Gaming News — 2026-03-31#

Top Story#

An abandoned Xbox 360 dev kit bought at a Scottish flea market for around $13 has yielded a massive, never-before-seen 2007 beta build of Grand Theft Auto 4. Dataminers are already unearthing fascinating cut content like playable ferries, beta weapons, and an abandoned zombie minigame, giving fans plenty to chew on while waiting for GTA 6.

News & Reviews#

Disney Reportedly Keen on Buying Fortnite Developer Epic Games, But Waiting for Right Moment Disney executives are allegedly waiting for the perfect opportunity to fully acquire Fortnite and Unreal Engine creator Epic Games. Following a previous $1.5 billion investment and an upcoming Disney-specific mode, acquiring the founder-controlled company would be a massive, industry-shifting move.

Deus Ex Dev Eidos-Montréal Announces Mass Layoffs Alongside Departure of Head of Stuido David Anfossi The brutal industry layoffs continue as Eidos-Montréal cuts 124 employees across its production and support teams. This massive workforce reduction also coincides with the sudden departure of studio head David Anfossi, who oversaw projects like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Shadow of the Tomb Raider during his 19-year tenure.

Price Hike or Discount? Nintendo’s Changes to Physical and Digital Game Pricing Have Analysts Split, Too Nintendo is shifting its pricing model starting with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which will cost $69.99 physically but $59.99 digitally in the U.S. Analysts suggest this is a strategic move to push consumers toward the more profitable digital ecosystem and offset rising manufacturing costs, essentially serving as a stealth price hike for physical collectors.

VR Social Game Rec Room Is Shutting Down on its 10th Anniversary Despite reaching over 150 million players, the VR social club Rec Room is officially shutting down on June 1 due to an inability to find a sustainably profitable business model. The developers noted that costs consistently overwhelmed revenue, dealing another major blow to the struggling VR gaming market.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review Illumination’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is packed wall-to-wall with Easter eggs, deep-cut Nintendo cameos, and gorgeous action sequences. However, the overcrowded roster leaves the film lacking an emotional core or a focused story, making it a fun but somewhat forgettable follow-up to the 2023 hit.

Call of Duty Players Aren’t Happy About the New Dave Chappelle Tracer Pack for Black Ops 7 Activision is facing intense backlash over the new Dave Chappelle “Half Baked” Tracer Pack in Black Ops 7. Fans are frustrated by the sudden return of goofy crossover skins after the publisher promised a gritty, authentic aesthetic, while others are heavily criticizing the decision to feature the controversial comedian on Transgender Day of Visibility.

Free Games & Deals#

With Sony raising the price of the PS5 Pro to a staggering $899 next week, your absolute best bet is to grab a “Like-New” used console from Amazon Resale for $712.18 before the hike hits. Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is also wrapping up today, offering excellent discounts like the Mortal Kombat II Arcade1Up Cabinet for $399 at Walmart and the Street Fighter 6 Luke and Jamie Amiibo slashed to just $9.99 each at Best Buy.

Also Worth Knowing#

• Fans Think Neil Druckmann Just Teased The Last of Us Part 3: Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann dropped a massive hint about the future of The Last of Us, mentioning there are a “few stops that remain on the road ahead” for Joel and Ellie’s world.
• WWE 2K26 Makes Ringside Pass U-Turn Following Widespread Criticism: 2K is fundamentally altering its controversial battle pass system to immediately unlock premium DLC characters at Tier 1 starting in Season 2.
• Nintendo’s Changing Mario Kart World Again, Rebalancing Items and Adding Bob-omb Blast Battle Mode: Update 1.6.0 adds the classic Bob-omb Blast battle mode and brings significant meta shifts, including varied recovery times based on character weight.
• Microsoft Is Celebrating 25 Years of Xbox by Putting Master Chief on a Fanta Pineapple Can: Xbox is partnering with Fanta for special edition cans that unlock digital rewards in games like Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6.