Helldivers 2 All-Time Peak on Steam is now over 450K

Helldivers 2 from Arrowhead Game Studios has been a great hit in its first few weeks on Steam and PlayStation 5 being one of the most talked about games this year along with Palworld. Over a week ago we mentioned that Helldivers 2’s all-time peak on Steam was better than Starfield and Destiny 2. As time has gone on the game continues to have hundreds of thousands of players online and now the game has reached a peak of 458,709 concurrent players on February 23, 2024. Currently, Helldivers 2 is a console exclusive to PlayStation 5, but you can play it now on PC via Steam.
Autopsy Simulator comes to PC this year

Woodland Games and Team17 Digital have revealed the medical-horror sim Autopsy Simulator is coming to PC in 2024. The game was originally announced in 2022 and it will give players control of a forensic doctor battling his inner demons while undertaking autopsies in the 1990s. Autopsy Simulator will see players study realistic case files, created in collaboration with real-world forensic practitioners, to help guide their examinations and dissections. Utilising medically authentic tools and procedures, players will learn all they can about the deceased before unraveling the mystery of their deaths. Autopsy Simulator Key Features: Gruesome anatomical detail and medically certified autopsy procedures: Dissect anatomically accurate bodies using a range of autopsy procedures and tools authentic to real-world practice. Realistic true crime scenarios: Study a range of case files designed by real-life pathomorphologists and forensic doctors, then use what you learn to guide each autopsy. Narrative-driven story mode with simulation gameplay: In Autopsy Simulator: Dead Memories, follow a gripping personal mystery while performing medically accurate autopsy procedures vetted by a certified pathologist. A release date was not mentioned for the unique simulator game.
An early look at the map in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

Nacon is prepared to release Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown sometime this year and the release date might be revealed during the Nacon Connect event on February 29. Among the games to be featured at this digital presentation, the new Test Drive title will be there and we will likely see the official release date then. Rectify Gaming recently received an image of the map in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, The map below is from a recent stress test of the game that roughly had 2,000 players. There could obviously be more to the map in this game and what you see is just a part of it. Make sure to keep an eye out on the Nacon Connect event in a couple of days.
Dying Light: The Board Game has been announced, now on Kickstarter

Glass Cannon Unplugged known for their work on Apex Legends: The Board Game and others announced in partnership with Techland, the Kickstarter campaign for Dying Light: The Board Game. This is the tabletop adaption of the beloved video game and now fans of the survival action game can back this project to bring it to life. Dying Light: The Board Game is a cooperative narrative adventure game designed for 1-4 players. Set in the last city on Earth, Villedor, players must survive encounters with the zombie-like Infected as they balance the demands of the various ruling factions. Dying Light: The Board Game provides an intuitive and easy-to-learn ruleset that can adapt to dynamic playstyles and narratives. It features an original, adrenaline-fueled parkour and combat system that makes full use of an expansive city map and an impactful day and night cycle. Here are the features of Dying Light: The Board Game: Modular Game Board — Run, climb, and jump through the city of Villedor, brought to life through double-sided board tiles and easy-to-build 3D structures, interactive aids, and hazards. Engaging Parkour and Combat — Assume the role of a Runner and use Action Dice to elevate simple actions like running, climbing, jumping, and fighting into game-changing stunts. Detailed Miniatures — The Standard Edition includes 76 standees, each with a plastic base ring, while the Deluxe Version elevates this with 76 high-quality plastic miniatures crafted on a realistic scale of 32 mm. These include 4 Runners, 8 Bandits, 60 Infected, and 4 Large Infected Bosses. Night and Day — Experience the duality of day and night, each offering a dramatic shift in challenges and possibilities. This system is reinforced through the use of stickers for buildings with content visible only under UV light. The Kickstarter campaign reached its goal already within its first few hours reaching over 250 thousand dollars of what was a $54,267 goal to make the project happen.
Nintendo Switch 2 is reported to now release in March 2025

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been discussed over the last few months through numerous reports and initially, it was thought to have been getting a reveal in March 2024 with a release in September. Now, it seems that Nintendo is pushing the release of their next console into the early part of 2025. There have now been multiple reports from outlets including Nikkei, a Japanese based outlet that the Nintendo Switch 2 will now release in March 2025. According to Midori, a well known Atlus & Sega leaker, the information reported is correct and the news was sudden to publishers making it a unique situation. The only thing that people can’t seem to figure out is when the new Nintendo console will get revealed. Another reason for this surprise delay is likely due to prevent scalping if it were to launch in late 2024. https://twitter.com/MbKKssTBhz5/status/1762317258611683624 Reports in the past shared that the Nintendo Switch successor will launch at a price of $400.00 USD and will have backward compatibility.
Ed is now available in Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter 6’s roster continues to grow with Ed, the psycho-powered boxer making him the 21st character to join the game. You can play as the character now across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. You can play as Ed across three unique game modes where players will be able to face off with Ed in Fighting Ground, increase your bond with Ed as the latest Master added to World Tour, and equip your avatar with the silky-smooth boxer’s moves in Battle Hub. The Street Fighter 6 shop now includes Ed’s Outfit 2 and Ed colors 3-10. Starting now, players can unlock Ed by owning or purchasing the Street Fighter 6 Deluxe Edition, Ultimate Edition, Year 1 Character/Ultimate Pass, or purchase Ed individually for 350 Fighter Coins which also includes his Outfit 1 and Colors 1 & 2.
The next Battlefield title to have a free-to-play Battle Royale mode

It is no secret that Battlefield has struggled since the release of Battlefield 2042 and EA did confirm they are working on a new game in the series. EA CEO, Andrew Wilson describes the next Battlefield to be a reimagination of the series. According to Insider Gaming, the next Battlefield game will go back to its roots with 64-player matches, a return of its four-class system, and an overhaul to its destruction systems. The outlet also claims that Ripple Effect is working on a new Battle Royale title that is currently aimed to be free-to-play and will be similar to Call of Duty: Warzone. As always we have to take this type of news with a grain of salt, but this could very well be what the Battlefield franchise has needed. Apparently, the new Battlefield will release in 2025, but that remains to be seen. Source: Insider Gaming
THQ Nordic shuts down rumors of a Shrek 2 remake

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Shrek 2 movie and the Shrek 2 video game that was released for the Gamecube, PlayStation 2, and the original Xbox. A rumor was recently shared on Reddit that a remake of the Shrek video game is in the works with Purple Lamp Studios as the developer. The person claimed to have buddies who worked in PR at THQ Nordic that confirmed this with him, but that was shut down a few days later. This rumor is obviously fake. Everyone knows that nobody in our PR department has any buddies. https://t.co/kxiMUG8Aek pic.twitter.com/867JVk3rFA — THQ Nordic 🔜 gamescom 2024 (@THQNordic) February 27, 2024 now you know the sad truth: we have no buddies! https://t.co/aUzAc9csHC — Jen Bigell (@JenFenrir) February 27, 2024 It was clever to put Purple Lamp Studios as the potential studio for a Shrek game since they’ve worked on SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake and SpongeBob SquarePants Battle for Bikini Bottom. Would you like to see a Shrek 2 video game remake?
Sony Interactive Entertainment is laying off 900 employees

The games industry has been constantly taking a hit with job losses across all major companies including Microsoft and now Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company announced on Tuesday that it plans on reducing its overall headcount globally by about 8% or about 900 employees. This will impact several studios including Insomniac Game, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, and Firspite losing talented individuals. PlayStation Studios’ London Studio will be closed entirely due to these major layoffs. “These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success, and we are very grateful for their contributions. However, the industry has changed immensely, and we need to future ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead. We need to deliver on expectations from developers and gamers and continue to propel future technology in gaming, so we took a step back to ensure we are set up to continue bringing the best gaming experiences to the community. ” – Jim Ryan, President & CEO Sony Interactive Entertainment. These layoffs will impact people across all of the SIE regions, Americas, EMEA, Japan, and APAC. You can read more about this news here.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Announced For 2025 Launch

This week, The Pokémon Company celebrates another year of Pokémon. On February 27th marks the officially recognized ‘Pokémon Day’ – the same date that the original Pokémon Red & Pokémon Green arrived in Japan. Additionally, The Pokémon Company is hosting its periodic ‘Pokémon Presents’ online presentation to give an update on its plans for the franchise. Partly, one of the announcements revealed is Pokémon Trading Card Pocket. Now expanding the classic trading card game to explore more accessibility and convenience, Pokémon Trading Card Pocket integrates all of the engaging elements of playing, collecting, trading, and battling into one app. It is said to release later in 2024 for Android & iOS. Closing out the showcase, The Pokémon Company also revealed Pokémon Legends: Z-A – the follow up to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. You can watch the reveal trailer in the video below: “Lumiose City is the setting of the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, where an urban redevelopment plan brings with it a vision of people and Pokémon living together in harmony,” one description reads. “A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.” What is more interesting is that the game is not confirmed for Nintendo Switch. While it is guaranteed to not ship on Xbox or PlayStation, it is questionable why there is no confirmation for the latest Nintendo system. A recent report does indicate a new device is set to release in March 2025; perhaps it is planned to ship on the next iterated console? You can read the full report by heading here. What has you most interested for Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Pokémon Legends: Z-A ships in 2025. Source: The Pokémon Company, (1)