Gaming News — 2026-04-27#

Top Story#

Valve officially confirmed the highly anticipated Steam Controller will launch on May 4, 2026, for a highly competitive $99, while the standalone Steam Machine has been delayed due to the ongoing AI-fueled RAM shortage. At the same time, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed the company is “hard at work” on the Steam Deck 2, though it currently has no firm release window as they evaluate next-generation silicon advancements.

News & Reviews#

Steam Controller Review · IGN After more than ten years, Valve’s new Steam Controller is a massive success, praised for its innovative haptic touchpads and symmetrical, PlayStation-style layout. Priced at a reasonable $99, it boasts TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) sensors in the analog sticks that use magnets to prevent physical wear, making them virtually immune to stick drift. It stands out as one of the best and most fully-featured PC controllers on the market, serving as the perfect bridge for the upcoming Steam Machine hardware ecosystem.

Helldivers 2 Dev Promises Action Following AMA · IGN Following immense community backlash on the game’s subreddit, Arrowhead Game Studios CCO Johan Pilestedt hosted an AMA to address “hate, misinformation, and disappointment”. Acknowledging that players’ demands for more meaningful changes to the core experience are “fair” but “painful to read,” Pilestedt promised bi-weekly communication updates to rebuild trust. The studio hopes that this new level of transparency will lead to better-maintained systems and accurate patch notes for the dedicated player base.

Crimson Desert Sales Soar, Netting Huge Dev Bonuses · IGN Developer Pearl Abyss has handed out $3,400 bonuses to its employees to celebrate their action-adventure game Crimson Desert surpassing an incredible 5 million copies sold. The massive success of the South Korean title highlights a massive industry shift towards single-player console experiences originating from the region, earning praise from the country’s Prime Minister.

Capcom Raises Profit Forecasts Thanks to Resident Evil Requiem · IGN Resident Evil Requiem continues to smash franchise records, recently eclipsing 7 million copies sold globally. The staggering success of the latest survival horror title, combined with strong back-catalog sales, has prompted Capcom to confidently raise its earnings forecast to roughly $1.2 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ending March 2026.

Pokémon Champions Producer Admits Visual Limitations · IGN Following intense fan criticism regarding Pokémon Champions’ basic visuals and a 30fps lock on the Nintendo Switch 2, technical director Masaaki Hoshino acknowledged the community’s frustration. Hoshino defended the game’s individual Pokémon shadows and bespoke battle effects, but admitted that the hardware and competitive nature of the game presented more limitations compared to his past work on Pokkén Tournament.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Drops Tomorrow · IGN Diablo 4’s second major expansion goes live globally starting at 4 PM PDT on April 27, ushering players into the new Skovos region. The highly-anticipated DLC introduces the Paladin and Warlock classes as players prepare to face off against Mephisto, but it requires a hefty 90GB pre-load, so you’ll want to clear out your hard drive today.

Free Games & Deals#

The annual Amazon Gaming Week is officially live, and RPG fans are the undisputed winners this year. You can snag incredible games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake for just $29.99 each, while Resident Evil 4 is matching an all-time low at $15.99. Meanwhile, GameStop is running an incredible “Buy More, Save More” pre-owned sale where savvy shoppers are deliberately adding $0.99 filler games to their carts to instantly trigger a massive 30% discount on expensive recent heavy-hitters like Resident Evil Requiem and Pokémon Pokopia.

Also Worth Knowing#

PowerWash Simulator 2 Gets Star Wars DLC (IGN): A brand new Star Wars DLC pack arrives this summer, letting players scrub down iconic set pieces like an X-Wing and Tatooine’s Lars Homestead.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Scraps Magic (IGN): Insider leaks suggest recent management changes at Ubisoft have resulted in the removal of all magical abilities—including animal control—from the upcoming 17th-century witchcraft-themed Assassin’s Creed Hexe.
Leon S. Kennedy’s Origin Confirmed (IGN): Former Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya finally confirmed the nearly 30-year-old fan theory that survival horror icon Leon S. Kennedy was indeed named after the 1994 film Léon: The Professional.
Arc Raiders Riven Tides Launch (IGN): Embark Studios’ beach-themed update arrives tomorrow across PC and current-gen consoles, introducing the brand-new Riven Tides map and a massive hovering enemy known as the Arc Turbine.
RIP Gerry Conway (IGN): Legendary comic book writer Gerry Conway, co-creator of The Punisher and the architect behind the iconic death of Gwen Stacy, has passed away at the age of 73.