It’s time for another look at the week in gaming news, and while this week hasn’t quite been as eventful as the last (or, indeed, as the one before), there’s still a lot to pore over.
Whether it’s unexpected new DLC, creative sabbaticals, or new publishers for existing games, there’s plenty to talk about this week, even if we still don’t have the date for that pesky PlayStation State of Play.
With all that in mind, then, let’s get started. Here’s our rundown of what’s been happening this week in the world of gaming news.
Ubisoft is reportedly developing new Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC with Saudi funding
Reports emerged this week that new Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC is being developed, and that Ubisoft has secured funding for the DLC from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Ubisoft itself has refused to comment on said reports, suggesting that there may be a grain of truth to them; after all, why not just deny them if they’re false?
With that said, we could be waiting for the DLC for a while, because Ubisoft is currently focused on releasing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the next flagship game in the series.
Helldivers 2’s Johan Pilestedt is taking a break from work
Johan Pilestedt, who’s known as the creative force behind PlayStation smash hit Helldivers 2, revealed this week that he’ll be taking an extended break from work.
He says he’s been working “around the clock” on Helldivers 2 and its predecessor for the past eleven years, and that it’s time to stop neglecting his family and his personal life.
When he returns, Pilestedt says he’ll be getting to work on whatever Arrowhead’s next game may be. We don’t know what that is yet, of course.
Dauntless studio lays off most of its staff
Phoenix Labs, the developer behind monster-slaying multiplayer action RPG Dauntless, announced this week that it has laid off the majority of its remaining staff.
Speaking on LinkedIn, studio management said the layoffs were part of “unfortunate but necessary changes” to its operations, asking industry peers to “reach out” to affected individuals if they had work available.
This is part of a wider industry trend, with layoffs also affecting the likes of Microsoft, Sony, and other companies in recent times, as well as smaller studios and industry bodies.
WWE 2K25 is coming in March
This week, the release date and cover athlete for the latest entry in the WWE 2K series was revealed, and if you’re a fan of one of wrestling’s oldest and most venerable families, you’ll like this one.
Roman Reigns is the cover star for WWE 2K25, which will be released on March 14th, and the game’s Showcase mode will revolve around the Anoa’i family.
This family, as well as encompassing Reigns himself, also includes the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Rikishi, and Samoa Joe, as well as many others. The game will also boast the series’ largest playable roster.
Marvel Snap gets a new publisher
When Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner saw its game caught up as part of the US’ short-lived TikTok ban, the studio swore to find a new publisher for the card battler, and that time has come.
In a statement this week, Second Dinner revealed that it will be handling most publishing duties for the game itself in future, with support from a third-party studio in the form of Skystone Games.
This is unlikely to change too much about the way the game is operated on a day-to-day basis, so if you’re a fan of Marvel Snap, don’t worry; your favourite card game isn’t going anywhere.
PlayStation Plus will focus on PS5 games starting from next year
The PS Plus Essential games for February were announced this week, and as part of that announcement, Sony announced a change to the way games on the service will work in future.
Starting from January next year, the PS Plus service will mainly offer PS5 games and will only “occasionally” offer PS4 games. That includes not only Essential, but the other two tiers as well.
However, somewhat confusingly, Sony does also say that it “may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date”. Hmm.
By the way, the three PS Plus games you’re getting this month are Payday 3, High on Life, and Pac-Man World Re-Pac.
Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PlayStation
As part of a wider move to de-emphasise its console business and focus on software, Microsoft is bringing Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation soon.
In a message on the official Forza website, Xbox said this week that Forza Horizon 5 will be coming to PS5 this spring, and that it will feature full crossplay support as well, allowing you to play online with your Xbox-owning friends.
No more specific release date than “spring” was revealed, unfortunately, but it’s nice to see more Xbox games breaking out of their exclusivity pen.
Bloodborne 60fps mod DMCA’d by Sony
If you’re a Bloodborne fan, you’ll know that one of the most frustrating things about the game is the state of its performance on PS4 as it currently stands.
Modder Lance McDonald created a mod that circumvents that particular problem, but Sony issued a DMCA takedown against McDonald’s mod this week, ensuring that nobody else could download it.
Could this mean that a Bloodborne remaster is finally around the corner? Honestly, we think it’s unlikely, and that Sony is probably just flexing its legal muscles again.
The Sims 1 and 2 have officially been re-released on PC
Do you often find yourself wanting to relive the glory days of The Sims? Well, thanks to two PC re-releases from EA and Maxis this week, now you can.
The first two The Sims games have officially been re-released on PC storefronts, together with the vast quantities of expansion content released for both titles.
It’s worth noting these are very much re-releases and not remasters, so while they’ll work perfectly fine on modern hardware, you shouldn’t expect any extra bells and whistles; go into these expecting the original Sims games in all their glory and you’ll be fine.
