Well, here we are again! It’s time to take another look at the week that was in gaming news, and there’s plenty to pore over this week. We know we say that every time, but it’s true!
Thankfully, there isn’t quite as much doom and gloom to worry about this week. Instead, we’ve got release date leaks and announcements, as well as new game reveals and more.
As we always say, without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s been happening this week in the world of gaming news!
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach gets a June release date
This week, Hideo Kojima and his studio Kojima Productions announced that we can expect Death Stranding 2 to launch exclusively for PlayStation 5 in June.
Specifically, the game will launch on June 26th, which was revealed during Kojima’s SXSW panel in Texas. A new trailer for the game was also unveiled, and it looks characteristically insane.
Few other game creators could get away with releasing a 10-minute trailer for a release date, but that’s exactly what Kojima did for Death Stranding 2. We’ve embedded it above so you can watch it in all its glory.
Xbox’s next console reportedly launches in 2027
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Xbox wants to get out of the console business given its low hardware sales and games jumping to other platforms, but according to a report this week, that isn’t the case.
Windows Central’s report claims that an Xbox handheld is due for release later this year, and that a new console is also in the works for 2027, having been “greenlit all the way up to CEO Satya Nadella”.
Whether or not pursuing this strategy will work for Xbox remains to be seen, but the company will no doubt be hoping that this generation isn’t repeated in terms of sales figures.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is apparently coming to PS5 in April
A new leak emerged this week which states that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to Sony’s PlayStation 5 on April 17th.
The game has already been on general release for both Xbox consoles and PC since December, but the PlayStation version is apparently scheduled for the aforementioned date.
It’s great news for those who didn’t buy into the Xbox ecosystem, and as we’ve already established, that’s quite a lot of people!
Disco Elysium’s ZA/UM reveals two new projects
Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM – or what’s left of it, at any rate – revealed two new projects this week, although technically, one of them is actually just a port of Disco Elysium to new platforms.
The first new game revealed by the studio is Project C4, a new “genre-defining” RPG that only exists in teaser form for now. It’s got the kind of evocative art you’d expect from a new ZA/UM project, though.
Following that, ZA/UM also unveiled a new mobile version of Disco Elysium this week, although it’s exclusive to Android devices. It’s aimed at capturing TikTok users’ attention, apparently.
PlayStation Plus March lineup revealed
Sony revealed the March lineup for PS Plus this week, with a new set of games scheduled to land on the subscription service on March 18th (which is this Tuesday at time of writing).
Games joining the service include criminally underappreciated Metroidvania Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, as well as arcade football game Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions.
Others include the likes of Arcade Paradise, the oft-advertised Bang-On Balls: Chronicles, and the rather amusingly-named You Suck at Parking, as well as several more games to enjoy.
That Oblivion remake could be revealed in March or April
Reliable leaker NateTheHate took to social media this week to reveal that the long-mooted Oblivion remake could be due for a reveal “either this month or next month”.
According to NateTheHate, the game will launch “sooner than the original June target”, and the leaker says they’re “still working to get details on an updated release date”.
We’re not sure how well it bodes for Bethesda that the game could be revealed and released so soon; it feels like there won’t be much time for the studio to build hype. Still, we’ll have to see.
PowerWash Simulator 2 has been announced
If you loved work sim PowerWash Simulator, then this week brought some very good news indeed for you, as a sequel was officially unveiled.
PowerWash Simulator 2, as it’s been imaginatively titled, will feature even more locations and objects to purge of dirt, as well as new tools for doing so and much more.
Here’s hoping we can expect some of the same kind of off-the-wall DLC that saw the likes of Warhammer 40k, Final Fantasy, and Wallace and Gromit making an appearance in the first game.
Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 3 is in development
Speaking of Warhammer 40k, Focus and Saber announced this week that Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 3 is officially in development.
Naturally, the two studios didn’t reveal more details than that; after all, the game is probably still fairly early on in its gestation period, so it could well be quite a while before we get more info.
However, we do know it’ll feature a single-player campaign, a multiplayer mode, and more of the same kind of brutal action you’ve come to expect from both the universe as a whole and the Space Marine series.
The Final Fantasy series has now sold over 200 million copies
Square Enix revealed this week that the Final Fantasy series as a whole has sold over 200 million copies worldwide, with the Pixel Remaster series itself standing at over five million.
The numbers come after it was reported that Final Fantasy XVI, the latest main entry in the series, had sold 3.5 million copies at last count.
The publisher has previously said that sales of the game, along with sales of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, were disappointing, so let’s hope things pick up for the next game.
