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ESA Lobbyist Calls Private Minecraft Servers Illegal During Hearing
AppWizard
June 30, 2026

ESA Lobbyist Calls Private Minecraft Servers Illegal During Hearing

Jennifer Gibbons, Vice President of State Government Affairs at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), stated during a California State Senate hearing that community servers for Minecraft and Call of Duty are "illegal" and equate to "piracy." She mentioned that the ESA has pending lawsuits against private servers and that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has identified some private servers as notorious markets for piracy. Gibbons' comments were challenged by Assemblyman Chris Ward, who noted the existence of community servers for both games. An ESA representative later clarified that Gibbons was responding to a complex question and that private servers hosting copyrighted content without authorization infringe on the intellectual property rights of game publishers. The ESA reported a total revenue of ,614,556 in the fiscal year ending March 2025, with ,804,681 from member dues.
ESA Claims Private Minecraft Servers Are 'Illegal' and 'Piracy' in Stop Killing Games Hearing
AppWizard
June 30, 2026

ESA Claims Private Minecraft Servers Are ‘Illegal’ and ‘Piracy’ in Stop Killing Games Hearing

The California State Senate hearing on the Protect Our Games Act raised questions about the legality of private Minecraft servers. Assemblyman Chris Ward noted that games like Minecraft and Call of Duty have successfully used community servers, while Jennifer Gibbons from the ESA argued that these servers are illegal and unapproved by Microsoft, labeling them as piracy. Gibbons stated that the ESA has two lawsuits against private servers for infringing on intellectual property rights. In contrast, Minecraft's official stance encourages the creation of third-party servers, which are vetted for compliance with community standards. The ESA maintains that private servers infringe on publishers' rights. The USTR's Notorious Market Report referenced by Gibbons does not specifically target community servers for connecting friends but focuses on those bypassing subscription services. The Protect Our Games Act did not advance but will be reconsidered. An ESA representative later clarified that private servers hosting copyrighted content without authorization infringe on publishers' rights and highlighted concerns about safety standards on these platforms.
PC Users Can Grab 18 Free Games This Month, Saving $100s In Total
AppWizard
June 3, 2026

PC Users Can Grab 18 Free Games This Month, Saving $100s In Total

Amazon Prime subscribers can claim 18 PC games for free through Amazon Luna in June. The available games include: - Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition - Mega Man 11 - ULTRAKILL - Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered - Mafia III: Definitive Edition - XCOM: Chimera Squad Upcoming games include: - Tested on Humans: Escape Room (11 June) - Sin Slayers: Reign of the 8th (11 June) - G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra (11 June) - Paradise Killer (11 June) - Between Time: Escape Room (18 June) - Sugardew Island (18 June) - Wargame Construction Set III: Age of Rifles 1846-1905 (18 June) - Space Grunts 2 (18 June) - Space Grunts: Chrono Shard (25 June) - Please Touch The Artwork (25 June) - Terraforming Mars (25 June) - Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch (25 June) These titles are available as PC codes redeemable on platforms like GOG, the Epic Games Store, or the Amazon Games App.
Peak's success helped Aggro Crab commit to co-op, says studio head: 'We thought we were a character action studio'
AppWizard
May 25, 2026

Peak’s success helped Aggro Crab commit to co-op, says studio head: ‘We thought we were a character action studio’

The collaboration between Peak, Aggro Crab, and Landfall Games originated from a four-week game jam. Aggro Crab's studio head, Nick Kaman, discussed this experience at the Game Developers Conference, highlighting a shift towards smaller projects and a stronger identity in co-op gaming. They collaborated with a studio known for the game Content Warning, which is recognized in the friendslop genre. After a taxing three-year development on a previous project, the team found renewed energy in creating Peak. Kaman announced the upcoming release of Crashout Crew, inspired by Overcooked, featuring unique elements like proximity voice chat and mouth animations that respond to player speech. He acknowledged that this new direction might not appeal to everyone but expressed excitement about the studio's evolution.
'Palworld Online' has been trademarked, but there's hints of potential AI use
AppWizard
May 12, 2026

‘Palworld Online’ has been trademarked, but there’s hints of potential AI use

Pocketpair submitted a trademark application for 'Palworld Online' on April 27, 2026, which is currently labeled as 'live' by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A similar trademark was filed in South Korea on April 24, 2026. The trademark pertains to "recorded computer game programs and recorded game software," and includes "toy design," suggesting potential new merchandise linked to the Palworld Trading Card Game (TCG). It also references "Artificial intelligence as a service (AIAAS) services featuring software using artificial intelligence (AI) for developing computer games." The 1.0 release of Palworld is projected for sometime in 2026, with speculation about the possibility of an MMO format.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred's new hardest difficulty tier has been conquered in just 17 hours by a sleepless sorceress
AppWizard
April 29, 2026

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred’s new hardest difficulty tier has been conquered in just 17 hours by a sleepless sorceress

Players in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred can now increase the game's difficulty significantly. Streamer Mekuna achieved a rapid progression from level 1 to level 70 sorceress in 17 hours, utilizing a lightning variant of the Blizzard skill for efficient enemy elimination. Despite challenges posed by hidden late-game content, Mekuna's success demonstrates that the new torment tiers are conquerable, especially for strong characters. Blizzard has indicated that torment 12 will be challenging, but exceptional players can succeed. Additionally, the game features new activity skill trees that can further increase monster difficulty. The revamped skill trees, item crafting system, and restructured difficulty tiers change how character strength is assessed, generating excitement for other classes and upcoming leaderboards.
PC Gamer's 'first can't-miss cozy game of 2026' has gone missing on Steam, and some players think Tetris is to blame
AppWizard
April 10, 2026

PC Gamer’s ‘first can’t-miss cozy game of 2026’ has gone missing on Steam, and some players think Tetris is to blame

PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor praised the Starsand Island demo in December 2025, while Lauren Morton called it "the first can't-miss cozy game of 2026" in February. The game is currently unavailable on Steam due to the developer, Seed Sparkle Lab, using unauthorized visual elements from a classic title in their mini-game section. They apologized for this oversight and are working on a new build to remove the contentious content. Fans speculate the classic title might be Tetris, but this is unconfirmed. Seed Sparkle has decided to temporarily delist Starsand Island and will reward current owners with the "Shining Star" outfit set once the revised version is approved. Players' progress will remain intact. The studio is enhancing its internal review processes following this incident and a previous wave of fake positive user reviews. A specific return date for the game on Steam has not been disclosed, but it is still available on the Xbox Store.
Epic Games Store locks in two well-rated PC free games to close February 2026
AppWizard
February 20, 2026

Epic Games Store locks in two well-rated PC free games to close February 2026

The Epic Games Store has introduced updates to enhance its digital marketplace for both developers and gamers. Key changes include a revamped user interface for easier navigation, improved search functionality, and better tools for game publishing and analytics for developers. The store is expanding its library of exclusive titles through partnerships with game developers and is launching promotional events featuring discounts, free game giveaways, and exclusive content. Additionally, Epic Games is emphasizing community feedback to ensure the platform evolves according to user needs.
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