decline Archives

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Riot admits it “made mistakes” with League of Legends’ ranked season, imposes hard reset at apex levels

Riot Games is revising the matchmaking framework for League of Legends in preparation for the 2026 season, including the introduction of the Aegis of Valor for autofilled players and reinstating duo queues across all tiers. Players in apex ranks have reported issues with inconsistent matchmaking and LP gain discrepancies. In response, Riot will implement a hard reset of the apex ranked ladder with patch 26.09, placing all players at Master 0 LP. This reset aims to create a more equitable environment but may lead to "wonky matchups." All rewards for Season 1 will be distributed as planned, while Season 3 will reconcile rewards for apex-tier players based on their highest rank. Starting in 2027, LP gain and loss will increase to a maximum of 30, and minimum LP cutoffs for Challenger and Grandmaster will rise to 800 LP and 400 LP, respectively. The apex ranked reset will take effect at the beginning of Season 2 on April 29, impacting regions including BR, EUNE, EUW, LAN, NA, and TR. Initial community reactions have been more positive than expected.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Peter Molyneux’s right about one thing: It’s sad how no one seems to care about god games anymore

Peter Molyneux, creator of Masters of Albion, expresses sadness over the decline of god games, a genre he pioneered with Populous. He notes that modern iterations are rare, leading to a perception that the genre is overlooked compared to others like first-person shooters and role-playing games. Molyneux identifies a vicious cycle where dwindling interest from developers results in less enthusiasm from publishers, further discouraging new projects in the genre. His studio, 22cans, has chosen to self-publish Masters of Albion, which blends elements from his previous works. Despite mixed initial impressions, there is hope that the game could revive interest in god games.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass prices drop in the UK

Microsoft has reversed last year's price increase for its Game Pass subscription services, confirming new pricing in the UK. Game Pass Ultimate will now cost £16.99 per month, returning to previous rates. The PC Game Pass will be available for £10.99 per month, also aligning with last year's costs. Additionally, Call of Duty will no longer be available on Game Pass on its launch day; subscribers will have to wait a year to access the title.

AppWizard

April 22, 2026

Latest Fanatical bundle is offering 17 Steam Deck-friendly games worth $333 for only $42

The Fanatical Exodus bundle offers a customizable selection of 17 Steam Deck-compatible games at discounted prices. Users can choose their desired titles, with costs decreasing per game as more are selected: .75 for two games, .65 for three, .50 for four or more, and [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: For Steam Deck enthusiasts seeking to expand their gaming library without straining their wallets, the latest offering from Fanatical, known as the Exodus bundle, presents an enticing opportunity. This bundle features a diverse assortment of action, adventure, strategy, and arcade games, all available at remarkably low prices. Prices and savings are subject to change. Click through to get the current deal prices. What does the bundle offer? The standout feature of this bundle is its customizable nature, allowing gamers to tailor their purchases to their preferences. Instead of paying for a pre-selected package, users can choose only the titles they desire, which in turn affects the overall cost. For example, selecting two games will set you back .75 each. If you opt for three, the price drops to .65 per title. The savings continue to grow, with four or more games costing just .50 each. Should you decide to indulge in the entire collection of 17 Steam Deck-compatible games, the total comes to a mere .46, representing an impressive 87% discount from the original value of 2.83. Below is a comprehensive list of the games included in Fanatical’s Exodus bundle, along with their compatibility status for the Steam Deck: Game Steam Deck compatibility Original price Disco Elysium – The Final Cut Verified .99 Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express Playable .99 Asgard’s Fall – Viking Survivors Playable .99 Oblivion Override Playable .99 Beyond a Steel Sky Verified .99 Love is… Verified .99 Decline’s Drops Verified .99 Souldiers Verified .99 Death Relives Playable .99 King of Retail Playable .99 KitHack Model Club Playable .99 South of the Circle Verified .99 Charrua Soccer – Pro Edition Unsupported but reportedly runs fine out of the box .99 Heretic’s Fork Playable .99 Fight of Steel: Infinity Warrior Playable .99 Zombasite Playable .99 Fight School Simulator Playable .99 This collection is particularly noteworthy, featuring acclaimed titles such as Disco Elysium. For those looking for additional savings, the Humble Sharp Shooters bundle is also worth exploring, offering seven Steam Deck-friendly games valued at 5 for just ." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].46 for the entire collection, which represents an 87% discount from the original total of .83. The bundle includes games such as Disco Elysium – The Final Cut (Verified), Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express (Playable), and Beyond a Steel Sky (Verified), among others. The original price for each game is .99. Additionally, there is a mention of the Humble Sharp Shooters bundle, which offers seven Steam Deck-friendly games valued at for a lower price.

AppWizard

April 18, 2026

Last Flag, the debut game from the studio founded by Imagine Dragons’ lead singer, becomes the latest multiplayer shooter struggling to find an audience

In 2026, attracting players to new multiplayer shooters has proven to be a significant challenge. Highguard experienced a decline in player engagement, fading from the scene within three months. Marathon, despite its high budget of 0 million, is struggling to justify its costs. Last Flag, a 5v5 multiplayer shooter developed by Night Street Games and co-founded by members of Imagine Dragons, launched on April 14 to a peak of fewer than 600 concurrent players, which has since dropped to just under 400. Despite a competitive price and a marketing push, the game has faced criticism for having bot-filled matches and a visual style reminiscent of Fortnite. Night Street Games is focused on building a sustainable community and is currently offering a free weekend on Steam to attract players. Mac Reynolds highlighted the difficulties of fundraising in 2026, indicating challenges for studios in maintaining operational viability.

AppWizard

April 18, 2026

Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly already sold 500k on Steam a month before launch, while my beloved Motorsport has crashed into a brick wall

Forza Horizon began in 2012 and has since redefined the franchise, leading to the upcoming release of Forza Horizon 6, set in Japan. The game features the return of the wristband career mode and has received positive early reviews. It has sold over 500,000 copies on Steam before its official launch, generating nearly a million in revenue, with projections suggesting it could exceed two million sales within the first 24 hours post-launch on May 19. Over 50,000 players pre-ordered the game on its release day on Steam. The Motorsport series has faced challenges, including a significant staff reduction at Turn 10, which may affect its future compared to the more successful Horizon series.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

PC gaming is growing, but it isn’t because of Dota 2 and Fortnite

The gaming industry is undergoing significant transformation, with a notable shift in revenue dynamics. According to Newzoo's 2026 report, PC gaming is expected to surpass console gaming by 2028, driven by lucrative titles like League of Legends and World of Warcraft. In 2025, 56% of PC gaming revenue will come from games outside the top 20, highlighting the growing importance of non-top titles. Total playtime in PC gaming has increased by 14% from 2022 to 2025, with non-top 20 games seeing a 44% rise in engagement. Player preferences are leaning towards RPGs and adventure games, while first-person shooters remain popular on Xbox despite some genre fatigue. The gaming industry is characterized by cyclical trends, indicating that while certain genres may decline temporarily, they are not obsolete.

Winsage

April 16, 2026

A zero-day BlueHammer Windows exploit was leaked by a researcher fed up with Microsoft’s Security Response Center — and the rushed fix isn’t perfect

On April 2, 2026, a security researcher named Chaotic Eclipse announced a zero-day Windows exploit called BlueHammer, which allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges. Will Dormann, a principal vulnerability analyst, confirmed the exploit's functionality. Chaotic Eclipse criticized the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) for its perceived incompetence, suggesting that prior attempts to resolve the issue privately were ignored. Dormann indicated that budget cuts at Microsoft may have led to a decline in the quality of the MSRC. BlueHammer was neutralized in the Windows 11 CVE-2026-33825 update released on April 14, 2026, but some components may still exist.

AppWizard

April 15, 2026

Newzoo: More than half of PC revenue comes from games outside the Top 20

Recent insights from Newzoo indicate a shift in the gaming landscape, with games ranked outside the Top 20 gaining revenue and playtime in Western markets. Between 2022 and 2025, PC games in this category saw their revenue share increase from 48% to 56%, and playtime rise from 33% to 45%. This trend is notable in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. While traditional shooter games are declining, genres like action RPGs and survival games are thriving, with titles such as Path of Exile 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds leading the way. By 2025, lower-ranked titles are projected to account for 38% of total revenue on PlayStation, up from 33% in 2022, with playtime for these titles increasing by 32%. On Xbox, games outside the Top 20 saw a 12% increase in playtime, representing 35% of revenue in 2025. Game Pass subscriptions are suggested to enhance playtime for these titles.

AppWizard

April 14, 2026

Rockstar Games hack shows why GTA 6 isn’t releasing on PC and console simultaneously

Rockstar Games experienced a security breach involving a third-party service, leading to the public release of stolen data after the company declined a ransom demand. The leaked information suggests that PC players contribute only 3% to the weekly bookings of GTA Online, amounting to approximately 4,273, while PlayStation 5 players account for 476,346 in bookings with a weekly active user count of 3,474,021. The weekly active user counts are 894,621 for PC and 3,474,021 for PlayStation 5. This financial disparity may influence Rockstar's release strategies, particularly regarding the anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.