Weekly Roundup: Forza Horizon 6 Leak, Stop Killing Games Success, Dead Space 4 Doubts, Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hikes, and More
- California lawmakers rejected ESA objections, giving Stop Killing Games a major win for digital ownership and preservation rights.
- Forza Horizon 6 leaked online ahead of launch, prompting Playground Games to issue bans and crack down on pirated copies.
- Former Dead Space producer Chuck Beaver says Dead Space 4 is unlikely due to rising AAA sales expectations and the industry’s live-service focus.
- The Esports World Cup is reportedly moving from Riyadh to Paris amid regional instability and travel concerns in the Middle East.
- Bungie’s Joe Ziegler outlined major long-term plans for Marathon, including PvE modes, progression changes, and accessibility improvements.
- AI startup Origin Lab raised $8 million to help game studios license gameplay data and virtual worlds to AI companies building “world models.”
- Switch 2 price increases in the US and other regions are being driven by rising component, manufacturing, and market costs.
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Stop Killing Games Wins Key California Battle Against the ESA
The Stop Killing Games movement has secured a significant victory in California after lawmakers rejected major objections from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) against the proposed Protect Our Games Act.
The ESA opposed the bill by claiming players purchase licenses rather than true ownership of digital games, warning that preservation requirements could increase development costs and limit innovation. Stop Killing Games organisers countered that the legislation is narrowly focused on preventing companies from effectively destroying paid products after sale. “If a company sells people a paid game, it should not be able to destroy the game’s ordinary use later without notice or remedy,” organiser Moritz Katzner said.
Supporters have described the California decision as one of the movement’s biggest breakthroughs so far, with campaigners on Reddit celebrating lawmakers for dismantling several ESA arguments during the legislative process. While the bill has not yet become law, its continued progress signals growing political support for stronger consumer protections around digital ownership and game preservation.
If ultimately passed, the Protect Our Games Act could become one of the strongest gaming preservation laws in the United States, potentially influencing future legislation worldwide. For publishers, it would mark a major shift in how online games are sold and maintained, especially in an era where live-service shutdowns have become increasingly common.
Forza Horizon 6 Leak Sees Full Game Cracked Ahead of Launch
Forza Horizon 6 has leaked online ahead of its May 19 launch, with pirated copies of Playground Games’ upcoming racer already spreading across file-sharing sites. Reports surfaced over the weekend claiming some Steam users gained access to an unencrypted build of the game, allowing the full 150GB package to circulate online days before release. Cracks designed to bypass the game’s online authentication checks also quickly appeared.
Playground Games confirmed the leak in a statement posted on X, clarifying that the incident was “not the result of a pre-load issue.” The studio also warned that strict enforcement measures were already underway, including franchise-wide suspensions and hardware bans for anyone found accessing the leaked build. Reddit discussions surrounding the files were later removed by the platform’s legal operations team.
The latest entry in Microsoft’s long-running arcade racing series will take players to Japan, featuring neon-lit Tokyo streets, mountain roads, and what Playground describes as the largest map in Forza Horizon history. The game is set to launch with more than 550 vehicles and is currently scheduled for release on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with reports suggesting a PS5 version could follow later this year.
While the source of the leak remains unclear, the situation echoes similar incidents affecting major PC releases in recent months, including Death Stranding 2. Despite the controversy, early reactions to Forza Horizon 6 have been highly positive, with previews praising its visual fidelity, scale, and setting, positioning it as one of the year’s biggest racing launches.
Dead Space 4 “Likely Won’t Happen” Despite Strong Fan Demand
Former Dead Space writer and producer Chuck Beaver believes a fourth mainline entry in the sci-fi horror series is unlikely to happen, despite continued fan interest following the success of the 2023 remake. Speaking on the FRVR Podcast, Beaver said the franchise simply does not generate the kind of sales modern AAA publishers now expect from blockbuster releases.
Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space became one of EA’s most acclaimed horror franchises thanks to its atmospheric setting, strategic dismemberment combat, and psychological horror themes. While the original trilogy developed a loyal audience, EA reportedly viewed the series as underperforming commercially, particularly after Dead Space 3 shifted toward a more action-focused direction in an attempt to reach a wider market.
Interest in the franchise returned with EA Motive’s Dead Space remake in 2023, which earned widespread critical praise for faithfully modernising the original game. However, Beaver claimed the remake’s reported sales of around two million copies still fell short of what major publishers consider successful in today’s market, where AAA titles are often expected to sell upwards of 10 million units.
Beaver also argued that the industry’s growing focus on live-service games has made it harder for traditional single-player horror titles to secure funding. His comments sparked debate online, with many fans criticising publishers’ increasing sales expectations and expressing disappointment that one of gaming’s most respected horror series may remain dormant for the foreseeable future.
Esports World Cup Reportedly Moving From Riyadh to Paris Amid Regional Tensions
The 2026 Esports World Cup is reportedly being relocated from Riyadh to Paris due to growing instability and travel concerns linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to GamesBeat, organisers have privately informed stakeholders of the move, although the Esports World Cup Foundation has yet to make an official public announcement.
The event, originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia this summer, is expected to host thousands of players, staff, and spectators from around the world across multiple esports tournaments. Reports suggest logistical concerns surrounding international travel and airline disruptions in the region played a major role in the decision to shift the event to France.
Launched in 2024 with backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Esports World Cup has quickly become one of the largest competitive gaming events globally, featuring dozens of tournaments and massive prize pools. A move to Paris would mark the first time the event has been held outside Saudi Arabia, despite previous suggestions that future editions could eventually rotate internationally.
The reported relocation has already sparked widespread discussion across the esports community, with reactions ranging from support for prioritising safety to criticism over the uncertainty surrounding the event’s organisation. As of now, qualifiers and preparations are still continuing, while teams and fans await formal confirmation from organisers.
Marathon Director Joe Ziegler Details Bungie’s Long-Term Plans for the Extraction Shooter
Marathon’s Game Director, Joe Ziegler, has shared a lengthy update outlining Bungie’s long-term vision for Marathon, reflecting on the game’s first season, its launch struggles, and where the studio plans to take the sci-fi shooter next. In the post, Ziegler described Marathon as a “multi-season journey” that Bungie intends to evolve alongside player feedback over the coming years.
The update openly acknowledged several major criticisms from the community, including difficult onboarding, grind-heavy progression, punishing solo play, and stressful endgame balance. Ziegler admitted the game can feel overwhelming for new players and said Bungie wants to make the experience “less grindy, more rewarding,” while improving matchmaking, progression systems, and accessibility for players who do not have dedicated squads or large amounts of time to invest.
As part of that effort, Season 2 will introduce rotating Duos queues, faster faction progression, larger Vault storage, and new content including the Night Marsh zone and the Sentinel Runner shell. Bungie is also experimenting with PvE-focused and PvP-lite modes to give players lower-pressure alternatives to the game’s intense extraction gameplay loop.
Ziegler also confirmed Bungie is treating Marathon as a long-term live-service project stretching well beyond 2026, with future seasons planned to overhaul onboarding, expand progression systems, and introduce new sci-fi mechanics and survival experiences. Bungie has said that a full reveal of Season 2 will be revealed the week of May 25.
Origin Lab Raises $8 Million to Help Game Studios Sell Data to AI Companies
AI startup Origin Lab has raised $8 million in seed funding to build a platform that helps video game companies license gameplay data and in-game assets to AI developers building “world models.” The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with additional backing from investors including SV Angel and Kevin Lin. According to the company, modern AI systems increasingly need structured simulation data that teaches models how objects move and interact in physical environments — something video games already generate at scale.
Origin Lab plans to act as a marketplace between game studios and AI labs, allowing developers to monetise gameplay footage, physics systems, environments, and other digital assets as training material for robotics and multimodal AI models. Co-founder Anne-Margot Rodde said many of the systems AI companies are trying to simulate “already live in video games,” positioning the gaming industry as a major untapped source of world-understanding data.
The company’s emergence reflects growing interest in using game worlds to train next-generation AI systems beyond traditional text and image generation. Origin Lab also says its approach offers a rights-cleared alternative to scraping content from platforms like Twitch and YouTube, as AI companies continue searching for higher-quality and legally licensed datasets to power future robotics, simulation, and autonomous AI technologies.
Nintendo Says Switch 2 Price Hikes Were Caused by Rising Component Costs
Nintendo has clarified that recent price increases for the Nintendo Switch 2 were driven by sustained component and market costs rather than a single economic factor. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said rising memory prices, exchange rate fluctuations, tariffs, and broader global economic pressures all contributed to the decision to raise hardware prices across multiple regions.
The Switch 2’s US price will rise from $449.99 to $499.99 beginning September 1, while the UK console currently retails for £395.99, with Nintendo confirming a revised UK price will be announced later. Similar increases are also planned across Europe, Canada, and Japan as Nintendo says it can no longer absorb rising manufacturing costs internally.
Nintendo’s comments come as both Sony and Microsoft have also implemented hardware price increases in response to ongoing supply chain and manufacturing challenges. Analysts say the situation marks a major shift in the console industry, where hardware prices historically fell over time rather than increasing several years into a platform’s lifecycle.
