Gaming Newsletter - Issue #32: 4/29/25

Kool Kyle April 29

Gaming Newsletter

Hi everyone! This is a new Series I've started. I'm working on doing this every Tuesday for now. If it sometimes comes out late, it will definitely still be weekly. So, what's the Video Game News for this week?

Nintendo Switch 2 News

Over the past weekend, a on Twitter had tagged GameStop’s help to report that the GameStop in Astoria, New York, had been selling Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in bundle-only packages on its website. The responded by stating it would be “actively investigating” the situation. If you were one of the unlucky people who had to go through GameStop to get your Switch 2 pre-order last week, you may have noticed a shady trend going on. While not every store was guilty of this, certain locations were selling pre-orders as bundle-only packages with a bunch of other nonsense included. This could have ranged from screen protectors to Pro Controllers or even an extra game, driving up the cost for people who may have only budgeted for the initial $450.

This tactic has become increasingly common in recent years as both a counter to scalpers setting up bots (which typically only look for the MSRP) and as a way to drive up the price for prospective buyers. With an item as hot as the Switch 2, a lot of people are likely to cut their losses and simply pre-order something at a higher price simply to acquire the console for launch. While it can work in your favor if you were planning on buying another game, it’s still a scummy marketing gimmick nonetheless. While GameStop hasn’t explicitly stated that it will be looking into other stores engaging in this behavior, you can likely DM its help to provide details or help. No one should be forced to spend even more money for a Switch 2, especially not with how the economy is going right now.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered News

Despite minimal marketing, Bethesda’s surprise launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has drawn over 4 million players in just 5 days. The game, which is currently available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game , has quickly managed to top streaming and charts. Bethesda Game Studios has announced that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has sured 4 million players just five days after launch. The remastered version was released on April 21, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), and Xbox Game - and it quickly became a massive hit.

Bethesda took to social media to thank fans. The post said, “We are so grateful to the over 4 million of you that have already ventured into Cyrodiil.” The release, which followed weeks of speculation, was shadowdropped with no prior announcement or major marketing campaign. Despite this, the game was quick to gain traction and topped charts on platforms like Twitch and became a top-played title across digital storefronts. At the time of writing, Oblivion Remastered is tops Steam's 'Trending Games' chart with 104,710 concurrent players.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 News

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over a million copies, publisher Kepler Interactive has announced. We already knew the debut RPG from developer Sandfall Interactive got off to a flying start given it hit a sales milestone of 500,000 copies sold within 24 hours, and now it's doubled that. "And here we are. Three days after launch. One million copies sold. Thank you for believing in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33," the studio said on social media over the weekend. That's not the only milestone it hit, either. According to SteamDB, over the weekend Clair Obscur hit a concurrent peak of 121,422 players on Steam. That's significantly ahead of the concurrent peak of any other game from notable RPG developer Atlus, including fellow RPG darling Metaphor: ReFantazio, which released in October 2024 and boasts a concurrent peak of 85,961 players.

Grand Theft Auto V News

Even with GTA 6‘s release looming and nearly 12 years on from release, GTA V was the most watched game on Twitch last year. In a new report published by the Amazon-owned live streaming platform, via The Verge, a list of the most watched games in the previous calendar year have been revealed. In of hours watched worldwide, GTA V took the top spot and it wasn’t even super close. It clocked in 1.4 billion hours of watch time. Its nearest competitor was League of Legends with 1.16 billion. It would be a fair bet to say GTA 6 hours watched in its first year of release will eclipse GTA V’s. The new game is entering a different social landscape compared to its predecessor in 2013. In of total hours across the whole platform and year, there was 15.6 billion hours watched say Twitch. This means GTA V / GTA Online ed for around 9% of all hours watched on the platform. That is very impressive considering how many games are streamed on Twitch.

Split Fiction News

Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a film adaptation of hit video game “Split Fiction” with Jon M. Chu directing, Variety has learned. The script for the movie is being written by “Deadpool & Wolverine” screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The “Split Fiction” film will be produced by Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson’s Story Kitchen (formerly dj2 Entertainment), which is taking out the talent package now to studios, and Chu’s Electric Somewhere. Sweeney is set to executive produce. From developer Hazelight Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, “Split Fiction” blends fantasy and science fiction, following a pair of authors, Mio and Zoe, who become trapped in the worlds they wrote. Written by director and Hazelight studio chief Josef Fares and Sebastian Johansson, “Split Fiction” is a co-op adventure game that features gameplay mechanics involving split-screen combat, platforming challenges and differing abilities for each character.

Sources tell Variety it has yet to be decided which lead role Sweeney will be playing: Zoe or Mio. Released March 6, the game quickly became a hit with players and critics alike, receiving positive reviews and massive sales. According to Hazelight, the game sold more than two million copies in the first week following its launch, and that number continues to rise at a rapid clip.

That's all for this episode. I hope you guys enjoyed! If I left anything out in the news this week that I might have forgotten about, please comment down below and I'd love to chat Video Games just like I love to 24/7! Thank you guys so much. Happy Gaming!