Weekly Roundup: Triple-i Showcase, No Man’s Sky Update, Nintendo’s Patent Loss, and More

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No Man’s Sky Goes Full Pokémon as Nintendo’s Patent Dreams Stall

Hello Games is at it again. In the new Xeno-Arena update, the studio behind the ultimate redemption story, No Man’s Sky, has introduced a creature-battling system. Players can now capture, train, and pit their procedurally generated alien fauna against each other in organized combat. It is effectively a “monster-battler” expansion for a game that already contains a universe of other genres.

The update arrives as a particularly sharp jab at Nintendo, which has recently leaned into a “video game villain” persona by filing aggressive patents for basic gameplay mechanics. However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently provided a win for the rest of the industry by rejecting Nintendo’s attempt to patent the “summon sub-character and let it fight” mechanic.

Nintendo had hoped to secure a legal monopoly on the very concept of sending a secondary entity into battle – a move that could have theoretically endangered games like No Man’s Sky or the recent hit Palworld. For now, Sean Murray’s team can keep their alien gladiators fighting without a legal summons from Kyoto.

Samson Arrives While Aionguard’s Dragon-Riding Legacy Lingers

Liquid Swords, the new independent studio founded by Avalanche Studios creator Christofer Sundberg, has finally released its debut title: Samson: A Tyndalston Story. The game is a gritty, AA-budget brawler that Sundberg has been adamant is “not GTA,” despite the visual comparisons. 

Set in the fictional town of Tyndalston, the story follows a debt-ridden tough guy in a game built for “intensity over scale.” Critics have noted that while the cinematic combat is satisfying, the technical polish is occasionally as rough as the protagonist’s knuckles. Sundberg reacted to complaints in a recent post on the game’s Steam page: “Early impressions are mixed and many of you are experiencing game-breaking bugs and performance issues. That’s unacceptable and we are listening to everyone’s feedback and are hard at work to deliver the game we spent years of our lives developing.”

He also confirmed that there’s a patch coming on Friday (today) that addresses some of the immediate issues players are facing; full, detailed notes will accompany the update.

In a recent retrospective, Sundberg also shed light on Aionguard, a cancelled fantasy project from his Avalanche days. Originally envisioned as “Just Cause with dragons,” Aionguard was canned in 2009 after a major publisher (rumored to be Disney) shifted focus away from dark fantasy. Sundberg noted that the vision for Aionguard – which featured 60-foot golems and dragon-based aerial strikes – is finally being realized by modern hits like Crimson Desert.

Triple-i Initiative Showcase Reveals 40 Indie Hits

The third annual Triple-i Initiative Showcase aired on April 9, 2026, delivering a dense 45-minute broadcast packed with 40 indie titles and eight world premieres. The event, founded by Dead Cells developer Evil Empire, has solidified its place as a premier digital stage for independent games, sidestepping traditional hosts and ad breaks for a pure trailer-focused format. The undisputed headliner was a deep dive into Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, a collaborative project between Evil Empire and Konami. Set 23 years after Dracula’s Curse, the title marks a major return to the franchise’s classic roots and is slated for a late 2026 release.

Among the standout announcements was the reveal of an Early Access date for Alabaster Dawn, the highly anticipated follow-up from CrossCode creator Radical Fish Games. Launching on May 7, 2026, the 2.5D action RPG showcases a visual evolution for the studio, blending high-speed combat with a rebuilding mechanic where players restore a wasteland civilization. Survival fans also received a surprise with the announcement of Don’t Starve Elsewhere, a new entry in the Klei Entertainment franchise that introduces a Fog threat and dedicated online co-op features designed specifically for procedurally generated exploration.

The showcase rounded out its world premiere quota with Too Deep To Quit, a quirky puppet-themed treasure hunting game, and the first gameplay footage of Alkahest, a visceral first-person fantasy brawler from Push On that drew controversy for its first two trailers. Returning favorites also made their presence known, with Hopoo Games providing an update on the future of Risk of Rain 2. With over a dozen demos now available on Steam until April 16, the Triple-i Initiative continues to demonstrate that the indie sector remains a consistent source of mechanical innovation.

The First Berserker: Khazan Support Ceases After Commercial Struggle

Despite holding a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, The First Berserker: Khazan is already losing its development support. Developer Neople (a subsidiary of the gaming giant Nexon) has reportedly reassigned the team responsible for the hardcore action RPG just weeks after its launch.

While the game was praised for its brutal combat and connection to the massive Dungeon & Fighter (DNF) universe, its player counts plummeted from a peak of 32,000 to just over 1,000 daily users. Nexon, which recently shuttered the fantasy brawler Warhaven, appears to be prioritizing “efficiency” by moving developers to more profitable live-service projects. 

This is a sobering reminder that even a beloved IP and critical acclaim cannot always save a game from the current market’s volatility.

The Cube: Save Us Shuts Down After Only Three Weeks

The extraction shooter genre has a new record-holder for the shortest lifespan. The Cube: Save Us, developed by The Highrise Group, has announced it will shut down exactly 21 days after its launch. The game attempted to enter an incredibly crowded market dominated by the likes of Escape from Tarkov, ARC Raiders, and Hunt: Showdown 1896, but it failed to capture a sustainable audience.

The Highrise Group, a relatively new name in the high-stakes world of multiplayer shooters, found that “launching and iterating” is a dangerous strategy when players have dozens of other free-to-play options. 

The Cube officially goes dark this month, leaving behind a cautionary tale for any developer hoping to strike gold in the extraction genre without a massive marketing budget or a truly unique hook.

Gloria Victis Returns: Gamigo Announces Playtest for Revived MMO

The medieval open-world MMORPG Gloria Victis is getting a second chance at life. Publisher Gamigo has announced a public playtest running from April 20 to April 27, 2026. Originally developed by the Polish indie team Black Eye Games, the title ran for a decade before shutting down in late 2023 due to developer exhaustion and financial strain.

Now returning as a free-to-play title under Gamigo’s umbrella, the revival aims to bring back the skill-based, non-target combat that made it a “diamond in the rough” according to the community on r/MMORPG. 

While Gamigo has a controversial reputation for acquiring “dying” MMOs and leaning into heavy monetization (as it did with Rift and ArcheAge), the playtest will be the first real look at whether this new version can maintain the “no pay-to-win” spirit of the original. All progress from the week-long test will be reset, but participants will receive exclusive titles and premium currency for the official relaunch.

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