Why does Hasbro keep shutting down studios instead of releasing games? Project Windless was the surprise hit out of last week’s PlayStation showcase and its developers have been using genAI for the early development phase. And would it kill publishers to stop delisting old versions of their games? It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture.
Sometimes I like to imagine that once my kids are grown and I’m semi-retired and only working part-time farming meme coins for AI in the metaverse, I’ll finally be able to sit back and play all those JRPGs I never got around to finishing. That’s the real Final Fantasy if you know what I mean. At the top of my list is Stella Deus.
Metal Gear Solid 4 just disappeared from PS3
Without warning, Konami have delisted the Xbox 360/PS3/PSP version of Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker and the 2014 PSN release of Metal Gear Solid 4
The store page for PW HD on PS3 is completely gone.
Shame on them for this. pic.twitter.com/gAnj9gGczR
— Sly (@SlySinatraa) February 16, 2026
The original version of the 2008 console exclusive is now gone for good. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker has been delisted from all storefronts, including Xbox’s as well. Both games are completely inaccessible as Konami prepares its recently announced Master Collection Vol. 2 remasters to launch in August, though Guns of the Patriots will arrive without its Metal Gear Online spin-off modes.
Hasbro shuts down studio but claims G.I. Joe Snake Eyes is still happening
“Unfortunately Hasbro has made the call to close Atomic Arcade,” wrote artist Justin Kimball on LinkedIn. “I was only with the studio for about a year, but from the start I felt the studio had tons of talent and potential. I’ll miss working with the team we had, and wish everyone the best.”
The toy company later said the game wasn’t canceled by didn’t deny the closure. “The Snake Eyes game is not cancelled,” Hasbro told Wccftech. “The team is currently taking time to evaluate the path forward for the game. While decisions haven’t been finalized, we’re committed to providing updates as soon as we’re able.”
Action-adventure studio Anchor Point gets a NetEase death sentence but soldiers on
Former Remedy Entertainment design lead Paul Ehreth shared the fallout on LinkedIn (via Game Developer). “Now, as an independent studio, we have the opportunity to focus our vision even more sharply and pursue new partnerships that align with our creative ambitions,” he wrote. “Our team remains motivated and deeply committed to the incredible game we’re building. The passion that brought us together is stronger than ever.”
NetEase bailing on the studio, which was founded in 2023, is part of a larger strategy pivot by the Chinese conglomerate to pull out of North American development, and games more generally. The wreckage saw a bunch of other studio startups, including one by former BioWare veteran Casey Hudson, scrapped in the process.
The hot chicken action-RPG from Krafton uses AI
Project Windless, based on a series of Korean novels and revealed at the PlayStation showcase last week, employed generative AI during the “exploratory phase,” its publisher admits. “Krafton’s studios operate with a high degree of creative independence, enabling each team to select the tools and methods that best suit their projects,” a spokesperson told Eurogamer. “We are not using generative AI for content creation or narrative elements,” it clarified.
Call of Duty Warzone Mobile reveals its expiration date
The failed spin-off will see its servers go offline on May 17, Activision revealed this week. It had already been removed from storefronts early last year. “Since then, we have made the final decision to take Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offline,” the shutdown notice read. “While we’re proud of the accomplishment in bringing Call of Duty: Warzone to mobile in an authentic way, it unfortunately did not meet our expectations with mobile-first players like it has with PC and console audiences.”
Castlevania and Metal Gear programmer dies at 55
Shutaro “Curry the Kid” Iida was a Konami veteran most recently known for his work on the indie Metroidvania series Bloodstained. He left Konami back in 2015 after working on Metal Gear Solid V. He received a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2024. “I’m reaching my limit,” wrote Iida in his final message last month. “I’m painfully aware that I am growing weaker day by day. Please love the upcoming Bloodstained 2, and all the games that I made.”
“The game he was working on, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, is currently in development,” producer Koji Igarashi wrote this week. “It is a precious work imbued with his spirit. We will carry on his vision and see it through to completion, so he won’t be disappointed. We ask for your continued support and encouragement, now more than ever.”
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