'FBC: Firebreak' Release Date, 'Assassin's Creed' Pulls Ahead, and Razer Looks to AI
Too busy immersed in Feudal Japan? Here's what you missed last week in gaming!
‘Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’ May Have Beat the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Stigma
According to Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows surpassed 2 million players within 48 hours of launch. This puts it ahead of Origins and Odyssey, despite some backlash over the game’s themes, character relationships, and historical inaccuracies.
Remedy Entertainment’s ‘FBC: Firebreak’ Multiplayer Launching Summer 2025
Remedy Entertainment announced that FBC: Firebreak, its upcoming three-player co-op FPS set in the expanded Alan Wake/Control universe, is launching this summer.
Going all-in on the Federal Bureau of Control, first introduced in Control (2019), Firebreak will see players returning to the Oldest House six years after the initial Hiss attack. When the deadly paranatural force attacks the FBC again, the Firebreak response team is sent in to clean up the mess.
The no-stress multiplayer experience aims to appeal to more casual audiences with a No-FOMO mentality, allowing players to jump on without worrying about rankings, battle passes, daily logins, and multiple forms of currency. There will be purchasable cosmetics, but they won’t affect the game, and all post-launch content will be free.
Remedy is hosting a community AMA for FBC: Firebreak on March 31 at 9 AM PST / 5 PM GMT / 7 PM EST. Join the discussion exclusively on Steam.
Take On the Terrors of Purgatory in ‘Painkiller’ Reimagining
3D Realms revealed its reimaging of People Can Fly’s Painkiller (2004). Releasing for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, the new iteration will feature solo and online co-op (or offline with bots). It will send players across Purgatory in fast-paced combat inspired by the original franchise.
Check out the full reveal trailer to see what horrors await Painkiller’s four playable characters.
‘Silent Hill f’ Joins List of Banned Games in Australia
Despite just being revealed, Silent Hill f has been “Refused Classification” by the Australian government. Why the game has been refused classification is currently unknown, but it likely has something to do with the same reason Konami slapped a content warning label on the official website.
Silent Hill f joins a long list of games banned in Australia, including titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth, State of Decay, Silent Hill: Homecoming, Manhunt, and Manhunt 2. Though Homecoming was initially banned, Australia lifted the restriction when Konami released a censored version that altered the camera angles of a torture scene.
Razer Officialy Unveils Its Multi-Faceted AI Copilot
In a recent post for How-To Geek, I discussed a new gaming AI companion revealed by Razer at CES 2025. In the leadup to the Game Developers Conference, I sat in on a presentation where Razer further detailed its AI Game Copilot (formerly Project AVA) and the full AI ecosystem, WYVRN.
Designed for developers with gamers in mind, WYVRN is comprised of the AI Game Copilot, AI QA Copilot, Sensa HD Haptics, Chroma RGB, and THX Spatial Audio+. WYVRN is designed to simplify aspects of the development process, specificall quality assurance testing. AI QA Copilot works alongside human QA testers to improve bug detection, automatically generate reports, and integrate seamlessly into Unreal, Unity, and custom engines.
For gamers, AI Game Copilot acts as a backseat driver. From coaching esports players with post-match analysis to providing hints and tips in-game, Copilot provides players with the edge they may need to improve their skills, complete difficult puzzles, and take down challenging bosses.
Check out the full press release for more about WYVRN and how Razer hopes to use AI to change the development and gaming experience.
EU Tackles In-Game Currency in Favor of Transparency
In an effort to protect young players, the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network) has issued guidelines that will require games to list in-game prices in local, real-world currency.
Read more about the CNC Network’s guidelines here.
GOG Aims to Preserve ‘Silent Hill 4: The Room’
Saving yet another PS2-era hit, GOG just added Silent Hill 4: The Room to its Preservation Program.
GOG has long been a proponent of video game preservation. Through its Preservation Program, the platform makes titles available in a DRM-free format that will work on current and future versions of Windows. When a game is slated for preservation, it becomes “the best version of [the] game you can buy on any PC platform.”
At the time of this release, The Room is on sale for $6.99.
Bloober Dev Diary Explores the Horrors of ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’
New Report Shows Single-Digit Growth for Gaming’s Future
MIDiA Research’s Global Games Forecasts (2025-2031) report found that the days of double-digit growth in the industry have officially come to an end. However, it’s not all doom and gloom.
According to the new report, the industry is expected to grow to $236.9 billion in 2025, a 4.5% year-on-year increase, keeping in line with current inflation rates. The projection includes $203.2 billion in software revenue throughout the year, with mobile accounting for over 50%. The report notes Grand Theft Auto 6, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and the launch of the Switch 2 as several factors driving the year’s revenue.
Though growth has slowed and studio closures suggest otherwise, the industry remains steady, relying on highly anticipated launches to keep the status quo.
Game Developers Choice Awards 2025 Winners List
Best Audio: Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Debut: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Best Design: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Innovation Award: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
Best Technology: Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Visual Art: Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
Social Impact: Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)
Game of the Year: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Game Announcements & Trailers
Commandos: Origins
Animal Use Protocol
Dark Mass
Indie Highlight: Deck of Haunts
In 2003, players took control of a horde of specters as the Ghost Master. Belgian indie developer Mantis Games is pulling back the camera further, giving players complete control of a haunted house. Deck of Haunts is a deck-building roguelike, blending tactical building management with a strategic card battle system.
With cards that directly attack hapless humans, build upon an ever-expanding haunted location, and increase fear levels, Deck of Haunts charges players with clearing out every living presence. Similar to Ghost Master, some humans have a natural resistance to the paranormal presence, forcing players to carefully stack their deck, build their mansion, and play the right cards.
Deck of Haunts doesn’t have a release date yet, but there is a demo available on Steam. Wishlist today to secure your own haunted mansion.