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Epic taps Blizzard's Battle.net lead to fix the Epic Games Store as Steam dominates
AppWizard
July 28, 2026

Epic taps Blizzard’s Battle.net lead to fix the Epic Games Store as Steam dominates

Epic Games has appointed Martin Keely as the new Vice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store, succeeding Steve Allison, who left the company in July. Keely previously worked as Senior Vice President overseeing the Battle.net launcher at Blizzard for seven years. His appointment aims to strengthen Epic's competitive position against Valve's Steam in the PC gaming market. Keely expressed enthusiasm for his new role and the opportunity to enhance player, creator, and developer experiences. Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, has acknowledged the challenges the company faces in gaining market share against Steam.
Ubisoft is giving out free PC copies of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Prince of Persia, and Tom Clancy games to people who own them on Xbox
AppWizard
July 27, 2026

Ubisoft is giving out free PC copies of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Prince of Persia, and Tom Clancy games to people who own them on Xbox

Xbox has launched the "Xbox Console-to-PC Offer," allowing players to access 13 Ubisoft titles on PC at no extra cost if they already own the games on Xbox. The included games are: - Assassin’s Creed Mirage - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Far Cry 6 - Immortals Fenyx Rising - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Riders Republic - Skull and Bones - The Crew 2 - The Crew Motorfest - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege - Watch Dogs Legion Players can access these titles through the Ubisoft Connect app. The initiative does not support physical game transfers, highlighting challenges for disc-based gaming fans. Additionally, Xbox has faced service disruptions following a recent outage affecting game access.
Ubisoft CEO says ditching physical games "helped" PC gaming, and PlayStation ending discs won't "disturb" the industry much anyway
AppWizard
July 24, 2026

Ubisoft CEO says ditching physical games “helped” PC gaming, and PlayStation ending discs won’t “disturb” the industry much anyway

Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, supports Sony's plan to phase out physical PlayStation games by January 2028, highlighting the benefits of an all-digital future. He acknowledges concerns from gamers who value physical collections but notes the industry's shift towards digital formats. Currently, digital-only PS5 models are outselling disc versions, although about 70% of PS5s sold still have disc drives. While physical copies remain important and can achieve strong sales, the overall demand for them is decreasing. Nintendo is offering some digital Switch 2 games at a discount compared to physical ones, but it's uncertain if Sony will adopt similar pricing strategies. Digital game sales generally provide higher profits, suggesting that a fully digital marketplace could enhance revenue for companies like Sony and Ubisoft. Only a few PlayStation titles have exceeded 100,000 in physical sales in the U.S. this year, indicating a disconnect between consumer demand for physical games and actual purchasing behavior.
GOG gently reminds us that it's the leading PC gaming platform to offer full DRM-free games — yes, you can keep them forever
AppWizard
July 16, 2026

GOG gently reminds us that it’s the leading PC gaming platform to offer full DRM-free games — yes, you can keep them forever

Sony is phasing out physical game discs and has removed 500 movies from its platform without compensation. Microsoft has laid off 3,200 Xbox game developers and suspended gamer accounts for reasons beyond users' control. GOG.com offers games without Digital Rights Management (DRM), allowing users to download standalone, offline installers and gain permanent ownership of their games. GOG's "Preservation Program" aims to keep games free from DRM.
This PC gaming launcher for Windows handhelds lets you browse stores and compare the best prices
AppWizard
July 2, 2026

This PC gaming launcher for Windows handhelds lets you browse stores and compare the best prices

Winhanced has introduced achievement support for popular gaming consoles like Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. The latest update features a built-in store browser that allows users to navigate digital storefronts within the Winhanced interface. This feature is currently available for testing among supporters. The store browser offers personalized game recommendations based on user preferences and allows for searching specific titles or browsing categories. Winhanced encourages community feedback on the new feature and has a presence on Reddit for discussions.
New York Has a Gamer Mayor Now — and a $2.6 Billion Game Industry to Match
AppWizard
June 26, 2026

New York Has a Gamer Mayor Now — and a $2.6 Billion Game Industry to Match

In June, New York City celebrated the NYC Battle of the Boroughs Champions at a press conference on June 10, recognizing the winners of the 2026 Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs. Among the winners was Team Hyper Pigmentation, an all-girl squad that won back-to-back titles. The city's digital games sector supports approximately 7,600 jobs, contributing billion in wages and generating a total economic output of billion. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) has established the Game Development Industry Council, launched the NYC Summer of Games campaign, and funded grants for developers. New York City's digital gaming ecosystem has an annual economic impact of .6 billion, with around 380 digital gaming firms, 65 percent of which are small or indie studios. The share of open roles in the gaming industry increased from 15.1 percent to 29.2 percent between Q3 2024 and Q1 2026. The Summer of Games features events from May through September, including the NYC Video Game Festival and the Tribeca Games Gallery. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is recognized as the first "Gamer Mayor," engaging with gaming culture and platforms like Twitch. Jones-Harvey emphasizes the importance of addressing affordability issues to retain talent in the gaming industry. She advocates for recognizing video games as a vital part of New York City's cultural landscape, alongside music, film, and theater.
Epic Games unveils Launcher V2 in re-attempt to topple Steam, says redesigned storefront is up to 6.5x faster — promises player profiles, user reviews, universal controller support, and much more
AppWizard
June 19, 2026

Epic Games unveils Launcher V2 in re-attempt to topple Steam, says redesigned storefront is up to 6.5x faster — promises player profiles, user reviews, universal controller support, and much more

Epic Games is developing Epic Games Launcher V2, which will feature a complete internal overhaul to improve speed and expand its features. Key improvements include a complete reconstruction of the store, in-store Patch Notes, player reviews, a performance increase making the store 5 to 6.5 times faster, and universal controller support. The redesigned storefront will offer personalized game recommendations based on user preferences and will enhance game pages with more curated content. These updates will be released alongside updates to Fortnite.
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