Sega has officially launched the Puyo Puyo Global Ranking Series 2025, marking a significant milestone in the competitive gaming landscape. With over 39 million players worldwide, this tournament circuit aims to crown the first-ever Puyo Puyo world champion, elevating the beloved tile-matching puzzler into the realm of esports. This initiative not only showcases Sega’s commitment to the competitive scene but also aligns Puyo Puyo with established tournament structures seen in other popular games like Street Fighter and Tekken.

The excitement in the anime gaming community is palpable as Crunchyroll announces the upcoming release of the mobile puzzle game, Classroom of the Elite Merge Puzzle Special Exam. Set to join the Crunchyroll Game Vault, this game promises a rich experience with features like full voice-acting, character progression, and immersive story content—all without the burden of microtransactions. Pre-registration is now open on both the App Store and Google Play, allowing eager fans to secure their spot ahead of the game’s launch.

After nearly a year of striking, SAG-AFTRA has announced a tentative agreement with major video game companies, signaling a potential turning point in the ongoing debate over AI voice acting in the industry. This agreement comes after prolonged negotiations, highlighting the union’s commitment to protecting the rights of voice actors while navigating the complexities introduced by AI technologies. The new Interactive Media Agreement aims to establish essential guardrails around the use of AI in video game voice acting, ensuring that performers have informed consent regarding the digital replication of their voices.

For over 35 years, Nintendo has delighted fans with a charming musical easter egg known as Totaka’s Song, and its latest appearance in Mario Kart World has reignited interest in this beloved melody. Created by sound designer Kazumi Totaka, this 19-note tune has been cleverly hidden in numerous Nintendo games, making it a nostalgic treasure for gamers who take the time to explore. The most recent discovery of Totaka’s Song occurs when players select Yoshi on the character screen and wait patiently.

The development of The Witcher 4 is proving to be a formidable challenge for CD Projekt Red, particularly when it comes to optimizing the game for the Xbox Series S. As highlighted by Charles Tremblay, VP of technology at CDPR, achieving a smooth 60 FPS on this less powerful console is “extremely challenging.” This concern underscores a broader issue within the gaming industry: how to deliver a consistent experience across different hardware capabilities.

Remedy Entertainment is making waves in the gaming community with its announcement regarding FBC: Firebreak, a spin-off from the acclaimed Control series. Gamers can look forward to two major pieces of free content set to launch this year, enhancing the overall experience without additional costs. The new jobs, codenamed “Outbreak” and “Blackout,” will be released in Fall and Winter, respectively, ensuring that players have fresh content to explore as they dive into the game.

In a significant milestone for the gaming community, Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 (PS5) now boasts more monthly active players than its predecessor, the PlayStation 4 (PS4), marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of the PlayStation brand. This shift was revealed during a recent business segment meeting, where Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) highlighted the growing engagement of PS5 users compared to the established PS4 base. The latest figures indicate that the combined monthly active users across both consoles have surged to 124 million, a notable increase from 97 million reported last year.

The recent launch of Stellar Blade on PC has made waves in the gaming community, marking a significant milestone as it becomes the second PlayStation-published game to surpass 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. With a peak of 100,904 players, this achievement underscores the growing popularity of PlayStation titles on the PC platform, particularly as more gamers seek high-quality experiences beyond traditional console gaming. While Stellar Blade’s success is commendable, it still has a long way to go to catch up with Helldivers 2, which set an impressive record of 458,709 concurrent players last year.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has made waves in the gaming community, emerging as the fastest-selling Nintendo console in UK history. According to NielsenIQ data, the Switch 2’s launch sales have surpassed those of its predecessor, the Nintendo 3DS, which previously held the record with 113,000 units sold. While specific sales figures haven’t been disclosed, it’s reported that the Switch 2 outsold the original Nintendo Switch launch by more than two to one, despite facing supply constraints during its initial months.

In a world where storytelling often takes center stage, the new puzzle game Instants invites players to engage with a family’s narrative through the art of scrapbooking. This unique approach not only challenges players to organize photographs but also allows them to experience significant life events, from learning to ride a bike to family vacations. The emotional connection to these memories adds a layer of depth that resonates with gamers looking for a more meaningful experience.