Amazon Games Cancels Failed Battle Royale Attempt King of Meat Less Than 6 Months After Launch

Amazon Games has canned its failed battle royale King of Meat, following its dismal Steam performance that only ever saw a few hundred people playing.

Although the game only released in October — that’s just four months ago — developer Glowmade has confirmed the game will be formally sunsetted on April 9, 2026, after which time it will no longer be playable. All players are invited to apply for a refund via the store of the platform they bought it on (Steam, PlayStation Store, etc.), including any premium currency — called Stamps in this case — purchased, too.

Amazon had reportedly aimed for a player count in the hundreds of thousands for King of Meat, which it spent big on promoting via The Game Awards and a collaboration with YouTube star MrBeast.

“Despite the creativity and innovation Glowmade brought to King of Meat, the game has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for,” the team wrote. “As a result, we have made the difficult decision to conclude our investment in the game, and King of Meat’s servers will close on April 9, 2026. Players will be able to access and play all existing content until then, so we encourage you to enjoy your remaining time in the game with your fellow Contenders.

“We want to sincerely thank every player who supported King of Meat and the wonderful community that formed around it. Your enthusiasm, imagination, and feedback have meant the world to us and to the team at Glowmade. We’re grateful for Glowmade’ s partnership and passion throughout this journey and wish them continued success in the future.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team stressed that, from this point on, there are no further content updates, balance changes, or bug fixes planned for King of Meat during this sunset period, and the game — and the currency for it — can no longer be purchased.

It follows the similarly brutal action of Riot Games last week when, less than a month after the launch of its free-to-play 2v2 tag-team fighting game, 2XKO, Riot announced it was scaling back its development team. Admitting the news was “difficult to share,” producer Tom Cannon said that despite securing a “passionate core audience,” the new game “hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Microsoft’s throne room rejigging has seen Sarah Bond take the bullet for marketing strategy which was “failing internally”, report claims

In case you missed it, Friday saw news arrive of a substantial corporate reshuffle at the top of Microsoft’s gaming division. CEO Phil Spencer was revealed to be retiring at the same time Xbox president Sarah Bond was revealed to have resigned, leaving new boss and former president of Microsoft CoreAI Asha Sharma to don the crown of green plastic.

A report from The Verge has now offered a bit more detail as to how all this chair-switching went down, and unsurprisingly, it reads like an account from a struggling kingdom whose ruler’s just announced plans to abdicate.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP – Switch 2 Edition And Upgrade Delayed Again

No lollipop for you.

In some other game delay news this week, Dragami Games has announced Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP – Switch 2 Edition (and its upgrade pack) will no longer arrive on 26th March 2026.

In a post on social media, the team has revealed how “significant updates” for both the Switch 2 and Switch release have led to this delay. It doesn’t go into any further details about this, but a new release date for Juliet’s zombie-slaying adventure on the latest hybrid platform will be announced when the team has completed its preparations.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Hoomanz! Master the Art of Being a Cute Menace

Category: ID@Xbox

February 23, 2026

Hoomanz! Master the Art of Being a Cute Menace

Charles Michelou – Junior Marketing Coordinator at Koffeecup

Master the Art of Being a Menace: A Pro-Tips Guide to
Hoomanz!

Shadow Master: Use the Dark to Win
Smart Retreat: Learn from Every Hug
Trickster’s Kit: Turn the World Against Them
Ultimate Challenge: Master Your High Score
Pure Whimsy: Become One with Shoo

Hoomanz! has landed on Xbox Series X|S, and while it might look all hugs and whimsy, reclaiming Planet Erf from those pesky tourists requires a bit of tactical mischief.

Since you already know Shoo is the hero Erf deserves, we’ve put together a toolkit of advanced strategies to help you navigate the light, avoid the “dreaded” hugs, and maximize your scares. Here is how to master your inner menace.

Duality at Play: Ruling the Shadows

The difference between a successful spook and a forced cuddle session is often just a few inches of shadow. To keep Shoo at peak performance, remember:

The Lure: Use the Lure mechanic while standing at the edge of a light source to draw hoomanz into the dark. Never go to them; force them to play on your home turf. This is also the secret to setting up your most legendary scare combos!
The Ultimate Dash: If you’re caught in the light and a hooman spots you, your speed will drop as they move in for the hug. Pro-tip: You only have one shot at an escape dash before they catch you! If you don’t reach a bush or a rock in that single burst, you won’t have time to recharge. It’s all about the timing!
The Shadow-Chain: Don’t just look for stationary shadows. You can “chain” your movements by timing your dashes between the moving shadows of hoomanz. If a hooman is walking with a flashlight, their own shadow is your safest (and funniest) mobile base.

Hugs Instead of Defeat: Failing Forward

In Hoomanz!, “failure” is just a very cozy learning opportunity. If you find yourself trapped in a hug, use that retreat to the checkpoint to refine your strategy:

Patience is a Tool: If a specific hooman is particularly hard to reach, stop and observe. Every hooman has a “clumsy window”, a moment where they stop a little too close to the shadows to tune their banjo or scratch their head. That is your window to strike.
Don’t Trip Twice: Use your return to the checkpoint to better understand the terrain. The goal is to evolve. Avoid getting caught in the same spot twice by changing your approach angle!

Mischief and Tools: The Menace’s Toolkit

The environment is your best friend. Here’s how to exploit the tools at your disposal:

The Doll: If you’re lucky enough to find a doll, you’ve got a major tactical advantage. Place it strategically to create a diversion. It will buy you those precious seconds needed to slip past a guard or set up an elaborate prank elsewhere.
Bottled Panic: Don’t just lob objects at hoomanz randomly. By aiming at specific floor tiles or environmental props, you can literally dictate where a hooman will walk to investigate. You aren’t just playing the level; you’re setting the game!
The Yeti Bait: See an unfairly frozen Yeti? Don’t just admire it. Get close enough to be spotted by a hooman, then lead them toward the Yeti. At the last second, dash to the other side to avoid the trap yourself! Your “admirer” will fall right in, leaving them ripe for a final scare. If you’re fast enough, you can pull off this same maneuver with poison traps!

Replayable Chaos: Achievement Hunting

Every run through Erf is a chance to refine your craft and beat your personal best. Whether you’re aiming for a “Perfect Stealth” run with zero hugs or trying to maximize your points through creative scares, there’s always a reason to go back.

Only the most dedicated menaces will achieve the ultimate challenge: Scaring every single hooman in a level at the exact same time! But don’t worry if you’re a more relaxed adventurer; you can still earn plenty of badges for simpler feats, like the “Shoo Cena” for staying hidden in a bush for 30min. Every player saves Erf at their own pace!

Humor and Whimsy

At its heart, Hoomanz! is a labor of love created for you, by a team of gamers just like you. Take a moment to soak in the atmosphere of Erf, from the silly idle animations of the hoomanz to the hidden references tucked away in the scenery. You’ll find you are most effective when you stop worrying about the “mission” and truly become one with Shoo’s mischievous spirit!

Erf is in danger of being turned into a permanent tourist trap, but you have the power to save it.

Hoomanz! is available now on Xbox Series X|S. The hoomanz think they’re on vacation, but with these tips, you’re about to give them a holiday they’ll never forget. Restore peace to Erf—one spooked hooman at a time!

Hoomanz!

Koffeecup

☆☆☆☆☆
4

★★★★★

$4.99

Get it now

Hoomanz! is a stealth-adventure game packed with coziness and humour, featuring non-combat gameplay & family-friendly content. Play as Shoo, the mythical guardian of Planet Erf with a hidden dual nature, to scare away all the ignorant invading Hoomanz. Darkness is nature’s friend, light is its enemy.

Duality of Dark vs Light

On planet Erf, darkness is nature’s friend and light is its enemy. As Shoo you must navigate through the dark, otherwise you’ll get chased and squished with a hug!

Dark Shoo: Fierce, fast, scary and fully prepared to deal with the Hoomanz.

Light Shoo: Slow, vulnerable, cute and extremely huggable… and Shoo hates hugs.

Don’t let them catch you!

Scare them all away!

When you scare a Hooman, they’ll get yeeted off the planet – you’re just that scary (or they’re just that fragile). But it’s not as easy as it sounds – You must stress the Hooman first. You do that using the environment and its tools.

Your Arsenal of Stress

Lure them with a cute purrr, throw bottles, snap twigs, sabotage lights, frozen yeti jumpscares, dance around dangerous traps… Shoo’s toolkit is full of mischief. There’s no “right” way to scare off a Hooman, so get inventive!

Swift Movement!

Dash to get out of a sticky situation, or to simply explore the whimsical atmosphere of planet Erf’s nature. Champion through dash obstacle courses to save creatures and more.

Nature, Ice and Fire

As you progress through the story, your environment will get more harsh, puzzles harder and the need to save planet Erf even more dire!

Laugh Out loud

The game is packed with humour. From idle Hoomanz peeing, playing the banjo (if you can call it that), slipping on ice and generally making weird sounds, to cute underpants, their panicked waddling, hilarious screams (recorded by us Koffeecuppers) and much much more!

Disclaimer: Might induce slight cuteness aggression.

Are You Able To Save Planet Erf?!

The post Hoomanz! Master the Art of Being a Cute Menace appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Switch 2 Noir-Fueled Detective FPS ‘Mouse: P.I. For Hire’ Has Been Slightly Delayed

April is the new March.

The noir-style cartoon detective FPS Mouse: P.I. for Hire was scheduled to arrive on Switch 2 next month, but it seems there’s been a slight delay.

Instead of its 19th March 2026 release, this title will launch on 16th April 2026. In a notice on social media, the development team said it wanted to deliver the best game possible, and just needs a few more weeks:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Save On Death Stranding 2’s Limited Edition Dualsense, And The Amazing Collector’s Edition

PlayStation’s Direct store is holding a sizeable sale on PS5 games, controllers, and even consoles, but there’s an added incentive for fans of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

The game is (for the time being), a PS5 exclusive, and marked one of 2025’s biggest releases on PS5, and you can snag its limited edition DualSense at a $20 discount right now.

Save On Death Stranding 2 Goodies Right Now

The pad itself isn’t exactly subtle. It’s the classic black DualSense with a big Drawbridge logo on the touchpad and decals on the grips, but it’s pretty slick if we do say so. There’s also some detailing around the symbol buttons, which is a nice touch, making them look connected.

Elsewhere in the deals, you can save $100 on the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition. It includes a digital version of the game, along with a 15-inch Magellan Man Statue and an adorable/creepy (depending on your point of view) 3-inch Dollman figure you can attach to your keys or backpack.

There are art cards and a letter from Hideo Kojima, as well as in-game items like patches and a machine gun unlock.

In our review, Simon Cardy said the game delivers on the promise of the divisive original, awarding it a 9 out of 10.

“It removes almost all of the friction that weighed down its rookie effort, delighting with a truly unpredictable story full of intrigue and malleable stealth-action playgrounds hidden in its vast, hauntingly beautiful version of Australia.”

If you’ve not checked out the game just yet, it’s coming to PC on March 19, 2026 with Ultrawide support.

Elsewhere, you can save on huge first-party titles like God of War: Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as well as games like Stellar Blade.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.

Stellar Blade Drops 40% in PlayStation’s Latest PS5 Video Game Sale

Looking for a PS5 game deal in the PlayStation Direct Store sale that’s full of action? You could do a lot worse than Stellar Blade.

Shift Up’s popular 2024 title is just $39.99 right now, a clean $10 off of its Black Friday pricing from last year. That’s a great deal, and Target is even matching it if you prefer to buy from there, netting you 43% off whichever way you slice it (get it? Because it’s a blade? Never mind).

As far as technical showcases for the PlayStation 5 (or its pricier Pro sibling) go, Stellar Blade is certainly up there.

This character action title puts players in the cyber-shoes of EVE, pitting her against waves of foes and challenging boss fights, but giving her some of the flashiest combat skills in this console generation.

Our reviewer Mitchell Saltzman gave the game 7 out of 10 in his review for IGN, saying “Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre.”

If you’re here for the action, though, this saving is well worth a look. A sequel, unsurprisingly titled Stellar Blade 2, is in development at the time of writing.

For more sale items, the PlayStation Direct sale is well worth a look for Death Stranding fans. The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition is discounted, as well as the limited edition controller commemorating the game’s 2025 launch.

Leaker Reveals PS Plus March 2026 Headline Game

The ever-reliable PlayStation Plus leaker billbil-kun has revealed the headline game for March 2026.

As reported on dealabs, PGA Tour 2K25 will be available to download from March 3 to April 7 free for all PS Plus subscribers (Essential, Extra, and Premium). Expect an announcement from Sony this Wednesday, February 25.

PS Plus is a regular stomping ground for old 2K sports games (indeed previous PGA Tour games have hit PS Plus), so the addition of PGA Tour 2K25 comes as little surprise. The golf sim launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC in February 2025, so it hits PS Plus just over a year later. A Nintendo Switch 2 version came out earlier this month.

IGN’s PGA Tour 2K25 review returned an 8/10. We said: “PGA Tour 2K25 comes back strong, with substantial changes to how it looks and plays bringing it within striking distance of the competition.”

The rest of March’s PS Plus lineup remains under wraps for now (expect the additional games to be confirmed alongside PGA Tour 2K25 on Wednesday). You’ve got until March 3 to grab February’s games before they’re rotated out of the subscription service.

PlayStation Plus February 2026 Monthly Games Lineup

While you wait, check out which game we crowned the best PlayStation game of 2025 alongside all of our other big winners of the year. And for more on what PlayStation has in store for 2026 and beyond, check out our roundup of this month’s State of Play showcase.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Revival: Recolonization hits PS4 & PS5 on February 26

Today is a huge deal for our tiny team. We’re over the moon to announce that Revival is launching on PS4 and PS5 on February 26!

The story of Revival began over 20 years ago, way back in 2003. Inspired by the Civilization series and the sci-fi novels of the Strugatsky brothers, especially Roadside Picnic and Noon World, we released our very first game on the Symbian platform.

It was basically a tiny Civilization, just 100 KB in size, yet it delivered a full 4X experience: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate.

Revival: Recolonization takes place on Earth after an apocalypse caused by an superpower AI uprising. The forward-thinking remnants of humanity, the Emissaries, escaped into cryopods hidden deep underground.

Your mission? Rebuild cities, research tech, explore dangerous lands for rare resources and mysterious anomalies, battle aggressive neighbors, and strike trade deals with friendlier ones. All in the name of restoring human civilization.

On the map, you’ll meet diverse Peoples, survivors of the catastrophe who’ve regressed to a primitive state. Which clan you lead shapes your entire playstyle. It determines your faction’s culture, politics, special weapons, unique buildings, and even exclusive sciences to research.

Each clan in the game belongs to one of five Peoples, each adapted to one of five climate types: Cold, Cool, Temperate, Hot, and Desert.

Units that enter climates they’re not used to can lose health points, block building options, or not yield any resources at all.

But hey, you can change the climate with edicts, an advanced technology from the past. It’s even possible to turn the climate into a weapon by altering the temperature in the enemy’s region.

Oh, and that’s just the start. Edicts let you do all sorts of awesome stuff: raise or destroy mountains, grow forests, drench the land in acid, mind-control your foes, or even starting a zombie apocalypse.

Every battle in Revival plays out on its own map, which reflects the climate and terrain of the global map. Before the fight, you get to scout the battlefield and place your units on the most favorable hexes.

Plus, the Unit Editor lets you mix and match a ton of combinations, creating truly unique units with wildly different traits. As your empire grows, you unlock new sciences and resources, and even more ways to evolve your squads.

Diplomacy evolves too, based on your relationship with other factions. Want to land a sweet deal? You’ll need to raise your standing with them first. And in Revival, you can trade more than just resources — swap techs and edicts too.

You start the game with one clan and one region. The lands next to yours might belong to another faction… or be totally unclaimed. If a neighboring clan is independent, you can make them your vassal — and eventually assimilate them.

How friendly a clan is toward you? That’s Loyalty. It shifts gradually, and you can influence it through your actions.

A massive thank you to every player and fan of the Revival universe.

Because of you, our little team made it this far, and brought our wildest dreams to life. Jump into Revival: Recolonization on PlayStation now!

Take on the all-powerful All-Mind. Are you ready?

Embark Shows Off Arc Raiders Shrouded Sky Update With First Look at Two New Threats…and Beards

Embark Studios has laid out everything included in the Arc Raiders Shrouded Sky update, revealing a first look at two new Arc threats, the Surgeon Raider Deck, Dam Battleground map changes, and, yeah, you guessed it: beards.

Information about the big February update was unveiled in a blog post published on its official website. The message comes with more information about all of the new content set to be added tomorrow, February 24, and it even includes a proper trailer for the previously announced Hurricane map condition.

“Shani is blindsided by a Hurricane that engulfs the Rust Belt with ferocious speed and unrelenting force,” an official description for Shrouded Sky says. “Raiders have been caught in the howling, gnashing winds, the Tubes are at risk of flooding, and rumors quickly spread of new ARC prowling the surface among the fog.

“You are not cleared to leave in such conditions; between the low visibility, unsuitable equipment, and risk to the Tube systems, it’s just not worth the danger… but that’s just an invitation to a Raider.”

As the Hurricane blows in extra challenge for those who had just started to get comfortable with Embark’s rotating selection of Arc Raiders events, players should expect to brave more than just the weather. Two new unique Arcs, for example, can be found topside starting with Shrouded Sky: the Firefly and the Comet. The former is another drone-style enemy, but instead of firing light ammo or stun shots, this armored aerial pest spits fire from above. The latter is a ground, sphere enemy not unlike Pops and Fireballs that is said to calmly patrol the surface before smacking raiders with a “seismic boom.”

Another one of the headliners for the February content drop is a map update for Dam Battlegrounds. During a conversation with IGN, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund spoke about the map, saying, “we know from data that’s the map that people seem to gravitate mostly toward, that people like the most, but there’s still things in there that I think the developers feel like we can improve.” He teased that “all maps are going to get, most likely, touched,” but in the case of Dam Battlegrounds, today’s post tells players to expect a new high-value loot area called the Controlled Access Zone.

As new Arc threats and existing enemies like the Rocketeer will no doubt continue sending Raiders back to Speranza, players should be happy to see there are some not-so-threatening additions coming in the next Arc Raiders update, too. The third Raider Deck, for example, comes with a Surgeon theme, with Embark also directing players to head to the in-game store to check out The Volare and Devotee cosmetic sets.

Those looking to dress up their survivors with a little something special will also be happy to find that facial hair has finally made its way to Speranza, too. All players can access the new Stubble cosmetic when the update launches, with a Full Beard option available to unlock via the Surgeon Deck. Stubble Beard and Thick Moustache options will also be purchasable in the store.

Arc Raiders launched October 30, 2025, and is keeping the ball rolling with smaller, weekly updates alongside the more substantial monthly updates. It’s all part of a four-month roadmap laid out by Embark that promises even more new content through April. We learned about just some of the goodies the developer has in store during our interview with Söderlund earlier this month. In addition to a sneak peek at some of the plans the studio has in store, we chatted about how the game’s success has set the team up for future success.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).