Mario Galaxy Movie Records, Slay the Spire 2 Success, Eidos Layoffs

The gaming industry remains a landscape of extreme contrasts this week. While massive releases like the new Super Mario film and Slay the Spire 2 are shattering sales records, the development sector continues to bleed talent through mass layoffs and sudden live-service closures. From aggressive artificial intelligence adoption to major legal battles over game preservation, the ground is shifting rapidly beneath players and creators alike.

Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Slay the Spire 2 Break Records

Nintendo LifeNintendo LifeEurogamer Nintendo is dominating the global box office once again, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pulling in a record-breaking $68.4 million on its opening day . The massive debut easily beat the original film's first-day haul, setting a new high watermark for video game adaptations despite mixed early critical reviews . Over on PC, Mega Crit's highly anticipated early access deckbuilder Slay the Spire 2 emerged as March's biggest-selling game on Steam . The roguelike sequel generated an estimated $108 million in revenue during its launch window, successfully outpacing major AAA releases while delivering well-received beta updates to its community .

Eidos Montreal Layoffs and the Industry Pivot to AI

EurogamerPush SquarePush Square The brutal economic reality of game development claimed more jobs this week, with Deus Ex developer Eidos-Montréal laying off 124 employees alongside the departure of veteran studio head David Anfossi . The cuts reportedly stem from the cancellation of a long-in-development unannounced project, marking the studio's third consecutive year of workforce reductions . Meanwhile, artificial intelligence strategies are fracturing across the industry. While Grand Theft Auto VI publisher Take-Two Interactive quietly gutted its AI research division, Nexon is aggressively pushing generative tools for its upcoming shooter Arc Raiders, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios reportedly fired a human translator to replace them with AI +2.

Live-Service Shutdowns Spark Player Lawsuits

Push SquareGame DeveloperRock Paper Shotgun The live-service bubble continues to burst, claiming both decade-old platforms and brand-new releases. The virtual reality social club Rec Room will permanently shut down its servers on June 1 after ten years, while the recently launched Xbox dungeon crawler King of Meat is going offline on April 9 due to abysmal sales . The sudden loss of online infrastructure is forcing developers to adapt, with Stormgate rushing to patch in an offline mode before its server provider goes dark . Players are also fighting back against these closures, as major French consumer rights group UFC-Que Choisir has officially sued Ubisoft over its decision to render the 2014 racing game The Crew completely unplayable .

Crimson Desert Hits 4 Million Sales and Adds PS5 Pro Support

IGNPush SquareEurogamer Pearl Abyss is celebrating a massive commercial milestone, as its open-world action RPG Crimson Desert crossed 4 million copies sold in less than two weeks . The studio has maintained a relentless update schedule since launch, officially stripping the game of its controversial AI-generated placeholder art while deploying major performance patches . The latest 1.02 update introduces a native 4K anti-aliasing mode for the PlayStation 5 Pro using PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, alongside a highly requested 4K upscaling option for the Xbox Series X performance mode .

Starfield Launches on PS5 as Xbox Sets June Showcase

GematsuPure XboxEurogamer The console landscape is shifting as Bethesda brings its flagship sci-fi RPG Starfield to the PlayStation 5 this week . The highly anticipated port arrives alongside the massive Free Lanes content drop and the paid Terran Armada expansion, marking the game's first major update of 2026 . Looking ahead, Microsoft has officially locked in its annual Xbox Games Showcase for June 7, 2026, which will be immediately followed by a dedicated Direct presentation for the prequel Gears of War: E-Day . In a related branding shift, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has reportedly scrapped the controversial "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign to better align with the platform's core identity .

Elden Ring Movie Leaks and Nintendo Loses Patent Battle

Push SquareNintendo LifeTime Extension Production on A24's cinematic adaptation of Elden Ring is officially underway, with leaked set videos revealing a stunning real-life recreation of Limgrave's Church of Marika for director Alex Garland's upcoming film . In the legal realm, Nintendo suffered a massive setback in its fight against Palworld developer Pocketpair after the United States Patent and Trademark Office revoked its controversial character-summoning patent, ruling the mechanics were "obvious" . Finally, the industry is mourning the loss of arcade legend Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the pioneering creator behind the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun franchises, who passed away this week at age 64 .