Live Service
Ongoing coverage on Live Service.
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Former Arkane vets' new studio isn't going to try 'trend chasing', and in hindsight, thank God
Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, former Arkane developers, have founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. They aim to avoid chasing industry trends and instead focus on creating immersive sim games that excite them and their target audience, citing the continued cultural and financial success of titles like BioShock and Dishonored as evidence of the genre's viability.
ARC Raiders Update Brings The Second Chapter of Its Phantom Targets Project
ARC Raiders has released update 1.42.0, continuing the Phantom Targets Project with the second chapter. This update introduces new information regarding mysterious Phantoms and erratically behaving Wasps carrying unidentified tech. The game also celebrated strong Q2 2026 sales numbers and is progressing towards its next major update, Frozen Trail, scheduled for October 8th.
Konami’s Castlevania relaunch will be delisted and removed before the popular side-scroller gets the chance to…
Konami is delisting Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade on September 3, 2026, after which its servers will shut down, rendering the game unplayable. The action-RPG, which launched in September 2021, featured live-service elements like co-op and PvP. The article also briefly mentions the upcoming Castlevania: Belmont's Curse.
Amazon gives up on MMOs, hands Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty to the original devs instead of shutting them down like…
Amazon Game Studios is stepping away from live operations for the MMOs Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, handing control back to their original developers, Smilegate and FirstSpark Games/NC, respectively. This transition is set to occur in early 2027 for Lost Ark and Q4 2026 for Throne and Liberty, aiming for a smooth handover with minimal disruption to players on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Crimson Desert getting a Switch 2 release, and Pearl Abyss sees "significant potential" for multiplayer, with "live service operation models" mentioned
Pearl Abyss has confirmed that Crimson Desert will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, targeting the first half of 2027, and is exploring significant potential for multiplayer and live service operation models. The company is conducting extensive research into integrating these features, aiming to extend the IP's lifecycle. Additionally, a DLC for Crimson Desert is planned for release within the current year.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Review – Here Comes A New Challenger
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls offers a stylish and deep fighting game experience from Arc System Works, combining Marvel's characters with fast-paced combat. While the game features engaging mechanics and a compelling story mode, the PC version suffers from significant optimization issues and rollback netcode problems, impacting the overall experience. Despite these technical flaws, the game is recommended for its fun gameplay and presentation, especially the superior PlayStation 5 version.
After Stellar Blade: Blood Rain reveal, Shift Up says its other "AAA-class" game will be revealed this year, and as a "live-service experience" it's closer to its first RPG
Shift Up plans to officially unveil its AAA-class game, codenamed Project Spirits, in the second half of this year. This cross-platform live-service title is described as an 'Eastern fantasy' experience, building on the developer's accumulated live-service expertise from games like Goddess of Victory: Nikke.
Last Epoch drops a teaser trailer for October 1’s Season 5: Rage of the Frostborn
Eleventh Hour Games has announced that Last Epoch's fifth season, titled Rage of the Frostborn, will launch on October 1st. The season will feature an ice and blood-themed antagonist, though player reception has been mixed due to the two-month gap between seasons.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls gets new PC patch as game launch goes badly
Arc System Works has released a PC patch for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls to address performance and stability issues that plagued its launch. Despite the update, the game has received 'Mostly Negative' ratings on Steam, with player counts significantly lower than other major fighting titles. Sony Interactive Entertainment's PC port history and the game's live service nature are also discussed as potential factors.
Analyst: AI-focused M&A deals are "weakening" the games investment landscape
An S&P Global Market Intelligence report indicates a weakening investment landscape for the games industry, with capital increasingly directed towards AI-focused deals. Analysts note that investors recognize low revenue growth and compressed margins in gaming, leading them to keep funds on the sidelines. This shift, coupled with a focus on live services and play-to-earn models, could make it difficult for traditional PC and console development teams to secure financing.
Fans call out Star Citizen’s live preview of Siege of Orison as a bug-riddled and cringe-inducing mess
A recent Star Citizen Live preview of the Siege of Orison encounter was heavily criticized by players for its numerous bugs, poor performance, and unready state. The demonstration, featuring Cloud Imperium Games developers, suffered from low framerates, inattentive AI, and desync issues, leading to player concerns about the game's direction and the company's transparency after 14 years of development and over $1 billion in crowdfunding.
Why there’ll be no Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls review from us this week
Reviews for Sony's new fighting game, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, will not be available this week as reviewers, including the author, received codes at the game's launch time. Sony attributes the delay to the game being a 'live service title,' a description the author finds unusual for a full-price fighting game. While the PlayStation 5 version performed well in beta, the PC version faced criticism for performance issues.
Halo On PS5 Is Off To A Slow Start, Expert Says
Halo: Campaign Evolved is experiencing a slow sales start on PlayStation 5, with analyst Rhys Elliott estimating around 351,000 copies sold in July. Elliott attributes the slow uptake partly to the $50 price point for a graphical update of a 2001 game, especially without multiplayer. The game's performance on PlayStation 5 contrasts sharply with significantly higher sales on PC and Xbox, and also with the success of older Call of Duty ports on PlayStation.
Diablo 4 reportedly comes to Switch 2 next month, but will be a $69.99 code-in-box release
Diablo 4 is reportedly launching on the Nintendo Switch 2 in September as a code-in-box release for $69.99. While the exact contents of the Switch 2 version are unknown, it is priced similarly to a bundle that includes the base game and upcoming DLC. Blizzard previously expressed interest in bringing Diablo 4 to the platform, acknowledging challenges with live services on Switch.
‘This patch concludes the content we have for Book of Travels’: Might & Delight has sunsetted its tiny MMO
Swedish studio Might & Delight has announced the sunsetting of the online multiplayer component of their tiny MMO, Book of Travels. While servers are being turned off, the game will remain available in a single-player, offline mode for the community. The developers expressed regret that their full vision for the game was not realized but are thankful for the community's support and hope the offline version preserves the game's spirit.
Live service revenue dominates in EA's last fiscal report ahead of Saudi merger
Electronic Arts reported a 19 percent increase in net revenue to $1.98 billion for its last fiscal quarter as a public company, largely driven by its live service games like EA Sports FC and Apex Legends. This financial report precedes EA's $55 billion merger with an investor consortium including the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, expected to close on August 4, 2026. Despite strong financial performance, the company has continued to implement layoffs.
20 years ago, Dead Rising showed a different path for open worlds, and more games should pinch its ideas
Twenty years after its release, Dead Rising's unique approach to open-world design, featuring a strict time limit and dynamic events, is highlighted as a missed opportunity for innovation in modern games. Unlike contemporaries like Oblivion, Dead Rising's world progressed independently of player actions, creating a sense of urgency and replayability through its New Game+ system. While many open-world games have since adopted a more static, player-driven timeline, Dead Rising's time-sensitive structure and focus on emergent gameplay remain a fertile ground for fresh ideas.
Gears of War: E-Day devs are embracing 'old-school' multiplayer in 2026: 'No battle pass, no tour of…
The Coalition is taking an 'old-school' approach to Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer, focusing on earning customization items through gameplay rather than battle passes or tours of duty. While most items will be unlockable via in-game currency or challenges, there will be some premium cosmetic items available for purchase.
Palia: Path of the Briar Guide – All Rewards
The Sunkissed Summer: Beauty & the Beach update for Palia introduces the new Path of the Briar, the eighth Lunar Path. This guide details the 28 tiers of free and premium rewards, including cosmetics, tool skins, and statues, unlocked by earning Lunar XP through daily quests and bundles. Players can earn Lunar XP by performing regular in-game activities, with a Rest XP system that multiplies earned XP by 10x.
FIFA Rivals Rolls Out All-Star Campaign in the Wake of World Cup 2026
Mythical Games has launched a three-week "All-Stars" program in FIFA Rivals, celebrating top performers from the FIFA World Cup. The event features high-power player cards like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, with new progression mechanics and limited-time "Legendary Chase Flash Events" offering exclusive footballers through gameplay.
