The Outfoxies arrives on consoles 30 years later. Tencent invests in its own version of Ready or Not. And could we finally get a Kingdom Three Crowns? It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news and culture. All I can think about right now is how there’s a perfect Simpsons screenshot for every major game released in 2025. And no one had to use AI to make them.
Fallout is coming to Black Ops 7 season 1
Activision teased the latest post-apocalyptic Call of Duty crossover with silhouettes of the Amazon show’s main characters, including Walton Goggins’ Ghoul and Aaron Moten’s Maximus in his Brotherhood Power Armor. The skins come just in time for the release of Fallout season 2 and an underwhelming launch for Black Ops 7. It’s not yet clear if players who want to run around Nuketown in Power Armor will be able to unlock it as part of the event pass or need to buy it separately.
Two years later, viral police-cam-footage game gets a big backer
Unrecord blew up thanks to a 2023 trailer that made the FPS look almost indistinguishable from a found-footage movie. The game that some were skeptical even really existed is now being funded by Tencent. Will it be the next Ready or Not?
“In Tencent, we’ve found not just a world-class partner, but a team genuinely passionate about our game and vision,” Theo Hiribarne wrote (via PCGamesN). “Despite its scale, Tencent has approached this partnership with humility, respect, and a real appreciation for our creative identity. It believed in Unrecord early and has supported us at every stage of our growth. We’re confident this collaboration will help us reach our full potential.”
A cult arcade classic comes to home consoles 30 years later
The Outfoxies, a Namco arena fighter for arcades that was directed by Soul Calibur producer Masuya Ohishi, is finally playable on modern machines. VGC reports that the game was potentially one of the inspirations behind Nintendo’s own platform fighter Smash Bros. The new Arcade Classics version from Hamster Corporation is single-player on Switch 1 and PS4 but has split-screen and additional modes on Switch 2 and PS5.
Nintendo wins a 15-year-old lawsuit over the Wii Remote
It sued BigBen Interactive, now owned by Nacon, for infringing on its Wii Remote technology with unlicensed third-party controllers. The Games Fray reports that Nintendo secured $8.2 million in damages in a recent ruling after years of BigBen successfully delaying proceedings. Nacon will still appeal the ruling, however, so this cold case will drag on a bit more.
Kingdom Two Crowns might get a spiritual successor
Developer Stumpysquid has been resurrected by Raw Fury cofounder Gordon Van Dyke, Gamesindustry.biz reports. It’s looking for investors and probably developers to make a “micro-strategy survival game” which “builds on the same design fundamentals that shaped Kingdom Two Crowns, while exploring new mechanics, themes, and systems to deliver a distinct and contemporary experience.”
The Kingdom games’ 2D pixel-art take on tower defense was great and I’d love to see a new one draft off the current explosion in great minimalist strategy games.