Death Stranding 2 is a pirate’s dream on PC after Steam made a big oopsie. One of Clair Osbcur: Expedition 33‘s stars is working on another game this year. And what happens when you throw Monopoly and Star Wars into the Ubisoft blender? It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture. We have a nice short one for you today, which is why it’s going up so early.
I recently got hold of my childhood copy of Pokémon Yellow and can’t wait to see if any of my old friends are still inside. If only there was some bonkers way to transfer them to the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen.
Death Stranding 2 is already being pirated on PC before it’s even out on Steam
That’s according to a new report by PC Gamer. Unencrypted versions of the game files were seemingly made available on Valve’s storefront ahead of launch by mistake. The game doesn’t use Denuvo, which is great for game performance but bad news for piracy in this case. I’m sure Sony is feeling a bit better today about pulling back its first-party games from Steam.
Out March 19, Hideo Kojima’s latest open-world walking-sim shooter is getting a bunch of updated features and new content for the PC release, which will be rolling out for PS5 owners as well. The biggest addition is new live-action cutscenes that were cut from the original release.
Monopoly and Star Wars are together at last
Ubisoft just announced Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, out June 11. “A dynamic team-based twist on the world’s favorite family board game from Hasbro, Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains offers reimagined gameplay with cinematic moments, themed spaces, and dynamic elements so that no two matches are the same,” reads the press release. “Build teams with iconic Star Wars heroes and villains, each of whom brings unique abilities that can shape strategy and turn the tide in your favor with every roll of the dice.”
A Final Fantasy 9 anime is officially back on the menu
RPG Site reports that a spin-off called Black Mages Legacy is back in production at EuroVisuals after the previous studio in charge went bankrupt. It’s 13 episodes, will presumably focus on Vivi and his magic robot pals, and is reportedly targeting a 2028 release date. Will the rumored FF9 remaster/remake appear before then?
Meta’s metaverse will no longer run on its VR headsets
After setting billions of dollars on fire, the company formerly known as Facebook has pulled the plug on Quest VR headset support for Horizon Worlds, its 3D internet social media meeting platform, aka Roblox for performance reviews. It was a big deal back in 2022 when Mark Zuckerberg revealed his VR feet in the game. Now the dream is dead.
Daredevil‘s Charlie Cox is doing more video games
He might not necessarily be playing them, but according to a new interview he will be playing characters who appear in them. “I loved being part of Expedition 33, I was blown away by the success that it’s had and how far-reaching that game has been,” he told Agents of Fandom (via Gamesradar). “And it has seemingly opened a new avenue for my professional work. I’m gonna do another game this year, which is gonna be much more involved for me, much more work.”
The Witcher 4? Divinity? What are your top picks for Cox’s next video game project?
