Stay informed with the top gaming news from February 26 to March 1, 2024. PIF Picks brings you the latest game releases and essential happenings influencing the gaming landscape. This post highlights crucial advancements and patterns emerging in the world of gaming.
Mega Evolutions Make a Mega Comeback in Pokemon Legends Z-A
The Pokemon Company has unveiled its latest venture, Pokemon Legends Z-A, set to hit the market in 2025. This announcement came as part of the Pokemon Presents showcase, which featured an array of new game reveals. Pokemon Legends Z-A is eagerly anticipated for its introduction of Mega Evolutions, a feature that fans have sorely missed.
Set against the backdrop of Lumiose City, Pokemon Legends Z-A is poised to explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and Pokemon. While not entirely new to the franchise, this concept promises to deliver a fresh take on the coexistence of humans and Pokemon in a bustling city environment.
The reintroduction of Mega Evolutions marks a significant comeback for the franchise. First introduced in the Generation 7 Pokemon games, this feature allows Pokemon to reach an even more powerful state during battle. However, it was notably absent in the recent Pokemon Sword and Shield games, leaving fans longing for its return. With Pokemon Legends Z-A, the dynamic of battles is expected to shift, offering new strategies and challenges.
EA Cancels Anticipated Star Wars Game Amidst Global Layoffs
Electronic Arts (EA) has decided to cancel an eagerly awaited Star Wars game. This decision comes hand-in-hand with the company’s announcement to lay off 5% of its workforce globally, impacting around 670 employees. This move is part of a broader trend of job cuts across the gaming sector.
The canceled Star Wars project was in the early stages of development by Respawn Entertainment. EA’s strategy shift aims to “deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans” by focusing on their most significant opportunities, including owned IP, sports titles, and massive online communities. This pivot away from developing future licensed IP games that don’t align with industry evolution is a direct response to the changing gaming landscape.
In a heartfelt message to the team, EA’s entertainment boss, Laura Miele, emphasized that the decision to cancel the Star Wars title did not reflect the team’s talent or passion. This cancellation is part of a broader pattern of layoffs and project reassessments across the gaming industry, with giants like Microsoft and Sony also announcing significant job cuts and studio closures.
Gaming Token Hits $425 Million Amid Airdrop Frenzy
Portal, an emerging cross-chain gaming platform, makes a grand entrance with its Ethereum-based token, PORTAL. Launching with a market cap of $425 million, this new token marked a significant moment in Web3 gaming.
Portal’s debut was heralded by a much-anticipated airdrop, rewarding early supporters and stakers on Binance with PORTAL tokens. With a circulating supply of over 167 million tokens out of a billion, priced at $2.54 each, the initial response has been overwhelmingly positive despite the typical volatility new tokens face. PORTAL experienced a 24% price dip from its opening of $3.36 in just under 10 hours of trading. This is a common occurrence in the volatile world of cryptocurrency.
This launch signifies the arrival of a new player in the gaming token market and highlights the community’s fervent anticipation. The airdrop campaign, which took place on Twitter late last year, allowed participants to claim their share of PORTAL tokens. Some individuals reporting thousands of dollars worth of tokens received. This has been coupled with a record-breaking engagement on Binance, where over $9 billion worth of cryptocurrencies were staked in anticipation of earning PORTAL rewards.
Epic Games Investigates Alleged Massive Data Leak
Epic Games is currently investigating claims of a hack by the nascent ransomware group Mogilevich. Allegedly, the group has gotten its hands on a staggering 189 gigabytes of sensitive data from Epic Games. The data includes emails, passwords, payment information, and source codes. The ransomware gang has put this data up for sale on the dark web, hinting at a hefty price tag.
The claim came to light when Mogilevich posted details of the hack on its darknet leak site, asserting they had “quietly carried out an attack” on Epic Games’ servers. However, Epic Games has countered these allegations, stating there’s no evidence to support the legitimacy of these claims. According to an Epic Games spokesperson, the company launched an investigation immediately upon hearing the rumors but found no proof of a breach. Moreover, Mogilevich has not directly contacted Epic Games or provided tangible evidence of the hack.
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