connection is more of a proximity in terms than a directly-identified causal link, but since we know EA’s feelings on “shared world elements” in games, it’s not hard to put two and two together.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has sold well right out of the gate
Mediaeval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has managed to pick up some very impressive sales figures right out of the gate, developer and publisher Warhorse Studios announced this week.
The game, which eschews overt fantasy elements in favour of a more realistic, historically-grounded setting, picked up a million sales in its first day on sale, according to the developer.
One can only imagine that this number will grow exponentially over the coming weeks, so don’t be surprised if we’ve got another bona fide multi-million hit on our hands.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’s release date has seemingly leaked
A PlayStation Store listing appears to have leaked the release date for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake, in yet more compelling evidence that a State of Play presentation is imminent.
In the listing, we can clearly see that the game sports an August 28th release date, and a new trailer was also discovered in the PSN backend, lending more legitimacy to the leak.
The release date has since been deleted from the PlayStation Store page for the game, so while it’s possible that the date was added in error, it’s far more likely someone jumped the gun and the date is real.
Firaxis knows Civilization 7 has issues and is promising to fix them
This week, Civilization 7 launched to less-than-celebratory reviews from early players, who cited problems with the user interface and dumbed-down gameplay as common criticisms.
Subsequently, Firaxis took to its official website to acknowledge the criticisms, confirming that players have been heard and that fixes are in the works.
The studio didn’t provide a timeline for said fixes, but it did say that you can expect some quality-of-life improvements and other miscellaneous changes as part of the game’s first major patch, which is due to arrive in March.
