This Week in Gaming, we share exciting news. We’ll talk about free games, Xbox Game Pass updates, and why Warzone Mobile shut down. Also, we’ll discuss future releases like the PS5 Pro in India and the new Battlefield. We also cover updates for popular games like RDR2 and Fortnite. Plus, we share new announcements from different developers.
Free Games You Can Claim Now:
Epic Games Store:
On Epic Games Store this week for PC, you’re getting “Deliver at All Costs: Japocalypse” and “Sifu”.
Don’t miss out—“Deliver at All Costs” was just released four days ago, so it’s brand new! Next week: Two mystery games will be available.
Xbox Game Pass:
On Xbox Game Pass, the final week of May brings us titles like “Metaphor: ReFantazio” and “The Division 2”.
Hellblade 2 and Stalker 2 are now also available for standard Game Pass users.
- Monster Train 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series XS) – May 21 Game Pass
- Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Creatures of Ava (Xbox Series XIS) – May 22 Now with Game Pass Standard
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Xbox Series XIS) – May 22 Now with Game Pass
- Standard
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (Xbox Series XIS) – May 22 Now with Game Pass Standard
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series XIS) EA Play – May 22
- Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 27 Game Pass
- Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- To a T (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series XS) – May 28 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Metaphor ReFantazio (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series XIS) – May 29 Game Pass
- Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Spray Paint Simulator (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series XIS) – May 29 Game Pass
- Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Crypt Custodian (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 3 Game Pass Ultimate, PC
- Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Symphonia (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 3 Game Pass Ultimate, PC
- Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
However, 5 games are leaving Game Pass this month. The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon.
- Cassette Beasts (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Firework (PC)
- Humanity (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Remnant 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Good news for Warhammer fans, during the annual Warhammer Skulls event, two games are free:
- Gladius: Relics of War (until May 29)
- Rites of War is also available this week on GOG.
Why Warzone Mobile Shutdown?
Warzone Mobile servers are shutting down. Now, we know the real reason: the primary reason for the server shutdown is its significantly lower revenue compared to COD Mobile.
Since its launch in March, Warzone Mobile has earned only 30 million. In contrast, COD Mobile achieved $1 billion in downloads by November 2024 and $3 billion in lifetime revenue by July 2023.
But still, there’s a chance Warzone Mobile might return, just like Super People, the BR game that got shut down in 2023 but is now making a comeback. Its closed beta starts June 19, featuring super soldier classes like Gatling Soldier, Shotgun Master, and Sniper, each with unique powers and playstyles.
Last time, over 4 million players tried it out — let’s see if it can succeed now.
MSI New Handheld PC
MSI has announced the Claw A8, the first PC to use AMD’s new Z2 Extreme chips, featuring 24GB RAM, variable refresh rate support, and an 8-core, 16-thread CPU. Pricing and launch date are yet to be revealed, but the previous Claw was priced around $1000.
RDR2 Ultra Realistic Mod
A new mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 called “Wow That’s Beautiful” enhances the game’s visuals to resemble pre-release trailers.
Features include improved ambient occlusion, better texture details, and upgraded environment shading for a more natural and realistic look.
Free Fire 8th Anniversary Update
Free Fire is celebrating its 8th anniversary with a massive update, introducing the Solara Map after 3 years.
New features:
- Full-map slide system for faster rotation
- On-rail glue wall shields
- Enemy detection alerts
- Dynamic weather (day-night transitions)
Each zone has unique interactions. For example, TV Tower features the Calico Scene, where players can collect anniversary tokens.
The Solar Rush Event is now live — complete daily tasks and challenges to unlock:
- Animated effects
- Event-themed emotes
- Skyboard, parachutes, and more.
Xbox Mobile Store Delay:
The Xbox Mobile Store is delayed because of Apple’s strict App Store policies. Apple demands alternative payment options, which is causing the delay.
Microsoft publicly supported Epic Games, which also hasn’t launched its store on iOS. Epic even legally challenged Apple’s restrictions — we’ll see how the courts decide.
Pokémon Franchise Milestone
The Pokémon franchise has now sold over 489 million video game copies in its 29-year journey.
By its 30th anniversary next year, it’s expected to cross 500 million — a massive achievement.
They’ve also sold 75 billion trading cards since 1996.
Upcoming titles like Legends: Z-A may boost these numbers further.
Fortnite Tops US iOS Charts
Following its return to the App Store, Fortnite has reached the number one position in the US top free charts, indicating strong demand. This comes after years of a legal battle between Epic Games and Apple over the latter’s 30% commission and Epic’s attempt to implement alternative payment options.
Shinchan Game on Mobile
Shinchan: Shiro and the Coal Town (originally released on Switch in Japan and later on Steam) is now available on Android and iOS via Crunchyroll, requiring a subscription to play.
The game follows Shin-chan as he travels between a village and a mysterious coal town after his father’s job transfer, featuring fun activities
- Activities include:
- Fishing
- Bug catching
- Growing veggies
- Crafting gadgets
- Trolley races
Intel’s Next-Gen Panther Lake CPU:
Intel showcased its next-generation Panther Lake CPU at Computex in Taiwan. These CPUs combine power efficiency and high-performance cores with an upgraded GPU and AI performance capabilities. Laptops running on Panther Lake were demonstrated with fast AI performance, clocking at 3 GHz.
- Highlights:
- High performance + Power efficiency
- Improved GPUs
- Advanced AI performance
- Running at 3 GHz now, possibly 5 GHz at launch
- 16 cores and 16 threads
The final launch is expected in early 2026. Production is set to begin in the second half of 2025.
Marvel Rivals Losing Players
Marvel Rivals has seen a significant drop in its player count since its peak in January (over 600,000 players).
The player count fell by 32% in February, 33% in March, and another 37% in April after a slight recovery. To retain players, a new mode called Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol, inspired by Dota 2’s Auto Chess, will be launched on June 6th, featuring team-based strategy battles and Ultron as a playable character.
Resident Evil 9 Leaks – Open World or Not?
According to new leaks, Resident Evil 9 was initially conceived as an open-world multiplayer game featuring Leon and Jill on a fictional island. Insider Dusk Golem suggests that development began in 2017 after the disappointing sales of Resident Evil 7.
However, after the release of Village in 2021, the project’s focus shifted back to a single-player experience with Leon in the main role. Rumors of supernatural themes are reportedly false. The game is expected to be built on the RE Engine and may feature open-world elements, but will not be multiplayer.
While reportedly delayed internally twice, it might still be revealed this year with a potential release in 2026.
Xbox Handheld Console Leaks:
After leaks about Asus & Xbox’s handheld PC, new info reveals Xbox’s own handheld might use a custom AMD APU, built specifically for Microsoft.
This won’t be Windows-based like Asus’ device — it’s a dedicated portable console.
Also, recent job postings hint that future Xbox consoles might use ARM-based Snapdragon chips, improving efficiency but possibly limiting compatibility.
The Xbox handheld could launch by end of this year, while the next-gen Xbox console is expected in 2027.
Minecraft End Dimension Update Teasers
Minecraft’s vibrant visuals update is in experimental preview for Bedrock Edition.
Players noticed Supernova events in the End Dimension — these randomly light up the dark skies with eerie sound effects, creating a cinematic vibe.
Elsewhere, the Overworld graphics are enhanced:
- Better color grading in some biomes
- Increased fog density
- Improved water lighting
But the most hype is around the End Dimension visuals, suggesting a major future End Update could be in development.
Intel Arc B770 GPU Launch
- Trusted sources at Computex 2025 have confirmed that Intel’s upcoming Arc B770 GPU is expected to launch in the second half of this year, specifically in the fourth quarter.
- Official specifications are yet to be revealed, but rumors suggest it will feature the BGM-G31 GPU, a 256-bit memory bus, and 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
- Intel is also working on other GPUs like Arc Celestial XC3 and Arc XC4, but their release timelines are currently unclear.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows DLC and Co-op Mode:
- According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, the first DLC for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, titled “Claws of the Aaj,” is expected to release around September, offering 10 hours of extra content with new weapons, skills, gear, and abilities.
- A co-op mode codenamed “Kite” is also reportedly in development and could be released next year, allowing players to control characters beyond Naoe and Yasuke for a richer narrative experience.
- A recently leaked roadmap for the Assassin’s Creed franchise reveals information about the Black Flag remake and several other major upcoming projects, with a dedicated video on this topic coming soon.
Battlefield 6 Leaks and Community Reactions:
- The strategy for Battlefield 6 seems to involve letting small gameplay snippets leak to gradually build hype within the community.
- A recent leaked clip evoked old Battlefield feelings, with former producer David Goldfarb comparing it to the iconic Arica Harbor map from Bad Company 2.
- While he noted that character designs looked generic and movement felt a bit off (likely from early builds), the final version is expected to be better.
- However, fans expressed disappointment when DICE announced that class-based weapon restrictions have been removed, allowing any class to use any weapon, which some fear will erode the game’s identity.
The Witcher 4 Development Insights:
- CD Projekt Red’s boss clarified that Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher books, is actually quite sweet and funny in real life, despite sometimes appearing “grumpy” in interviews.
- The studio reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to the original books as the primary reference for all new Witcher projects, including mainline games and Gwent spin-offs.
- Doug Cockle, the voice actor for Geralt, expressed his frustration with the unrealistic expectation of his involvement in every Witcher game and suggested that those calling Ciri’s potential presence in a game “woke” should read the actual Witcher books, emphasizing that the studio’s decisions are based on the original source material.
Game Adaptations News:
- A live-action movie adaptation of the legendary Souls-like game Elden Ring has been confirmed, with A24 producing and Alex Garland (director of Ex Machina) directing. The film will aim for a serious and dark fantasy tone, staying true to the game’s vibe.
- Casting rumors are circulating for a live-action Street Fighter movie, with names like Roman Reigns, Jason Momoa, and Andrew Koji being mentioned. The movie reportedly aims to appeal to both old-school Street Fighter fans and a new generation.
- Supercell has announced an animated series in collaboration with Netflix, based on the Clash universe, bringing characters from Clash of Clans and Clash Royale to the screen.
Five-in-One News:
- Konami has confirmed that Silent Hill f is a completely new title designed to be enjoyable for newcomers to the series.
- The PS5 game size for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has been leaked as around 21GB, similar to the PS4 version.
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is also coming to PS5 with an enhanced edition featuring haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and PS5 Pro support.
- Nate the Hate has suggested that Starfield might also be announced for PS5 soon.
- Doom: The Dark Ages is reportedly ID Software’s biggest launch ever, although sales numbers are not yet available.
- Rumors suggest that Sony will hold a State of Play event in June, potentially featuring updates on Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, and other games.
