Live Service
Ongoing coverage on Live Service.
Latest coverage
FIFA Returns With Free-To-Play Arcade-Style Football And An Utterly Bizarre Roster
The FIFA series is returning in 2026 with FIFA Heroes, a free-to-play arcade-style football game developed by ENVER. The game will feature a mix of football legends like Diego Maradona and Harry Kane, alongside mythological figures such as Thor and Sun Wukong. FIFA Heroes is designed for quick, unpredictable matches with special abilities and will be available on mobile and Nintendo Switch.
After months of upgrades, Eternal Tombs opens registrations for this weekend’s public test
Upcoming MMORPG Eternal Tombs, developed by Triune Studios, is opening registrations for a public test this weekend following months of upgrades. The test will showcase significant improvements to combat, the skill system, fishing, AI, UI, visuals, and performance. Registrations are available on the official site, with the test running from Friday, March 27th to Sunday, March 29th.
Pokemon Champions producer "really enjoyed" the Pokemon Stadium games, and used them as a "reference" to help more players get into PvP
Pokemon Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino discussed the game's focus on accessibility and simplifying high-level PvP battles for a wider audience, drawing inspiration from the Pokemon Stadium series. The game will serve as the official hub for the Video Game Championships, integrating various mechanics like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, and is planned to evolve over time with new Pokemon and content.
Pokemon Champions Is Something We've Needed For A Long Time
Pokemon Champions aims to be a free-to-play, live-service battle simulator that keeps traditional turn-based Pokemon battles available indefinitely. Development director Masaaki Hoshino stated the game simplifies competitive mechanics like EVs and IVs to lower the barrier to entry. Set to release on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, the game streamlines the process of obtaining and training Pokemon for competitive play.
Pokémon Champions Is Coming To Nintendo Switch On April 8, With Free-To-Start Model
Pokémon Champions will launch on April 8 for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, featuring a free-to-start model similar to Pokémon Unite. The game focuses entirely on player-versus-player battles with various online modes, including Ranked and Casual Battles. While the base game is free, optional purchases like the Starter Pack bundle and a Premium Battle Pass will be available.
Apex Legends Aftershock Event Beginning March 31
Respawn Entertainment and EA are launching the Apex Legends Aftershock Event on March 31, running until April 21. The event introduces the Vortex Shield, a new weapon mechanic, and new cosmetic items for several Legends. Apex Legends is available as a free-to-play title on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Fortnite's Peak skin is nearly 3 times the price of Peak itself after V-Bucks price hike: "That's actually a slap in the face to the Peak developers"
Fortnite's new Peak Scout skin costs 2,000 V-Bucks, equivalent to $22.40, which is nearly three times the price of the independent game Peak itself. This price hike follows a recent increase in V-Bucks costs by Epic Games, leading to criticism from players and developers who feel the pricing is unfair to smaller studios.
KRAFTON UNVEILS PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS 2026 DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP
KRAFTON has unveiled the 2026 development roadmap for PUBG: Battlegrounds, focusing on gameplay evolution and live service advancements. Key features include destructible terrain on Erangel, new tactical systems, a seasonal weapon meta rotation, and enhancements to ranked mode. The roadmap also introduces new experiences like a co-op roguelite mode called Xeno Point and a co-op heist mode in collaboration with Starbreeze for PAYDAY, alongside a full-scale expansion of User Generated Content tools and a dedicated UGC hub.
Palia New Twitch Drops for Toadstool Tales Update
Palia's Spring Spectacle: Toadstool Tales update introduces new in-game activities and story quests, alongside a limited-time Twitch Drops event. Players can earn exclusive rewards like lures, prize bags, and plushies by watching Palia streams on Twitch between March 17 and April 7, 2026, after linking their accounts.
Valve has thrown a curveball at Counter Strike 2 with a massive reloading change, forcing players to shake off old habits
Valve has significantly altered the reloading mechanics in Counter-Strike 2, forcing players to adapt old habits. Reloaded magazines are now dropped with remaining ammo, rather than being added back to the reserve count, increasing the stakes of ammunition management. This change impacts weapon reserve counts and encourages more strategic reloading.
After Infecting PCs With Malware, Gacha Game Gives Out Free Loot Boxes To Apologize
The developers of the gacha RPG Duet Night Abyss, Pan Studio, have apologized for a cybersecurity incident that infected players' PCs with malware via a game launcher update patch. The malware, identified as Trojan:MSIL/UmbralStealer.DG!MTB, is an infostealer. In response, Pan Studio is offering players 10 free gacha pulls and other in-game rewards as compensation.
White Fox joining Marvel Rivals for Season 7: The Hunt Is On, bringing some nine-tailed madness
Marvel Rivals is launching Season 7, titled "The Hunt Is On," on March 20, 2026, introducing the new hero White Fox. The update also includes a new map, Lower Manhattan, arriving April 2, an Album System for in-game snapshots, and a special duo emote featuring Deadpool and Jeff available April 1-3.
Evening Interviews
Behaviour Interactive has committed to supporting Dead by Daylight for the foreseeable future, highlighting its evolution into a successful live-service game. The company discussed its strategies for maintaining and expanding the horror title's player base and content.
FBC: Firebreak’s Last Major Update is Now Live, Price Dropped to $20 and Friend’s Pass Added
Remedy Entertainment has released the final major update for its co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak, titled Open House. The game's price has been permanently reduced to $19.99, and a Friend's Pass has been added, allowing free multiplayer access for friends. While no further content is planned, servers will remain online, and the game's narrative will continue in Control Resonant, set to launch in 2026.
Remedy Steps Back From FBC: Firebreak but Keeps Game Alive, Adds A Friend Pass So People Can Play For Free
Remedy Entertainment is discontinuing active development on its live-service title FBC: Firebreak but will keep the game playable and updated. The game's price has been permanently reduced, and a new 'Friend Pass' allows players to invite up to two friends to play for free across platforms. This decision comes despite the game's poor performance and significant financial losses for the company.
Remedy is moving on from FBC: Firebreak, but it's going out with a bang: One final update adds 5 new maps, a lower price, friend's pass, and a promise the game will 'continue to be playable for years to come'
Remedy Entertainment is ending support for its co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak with a final "Open House" update. The update includes five new maps, a permanent price reduction to $20, and a cross-platform Friend's Pass. While no further content updates are planned, Remedy has committed to keeping the game playable for years to come and will continue to release gameplay patches.
Helldivers 2 details 'Uncover the Truth' update, making the Illuminate scarier and kickstarting a new galaxy-shaking mystery
Arrowhead Game Studios is releasing the 'Uncover the Truth' update for Helldivers 2 on March 20th, introducing the Illuminate faction and a new galaxy-shaking mystery. The update aims to enhance the game's live narrative with strange gravitational waves and planetary weather phenomena on Seasse.
"We will support Dead by Daylight as long as we can" – How Behaviour evolved the horror hit into a live-service success
Behaviour Interactive's Dave Richards and Mathieu Cote discuss the decade-long success of Dead by Daylight, evolving it into a live-service hit that has sold over 60 million copies. They highlight how work-for-hire projects provide financial stability, allowing them to take risks and invest in the horror title's continued development and expansion into transmedia.
Gotham Knights studio Warner Bros. Games Montréal appear to have laid off staff
Warner Bros. Games Montréal, the studio behind Gotham Knights, has reportedly laid off an unspecified number of staff. Several developers confirmed their departures from the studio on LinkedIn. This follows recent studio closures and game cancellations within Warner Bros. Games due to financial performance.
After Nine Years, The Live-Action Hitman TV Show Is Dead
The planned live-action Hitman TV show, initially reported to be in development for Hulu with Derek Kolstad attached, is no longer moving forward. Kolstad, who was set to executive produce and write, confirmed the project is 'dead in the water.' While this adaptation is canceled, the Hitman game franchise continues with updates to Hitman: World of Assassination and a future new installment planned by IO Interactive.
