Gaming 16 January 2026 - 9 April 2026

Pokémon Champions Launch Stumbles as HOME Error 9007, Missing Modes Spark Backlash
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Pokémon Champions Launch Stumbles as HOME Error 9007, Missing Modes Spark Backlash

Pokémon Champions launched April 8 on Switch and Switch 2 as a free-to-start battler, but players quickly reported a Pokémon HOME transfer bug and criticized missing formats and a limited roster. The game is set to become the standard for official Pokémon VGC events starting in May. Nintendo shares closed down 2% Thursday at 8,531 yen. Mobile versions are expected later in 2026.
April 9, 2026
Nvidia DLSS 5 Faces Fresh Resistance After Dev Warning, Gamer Poll and YouTube Copyright Claim
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Nvidia DLSS 5 Faces Fresh Resistance After Dev Warning, Gamer Poll and YouTube Copyright Claim

Liquid Swords tech director Fredrik Lönn said Nvidia’s DLSS 5 is not ready for production and lacks broad hardware support, confirming the studio did not consider it for “Samson.” A PC Gamer poll found 71% of respondents unwilling to use DLSS 5, while Nvidia’s reveal trailer was briefly blocked in Italy over a copyright claim. Nvidia says DLSS 5 launches this fall with support from major publishers.
April 9, 2026
Borderlands 4’s $30 Mad Ellie DLC Faces Backlash as Steam Reviews Turn Mostly Negative (Borderlands)
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Borderlands 4’s $30 Mad Ellie DLC Faces Backlash as Steam Reviews Turn Mostly Negative (Borderlands)

Borderlands 4’s first paid story expansion, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, drew a Mostly Negative rating on Steam by Saturday, with only 32% of 231 user reviews positive. Players criticized the $29.99 DLC for its short main quest, reportedly lasting two to three hours. The add-on launched March 26 alongside a patch raising the level cap to 60 and adding shared character progression.
March 28, 2026
Epic Games Layoffs Show Fortnite’s Slowdown Is Hitting the Wider Video Game Industry
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Epic Games Layoffs Show Fortnite’s Slowdown Is Hitting the Wider Video Game Industry

Epic Games laid off over 1,000 employees, about 20% of its staff, on March 24 after Fortnite engagement and playtime dropped sharply. CEO Tim Sweeney cited falling growth, weaker spending, and rising costs. Research firm Ampere Analysis said Fortnite’s peak monthly active players on PlayStation and Xbox fell 28% from 2023. Roblox surpassed Fortnite in average playtime and daily visits for the first time.
March 28, 2026
ASUS ROG Brings 20th-Anniversary Push to DreamHack Birmingham With AMD Gear
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ASUS ROG Brings 20th-Anniversary Push to DreamHack Birmingham With AMD Gear

ASUS Republic of Gamers debuted its ROG XREAL R1 augmented-reality gaming glasses for public hands-on demos at DreamHack Birmingham, running March 27–29. The booth also showcases the ROG Flow Z13 KOJIMA Edition tablet and ROG Ally X handheld, both using AMD chips. Fans have until March 29 to submit videos for ASUS’s $20,000 Dare-to-ROG campaign. AMD-powered sim-racing and tournaments round out the event.
March 27, 2026
Meta to End Horizon Worlds on Quest VR by June 15 in Major Mobile-First Pivot
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Meta to End Horizon Worlds on Quest VR by June 15 in Major Mobile-First Pivot

Meta Platforms will remove Horizon Worlds from the Quest store on March 31 and from Quest devices on June 15, shifting the service to mobile only. Creator tools and subscription perks tied to Quest will end. Meta cited a surge in mobile users and said it will keep supporting third-party VR titles. The company maintains it is not exiting VR hardware, despite the move.
March 19, 2026
Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees
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Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees

Google will allow Android app developers to use their own billing systems and reduce fees, following a settlement with Epic Games that could return Fortnite to the Play Store after five years. The agreement, filed in San Francisco federal court, awaits a judge’s approval with a hearing set for April 9. Google plans to lower its standard in-app purchase fee to 20% and subscription fee to 10%, phasing in changes through 2027.
March 5, 2026
Roblox stock price today: RBLX slips as Australia presses for safety talks, upgrade optimism fades
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Roblox stock price today: RBLX slips as Australia presses for safety talks, upgrade optimism fades

Roblox shares fell 0.8% to $72.89 Tuesday afternoon, reversing part of Monday’s 10% surge. Australia’s government requested urgent talks with Roblox over child safety concerns, warning of possible fines up to A$49.5 million. Roblox cited new safety partnerships and early adoption of age checks as scrutiny increased. Dutch regulators also launched a probe into Roblox’s protections for minors.
February 10, 2026
Sony lifts forecast after record profit as PS5 sales slide and sensors surge
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Sony lifts forecast after record profit as PS5 sales slide and sensors surge

Sony posted a record quarterly operating profit of 515 billion yen, up 22%, and raised its full-year forecast to 1.54 trillion yen. PlayStation 5 sales dropped 16% to 8 million units, but gaming profit rose 19% on software and network gains. The sensor division’s sales jumped 21%, while Pictures revenue fell 11%. Sony increased its share buyback plan to 150 billion yen.
February 5, 2026
Roblox’s new ‘4D’ AI turns text prompts into drivable game objects — and it’s live in beta
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Roblox’s new ‘4D’ AI turns text prompts into drivable game objects — and it’s live in beta

Roblox on Wednesday launched a beta AI tool called “4D creation” that generates interactive in-game models from natural-language prompts. The company says the tool, powered by its Cube foundation model, lets users create items like drivable cars. Early testers created over 160,000 objects and saw play time rise in one game by 64%. The beta starts with only two object types available.
February 4, 2026
RedMagic 11 Air goes on sale Feb 11 — early reviews weigh the €499, 207g fan‑cooled gaming phone
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RedMagic 11 Air goes on sale Feb 11 — early reviews weigh the €499, 207g fan‑cooled gaming phone

REDMAGIC will launch its RedMagic 11 Air gaming phone in Europe on Feb. 11, starting at €499. €1 “Early Bird” vouchers offering €30 off and early access go live Feb. 5. The device features a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 7,000 mAh battery, and 24,000-RPM fan. Reviews praise performance but note heat issues, loud cooling, and lack of wireless charging.
February 1, 2026
Google opens Project Genie to U.S. Ultra subscribers, letting users generate interactive worlds
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Google opens Project Genie to U.S. Ultra subscribers, letting users generate interactive worlds

Google began rolling out Project Genie, an interactive world-building prototype, to AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. on Thursday. The tool uses DeepMind’s Genie 3, Nano Banana Pro, and Gemini to generate interactive scenes from text or images, with sessions capped at 60 seconds. Google describes Genie as a research prototype, not a finished product. Users must be 18 or older.
January 30, 2026
Roblox faces Dutch watchdog probe over kids’ safety under EU rules
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Roblox faces Dutch watchdog probe over kids’ safety under EU rules

Dutch regulator ACM has opened an investigation into Roblox over child safety and compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act. The probe examines whether Roblox protects minors from explicit content, scams, and manipulative design. ACM can order changes or fine the company if violations are found. Roblox says it is cooperating and introducing new age verification measures.
January 30, 2026
RedMagic 11 Air goes global on Jan 29 as slim gaming phone targets buyers outside China
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RedMagic 11 Air goes global on Jan 29 as slim gaming phone targets buyers outside China

RedMagic will launch its 11 Air gaming smartphone globally on Jan. 29 after a Jan. 20 debut in China, where it sells for 3,699 yuan ($530) and up. The device features a 6.8-inch 144Hz display, Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 7,000mAh battery, and a 24,000-rpm cooling fan. Asus has halted new phone development, casting doubt on its ROG Phone series. International pricing and carrier details for the 11 Air remain unannounced.
January 21, 2026
Microsoft could make Xbox Cloud Gaming free with ads — a new “1 hour” message just leaked
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Microsoft could make Xbox Cloud Gaming free with ads — a new “1 hour” message just leaked

Xbox Cloud Gaming has begun showing users a “1 hour of ad supported play time per session” warning when launching games. Multiple reports indicate Microsoft is developing a free, ad-supported streaming tier for users who own games but don’t subscribe to Game Pass. Microsoft has not confirmed details or a launch date. The warning does not affect current paid cloud gaming tiers.
January 19, 2026
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