Ep. 09
1. Slay the Spire 2 Shatters Steam Records Mega Crit’s roguelike deckbuilder sequel hit 526K+ concurrent Steam players in its first weekend of early access — entering the platform’s all-time top 20 and outselling every other March release. 97% positive on Steam with 14K+ reviews. New 4-player co-op, five characters, and a move to the Godot engine. $25 price tag. Console release expected 2027.
2. Resident Evil Requiem: Fastest-Selling RE Ever Capcom’s ninth mainline entry sold 5 million copies in five days — a franchise record. Peaked at 344K concurrent on Steam (double RE4 Remake’s launch). Topped PS Store charts in the US and Europe. Critics praised the dual-protagonist design, real-time perspective switching, and a marketing campaign widely called a masterclass.
3. World of Warcraft: Midnight Reinvents a 22-Year-Old MMO Blizzard’s 11th expansion earned strong reviews (90 from CGMagazine, 80 from GamesRadar+) and introduced player housing, the Devourer Demon Hunter spec, and a rebuilt Quel’Thalas. The headline controversy: combat add-ons have been heavily restricted in favor of built-in UI tools — a move Blizzard says allows for smarter raid design.
4. Marathon Launches to Praise — and Immediate Backlash Bungie’s extraction shooter earned a 91% positive Steam rating but peaked at only ~88K concurrent players, well behind rival Arc Raiders. Community frustration erupted over a microtransaction pricing gap and a brutal difficulty curve. Bungie responded within days with a patch and currency restructure. Long-term retention is the open question.
5. GTA 6: November Date Set, Industry Still Skeptical Now targeting November 19, 2026, after a second delay from its original Fall 2025 window. Take-Two’s CEO used the exact same “really good” phrasing about this date as he did before the last delay. Internal turmoil at Rockstar — including 200+ workers protesting firings — adds to the uncertainty. The entire industry calendar orbits this one release.
6. Pokémon Pokopia: Highest-Rated Pokémon Game Ever The Switch 2 exclusive life-sim hit 89 on Metacritic (50 reviews), surpassing every prior Pokémon title on the platform. Players control a Ditto rebuilding a post-apocalyptic Kanto. IGN, GameSpot, and Game Informer all gave 9/10. Topped the Switch 2 eShop for two consecutive weeks. Some critics flagged repetitive quests and time-gating.
7. Hollow Knight: Silksong Keeps Growing Team Cherry’s 2025 hit crossed 7 million copies sold (excluding Game Pass), joined Game Pass Premium in March, and announced a free 2026 expansion called Sea of Sorrow. The game still holds a 93% positive rating across 136K+ Steam reviews. Difficulty remains polarizing, with community mods offering accessibility alternatives.
8. Switch 2’s March Lineup Comes Into Its Own March gave the Switch 2 its strongest month yet: Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter Stories 3, WWE 2K26, and enhanced editions of Mario and Animal Crossing all charted. 39% of developers surveyed at GDC said they’re interested in building for the platform. Third-party AAA support is proving real.
9. Crimson Desert Hype Peaks Ahead of March 19 Pearl Abyss’ single-player open-world RPG — originally a Black Desert Online prequel, now its own standalone game — enters launch week with enormous anticipation. Previews compared the combat to Breath of the Wild meets Dragon’s Dogma 2. One of the most-wishlisted titles on Steam heading into spring.
10. The Layoff Crisis Isn’t Over GDC’s 2026 industry survey: 28% of workers were laid off in the past two years (33% in the US). Half still haven’t found new jobs. 74% of students are worried about entering the field. In January alone, Meta, Ubisoft, and Playtika cut hundreds of roles. 13 studios have shut down in 2026 so far. Blockbusters are selling — but the workforce is still in freefall.
Rankings based on Steam concurrent player data, publisher sales figures, Metacritic/Steam review volumes, press coverage density, eShop/PS Store chart positions, and social media engagement.