Gaming News — 2026-05-19#
Top Story#
Sony is officially pulling back from its multiplatform strategy, reportedly telling staff that its narrative single-player games will remain PlayStation 5 exclusives. The move deprives PC gamers of upcoming tentpole titles like Ghost of Yotei and Marvel’s Wolverine, sparking a mix of disappointment and defiance within a PC gaming community that refuses to buy a $600 console for a handful of games.
News & Reviews#
[Fortnite Is Back on the App Store Across the World] · IGN Epic Games has successfully brought Fortnite back to the iOS App Store worldwide, marking a massive victory in its prolonged legal battle against Apple. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the milestone as the “beginning of the end of the Apple Tax,” though the game is still awaiting a court order to return to mobile devices in Australia.
[Hasbro Cancels Dungeons & Dragons Game from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Director] · IGN In a surprising blow to RPG fans, Hasbro has pulled the plug on an unannounced AAA Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure game from Giant Skull, the new studio founded by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor director Stig Asmussen. Despite the setback, the developer remains fully operational and is actively looking for new opportunities and publishing partners.
[Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Review] · IGN Nintendo’s latest puzzle-platformer is unfortunately a major letdown. While the creature designs are charming and the initial discovery mechanics are a delight, the game abandons its best ideas too early and relies heavily on tedious checklists, making it feel more like biology homework than a satisfying adventure.
[Nintendo’s New ‘Choose Your Game’ Switch 2 Bundle Is Now Available] · IGN With a looming price hike arriving on September 1 that will push the console to $499.99, Nintendo just dropped a stellar Switch 2 bundle that includes your choice of a heavy-hitting exclusive—Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia—for $499.99. If you haven’t upgraded yet, this bundle saves you up to $30 and is the absolute best time to jump in before the hardware gets more expensive.
[Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Shows Off No-HUD Option] · IGN Ubisoft is giving players the ability to seamlessly toggle off the UI in the upcoming Black Flag Resynced remake at the press of a single button. It’s a massive quality-of-life win that lets players fully immerse themselves in the gorgeous pirate sandbox without screen clutter.
[Doom Soundtrack Inducted Into the National Recording Registry] · IGN Bobby Prince’s iconic, adrenaline-fueled 1993 Doom soundtrack has officially been immortalized in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. It joins Super Mario Bros. and Minecraft as only the third piece of video game history to earn this prestigious cultural preservation status.
Free Games & Deals#
Xbox Game Pass subscribers have some solid additions this month, with Jurassic World Evolution 3 and The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition arriving on the service in the second half of May. On the hardware front, deal hunters can snag a massive $600 discount on the 3.5lb Acer Swift X RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop, or grab official Xbox Wireless Controllers for an absolute steal at just $39. PlayStation owners looking to expand their horror library can also pick up Resident Evil 7 Gold Edition and the Resident Evil 4 remake for just $15 each on Amazon right now.
Also Worth Knowing#
- [Microsoft Launches Xbox Player Voice to Gather Feedback] (IGN): Microsoft’s new Xbox feedback platform has been heavily flooded by fans demanding a return to true console exclusivity to help differentiate the brand from Sony and Nintendo.
- [Steam Adds, Edits, and Removes Dozens of Store Tags] (IGN): Valve has added 17 new store tags to Steam—including “Bullet Heaven” and “Capybaras”—while removing 28 subjective or IP-specific ones to improve game recommendations.
- [Subnautica 2 Players Discover Ways to Defend Themselves] (IGN): Early access Subnautica 2 players are finding creative, mid-game tech workarounds to fend off aggressive predators, despite the developers’ insistence that the sequel “isn’t a killing game”.
- [Final Fantasy Creator Addresses Backlash for Sharing AI Video] (IGN): Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi faced criticism online after sharing and praising an unauthorized, AI-generated concept video of a Final Fantasy 6 3D remake.
- [Nintendo Announces Pictonico] (IGN): Nintendo has announced Pictonico, a free-to-start WarioWare-style mobile game launching May 28 that generates bizarre, fast-paced mini-games using the photos in your phone’s camera roll.