The Biggest Gaming News For January 16, 2023
The developer behind Atomic Heart lands in hot water, the PS4 might soon be retired, and Wizards of the Coast attracts even more ire.
Welcome to the workweek. Yet another Monday. Since you’ve no doubt been busy, I can only assume that you’ve gotten behind on everything that’s been going on in the world of gaming, but don’t worry because I’ve got this news roundup for you at the ready. This time around, we heard about how the Atomic Heart developer won’t “comment on politics” following criticism of their stance about the war in Ukraine, Sony might finally be retiring the PS4, and the controversy concerning Wizards of the Coast has been heating up even further. As always, these are just our top stories and so read on for the rest.
EU To Issue “Statement Of Objections” Over Microsoft Activision Merger
The ongoing merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard has taken yet another turn as the European Union plans to issue a “statement of objections” over the matter. “We’re continuing to work with the European Commission to address any marketplace concerns,” a spokesperson for Microsoft remarked. “Our goal is to bring more games to more people, and this deal will further that goal.”
The developer behind the upcoming Atomic Heart, Mundfish, won’t “comment on politics” following a wave of criticism concerning their stance on the war in Ukraine. “We want to assure you that Mundfish is a developer and studio with a global team focused on an innovative game and is undeniably a pro-peace organization against violence against people,” the company announced. “We do not comment on politics or religion.” Mundfish was previously accused of being favorable to Russia by fans and followers.
Dark Souls RPG Maker Calls OGL Controversy The End Of D&D’s “Golden Age”
The ongoing controversy surrounding Wizards of the Coast and their popular Open Gaming License recently grew just a little bit bigger, designer Richard August referring to the end of a “golden age” for Dungeons & Dragons. “Once that trust has gone, it’s gone forever,” August explained. “D&D is not gonna have the same feedback loop of high quality third party productions to encourage people to go back to those core books, to remain involved.” The future of the OGL remains up in the air.
New PlayStation Commercial Shows Sony Is Leaving PS4 Behind
Sony could very well be leaving the PS4 behind, at least according to a recently released commercial showing only upcoming games for PS5. This really would be the end of an era. The second best selling console of all time for Sony is of course the PS4, having moved more than 117 million units from launch.
F1 Driver Max Verstappen Rage Quits “Clown Show” Le Mans Virtual
The world famous race car driver Max Verstappen took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual this week, only to rage quit after a series of disruptive disconnections. “You prepare for five months to try and win this championship, you’re leading the championship, you’re trying to win this race which you prepared for two months and they handle it like this. I mean, there have been two red flags, they blame it on I don’t even know what, people DDoSing the server,” Verstappen said at the time. “Honestly, it’s a joke. You cannot call this an event. It’s a clown show.” The driver added that “I think I’m going to uninstall the game. That’s nice. Frees up a bit of space.”