Blue Thunder Gaming may be the biggest corporate shill in gaming, and his latest post asking brands for products in exchange for features sent me down the rabbit hole. I go through the receipts, from Ghost of Yotei and Assassin's Creed Shadows to Marathon and now Wolverine, plus revisit the Mixtape controversy over a promotional package and disclosure. At what point does enthusiasm end and corporate cheerleading begin? Sources: - https://x.com/BlueThunderReal/status/2089440651662516341 - https://x.com/BlueThunderReal - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2089200871678832708 - https://www.tiktok.com/@bluethunder - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAQTkE1qwOQ

Fleek is BACK, and he's got a LOT to say about Halo: Campaign Evolved. I react to his latest video absolutely roasting what he calls “Campaign Devolved,” breaking down how Halo Studios changed gameplay that didn't need fixing and turned a beloved classic into what some fans are calling a Halo DEmake. His argument is simple: if you're remaking a game people already love, improve the presentation, respect the original gameplay and STOP trying to reinvent everything. Source: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezPswmogdZM

The fallout from Shift Up hiring longtime PlayStation executive Jerome Benzadon as Head of Global Communications is getting WILD. Fans are digging through his previous DEI-related work and questioning what this could mean for Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN, NIKKE and Shift Up's future. Benzadon has even responded to some concerned fans. I'm reserving final judgment until we see what Shift Up actually does with its games, but the community is worried. Are Stellar Blade and NIKKE cooked? Sources: - https://x.com/GeraltofGoonia/status/2090274495684620312 - https://x.com/GeraltofGoonia/status/2090503594051039552 - https://x.com/AyakaMods/status/2090408583795990612 - https://x.com/Aurondarklord/status/2090453177460015340 - https://x.com/ChibiReviews/status/2090301128789368854 - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerome-benzadon-29409b5/ - https://x.com/retryall2/status/2090234643907858866 - https://x.com/GiveMeBanHammer/status/2090580517913784642 - https://x.com/BoltTheWord/status/2090578902133457146

The internet is absolutely CLOWNING on Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine, and Logan's latest outfit isn't helping. I react to the memes, the ridiculous-looking costume and criticism surrounding games latest footage. Then things get even more embarrassing when fans start comparing Wolverine to X-Men Origins: Wolverine from 2009 and arguing that the FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD game somehow captured the character better. What happened?! Sources: - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2090630981523030442 - https://x.com/thicc_stick_boi/status/2090653001811931563 - https://x.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/2088733910545138066 - https://x.com/TheDezembro/status/2090584228723372152 - https://x.com/ursRockrider/status/2090472898566009278 - https://x.com/khaliltooshort/status/2090638051248644171 - https://x.com/JamesStevenson/status/2090601271229337711 - https://www.thegamer.com/marvels-wolverine-final-preview-ps5/ - https://x.com/JayViperTV/status/2089053218844168276 - https://x.com/diegosousabyte/status/2088233170843939098

The GTA 6 leak situation just became MUCH more serious. New footage appears to show Cyberleek controlling a playable build and literally spelling “LEEK” into a wall with bullets. If legitimate, we're potentially way beyond stolen screenshots and prerecorded footage. I break down the latest rumors surrounding how the build may have been obtained, what remains unverified, and the absolute nightmare scenario Rockstar now faces if a playable version of GTA 6 gets released to the public before launch. Sources: - https://x.com/DramaAlert/status/2090414227366306067 - https://x.com/EndymionYT/status/2090460816600715285 - https://x.com/JayViperTV/status/2090409902661398971 - https://x.com/omxr76/status/2090403842471141441 - https://x.com/ShitpostRock/status/2090539367383052468 - https://x.com/gtasix_/status/2090376497286545491 - https://x.com/OrdinaryGamers/status/2090441572378669320 - https://x.com/Okami13_/status/2090613199527924095 - https://x.com/pirat_nation/status/2090455920081862970

Sony just abruptly terminated its agreement with Ukrainian indie developer Ternox Games, putting its PlayStation catalog on track for removal and killing the upcoming PS5 release of STONKS-9800, apparently without giving the developer a clear explanation. I break down this bizarre situation, what Ternox says happened, and why Sony's treatment of a small developer is raising serious questions. Then, toward the end, Sony Pony Colin Moriarty makes a pathetic appearance that you have to see... Sources: - https://x.com/SYACVG/status/2089407713646108841 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMe88dxvEa4 - https://x.com/Taimumari/status/2089021552012525708 - https://x.com/SrcasticGamer/status/2089432734536208770 - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2089322349405569299 - https://x.com/DAKKADAKKA1/status/2089330615854186980 - https://x.com/Black_D_Gamer1/status/2089115373014601881 - https://x.com/Taimumari/status/2089029873805217799 - https://x.com/Garaa0fTheRage/status/2089809585712549941

Marathon has somehow found ANOTHER new low. Bungie's extraction shooter peaked at just 3,507 concurrent Steam players Wednesday, down from 4,143 the week before and a staggering 96% from its March peak. Ordnance Heist and the six-shot Firestorm were supposed to give players something new to chase, but the response has been underwhelming and the population keeps disappearing. With 33 days until Season 3, Marathon is eating them! Sources; - https://steamdb.info/app/3065800/charts/#1w - https://steamdb.info/app/1085660/charts/#1w - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2090349782267306074 - https://x.com/LordCharizard33/status/2090622867318657335 - https://x.com/TauCetiGG/status/2090502302675374436 - https://thegamepost.com/marathon-player-count-96-launch-bungie-season-3/ - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2090602614144799027 - https://x.com/_Tom_Henderson_/status/2090585899629240373 - https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2090470023462592907 - https://x.com/PolishTamales/status/2090408518516138057 Thumbnail by @NobodyHasSpoken

Former Naughty Dog developer Benson Russell is sounding the alarm over Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, warning that the game may need changes to avoid “another Last of Us 2 situation.” After roughly SIX YEARS of development, Russell says Naughty Dog's massive development cycles are “absolutely not” sustainable and suggests Intergalactic may be trying to cram too much story and gameplay together. I react to his comments and why Naughty Dog's next massive PlayStation project is already raising serious red flags. Sources: - https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2089910725812605201 - https://x.com/DeepSpaceDread/status/2089905525060219164 - https://frvr.com/blog/the-last-of-us-designer-believes-naughty-dogs-release-structure-is-unsustainable-as-they-witness-waste-scope-creep-and-siloed-teams-across-the-games-industry/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benson-russell-91ab08/ - https://youtu.be/VLGy63pt9vA?si=dL-OMMJvP7BVczyh - https://x.com/SmashJT/status/2072095269957841054