|
← Previous Week (March 22 - March 28) |
Next Week → (April 5 - April 11) |
Late March was filled with game updates, collaborations, and new content from various hit ongoing titles. The hype train continues for upcoming games such as Petit Planet, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Kingdom Hearts 4, and Invincible VS as they provide more information for their fans.
Meanwhile, several updates from current titles like ARC Raiders, Marvel Rivals, Heartopia, PEAK, and more have launched, keeping players engaged. Finally, the quirks of April Fool’s Day were also felt by the gaming community as developer ShitUP pranked players with the announcement of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE 2.
Here’s a quick look at some of the week’s biggest gaming headlines.
Gaming News At A Glance
Petit Planet Stardrift Test Begins April 21; Registration Now Open
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Launches July 2 with 12 Iconic Fighters
Goddess of NIKKE 2 April Fool’s Joke by ShiftUP
Invincible VS Open Beta Begins April 9 with 3 Modes and Ranked Rewards
PEAK "Play It Your Way" Update Adds Custom Runs and More
Other News and Developments This Week
Review Roundup: March 29th to April 4th
Gothic Art, The Depths of a Fractured Mind, and A Restaurant
⚫︎ GRIME 2
⚫︎ Subliminal
⚫︎ Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together
⚫︎ SlashZero
Gaming News At A Glance: Petit Planet Stardrift Test, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Release Date, Goddess of NIKKE 2 April Fools’
Petit Planet Stardrift Test Begins April 21; Registration Now Open
HoYoverse announced that its upcoming galactic cozy life sim, Petit Planet, will have its Stardrift Test on April 21, 2026. Fans who wish to participate can register through the game’s official website and complete the sign-up survey. Those selected will receive a confirmation email with instructions on installing the game.
The Stardrift Test is exclusive to iOS, Android, and PC users, and will support seven text languages with English, Japanese, and Chinese voice-overs. Additionally, participants can share any gameplay content they experience, including streams and screenshots, during the testing period.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Launches July 2 with 12 Iconic Fighters
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is set to launch on July 2, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The announcement was made across the game’s social media accounts through its pre-order trailer. The video highlighted Avatar Legends’ core features, including its 12-character roster, rollback netcode, story and arcade modes, and more.
Moreover, according to SteamDB, the game will implement a localized pricing system, meaning its cost will vary by country or region’s purchasing power. Fans can now pre-order Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game on Steam for $29.99 for its Standard Edition and for $49.99 for its Deluxe Edition, which includes a Year 1 Pass and other in-game bonuses.
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE 2 April Fool’s Joke by ShiftUP
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE developer ShiftUP made an elaborate prank on April Fool’s Day, announcing that the hit shooter action game will have a sequel. The studio released a seven-minute "announcement trailer" featuring director Hyung-suk Yoo, teasing the supposed Goddess of Victory: NIKKE 2.
A day before the video went live, Shift Up hyped its fans by claiming that NIKKE 2 would be unveiled on April 1. Although excited, the community remained skeptical given the date, and their suspicions were ultimately confirmed when the announcement turned out to be an April Fool’s joke.
Invincible VS Open Beta Begins April 9 with 3 Modes and Ranked Rewards
Invincible VS will begin its open beta on April 9, 2026, featuring three playable modes (Tutorial, Practice, and Ranked) and a chance for the top 20 ranked players to have their names included in the game’s credits. Players who participate in the testing period receive a bonus Omni-Man skin.
Furthermore, Invincible VS has unveiled its final fighter, Conquest, completing its 18-character roster. They also confirmed that Universa and Immortal will be added as the game’s first post-launch DLC. As the game’s release on April 30, 2026, fast approaches, players can first try out Invincible VS early on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S before the game's launch.
PEAK "Play It Your Way" Update Adds Custom Runs and More
PEAK has released its latest update, "Play It Your Way," which gives players more control over their runs. This patch adds more content to the hit co-op climbing game, which includes Custom Runs, Campfire Autosaves, and a plethora of bug fixes.
Players can now tweak their expeditions by accessing the Boarding Kiosk at the Airport and selecting the edit icon. This takes players to a menu where they can freely toggle options for their runs, such as less fall damage, item loot and hazard spawns, and other settings. Moreover, scouts can now save their progress over on Campfires, allowing them to continue their playthroughs at another time.
Other News and Developments This Week
⚫︎ Best Gaming April Fool's Jokes 2026: Minecraft, Pokemon, Fortnite & More
⚫︎ PUBG: Blindspot Shuts Down Just 2 Months After Early Access Release
⚫︎ Resident Evil Fans Adopt Love and Deepspace's Zayne as Leon and Ada's Son
⚫︎ ARC Raiders Teases “Assessor” Probe as Flashpoint Update Nears Release
⚫︎ Marvel Rivals Magik Legendary Skin Heralds Disco Event Pass Vol. 2
⚫︎ Kingdom Hearts 4 Wait Continues as Tetsuya Nomura Shares New Anniversary Art
⚫︎ Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Adds Kenshiro in June as Next DLC Fighter
⚫︎ Heartopia x Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf Collab Now Live With New Rewards and Events
⚫︎ Overwatch New DPS Hero Teased for Season 2 With April 8 Reveal
⚫︎ Obey Me! Sinner's Choice: Lucifer Announced for Steam Release in 2026
⚫︎ Invincible VS Conquest's Moveset is Brutal, Comic-Accurate in New Gameplay Trailer
⚫︎ The Last of Us Online Was 80% Finished When Naughty Dog Canceled It
⚫︎ Resident Evil 1-3 and Breath of Fire 4 Now on Steam’s Capcom Spring Sale
Review Roundup: March 29th to April 4th
A Bit of Gothic Art, Horror, A Restaurant, and Timebending Platforming
This week, we’re coming in hot with three games from three different genres—a little bit of everything. Firstly, action-adventure Metroidvania GRIME 2 is the sequel to the 2021 title of the same name, offering a gorgeous world to explore with tight combat mechanics to keep you engaged throughout. If you’re leaning towards some psychological horror, you can follow Caleb on his eerie journey through his muddled mind in Subliminal. Over on the other side of co-op mayhem and restaurant managing, Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together might suit you instead, where the only horror is in you burning the food to a crisp.
Over at the playtest side, we were able to get a glimpse of upcoming action roguelite SlashZero, where you’re an elite Timehacker on a mission to fight the spreading corruption across different timelines.
GRIME 2
GRIME 2 is a sequel to 2021’s GRIME, a side-scrolling Metroidvania where players take on the role of the Formless, a mysterious art mimic that can summon molds of absorbed creatures at will. Explore a gorgeously haunting world full of characters and cultures while also delving into its quietly hidden secrets.
It’s a sequel that improved upon its already solid foundation from its predecessor, one that enhanced the first game’s signature flair while keeping its core intact. It’s got some jank here and there, such as the odd progression and some platforming segments, but its deep combat systems, beautiful aesthetics, and fun exploration mechanics more than make up for its weaknesses.
Subliminal
Subliminal is an episodic psychological horror game inspired by the internet urban legend of The Backrooms, following protagonist Caleb and his fragmented mind. He navigates through eerie, disjointed locations while uncovering his memories, solving puzzles, and keeping himself out of harm’s way. Depending on his choices, the story can branch out into different paths and lead to different endings.
It’s not perfect, with a few unpolished details here and there evident in the work, as well as having unnecessarily bloated chase sequences, but it does its horror pretty well and it knows how to get under your skin for that right amount of eerie tension. As an episodic title, Episode 1 feels like a fair start to this haunting series.
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is the second entry in the Cooking Simulator (CS1) line that puts players in charge of their own restaurant, aiming to become a renowned establishment while cooking each and every dish. It features a new and improved experience with an expanded gameplay loop, more progression, and of course, the option for multiplayer.
In contrast to the original Cooking Simulator’s penchant for chaos, the next entry feels more structured and controlled—something that not all CS1 players may be so hot about. Nevertheless, it holds out on its own with more detailed gameplay, more restaurant managing, and even the option to let the players’ creativity shine with custom recipes. However, it’s marred by a lot of jank and bugs here and there, ranging from mildly frustrating to plain game-breaking.
SlashZero [Playtest]
SlashZero is an in-development action roguelite where players are Timehackers, elite agents who are tasked with taking on the Hieros-I corruption that has been spreading across different timelines. As they hop from era to era, encountering ruined civilizations, they discover more about the world’s collapses and unravel the hidden truths of the blighting evil.
It’s got impeccable visuals and tight, solidly designed core gameplay—it’s pretty much all you need in a roguelite. Its foundation is of high-quality, and it shows. However, it’ll definitely need something else to make it stand out in a genre that’s full of equally excellent games. Nevertheless, it’s still heavily in development, but it’s got crazy potential.
