Gaming News — 2026-04-10#

Top Story#

Epic Games is reportedly developing a brand-new extraction shooter featuring a slate of Disney characters, which is currently targeting a November 2026 release. The title stems from Disney’s massive $1.5 billion investment in the Fortnite developer, though internal sources say there is some concern over unoriginal game mechanics.

News & Reviews#

Pokémon Champions Review So Far · IGN The new “free-to-start” Pokémon Champions strips out exploration to focus entirely on classic PVP battling, but its launch state leaves a lot to be desired. Plagued by a lackluster roster of only 186 monsters and missing crucial held items for competitive play, the game leans way too heavily into mobile-style gacha mechanics.

Crimson Desert Dev Outlines Major Updates · IGN Pearl Abyss is rolling out massive quality-of-life updates to the impressive Crimson Desert between April and June 2026. Acting swiftly on community feedback, the team is adding much-needed difficulty settings, boss rematches, and new combat skills for secondary characters Damiane and Oongka.

Rust 2 Denied by Facepunch Founder · IGN Despite a mysterious Steam page popping up and raising eyebrows, Facepunch founder Garry Newman has officially denied that a Rust sequel is in the works. Fans theorized a sequel was tied to the launch of the studio’s new s&box engine, but Newman simply stated he had “no idea at all” about the fake listing.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Goes Multiplatform · IGN Level 5 announced a simultaneous global 2026 launch for its new 3D puzzle-adventure, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. Breaking free from Nintendo exclusivity, the game will be arriving on PC and PlayStation 5 alongside the Switch and Switch 2, though an Xbox release was completely absent from the announcement.

Doki Doki Literature Club Pulled From Google Play · IGN Google abruptly removed the beloved psychological horror visual novel from its Play Store, citing violations regarding the game’s depiction of sensitive themes. Publisher Serenity Forge and creator Dan Salvato are actively exploring alternate distribution methods while trying to get the game reinstated.

Resident Evil Requiem Denuvo Cracked · IGN Only six weeks post-launch, Resident Evil Requiem became the first game of 2026 to have its controversial Denuvo DRM completely cracked. Bypassed by the user voices38, players can now run the game simply by modifying the executable file without relying on risky virtual machine workarounds.

Free Games & Deals#

We’ve got some absolute steals today, kicking off with the highly anticipated sci-fi game Pragmata, which has seen its preorders drop to just £41.99 at Amazon UK ahead of its April 17 launch. Meanwhile, Sega’s massive 35th Anniversary Sonic sale is live, knocking Sonic X Shadow Generations down to an incredible $12.99 on Woot and dropping Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to $29.99 for the Switch. Lastly, the acclaimed turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is 26% off on PC via Newegg, and the Resident Evil Generation Pack is finally back in stock at Amazon for Nintendo Switch 2 at $89.99.

Also Worth Knowing#

Karl Jobst Sues Billy Mitchell (IGN): YouTuber Karl Jobst has filed a defamation lawsuit against arcade gamer Billy Mitchell following public comments regarding Jobst’s bankruptcy and crowdfunding campaigns.
Amazon Luna Removes Purchases (IGN): Amazon Luna is pivoting hard toward its Prime subscription model and will no longer allow users to buy a-la-carte games or access third-party stores starting today.
Karl Urban Wants to Play John Marston (IGN): The Boys actor Karl Urban has expressed serious interest in playing John Marston if a Red Dead Redemption movie ever happens.
MGS Master Collection Vol. 2 Steelbook (IGN): Konami UK revealed a stylish exclusive steelbook case featuring Big Boss and Old Snake for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2.
Wit Studio Apologizes Over AI Use (IGN): Wit Studio admitted that generative AI was mistakenly used in the background art for the Ascendance of a Bookworm opening and promised to redraw it from scratch for future episodes.