Patch Notes #70 - weekly gaming digest
Welcome to the 70th edition of Patch Notes.
This edition will cover the week from 25 May to 31 May.
Let’s get this bad boy going.
What caught my attention
The Witcher 3 crossed 65 million copies sold this week, and CD Projekt announced Songs of the Past, a new DLC coming in 2027. 12 years after launch.
When the game came out, I was at Bandai Namco, my first job in the industry. They published it in Europe. I was completely awestruck during that period. Met developers I had only read about, inside and outside the studio. Working on that game helped me learn more about this industry in that window than probably anything since. The game went on to become a blueprint for what RPGs could be, for how game music could work, for what narrative in games means.
Blood & Wine was GOTY material on its own. Lost that year to Dark Souls 3. I led the PR campaign for that one (but that’s not the reason we won, though).
Songs of the Past. GOTY 2027.
TLDR
Fable reboot delayed to February 2027 to avoid GTA 6 and a packed fall window. (Eurogamer)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 revealed for October 23, with DMZ extraction mode returning and last-gen support ending. (Eurogamer)
007 First Light sold over 1.5 million copies. (Game Developer)
Mina the Hollower launched to positive reception, including from players who don’t normally finish souls-likes. (GameSpot)
Dragon Quest XII was renamed Beyond Dreams after Square Enix scrapped the original game entirely. (VGC)
Releases of the week
Rest of the news
Multiple Switch games, including Monster Hunter Stories and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, received Switch 2 backwards compatibility fixes. (Nintendo Life)
Call of Duty promised no clowny skins for Modern Warfare 4. (PC Gamer)
Xbox will adjust promotional materials after including rival logos in showcases. (Eurogamer)
A Steam reviewer played Destiny 2 for another 160 hours after declaring they were done following 10,000 hours. (PC Gamer)
Yacht Club paused a 3D Shovel Knight game before developing Mina the Hollower. (PC Gamer)
Overwatch originated from the cancelled Titan MMO project at Blizzard. (Polygon)
Twitch announced Dual Format feature for simultaneous horizontal and vertical streaming. (Eurogamer)
Bubsy 4D version 1.1.1 update arrives on PC now and consoles soon. (Nintendo Life)
Hitoshi Sakimoto discussed his 40-year career including Final Fantasy XII and Vanillaware work. (RPG Site)
Nintendo is developing new mobile games with Pictonico. (Polygon)
Mina the Hollower features jump scares from Klumpy the Clown. (Polygon)
Final Fantasy 14 playerbase responded positively to Evercold reveal. (PC Gamer)
Playstack discovered Balatro by monitoring new Steam releases daily. (PC Gamer)
Diablo 4 Season 14 introduces changes to Mythical items. (Eurogamer)
Esports World Cup 2026 moves to Paris with a $75 million prize pool. (Esports Insider)
RLCS Paris Major highlighted Rocket League strength in France. (Esports Insider)
StarCraft 2 received major balance patch 5.0.16 six years after development ended. (PC Gamer)
Xbox Showcase will feature competing platforms but no Helix news. (IGN)
Diablo 4 adds Solo-Self-Found mode in Season 14. (GameSpot)
Fable reboot delayed to February 2027 to avoid GTA 6 and other releases. (Eurogamer)
Playstack sold to parent company of Fandom and GameSpot for $151 million. (VGC)
The Witcher 3 surpassed 65 million units sold. (Polygon)
Analysts reacted to Steam Deck price increases and implications for future hardware. (Eurogamer)
ANA revealed Pokemon plane designs featuring Wind and Waves starters. (Siliconera)
Overwatch poster spotted in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. (PC Gamer)
NetEase reported 6.9% increase in games revenue to $3.7 billion in Q1. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Star Fox mouse mode controls shown in new Switch 2 gameplay footage. (Nintendo Life)
Riot Games introduces dual-stage setup in Berlin for simultaneous LEC and VCT EMEA production. (Hotspawn)
Valve raised Steam Deck OLED prices citing component costs, with Tim Sweeney publicly criticizing the move. (Eurogamer)
Monster Hunter Stories 3 developers discussed cut content and hypothetical Resident Evil Stories. (VGC)
Take-Two CEO stated former Rockstar employees have not matched GTA success. (PC Gamer)
Crimson Desert 1.09.00 patch adds player-requested feature and new pets. (Eurogamer)
Pokemon 30th anniversary TCG range reveal scheduled for June 1. (Nintendo Life)
Sakura Wars series scriptwriter Hiroyuki Kawasaki passed away on January 23 at age 60. (RPG Site)
Gothic 1 Remake new video details combat system. (RPG Site)
Wuthering Waves 3.4 launches June 8 with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners collaboration. (RPG Site)
T1 extends CEO Joe Marsh contract until 2029. (Hotspawn)
Tim Sweeney criticized Valve Steam Deck price hike. (PC Gamer)
Overwatch general manager would not rule out other narrative experiences. (PC Gamer)
Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn expansion launches July 23. (RPG Site)
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Endless Ragnarok released Fraux character trailer. (RPG Site)
Fuga: Melodies of Steel mobile version launches July 29. (RPG Site)
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era sold over 1 million copies on Steam. (RPG Site)
Saken set to join ZYB Esport in the LFL. (Sheep Esports)
China will miss League of Legends at 2026 Asian Games. (Sheep Esports)
Hollow Knight: Silksong physical edition announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2. (Gematsu)
Nintendo offers two bonus months with 12-month Switch Online subscriptions until end of June. (Vooks)
Nintendo World Championships winner 3DS listed over $20,000 on eBay. (Polygon)
Leaked Persona 6 design docs reveal potential protagonists. (GameSpot)
The Witcher 3 new expansion closer in scope to Blood and Wine. (PC Gamer)
Activision confirms Warzone shutdown on PS4 and Xbox One after Modern Warfare 4 launch. (VGC)
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic gets Switch 2 version with paid upgrade for Switch 1 owners. (Nintendo Life)
Subnautica 2 botched bonus deal impacts Krafton profit. (PC Gamer)
Modern Warfare 4 changes Prestige system with two options. (GameSpot)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 revealed for October 23 2026 release on current platforms. (Eurogamer)
Modern Warfare 4 brings back DMZ extraction shooter mode. (PC Gamer)
Epic developers discussed shock of March mass layoffs. (PC Gamer)
Planet Zoo 2 revealed for autumn release with aquatic and flying species. (Eurogamer)
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar version 1.5.0 update released with PS5 and Xbox versions. (RPG Site)
River City Saga: Journey to the West official trailer released. (Gematsu)
Pragmata director would love a sequel but is not sole decision maker. (Eurogamer)
Donkey Kong 64 coming to Nintendo Classics on Switch Online June 3. (Polygon)
Marvel Rivals refunds ranked points lost to cheaters via new system. (PC Gamer)
Bungie details Marathon Season 2 with new Sentinel class and free-to-play week. (Eurogamer)
Fortnite iOS return reached 3.4 million downloads. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Valve raises Steam Deck OLED prices citing memory and storage costs. (Eurogamer)
Riot responds to Vanguard DMA device cheating claims. (Sheep Esports)
T1 Worlds skins and Ranked 5v5 announced in Dev Update. (Sheep Esports)
GDC Trends Report 2026 notes generative AI rise and infrastructure challenges. (GamesIndustry.biz)
Ace Driver receives first home release via Hamster. (VGC)
Diablo 4 anniversary event June 2-9 includes XP buffs, goblins, and cosmetics. (GameSpot)
New Lord of the Rings open-world RPG in development by Kingdom Come creators. (GameSpot)
Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight open world exceeds Arkham games in scope. (Polygon)
Mina the Hollower is first souls-like completed by reviewer due to its design. (GameSpot)
Petal Runner stood out at BitSummit with Pokemon-inspired pixel art. (Nintendo Life)
The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC skips Nintendo Switch. (Polygon)
Forza Horizon 6 bowieknife99 drivatar urban legend goes viral. (Eurogamer)
TheGamer staff payments now tied to per-article sessions. (Game Developer)
Dragon Quest 12 renamed Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams after original scrapped. (VGC)
No Man’s Sky The Swarm update version 6.4 now available. (Gematsu)
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. (Gematsu)
Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition claimed for next month with Switch 2 physical. (VGC)
Pokemon games surpassed 515 million units sold. (Eurogamer)
Metal Gear Solid 4 port retains iPod and Playboy product placement. (Eurogamer)
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition launches on Switch 2 September 24. (RPG Site)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs of the Past expansion announced for 2027. (RPG Site)
Dragon Quest I & II and III HD-2D Remakes combined sales crossed 4 million. (RPG Site)
Oner will not appeal exclusion from South Korea Asian Games roster. (Sheep Esports)
OWCS 2026 Champions Clash achieved highest Overwatch esports viewership in years. (Esports Insider)
Sony delists and shuts down Destruction AllStars on PS5. (Polygon)
Star Citizen surpassed $1 billion in funding with $5,000 ship released. (GameSpot)
Florida man used chainsaw to steal Pokemon cards. (Polygon)
Combo Breaker 2026 showed next generation of FGC pros. (Esports Insider)
VALORANT patch 12.10 adds replay sharing and two new Skirmish maps. (Hotspawn)
Rocket League Unreal Engine 6 update teased by Epic. (Eurogamer)
Korean ratings suggest Paradox Lego Skylines city builder. (Eurogamer)
Deadlock midlane objective experiment lasted one weekend. (PC Gamer)
Microsoft pays $250 million to settle Activision Blizzard shareholder lawsuit. (Game Developer)
LGD Gaming returns to Dota 2 by signing Ex-HEROIC. (Hotspawn)
Street Fighter 6 adds Ingrid DLC character and new outfits May 28. (Nintendo Life)
Take-Two CEO states Red Dead Online was not a missed opportunity. (PC Gamer)
Remedy new CEO says Alan Wake and Control should have sold more. (VGC)
Nearly 500 Marvel Rivals cheaters banned in targeted purge. (Eurogamer)
Elden Ring movie set video shows early foes and castle. (Eurogamer)
Riot not open to third-party collaboration skins in League of Legends. (PC Gamer)
Sentinels CEO states esports needs another shakeout for sustainability. (Sheep Esports)
T1 and Hanwha Life Esports qualify for Esports World Cup. (Sheep Esports)
Bilibili Gaming confirms Viper return to Korea for hand injury treatment. (Sheep Esports)
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Making of video released. (Gematsu)
Monster Hunter Stories 3 soundtrack interview with composers released. (Siliconera)
Brigandine Abyss demo available on Steam with limited editions on PS5 and Switch 2. (RPG Site)
Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp qualify for Esports World Cup on VALORANT. (Sheep Esports)
KC juicy comments on RLCS Paris Major win. (Sheep Esports)