Laura “Cressup” Cress chats with Lucas Pope, the mastermind behind games like Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn. They talk about his latest release, Mars After Midnight, how Obra Dinn was initially envisioned as a series, explore his approach to game design, as well as insights and tips for other solodevs.

Sony’s recent State of Play showcased Concord, the upcoming 5v5 competitive shooter with beta pre-orders starting June 6, Monster Hunter Wilds, set to launch in 2025, and (more excitingly) a new Astro Bot game set to release September 6! There was more, so watch the full thing here.

It’s always a real treat to hear from Nintendo in this context, and at GDC 2024, developers of ToTK spoke about crafting an enriched Hyrule via emergent gameplay in an entirely physics-driven world, and advanced sound design. Technical Director Takuhiro Dohta, Lead Physics Programmer Takahiro Takayama, and Lead Sound Engineer Junya Osada share their design approaches and hurdles their teams overcame during development - absolute legends. In true Nintendo style, even the presentation itself is fun. Hugely insightful and wildly impressive. Watch it here.

Sucks to share leaks, and I very much feel for Valve, but it’s too big to not talk about. “Gabe Follower”, a credible source, has confirmed on Twitter that Valve’s next game previously known as Neon Prime (Citadel) is in development. Now called Deadlock, it’s allegedly a 6 vs. 6 hero shooter with objectives, lanes and lasthits on a steampunk-fantasy map. Sounds intriguing.

Microsoft has made significant cuts, closing renowned studios like Arkane Austin (Prey), Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), and Alpha Dog Games. Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios. Will nothing keep studios safe anymore? Sigh.

Hades II is now available in early access on Steam and the Epic Games Store, already offering more content than its completed predecessor. The first major update, including a new Underworld section, customisation for The Crossroads hub, and a new weapon, will take some months to release, per Supergiant’s announcement.

In a contrite tweet, Sony have announced the cancellation of plans to enforce PSN accounts for HELLDIVERS 2.

We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans.

It’s unclear what this means for Steam players in countries the game was removed from.

After enjoying three months of almost universal acclaim, Sony - in an incomprehensibly stupid move - has decided to make PSN accounts a requirement to continue playing HELLDIVERS 2. Since the announcement, the Steam review score has tanked to Overwhelmingly Negative, the game itself is no longer purchasable in 177 countries, and Steam are allowing refunds outside of the regular playtime window. Indeed, the HELLDIVERS 2 dev team themselves are encouraging negative reviews and refunds. You have to wonder what in the world is driving this decision and their apparent commitment to it.

Publisher Take-Two, owner of the highest-grossing entertainment product ever (GTA V), is shutting down the award-winning studios Roll7 (Rollerdrome, OlliOlli World) and Intercept Games (Kerbal Space Program). Turns out a 9/10 on IGN, a Golden Joystick award, GDC award and BAFTA is not enough. Terrible.

Red Hook Studios has unveiled a new gamemode for Darkest Dungeon II, ‘Kingdoms’. Defend a kingdom, battle three new enemy factions, bolster a network of inns. Creative Director Chris Bourassa aims to merge the original’s permanence and roster management with the sequel’s traversal and combat. ‘Kingdoms’ will arrive as a free update in late 2024.