Massive news for the Stop Killing Games movement as California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee voted YES to move the bill to the Assembly floor, despite heavy opposition and messaging from the ESA. I react to Ross Scott breaking down the ESA’s statement and why so many gamers believe the arguments against game preservation and consumer rights are completely ridiculous. Huge momentum is building and this fight is far from over. Sources: - https://x.com/moritz_katzner/status/2055041722460131394 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2055197239929160148 - https://x.com/Grummz/status/2055068686432805002 - https://x.com/zm1z33k/status/2055057418791297380 - https://youtu.be/gjUaH1NK8uA?si=rnUgPUOq4kF3qJKL

I react to Laura Fryer’s latest video discussing Mixtape and why its reviews seem “broken,” while explaining why so many gamers are frustrated with her take. One major issue that appears to have been overlooked is the discovery that Mixtape received Australian government funding, which adds a whole new layer to the conversation around the game, the messaging behind it, and why audiences are reacting the way they are. There’s a lot more going on here than just “bad reviews.” Sources: - https://youtu.be/4i0nfPNsCFY?si=vLYe4yh5WDaHLXgb - https://x.com/AutismCapital/status/2055455084373504134 - https://steamdb.info/app/2582320/charts/

Sony is finally introducing Steam-like player numbers to PS5, giving users a glimpse into the most-played games on the platform but there’s a catch. Instead of real-time concurrent players like Steam, PlayStation shows total weekly players, making the data far less useful and harder to compare. Still, the feature exposes major trends in the industry, especially around live service, flops, and PlayStation gamers actually spending time playing. Sources: - https://x.com/Genki_JPN/status/2055346346392269055 - https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/05/ps5-will-reveal-the-most-played-games-with-steam-like-player-numbers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp7IG85_gKA&t=96s - https://x.com/charlieINTEL/status/2055313106964730138 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2055365395138453911 - https://x.com/TheModelGamerYT/status/2055362259765821708 - https://x.com/BackersGamesF/status/2055314345483968547 - https://wccftech.com/playstation-adds-steamdb-like-features-to-ps5-welcome-hub-weekly-player-counts/ Thumbnail assistance: @NobodyHasSpoken

Marathon continues spiraling as Bungie prepares a massive seasonal wipe that will reset player progression, vaults, credits, ranks, and more. With declining player numbers, Sony’s reported impairment losses tied to Bungie, and growing concern w/game’s long-term future, many question whether Marathon can survive. Bungie's desperate for Season 2 to reignite , but forcing players to start over may push more away from an already struggling extraction shooter. Sources: - https://steamdb.info/app/3065800/charts/#max - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2055306396418420927 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2055451299030937765 - https://flopathon.cc/game/marathon - https://x.com/YorchTorchGames/status/2055427392068350032 - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2055408122467152099 - https://x.com/kelskiYT/status/2055333256015589694 - https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2055018870033825866 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2055360062252843441 - https://x.com/DAKKADAKKA1/status/2055193660338114702 Thumbnail by: @NobodyHasSpoken

A newly surfaced clip allegedly from one of Anita Sarkeesian’s private lectures to game developers is reigniting debate about her influence on the gaming industry. In the clip, Sarkeesian discusses the challenge of “shifting the greater culture in games” while addressing harassment and industry activism. The footage, shared by Alex “The Hatman” Baldwin, is being presented as the full unedited response for context. I break down the clip, Anita’s long-running influence on gaming, and why many gamers believe her activism has had a deeply negative impact on the industry. Sources: - https://x.com/TheHat2/status/2054794123907940766 - https://x.com/EndymionYT/status/2055052094688960869 - https://x.com/RamblingsNerd2/status/2054856653078679617 - https://x.com/TheEbonyMaw/status/2054960842165145721 - https://x.com/MadamSavvy/status/2006118024907047173 - https://x.com/Sir_Dammed/status/2055085415799951770 - https://x.com/Romudeth/status/2054764786445951175

Subnautica 2 is off to an absolutely massive start on Steam, pulling nearly half a million concurrent players and proving once again that gamers know what they want. Meanwhile, IGN handed the game a 7 despite repeatedly praising the gameplay, exploration, story, improvements over original throughout the review itself. The disconnect between gaming journalists and actual players continues growing wider as IGN once again appears completely out of touch w/audiences actually enjoy. Sources: - https://steamdb.info/app/1962700/charts/ - https://steamdb.info/app/264710/charts/ - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2055022590666977437 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2055008184704835693 - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2055011165512810753 - https://x.com/FLEEKAZOID/status/2054958953906221550 - https://x.com/JayViperTV/status/2055106465090670850 - https://x.com/Cyael/status/2055029066185457822 - https://www.ign.com/articles/subnautica-2-review-early-access

Bungie has revealed major new plans for Marathon, including a brand-new PVE-focused mode aimed at broadening the game’s struggling audience. With player numbers dwindling, an end-of-season wipe looming, and Sony reportedly taking massive impairment losses tied to Bungie, many remaining players are worried Marathon is entering desperation territory. Bungie wants to make Season 2 a success at all costs some fans fear the game is losing its identity in the process. Sources: - https://steamdb.info/app/3065800/charts/#max - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2055054234224320790 - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2054938910095220971 - https://x.com/LUCKYY10P/status/2054905664774746191 - https://x.com/LUCKYY10P/status/2054920220720955584 - https://x.com/LUCKYY10P/status/2054893211282182176 - https://x.com/MarathonTheGame/status/2055016173008486552 - https://x.com/MinEffortLive/status/2055045452165459975 BUNGIE BLOG POST: - https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/launch_learning_whatsnext Thumbnail Credit: @NobodyHasSpoken

Kahlief Adams may have just delivered the greatest self own in gaming journalism history. While attempting to argue that gamers are “idiots” for thinking a small amount of money could buy positive coverage, he somehow ended up making the entire access journalism problem look even worse. Gamers already don’t trust industry media, and this video is only fueling more skepticism about reviewers, access culture, and the relationship between publishers and gaming journalists. Sources: - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2054641965334163457 - https://x.com/KahliefAdams/status/2053904753097392372 - https://x.com/OldeManGrim/status/1854593017212289387/photo/1 - https://x.com/KahliefAdams/status/1907835457423208763 - https://x.com/KahliefAdams/status/1909794634060251229 - https://x.com/KahliefAdams/status/1799854685953917279 - https://kahliefadams.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/@SpawnonMe/videos