Game Control: A Twitch Money Laundering Scheme

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel - Fusion Potential

Console: On May 9, 2022, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel released a new update that adds numerous new cards to its archives, along with new solo modes. This update will bring the game's archive of cards closer to its real-life counterpart. One of the new card packs, Fusion Potential, provides players with different strategies for the upcoming Fusion Festival digital event. The event is a welcomed surprise for players as it allows them to grind out the gem rewards to be used to purchase more cards to improve their gameplay. Meanwhile, Master Duel’s first ban list update will flip the table on the metagame and help Master Duel sustain its success.

According to a Bloomberg report, Saudi Arabia has recently purchased 5.01% of Nintendo, making it Nintendo’s fifth-largest shareholder. The purchase was made by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a wealth fund that makes investments on behalf of the Saudi Arabian kingdom and is controlled by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. This acquisition is the latest in the PIF’s series of investments in the video game industry. In early 2022, they acquired stakes in Capcom and Nexon, and in 2020, the PIF made a $3 billion investment in the American games publishers EA, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two. Many experts believe that Saudi Arabia’s recent acquisitions in the video game industry are an effort to increase the wealth of the Saudi regime at a time when countries are beginning to move away from oil as an energy source.

Nintendo

PC: Raven Software, a development team in charge of producing content for Call of Duty under Activision Blizzard, has faced controversy. A desire for unionization came about because of Blizzard's mismanagement and poor treatment of the quality assurance staff. As a result, Raven Software subsequently entered a feud with its publisher. Despite Activision Blizzard's best efforts, Raven Software's QA team is now in the process of casting a unionization vote held by the National Labor Relations Board. Unfortunately, the latest information from Raven staff concludes that the management is still actively attempting to cultivate doubt about these unionization efforts through continuous anti-union messaging.

Activision Blizzard unveils plans to host a special Overwatch 2 event in Summer 2022. The game developer confirmed that the event will be on Thursday, June 16, but a specific time has not yet been announced. The company has asserted that it will reveal its plans for the game’s future at the event. In addition to divulging the future of Overwatch 2, Activision Blizzard has also confirmed that they will release information and updates on the next PvP beta. Numerous fans hope the event will include an announcement for the release date for Overwatch 2.

On May 17, Istanbul cybercrime units arrested 18 suspects allegedly connected to a Turkish money laundering scheme on Twitch. The suspects are accused of collaborating with Twitch streamers through a process of endorsing the streamers with money from stolen credit and debit cards. Apparently, the suspects would receive the cash in return from the streamers. Details of this scam first came to light back in 2021 when Twitch's source code leaked online. The leak revealed that certain streamers were earning far beyond what they would typically earn compared to viewer numbers.

miHoYo

Mobile: Recently, Chinese game developer miHoYo announced another title currently in development, known as Zenless Zone Zero. Capitalizing on the success of its Genshin Impact franchise, the company set to release the new IP while still producing updates for both the Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact franchises. The game showcases an urban fantasy set in a world ravaged by an unnatural force known as the Hollows. Though a release date has not yet been announced, the game’s closed beta sign-up is available.

Epic Games

VR: NASA and Epic Games recently entered a partnership to encourage the development of VR experiences set on Mars for research and testing purposes. NASA created the challenge aimed at game developers. Developers will use Unreal Engine 5 to develop their Mars projects and experiences in NASA's Mars XR Operations Support System. For the competition, NASA is seeking five unique types of creations to be evaluated. There will be a total prize of $7,000 with twenty individual rewards set before. Those wishing to participate will have eighty days to enter the challenge.

The popular VR game Blade & Sorcery has a new update now available in open beta called U11. The update is available on both Steam VR and Oculus PC. According to the developer, players diving in this early should expect the beta to be filled with bugs and break mods, but they hope to gather reports and feedback from the many changes the update brings. Changes brought about by the U11 update include an expanded magic system, improved stealth and armor systems, and a digital overhaul of the game’s graphics. An official release date for the U11 update has not yet been released but is expected to launch within the second quarter of the year.