CORE - Core Gaming for Core Gamers

Crimson Desert launched today, reviews are mixed as expected, amazing open world, minimal story, no traditional leveling, open-world jank. John is at Disneyland! DLSS 5 announced by Nvidia, AI-yassifies characters without permission from devs like Capcom. Listener indie game Garden and a Goat announced, wishlistable on Steam. WoW Midnight discussion, level boosts are hard without knowing your class…but maybe no more? Pinball FX Williams Collection recommended, Pinball Map app finds nearby machines. Evoker alt class tried and abandoned. And loads more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nerdtacular 2026 tickets holding at early bird pricing, plus a swag bag-only option now available at frogpants.com.


News:

- NetEase pulls funding for Gang of Dragon — future of the game unknown

- Valve still targeting 2026 for Steam Machines despite RAM shortages; rumored to be a factor in Sony/Xbox strategy shifts

- EA lays off Battlefield staff post record-breaking launch

- Jeff Kaplan on his Blizzard exit — plus his one Overwatch regret: making it too team-focused when players want to shine individually

- Fortnite raising V-Buck prices

- Timberborn hits 1.0

- Xbox pushing "everything is an Xbox" / Project Helix, leaning into Windows 11

- Valve reports 6,000+ games made over $100k on Steam last year


Shared Play: Slay the Spire 2 — all three played it, early GOTY contender

Scott: WoW: Midnight (great time, nearly max level, campaign a little cheesy), Thysiastery (turn-based dungeon crawler, very positive on Steam).

Also: The Instance now posting Fridays at frogpants.com/instance.

Jon: Finished and 100%'d Resident Evil Requiem

Beau: Slay the Spire 2, more Star Trek Voyageur, dipped into new Diablo IV season (may have bought the Doom skin)

Feedback: Listener thinks he catches Scott being simultaneously terrified by AI and delighted by one-button AI rotations in WoW. And he is wrong about it.

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Looks like Sony is officially getting out of the port business and going all Nintendo on us again. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake is indeed happening. Highguard is officially leaving in just a few days. MetaCritic got weird with AI over the last few days. The games we played, a lake correction, Zillow and WoW, and some Diablo 2 stuff!

GAMES PLAYED
Scott
- World of Warcraft Midnight
- RoadCraft

Jon
- Resident Evil: Requiem

Beau
- Legend of Grimrock
- Star Trek: Voyager
- The Killing Stone
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
- Overwatch
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 2026 is shaping up to be a massive month for gaming, with big hitters like Crimson Desert, Marathon, Pokémon Pokopia, Slay the Spire 2, Solasta 2, Death Stranding 2 on PC, and the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection all loaded up. Also, Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are out at Xbox, while Sony raises a few eyebrows by signaling a potential end to PC ports. Our eyebrows are defiinately raised. Marvel's Wolverine finally has a September release date, and Valve finds itself in legal hot water as New York's Attorney General sues over alleged illegal gambling promotion to kids among other things. Also, Overwatch is going mobile with Overwatch Rush. Weird.

GAMES PLAYED:

Scott
- Overwatch
- UFO 50 (with Van)
- Abathor (with Van)
- Worms WMD (with Van)
- TowerFall (with Van)
- Duck Game (with Van)
- Boomerang Fu (with Van)

Jon
- Biorand Resident Evil 2
- Resident Evil 6
- Resident Evil Requiem

Beau
- Darkhaven (demo)
- Vampire Crawlers (demo)
- Dead Spies (demo)
- Pragmata (demo)
- Wanderburg (demo)
- Underkeep (demo)
- Esoteric Ebb (demo)
- Arms of God (demo)
- Armatus (demo)
- Wild Blue Skies (demo)
- Farever (demo)
- Rune Dice (demo)
- Twilight Imperium (demo)
- John Carpenter's Toxic Commando (demo)
- Far Far West (demo)
- Baldur's Gate 3 (Honour Mode)
- Overwatch
- Marathon Server Slam
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That ashes of creation thing is just getting messier and messier by the day. Also, Unity wants you to type your next casual video game. We will explain.

GAMES PLAYED

SHARED PLAY THIS WEEK
- Diablo 2 Resurrected – Infernal Edition
- Overwatch
- Dobbel Dungeon

SCOTT
- Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp
- No Man's Sky – Remnant Mode
- Escape from Ever After

JON
- Mewgenics
- TR-49
- Resident Evil 2
- Fortnite

BEAU
- Baldur's Gate 3 – Honour Mode
- Star Trek Voyager
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