Is there any way to properly manage Grand Theft Auto 6 expectations? Does Rockstar Games even need to be concerned about that? Why haven’t we seen more Sony games on Switch 2 after Lego Horizon Adventures was ported to its predecessor a couple of years ago? And if Helldivers 2 can get skinny, maybe all games can. It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture. Have you cutie-fied your Steam Deck yet? I think it’s time if not.
GTA 6 could become a victim of its own hype
“The more excited people get, the more you get worried,” Hell Let Loose developer Craig Clark told Gamesradar. He speculated about the level of detail some fans are hoping for over a decade after GTA 5. “I feel like Rockstar must be quaking. Like…you need to see realistic bin men coming around on Tuesdays at 9am and they need to grab the bin. And it’s like, ‘Oh no, is there too much that people are expecting? Have we achieved exactly what everyone is expecting?’ And I mean, that’s the worry, more than anything else. Like, I think the game is good, I think it plays well, I’m enjoying it, but what if some guy is like, ‘Well, I was expecting to be able to do this, this, and this, and this would happen.’ I’m like… ‘I’m so sorry.’”
Ghost of Yotei actor calls for more worker protections
“My parents were below-the-line workers in Hollywood…so I always had an awareness that there were always crew behind the art that I consumed,” Atsu performer Erika Ishii told Game Developer after accepting an achievement award at DICE last month. “For video games—I always knew that there were developers, but it wasn’t until I started Twitch streaming and joined the business and looked into it that I found out that it was kind of the Wild West for tech and art.”
They continued, “I wouldn’t ever claim to be an expert on the business end of it, but what I do know is that workers need more protections.”
Final Fantasy 11 is suffering “congestion” 26 years after release
Square Enix’s first MMORPG is still up and running, and reportedly getting so many incoming new players that one of the most popular servers had to be locked off. “Of all the game’s Worlds, the Odin server has consistently ranked just behind the top two in terms of concurrent users and, since the latter half of last year, has become the most popular choice for new adventurers starting their journey,” director Yoji Fujito informed fans this week.
He continued, “Like what happened with the Asura and Bahamut Worlds, too many concurrent users can overwhelm the servers, leading to slowdown in the game and the potential for other related issues. Therefore, we are once again planning to implement [certain] measures on the Odin World server from Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in order to help maintain the game’s stability going forward. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding regarding this matter.”
Lego Horizon Adventures on Switch might have been a one-off
According to YouTube podcaster Reece ‘Kiwi Talkz’ Reilly, the multiplatform port was a requirement from Lego rather than a push by Sony to explore new markets. That would make it similar to MLB: The Show, a first-party Sony game that’s only on Xbox because the sports league license requires it.
But is there still hope for Marathon on Switch 2?
On the other hand, Sony has made it clear that live-service games on other consoles are fine. Helldivers 2 came to Xbox last summer. Could Marathon come to Switch 2? Could Switch 2 even run Marathon? Insider Gaming spotted an ESRB listing that suggests Marathon was rated for PS4 and Xbox One. That’s probably an error, though the install bases would no doubt help the game. I’m still holding out hope for more Sony games on Switch 2, though.
The beefy Helldivers 2 build is out, skinny will remain
The game’s massive 154GB PC version has officially been replaced by the much smaller version after months of testing. How much smaller? The new “skinny” build is just 23GB. Your SSD says thank you.
There’s going to be a Ruiner 2 and this one has co-op
Reikon Games just revealed the sequel which adds multiplayer squads to the isometric action-RPG formula.
