🍪 Ubisoft buys MOBA and Half-Life 3 Still Exists as a Rumor

Hello there, industry watchers and chaos interpreters. Today’s stories move between corporate reunions, national recognition, legal trench warfare, and the kind of rumor that refuses to die no matter how many times it’s buried.

Let’s get into it.

Ubisoft Brings March of Giants Back Home

Ubisoft has acquired March of Giants from Amazon ’s Montreal Games studio, bringing the free-to-play MOBA and its core team back under the Ubisoft umbrella. Development continues, and the team is already working on the next major update.

Leadership is the real headline here. Alexandre Parizeau, former Managing Director of Ubisoft Toronto, and Xavier Marquis , the original Creative Director of Rainbow Six Siege, are returning to the company where they built some of their most influential work. Ubisoft is clearly positioning this as a long-term live competitive play, not a quiet pickup.

Closed alpha feedback looks strong on paper, with 98 percent of surveyed players saying the game brings something new to the genre. Amazon will also support the project with Twitch marketing as part of the deal.

🦊 Kiki: Ubisoft does not need another safe sequel. It needs something that survives player scrutiny over time. A MOBA led by people who understand live pressure and competitive ecosystems has a fighting chance, but only if Ubisoft avoids smothering it with process.

🍪 Chip stacks tiny shields and braces for balance patch discourse.

Stellar Blade’s CEO Receives Presidential Commendation

Hyung tae Kim, CEO of SHIFTUP, has been awarded a Presidential Commendation at the Korean Content Awards for his contributions to the Korean games industry. The recognition highlights his work on Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

The timing matters. Stellar Blade has become PlayStation’s largest single-player launch on Steam by concurrent players, surpassing God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-Man Remastered. While Helldivers 2 still dominates overall, Stellar Blade’s performance signals something bigger about global audience appetite.

🦊 Kiki: Korea treats game creators like cultural architects, not just executives. That mindset translates into ambition, confidence, and global relevance. The results are not accidental.

🍪 Chip salutes proudly, then wipes a tiny tear.

Apple Wins a Small Appeal, Loses the Bigger Picture

Apple has secured a limited appellate victory in its legal battle with Epic Games. The court ruled Apple may charge a reasonable fee on external payments, but only to cover actual costs related to security and privacy.

Most of Apple’s arguments failed. The proposed 27 percent fee was rejected, restrictions on advertising external payments were deemed too broad, and Apple’s attempt to vacate the injunction entirely was denied. Epic has already claimed this as a meaningful step toward systemic change.

Meanwhile, Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store in the United States, with other regions expected to follow. The game also returned to iOS earlier this year in the US and Europe.

🦊 Kiki: This is not a win for Apple. It is controlled damage. Platform owners are slowly being forced to justify their cut, not assume it.

🍪 Chip hides behind a receipt labeled “actual costs.”

Half-Life 3 and the Steam Machine, Delayed by Reality

According to Insider Gaming, Half-Life 3 was internally aligned as a launch title for Valve corporation’s next Steam Machine, targeting Spring 2026. That plan reportedly slipped due to rising PC RAM prices, which raised concerns about hardware pricing and timing.

Sources insist the game is real, the hardware is real, and the delay is economic rather than creative. The problem is not belief. The problem is cost.

🦊 Kiki: When component prices can derail the most mythologized sequel in gaming history, it says a lot about how fragile hardware ambitions really are right now.

🍪 Chip stares at a RAM stick like it might explode.

Where Winds Meet Reaches 15 Million Players in One Month

Chinese action RPG Where Winds Meet has surpassed 15 million players within its first month. The mobile release played a major role, expanding the audience well beyond its initial PC and PS5 launch.

Cross-play and shared progression helped sustain momentum, while organic community sharing boosted visibility across social platforms. Developer Everstone Studio has already confirmed a major expansion, Imperial Palace, planned for 2026.

🦊 Kiki: This is what global-first design looks like. One ecosystem, multiple platforms, no artificial hierarchy. Others keep talking about reach. This team built it.

🍪 Chip spins happily, surrounded by tiny swords.

Microsoft Pauses the $80 Game Conversation

After backlash over The Outer Worlds 2, Microsoft says it has no current plans to push $80 game pricing. Matt Booty emphasized player value, flexibility, and listening to feedback.

At the same time, Game Pass pricing has increased, and Microsoft is testing an ad-supported free tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming. The monetization conversation is not over, just reframed.

🦊 Kiki: Microsoft did not abandon $80 games. It delayed the argument. Expect it to return the moment a flagship release needs cover.

🍪 Chip clutches a wallet, visibly stressed.

Stay adaptive, inspired by Ubisoft reclaiming its own talent.
Keep global, like Korea treating games as culture, not content.
And remember, platforms do not change because they want to. They change because they are forced to.

🦁 Leo