April is almost here, and this week in gaming is caught between a massive wave of announcements and the sheer volatility of current hits. Big franchises are planting flags years into the future, with Bandai Namco and Devsisters unveiling new games for Digimon and CookieRun stretching as far as 2029. Meanwhile, titans like Rockstar and CD Projekt Red are dominating headlines through speculation, as rumors of early GTA 6 access swirl alongside news that the next Witcher and Cyberpunk titles will make use of AI NPCs.
However, the week hasn’t been without its growing pains and controversies. Although newcomers like Crimson Desert and the indie hit Cat Parents are seeing commercial interest, established titles aren’t; Tekken 8 is battling community backlash over balance updates, and Battlefield Hardline prepares to sunset its console servers after over a decade. From the reveal of Payday: Aces High to the integration of AI chatbots in Dragon Quest, here’s what went down during the fourth week of March.
Gaming News At A Glance
Pokémon Champions April 8 Launch Sets New Standard and Platform for VGC
Crimson Desert Sells 2M Copies, Immediately Hit With Controversy and Mixed Reviews
Neverness to Everness (NTE) PS5 Pre-Order Trailer Reveals New Character Jiuyuan
CookieRun: NewWorld Announced for 2029, Marks Franchise's 20th Anniversary
GTA 6 Fans Could Play the Game Early, Rockstar Job Posting Suggests
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: Mar 22nd to Mar 28th
Fast Cars, a Wonder-Ful New Park, and a Reunion to Remember
⚫︎ Screamer Review | Fun, Fast, and Just a Tad Furious
⚫︎ Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park Review | Essentially Inessential
⚫︎ Life is Strange: Reunion Review | Almost the Perfect Paradox
Adventures, Both Big and Built
⚫︎ Solasta 2 Review [Early Access] | A Misty Step in the Right Direction
⚫︎ Nova Roma Review [Early Access] | Newer, Better, and More Confusing
Gaming News At A Glance: Pokémon Champions Release Date, Crimson Desert Mixed Reviews, GTA 6 Speculations
Pokémon Champions Launches on April 8, VGC Begins This Year
Pokémon Champions launches on April 8 for Nintendo Switch, including a free Switch 2 upgrade with improved visuals, as the series transitions to a new standard platform for the upcoming Video Game Championships (VGC). A six-minute overview trailer outlined its gameplay systems, confirming familiar battle mechanics alongside expanded customization through types, Abilities, and moves, with both Single and Double Battle formats supported and Mega Evolution returning.
Players can compete across Ranked, Casual, Private Battles, and Online Competitions to earn Victory Points (VP), a currency used to customize Pokémon stats, swap abilities, and purchase items like Mega Stones or cosmetics. The competitive circuit officially transitions to the new game starting with the Indianapolis Regional Championships on May 29–31, followed by major events like the North America International Championships and the World Championships in August.
Crimson Desert Makes Headlines For 2M Copies Sold...and Controversy
Despite selling over 2 million copies and reaching 250,000 concurrent players on Steam, Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert launched to mixed reviews due to significant technical and design flaws. Players have heavily criticized the game's "archaic" controller mapping, which requires complex button combinations for simple tasks like talking to NPCs. Although a PC patch for mouse and keyboard has improved its Steam rating, console players remain frustrated.
The controversy deepened with the discovery of AI-generated artwork in-game, characterized by warped anatomy and visual inconsistencies. Pearl Abyss apologized, claiming these "experimental" assets were unintentionally included in the final release and promising a comprehensive audit to replace them.
Neverness to Everness (NTE) Opens PS5 Pre-Orders with New Character, Jiuyuan
The recently released PS5 pre-order trailer for Neverness to Everness introduced Jiuyuan, a new Anima-using character and Top Courier for Sperry Express. The three-minute teaser showcased her combat capabilities, specifically her skills in wielding Anima-imbued twin pistols.
Although the base game remains free-to-play, a $9.99 digital pre-order bundle with various early-game incentives is now available on the PlayStation Store. The community is also pushing for 35 million pre-registrations to unlock 15 Fabricated Dice. This reward is on top of the A-Class character Haniel, already secured after the 30-million milestone.
CookieRun: NewWorld Is CookieRun's 20th Anniversary Special, Coming in 2029
During the DevNow 2026 Showcase, Devsisters announced CookieRun: NewWorld, an ambitious 3D open-world RPG slated for a 2029 release to coincide with the franchise’s 20th anniversary. Unlike other games in the franchise, this title supports cross-platform play between PC, mobile, and consoles. Aside from these, not much is known about the game, but the developers have confirmed that it is set after the era of the Five Heroes in the series’ lore.
The showcase also detailed several other projects within the CookieRun universe, including the launch of the real-time PvP game CookieRun: OvenSmash on March 26 and a new booster set for the CookieRun: Braverse trading card game on March 27. Looking ahead, the idle RPG CookieRun: Crumble is scheduled for late 2026, while the flagship CookieRun: Kingdom will begin a new story arc in May involving a timeline fracture that ignites war across multiple realities. Additionally, CookieRun: Kingdom is set to feature a collaboration with the film KPop Demon Hunters in April.
GTA 6 Fans Can Now Apply As an In-Office Game Tester
Rockstar Games has reportedly posted a job listing for a full-time, in-office game tester at its Rockstar India studio in Bangalore. This raised speculation that Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is entering its final testing phase. Although the posting does not explicitly name the title, industry observers note that Rockstar has no other officially announced projects in development.
The role involves standard Quality Assurance duties, such as writing bug reports and collaborating across departments, specifically testing games across various platforms. This aligns with the confirmed release of GTA 6 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This is seen as a positive sign by fans who feared further delays from its November 19, 2026, release date following the game's shift from its original 2025 window and a January report from journalist Jason Schreier stating the game was not yet "feature complete."
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Xbox Partner Preview March 2026 | Everything Announced
⚫︎ Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Reveals Peni Parker of the Amazing Guardians
⚫︎ Digimon UP is Bandai Namco's 2026 Free-to-Play Mobile RPG
⚫︎ Digimon Story: Time Stranger 2027 DLC Announced at Digimon Con 2026
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⚫︎ Light and Night SEA Release Announced, English PV Drops Amid Fan Skepticism
⚫︎ Battlefield Hardline Console Servers to Shut Down on June 22 After 11 Years
⚫︎ Dragon Quest X Teams With Google for Chatty Slimey AI Chatbot
⚫︎ Cat Parents Hits 100K Steam Wishlists 3 Days After Reveal
⚫︎ Tekken 8’s Season 3 Has Been Review Bombed Again Following Major Balance Update
⚫︎ Phasmophobia Cursed Hollow Event Returns March 31
⚫︎ Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 Will Use AI Tools to Create Realistic NPCs
⚫︎ Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Demo Now Available, New Features Detailed
⚫︎ Love and Deepspace Caleb's 3rd Myth Event, Ghosts' Final March, Arrives March 28
⚫︎ Tekken 8 Fixes Critical Bugs in Emergency Patch After Community Backlash
⚫︎ Lords of the Fallen 2 Introduces Improved Umbral System, Promising Bolder and Bloodier Realms
⚫︎ Village in the Shade Western Release Set for Fall 2026, Pre-Orders Now Live
⚫︎ Payday: Aces High Revealed as 4-Player VR Heist Game on Meta Quest, Launches 2026
⚫︎ STALKER 2 Announces Cost of Hope Expansion During Xbox Partner Preview
⚫︎ RPG Maker New Project Brings HD-2D Game Creation to Everyone
⚫︎ Trickcal: Chibi Go Celebrates Half-Anniversary With New Apostle and Event Rewards
Review Roundup: Mar 22nd to Mar 28th
Fast Cars, a Wonder-Ful New Park, and a Reunion to Remember
This week’s reviews span a wide range of experiences. The lineup includes the conclusion of a long-running episodic adventure, a performance-focused port of a popular free-to-play shooter, and an expanded edition of a flagship 2D platformer. Although most of these titles succeed in giving players a fun time, some face hurdles with performance and pacing.
Screamer
Screamer follows 15 drivers in an illegal street tournament organized by the mysterious Mr. A. The game has a twin-stick control scheme that separates steering from drifting to give players more precision. It also includes a Sync system that rewards clean driving with boosts and shield energy.
The campaign’s pacing is effective because it swaps between story scenes and various race types like duels and team challenges. However, the game lacks deep progression since customization is purely visual and does not affect car performance. It also forces players to use specific characters during the story, which can be unfortunate if a car does not match players’ playstyles. Although the mechanics are solid, the lack of a tuning system limits players who want to upgrade their machines.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park
Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a 2026 port that brings the surrealist 2D platformer to Nintendo’s successor console. This version includes a bump to 60fps with HDR support that makes the vibrant art style look pristine. The expansion adds a story arc where players recover seven magical flowers from the Koopalings to restore the abandoned Bellabel Park. It introduces Rosalina and Luma as playable characters, along with new power-ups and boss encounters that feature inventive transformations for the Koopalings.
Although the technical upgrades are noticeable, the new stages are mostly remixes of existing areas with some small twists. Many of its minigames also feel like basic distractions that lack the creativity of the main game and offer little reason to return once the novelty wears off. There are some noteworthy additions, like the Toad Brigade Training Camp, but much of the package feels like an inessential addition for those who already played the original.
Life is Strange: Reunion
Life is Strange: Reunion is the finale for protagonists Max and Chloe a decade after the original game. Unlike previous entries, this title discards a chapter-based choice structure. Instead, the narrative outcome depends on small, cumulative actions and how much the player relies on supernatural abilities throughout the entire journey.
The game excels at intimate character moments, especially a dual-dialogue mechanic where the player controls both sides of a conversation between Max and Chloe. This creates a deep sense of emotional weight and vulnerability. However, the experience feels more like a movie than a game due to long stretches without player input. While the rewind mechanic remains a core tool, the puzzles are simple and offer little challenge. The endings also lack the devastating consequences found in the first game, as the "best" results feel too safe.
Other Reviews This Week
⚫︎ Ariana and the Elder Codex Review | Every Bit as Magical as Its Codices
⚫︎ Timberborn Review | Almost the Best of Both Its Worlds
⚫︎ Warframe Review Switch 2 | Old Ninjas Can Learn New Tricks
Adventures, Both Big and Built
This week’s early access releases give players a look at new strategies and systems in both fantastical and modern settings. City-building and party-based exploration all play a role in shaping these experiences. For those curious about emerging RPGs and strategy games, these previews give a clear sense of what’s coming next.
Solasta II
Solasta 2 is a fantasy role-playing title that follows four adoptive siblings on a quest to settle a divine debt. It features deep character creation and fully voiced protagonists whose dialogue depends on chosen personalities. The game uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset and a hex-grid overworld map to emulate a tabletop experience.
The interface is clean and accessible for new players through helpful tooltips. However, the combat feels repetitive as it adds few new mechanics to the established formula. Some voice lines for custom characters also sound wooden compared to the impressive NPC performances.
Nova Roma
Nova Roma is a city-builder set after the fall of the Roman Empire on randomly generated islands. The game includes dynamic mechanics like fickle Roman gods and governors with randomized traits that influence city growth. But a major flaw of the game in its early access state is the total lack of a tutorial to explain complex systems or combat. This makes the experience confusing for players who must rely on trial and error to understand the mechanics.
