The Rundown #2

Knoebel

Knoebel

— 11 min read
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Mario jumping in the middle of the games characters.

Hey everyone,

Welcome back to videogame news! In case you missed it, we now have a Discord where you can link the news channel to your own server or hang out with us if you want. 🙂

I wish I could say something different but what an exhausting week. I had the morning or early shift at my irl workplace which starts between 3AM and 5AM. Sounds diabolical and trust me it is but only a few more days until I have a small vacation for Gamescom.

Stories of the week:

Netflix is shutting down two of its biggest studios.

Cover art of Oxenfree

Netflix is shutting down two of its biggest studios. The relative new Moonloot which has not even released a game and Night School Studio best known for the indie cult classic Oxenfree. Night School was funded in 2014 in Glendale, California by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines. They released a handfull of games most notably Oxenfree 1 and Oxenfree 2 and Afterparty besides some smaller games. Netflix acquired Night School back in September 2021 nearly 5 years later Netflix shuts them down, 6 weeks after they released their last game Unhinged.

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Nintendo in Indonesia

the Nintendo Switch 2 on a red background

Nintendo is coming officially to Indonesia in December! Nintendo will launch both consoles, the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 alongside a small launch line up of 5 games on the same day:

  • 'Mario Kart World'
  • 'Breath of the Wild'
  • 'Pokopia'
  • 'PokĂ©mon Legends Z-A'
  • 'Nintendo Switch Sports'

The Nintendo e-Shop will be available at a later date.
Nintendo products were only available via grey market before in Indonesia.

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Xbox layoff fallout at id

id Software logo on a glass wall in their office

id Software's lead services programmer Chris Hays attended the Well Played Podcast and commented on last months Xbox layoffs. He said id Software has now less people than they had back when they made 'Doom (2016)'. Even if Microsoft's wording was close to the same size.He says they're not the same id, they're half of the same and it's hard to make a AAA game and with hard he means impossible.

He also said Game Pass is eating sales but Xbox itself still demands good sales numbers from their parent company Bethesda. According to him Xbox simply doesn't understand art or videogames.

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Gaming News Recap

Week 33 | August 7th to 14th, 2026 | Edition 187

Netflix is shutting down Night School Studios, Saber CEO embarrassed himself after he got asked why he replaced an employee with AI and Super Mario Bros. speedrunners are getting faster! This week's news categories: Xbox [4], PlayStation [05], Nintendo [07], Other News  [30], Numbers [10], TV & Cinema [01], Releases Infos [52].

Xbox

  1. Chris Hays, id Software’s lead services programmer, says id has now less devs than they had during 'Doom (2016)' development and that's not enough to make a simliar game again. He also says that Xbox doesn't understand art.
  2. Blizzard is now reportedly the top performing studio under Xbox and the past year was its third highest fiscal in its history.
  3. 'Grounded 2' Early Access roadmap year 2 announced.
  4. Two new 'Gears of War: E-Day' Xbox controller launching September 30th.

PlayStation

  1. 'Phantom Blade Zero' Deep Dive State of Play set for August 17th at 7PM PT.
  2. Stop Killing Games joins the Stichting Massaschade & Consument’s Fair PlayStation collective lawsuit against Sony in the Netherlands.
  3. 'Marvel's Wolverine' Limited Edition PS5 console bundle and accessories announced.
  4. Sony is reportedly working on a new IP to overcome its lack of original characters. Simliar to Hello Kitty, the new IP could be used for films, anime and other media. Sony aims to generate roughly ¥10 billion in annual sales by 2030 with it.​
  5. PS Plus Premium/Extra games August 2026: 'Helldivers 2', 'Kingdom Come Deliverance II', 'Vampire Survivors', 'Hell is Us', 'Umamusume Pretty Derby – Party Dash', 'Two Point Museum', 'Metro Exodus', and 'Dying Light 2' Classic: 'Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams' and 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire'

Nintendo

  1. 'Super Mario Bros.' speedrunners are 0.1 seconds away from reaching TAS times.
  2. Nintendo is officially coming to Indonesia. Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 will launch in Indonesia in December.
  3. 'Aliens: Fireteam Elite's cloud version has been shut down so people who bought it can't play the game anymore and also no refunds ofc.
  4. New free roam tracks from 'Mario Kart World' has been added to Nintendo Music.
  5. 'Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen' Pokemon Home Support launches October. You get a Celebi on Pokémon Home if you finish the Pokedex in FRLG.
  6. Pokémon Bank ends service on February 25th 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST.​
  7. 'Super Mario Sunshine' OST now available on Nintendo Music.

Other News

  1. D23 'Kingdom Hearts' panel details: livestream on YouTube on August 15th at 4:30 PM PT! Guests: Nana Gadd (Disney & Pixar games), Tai Yasue (Square Enix), Haley Joel Osment (voice of Sora), David Gallagher (voice of Riku), and RenĂ©e Johnson (Disney character voices).
  2. Kazuhisa Wada, producer for Atlus' P-Studio says he can't say for sure but thinks Remake of 'Persona 1' and 'Persona 2' should happen. but personally, I think it’s something we should definitely do. I think we have to do it.
  3. Round8, the studio behind 'Lies of P', renamed itself to NOUGH Studio. The two other games which are in development besides the 'Lies of P' sequel will be released under the Round8 name.
  4. Game Science says they don't need AI to speed up 'Black Myth: Zhong Kui' development, they will use tradional methodes.
  5. Koei Tecmo releases 90-minute 'Atelier Ryza' ASMR compilation focused on Klaudia Valentz (voiced by Hitomi Owada). The ASMR features picnics, bathing, and ear-cleaning.
  6. Images of 'The Weavers' (HoYoverse’s Monster Hunter type game) leaked online.
  7. [Rumor] The German web channel Rocketbeans TV scheduled a 'The Duskbloods' preview video for August 20th.
  8. Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) joins 'Planet Zoo 2'.
  9. HandyGames rebrands as THQ Nordic Mobile.
  10. 'No Man's Sky' is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and announced a new update called Cosmos.
  11. Pixel Arcadia Showcase set for August 24th at 7PM BST.
  12. The Game Awards/The Keighleys return on December 10th.
  13. You can smoke weed in 'Halloween The Game' and that's why it has been banned in Australia and New Zealand.
  14. Saber is making fun of Randy Pitchfords USB Stick situation in its 'Rideshare Stimulator' reveal trailer.
  15. KitBash acquires ArtStation and Sketchfab.
  16. CEVA Logistics, which handles shipping in Europe for Valve has been the victim of a cyber attack. Valve informed costumers that their data may have been compromised.
  17. Former Ubisoft Barcelona workers have established Dark Ritual Studios.
  18. 'Road 96' sequel teased.
  19. The dev of 'Operation Octo' asked Google Gemini about the games upcoming characters. The AI software got the name and some details correct. The dev says he told nobody about it and only wrote it down in a Google doc.
  20. New look at 'Pony Island 2: Panda Circus' at Gamescom ONL.
  21. 'Darksiders 4' and the next 'Kingdom Come' game launches between April 2027 and March 2028.
  22. Aspyr which released 'The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition' is teasing more rerelease of classic The Lord of the Rings games.
  23. Smilegate will take over 'Lost Ark' in the west in early 2027 after Amazon decided to leave the game behind.
  24. Dread XP, Critical Reflex, and Black Lantern Collective got accused of sexual harassment last year. Black Lantern CEI Heschke and Critical Reflex still deny the allegations but say the companies made major changes after the allegations.
  25. MiHoyo is shutting down its China exclusive AI companion 'BSide: Olivia Lin', just one month after launch. Servers will shut down on August 31st, players will be able to download an offline version.
  26. Supermassive Games lays off up to 75 employees.
  27. Netflix has shut down Moonloot Games and 'Oxenfree' developer Night School Studio.
  28. 'Edge of Memories' still launches later this year, even after its developer Midgar Studio has been shut down.
  29. CDPR has reportedly laid off 9 people of its multiplayer 'The Witcher' spin-offs Project Sirius and moved 9 other people to different projects within the studio.
  30. Former Saber writer claims she was replaced by ChatGPT during development on 'Rideshare "Stimulator"'. The CEO later commented on the situation, let's just say, in the worst way possible.

Numbers

  1. Digital Sun made 'Moonlighter' free to keep on Steam for a limited time last week. 7M players claimed it, it reached a new CCP record of 14K on Steam and 600K wishlisted 'Moonlighter 2'.
  2. 'Alan Wake 2' has sold over 3M copies.
  3. 'Doloc Town' has sold over 150K copies!
  4. 'Kabuto Park' has sold over 100K copies!
  5. 'Ball x Pit' has sold over 2M copies.
  6. 'Big Walk' has sold over 1M copies.
  7. 'ReStory' has sold 300K copies in its first week!
  8. 'Pokémon Pokopia' has sold over 5M copies worldwide.
  9. 'Machine Party' has sold over 1M copies. 2.0 update now available.
  10. 'Meccha Chameleon' has sold 20M copies.

TV & Cinema

  1. Curtis 50 Cent Jackson joins 'Payday' TV Series as Executive Producer.

Release Infos

  1. 'Little Kitty, Big City' coming to Mobile in late 2026. Already on Xbox, Switch & PC.
  2. 'DokeV' is targeting a late 2028 release date.
  3. 'Royalty Free-For-All' now available on Steam.
  4. 'Shelldiver' is coming to Xbox Series on September 1st. Already on PC.
  5. 'Crystals Of Irm' launches this year on PC.
  6. 'The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Legacy Edition' out now on XBS, PS5, Switch 1&2 & PC.
  7. 'GOBBLE' launches in 2027 on PS5, Nintendo Switch 1&2 and PC.
  8. 'Lost & Found' adds unspecified Console version to its announced PC version.
  9. 'over the hill' launches October 14th on PC. Console version in 2027.
  10. 'Village in the Shade' launches Oct. 27th in the West on PS5, Switch 1&2 & PC.
  11. '1666: Amsterdam' launches August 25th on Steam Early Access.
  12. 'PATLABOR the Case Files' launches September 17th on PS5 and PC.
  13. 'Crowns and Pawns Amber Road' announced for PC.
  14. '10 Million Pixels' announced for PC. Mine through millions to find the one golden pixel.
  15. 'GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE' Ă— 'Persona' collaboration drops August 13th!
  16. 'Reanimal' The Prisoner DLC now available.
  17. 'Solaire' announced for PC.
  18. 'MARBLE SOULS' launches this year on PC. Developed by Stuffed Wombat. Soundtrack by ThorHighHeels & Girls @ Computers.
  19. 'MUDBIRD' launches September 2nd on Steam!
  20. 'Ledgerbound' now available on Steam!
  21. 'High On Life VR' announced for PSVR2, Meta Quest and Steam VR.
  22. 'NEO BERLIN 2087' launches in 2028 on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
  23. 'Choppa: Rescue Rivals' now available on Nintendo Switch and PC!
  24. 'MONOWAVE' launches Sep. 16th on Switch & PC. Later this year on XBS & PS5.
  25. 'WASTE THE FALLEN' launches September 4th on PC!
  26. '.curator' announced for Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
  27. 'The Zium Railway' launches September 13th on Itch.io.
  28. 'Songs of Glimmerwick' launches September 30th on PC. Later on Consoles.
  29. 'Mafia: The OmertĂ  Collection' launches August 14th on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
    Including: Mafia: The Old Country Definitive Edition, Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, and Mafia III: Definitive Edition. Mafia: DE owners a getting a free upgrade on consoles.
  30. 'Deponia' is free to keep on Steam.
  31. 'Nautus: Echoes from Below' announced for PC.
  32. 'Princess Maker: Children of Revelation' leaves Early Access, launches on PC Sep. 30th.
  33. 'Crimson Desert' Switch 2 version is being planned for the first half of 2027.
  34. 'Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination' launches in 2027 on XBS, PS5 and PC.
  35. 'Mind Diver' is coming to PS5 and Switch 2 on August 27th. Already on PC.
  36. 'Angeline Era' is coming to XBO, XBS, PS4/5 & Switch 1&2 Sep. 2nd. Already on PC.
  37. 'Arcade Archives V'Ball' launches Aug. 13th on XBS, PS4/5 and Switch 1&2.
  38. 'Console Archives Touki Denshou Angel Eyes' launches Aug. 13th on PS5 & Switch 2.
  39. 'Remaining Grace' announced for PC.
  40. 'Dave the Diver' is coming to Mobile on Sep. 17th. Already on everything.
  41. 'High Roller Penny' announced for PC.
  42. 'Aniimo' launches September 16th on Xbox Series, PS5, Mobile and PC.
  43. 'Aether Wizard Life' launches Fall 2028 on XBS, PS5, Switch 2 & PC.
  44. 'PRECOGNITION' launches in 2028 on Xbox Series, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
  45. 'Crescent County' launches Summer 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5, Switch 2 and PC.
  46. 'Bubsy 4D' Black Hole Update now available. Adds 15 new level to the base game.
  47. 'Contact Protocol' launches Spring 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5, Switch 2 and PC.
  48. 'Shellbound' launches Summer 2028 on Xbox Series, PS5, Switch 2 and PC.
  49. 'Ghost of Yõtei Complete Edition' launches Oct. 1st on PS5.
    Includes Echoes of Sekigahara, a new story expansion and Most Wanted, a new combat survival mode.
  50. 'STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT' XBS vers. delayed to Oct. 29th to align with western Console.
  51. 'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV' delayed to December 3rd.
  52. 'Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea' delayed to October 15th.

Opinion:

The Nintendo Switch Online Logo

Nintendo NS(N)O

We need to talk. I know some of you are pretty big fan of Yoshi and the other Nintendo guys. Nintendo became some sort of golden goose and bigger than Jesus. Even if I'm not sure if Miyamoto would die for my sins. Anyways. Sometimes, when the stars align we even criticize them and the stars align perfectly today!

We need to talk about Nintendo Switch Online and why I kinda hate it.

In short it has obviously something to do with game preservation and how Nintendo sells us games over and over again.

Nintendo Switch Online launched back on September 19, 2018. It's Nintendo's take on Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. You have two tiers NSO and NSO Expansion Pack. NSO includes NES, SNES and Gameboy, while the Expansion Pack includes Nintendo 64, GBA, Sega Genesis, Virtual Boy and Gamecube on top. You also get some others stuff like online play, DLCs and Game chat but we will focus on the game part.

The service is not bad. It's cheap, the games are good, some suprises here and there but my problem is it's the successor to Nintendo's Virtual Console and man do I have a problem with that.

For the younger people out there, Virtual Console was Nintendo's first digital only offering of retro games on (back then) current gen hardware. The Virtual Console was available on Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

The big difference between the two offerings was you bought the games instead of subing to a service.

Yes, it's only that. And I'm fucking pissed that we just not realy talk about it.

The Virtual Console was great! First the games were cheap! You got some bangers for just $5! The next thing was the amount of games itself! The Wii featured over 650 VC titles, the 3DS had 244 titles (plus 12 Ambassador games which people received for being an early adopter before the 3DS price cut happend) and the WiiU had 466 titles. If I search how many titles Nintendo Switch Online has to this date I get around 300 games. It's a lot, especially for a service price but it's not as much as VC.

Obviously there are multiple other problems like delisting. Nintendo delisted Super Soccer from NSO, I love this game, it was my first football game. It has a banger soundtrack and sometimes when I get nostalgic I actually like it to fire this game up but I can't do that on my Switch anymore because Nintendo delisted it on VC you get at least the illusion of owning something even if it's only digital. Another bad thing would be the lack of third party publisher support or that Nintendo has a pretty weird release schedule for new titles on the service. Doesn't matter if the gaps between releases are huge or between numbered titles, Nintendo is simply unpredictable.

This whole mini rant is probably just me venting about services in general. They're not services they're milking machines which come for my sweet money every month.

Everything time I want to consume something... digital... I have to search which service has the content I want only to learn that it was delisted 13 days ago. YEAH I'M LOOKING AT YOU CRUNCHYROLE AND YOUR FUCKING SEARCH ENGINE SHENANIGANS I HOPE YOU DIE IN A PUDDLE OF PISS.

They have their benefits but sometimes I simply want to play Super Soccer and don't care about other stuff.

Oh and before I forget, Virtual Console has a banger song from Nirvana the Band. NSO not.

The winner should be clear.

That's all for this week! Hope you enjoy the new rundown. Crazy how time flies, it's already the third issue! If you want to read more from me follow me on my socials below! And like a german rap crew ounce said:

"Wenn du's (//CounterCulture) magst dann bist du cool, wenn du's nicht magst bist du ein Bastard."

Anyways I hope you have a nice weekend!🙂