Video game news digest: Thursday, November 5, 2026

God of War Laufey slips from February to spring 2027, and Steam's tighter pre-release checks are already holding back one of today's launches. Also: Arkane's union speaks out, Switch cartridges lose a chip maker, Xbox cloud gets new controls, and Pokopia and Lightyear Frontier get dates and updates.

God of War Laufey delayed to Thursday, May 20, 2027

Santa Monica Studio has pushed God of War Laufey back three months: once due on PS5 on Tuesday, February 16, 2027, it now launches on Thursday, May 20, 2027, as reported by Eurogamer. The studio's only stated reason is putting the finishing touches on the game. It is the first God of War without Kratos as the lead, following Faye through an afterlife home to gods from several mythologies.

Steam tightens its review, and CRYMELIGHT pays the price

Valve has added steps to its pre-release checks on Steam: the game must have run through Steam for at least five minutes, and developers must declare which common libraries to install and, if they advertise cloud saves, prove they work. Store pages now sort images into categories (menus, concept art, cinematics, gameplay), with at least five gameplay screenshots required. In its announcement, Valve admits build reviews are taking up to 12 business days instead of three to five, blaming a surge in submissions and games that need re-reviewing. CRYMELIGHT feels it right away: its Steam version is still awaiting approval and no longer has a date, while the PS5 and Switch 2 versions launch on schedule, its publisher warns.

Arkane Lyon's union accuses Microsoft of sabotaging Blade

French union STJV (Syndicat des travailleureuses du jeu vidéo) says development on Marvel's Blade is going fine and accuses Microsoft of creating the very delays and extra costs now used to justify closing the studio, through a 19-month hiring freeze. The union argues that shutting Arkane Lyon would probably cost more than finishing the game, and wants €200,000 in severance per worker if it does close, per GamesIndustry.biz.

Nintendo is losing a cartridge chip supplier

Macronix, which makes the ROM chips inside Switch and Switch 2 cartridges, is phasing out that business to focus on other memory, according to Eurogamer and The Verge, both drawing on the manufacturer's latest earnings call. ROM made up just 5% of its sales last quarter, down from 26% a year earlier. The press sees a risk for physical cartridge prices, though no consequence has been announced so far.

Xbox Cloud Gaming turns your phone into a controller on TVs

On supported smart TVs, you can now start a cloud game with no controller around and use an Android or iOS phone instead, with the controls opening in its browser. The preview, detailed on Xbox Wire, is switched on under Preview Features in your account settings, in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available. In the US only, the Xbox Nano Controller can also link over Wi-Fi straight to the server running your game, skipping the TV's Bluetooth, to cut input lag.

Pokémon Pokopia's second expansion lands Wednesday, December 9

Part 2 of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass, Dazzling Decorations, arrives on Switch 2 on December 9, Nintendo's game page shows. It lets you dress your Pokémon up with accessories such as sunglasses and bow ties, befriend new ones and add more furniture. There is no new town in this part, though.

Lightyear Frontier leaves Early Access

After two years in Early Access, Lightyear Frontier hits version 1.0 on Steam and Xbox, bringing the main story to an end and adding two regions that grow the world by roughly 40%. Automation now unlocks earlier: storage feeds crafting machines directly, and each one can run up to three recipes at once. Tornadoes hit softer and no longer chase you, and the weather now shifts through the day.

Out today

• On Switch 2: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Stellar Blade Complete Edition and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Encore Edition.
• CRYMELIGHT: PS5, Switch 2 (PC version delayed).
• Where the Seeds Fall: PS5, Switch 2, PC.
• On computers: Airframe Ultra (PC) and Wielders of the Essence (PC, Mac).