Patch Notes #57 - weekly gaming digest
Welcome to the 57th edition of Patch Notes. Let’s get this bad boy going.
This edition will cover the week from 19 January to 25 January.
What caught my attention?
Regarding the Ubisoft situation, having spent a few years there, I can understand how my colleagues might be feeling right now.
One challenge the company faces is the likely loss of any “public” fight, regardless of its efforts. Their community relations and PR are, unfortunately, completely cooked due to a series of poor decisions made over the past few years. I understand the anger and frustration, but some, not all, of the decisions were bad and mind-boggling.
Does it mean that they need to be crucified 24/7? Absolutely not. But it’s clear that some companies, including Ubisoft and EA, struggle to maintain a positive public image no matter what they do.
I will continue to watch this situation closely and hope they can find a way to steer the ship on a happier and healthier course.
TLDR
Xbox stated it wants to be more consistent with its PS5 release timing in future, as only some Xbox PS5 versions have released concurrently with other versions. VGC
Atari is working on a Rayman revival for the series’ 30th anniversary following Ubisoft’s statement that it was exploring a revival for the Rayman series. VGC
Beerus is set to enhance Battle of Gods in a new Dragon Ball Super anime where the God of Destruction gets more time to shine. GamesRadar
Claims state the cancelled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was close to the finish line as one of six projects Ubisoft cancelled in a major reset. PC Gamer
Blizzard mostly fixed World of Warcraft’s rough 2.0 transmog overhaul. PC Gamer
Deadlock released a new Street Brawl mode in its massive update. PC Gamer
Fable allows players to enter and buy any building in its world as a requirement taken from the original games, requiring Playground Games to design every building’s interior and exterior. GamesRadar
Ubisoft shares dropped 34% to their lowest price in over 14 years the day after announcing a major reset involving cancellations of six projects, layoffs, internal structure changes, and more player-facing generative AI. PC Gamer
GOG lead stated that removing cult horror game Devotion from the store after 5 years remains difficult to reflect on. GamesRadar
Hytale released its second big update adding necromancy while developers work on several updates in parallel, with Update 3 set for pre-release next week. GamesRadar
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion gives developers a chance to get really horrible through deep dives into series lore and horrific gore. GamesRadar
The Fallout 76 team is looking into issues from the recent update and plans a fix in the next few weeks to address the topics that appeared. Eurogamer
Nintendo veteran Hideki Konno, known for Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island, has left after 39 years, one week after another veteran, Kensuke Tanabe’s departure. VGC
Playground Games previewed Fable, rebooting Xbox’s franchise with open-world elements. IGN
Palworld publishing lead Bucky responded to claims that Pocketpair does not care about the game by joking about dropping 1.0 with loot boxes, disabling singleplayer, going online-only, and shutting down in 12 months. GamesRadar
World of Warcraft director stated the MMO’s addon changes have been a long time coming and admitted they probably should have done something sooner. GamesRadar
Mass Effect boss Michael Gamble is hiring a production director for the next Mass Effect game, who will report to him. PC Gamer
Wuthering Waves Version 3.1 “For You Who Walk in Snow” launches on February 5 with faster levelling, simplified farming, bike upgrades, and more. RPG Site
Pre-orders for the Atelier Ryza Original Soundtrack Trilogy vinyl release go live on January 27. RPG Site
Undertale 10th Anniversary Concert Finale is scheduled across Japan in April-May 2026, with day shows omitting Megalovania and Power of Neo. RPG Site
Fallout lead stated spaghetti code results from developers not being given enough time, rather than being stupid or lazy programmers. GamesRadar
HoYoVerse released the first Zenless Zone Zero Angels of Delusion music video for “ReDreaming Angel” performed by a Japanese pop group ahead of Aria and Sunna’s launch in version 2.6. Siliconera
Warhorse ditched historical accuracy for Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s crime system as it would be too harsh on peasant boy Henry, where any crime would be punished severely. GamesRadar
Highguard will hold a launch showcase next week after 43 days of silence following its Game Awards reveal. GamesRadar
Square Enix announced the FFVII Structure Arts Sephiroth figure debuting in May 2026 for 8,800円 (~$55.60), standing 165mm tall with multiple face plates and hand parts. Siliconera
BNK FEARX appointed Yoo Hee-ji as its new General Manager, the first woman in the role since LCK’s franchising model. Esports Insider
Varka, Knights of Favonius Grand Master, joins Genshin Impact as a playable Anemo character in the Luna V update after February 25, 2026. Siliconera
The Sims 4’s WickedWhims sex mod is launched 400,000 times a day according to its creator. GamesRadar
Gearbox is avoiding nerfs for Borderlands 4 to prevent ruining players’ farming hours, with Ultimate Vault Hunter levels increasing dedicated loot drops. GamesRadar
A shareholder lawsuit claims Hasbro executives made misleading statements to investors about Magic: The Gathering’s growth between 2021 and 2023. Polygon
Palworld developer Pocketpair requires job applicants to prove gamer credentials, passing on those with 0 Steam games played as they want colleagues to play indie Steam games. PC Gamer
Embark revealed Arc Raiders’ next four major monthly updates in the ‘Escalation’ phase with new matchmaking, machines, gear, and the second new map months away. PC Gamer
Marvel Rivals Black Widow players face backlash after drama between Twitch streamers Kingsman265 and Zazzastack in a $40,000 tournament, given her low win rate. Polygon
Dallas Fuel unveiled its revamped roster for the 2026 Overwatch Champions Series season, starting at the OWCS Pre-Season Bootcamp from February 12-15. Esports Insider
The new Fable’s morality system will live in shades of grey, shifting from the original, where being too mean grew devil horns. PC Gamer
Roblox’s Bruno Mars Steal a Brainrot performance drew 12.8 million concurrent users, a single artist record, and issued 5.4 million Brainrot collectables. GamesIndustry.biz
Valve released a Steam client update with gamepad fixes and fancier beta UI ahead of Steam Machine preparations for early 2026. PC Gamer
Level-5 released a trailer for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Ares & Fabled Seed DLC ahead of its January 28 launch on all platforms. RPG Site
Wandering Sword full soundtrack vinyl release with all 47 base game and DLC tracks, plus a producer insert, is available for pre-order. RPG Site
Biggest releases of the week?
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