Nintendo investors are taking Metroid Prime 4‘s sales struggle hard. Maybe Black Myth: Wukong coming to Switch 2 can turn things around. And who is left to lead Assassin’s Creed? It’s another edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture. I’m still bummed about yesterday’s report that The Outer Worlds franchise is essentially on ice after last year’s entry struggled to sell. It’s an exceptionally solid immersive sim RPG that feels like it’s on the verge of being something truly special. But those 30-percent profit margins on games given away for free on Game Pass are a killer.
Nintendo gets hammered
Many Japanese gaming companies’ stocks took a big hit in the Japanese stock market today! via @serkantoto
• Nintendo -12.3%
• Capcom -9.1%
• Konami -7.7%
• Koei Tecmo -6.3%
• Sony -4.2%
• Kadokawa (FromSoftware parent) -3.9%
• Square Enix -3.4%
• Bandai Namco -3.4%
•… https://t.co/tnJuY2cZHG pic.twitter.com/WxWBGrA4hq— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) February 4, 2026
The Mario maker’s share price in Japan dropped 11 percent this week over worse-than-expected profitability despite the Switch 2 continuing to be a launch-year juggernaut. Fans might think the concerns stem from questions about the new device’s mixed year-one lineup, but Bloomberg reports that it comes down to worries about increasing production costs and pressure from U.S. tariffs.
But it’s not the only video game stock getting crushed. Many publishers continue to be down days after Google’s new Genie AI tool rollout sent share prices spiraling. While Nintendo is the hardest hit, Capcom and Konami are all suffering as well, not to mention Roblox, Unity, and even Take-Two in the U.S.
Another Assassin’s Creed veteran is out
Luc Couture has been a level designer on the stealth action franchise since the beginning, Insider Gaming reports. “Today was my last day at Ubisoft Montreal,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “It’s been an incredible journey that lasted more than 20 years….During that time, I have learned a lot about game development, relationships and myself. I even met my wife and mother of my children because of Ubisoft colleague…so how blessed am I….right? But I was recently in need for some change. So that’s why I will soon pivot to tackling new challenges as part of a smaller studio with other veterans. Times are exciting.”
Blizzard wants fans to stop thinking of World of Warcraft as just an MMO
Black Myth: Wukong could be coming to Switch 2
Switch Online gets two more Game Boy classics
#NintendoSwitchOnline members can now play these two classic #GameBoy titles on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch!
☑️ Balloon Kid
☑️ Yoshi pic.twitter.com/Aq3V9HoXnt— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) February 4, 2026
The puzzle game Yoshi and the action platformer Balloon Kid joined the subscription service today. Yoshi was the second-ever game Mario’s green dino sidekick appeared in following 1990’s Super Mario World. It returns just in time for Yoshi’s big debut in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on April 1.
