Another week, another batch of gaming industry shake-ups. Some projects are gaining momentum (Sifu movie, anyone?), while others are getting hit with the financial axe (Yakuza creator’s new action game). Whether it’s big corporations making bold moves or beloved franchises teasing returns, there’s plenty to unpack. So, let’s jump in.
Netflix Joins Sifu Movie Project: Martial Arts Meets Hollywood Again
Netflix just can’t resist a video game adaptation, can it? This time, the streaming giant has jumped on board to produce a Sifu film, based on Sloclap’s hit martial arts roguelike. The project has some promising names attached—TS Nowlin (of The Maze Runner) is writing the script, and Chad Stahelski (John Wick) is producing. That alone suggests that, at the very least, the fight choreography should be top-notch.
But let’s be real: Netflix’s track record with game adaptations is hit or miss. For every Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there’s a Resident Evil series disaster lurking around the corner. If Sifu retains the gritty, no-nonsense action of the game and avoids over-explaining its simple yet effective revenge plot, we might just get a martial arts flick worth watching. Fingers crossed they don’t turn it into another generic action movie with excessive CGI.
Avowed Was Almost ‘Multiplayer Skyrim’ Before a Reboot
Obsidian really dodged a bullet with this one. Before Avowed became the narrative-driven RPG we know today, it was originally pitched as an MMO-style “Multiplayer Skyrim.” Now, don’t get me wrong, multiplayer RPGs have their place, but we’ve seen what happens when studios try to chase the Destiny-style live-service dream (cough Anthem cough).
Luckily, the team had a moment of clarity and pivoted back to a single-player focus. Now, Avowed is shaping up to be an open-world RPG in the vein of The Outer Worlds, with a structured zone-based approach instead of a vast, unwieldy map. Will it be the Skyrim successor fans crave? Hard to say. But at least it’s no longer shackled to a multiplayer framework that likely would have stretched resources thin and delayed the project into oblivion (pun intended).
If you want to try Avoved it is on Game Pass, or you can buy it from its Steam Page
NetEase Cuts Back: What This Means for the Yakuza Creator’s New Game
Well, this is awkward. NetEase, the Chinese gaming giant that poached Toshihiro Nagoshi from Sega, is now reportedly scaling back its investment in Japanese game development. That means Nagoshi’s new open-world action game—the spiritual successor to Yakuza—might not get the marketing push it deserves.
Bloomberg reports that NetEase is cutting funding for multiple projects and won’t be providing additional marketing support, which, if true, is a death sentence for any game trying to make a splash in the modern market. Even the best games can flop without proper promotion. So while Nagoshi’s team might get to finish their project, don’t be surprised if it launches with little fanfare.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Countdown: Remaster or a New Game?
Could we finally be getting a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster? The official THPS website has a mysterious countdown ticking down to March 4, 2025, and fans are buzzing with speculation.
After the successful THPS 1 + 2 remake, it makes perfect sense for Activision to keep riding the nostalgia wave. But there’s also a chance this is something entirely new. The franchise has been dormant for years, and considering Tony Hawk himself has hinted at future plans, this could be the long-awaited return of THPS in a proper new installment. Either way, we’re all watching that countdown with bated breath.
RenegadeCon 2025’s New Board Games: Some Surprises, Some Repeats
Board game fans had plenty to chew on during RenegadeCon 2025. Some highlights:
- Monsters Menace The World – A King of Tokyo-style game where you play as city-destroying monsters.
- Risk: GI Joe Special Missions – A twist on Risk that emphasizes completing objectives instead of world domination.
- Sentient (Revised Edition) – A fresh take on the 2017 game about AI companies vying for dominance.
- Skara Brae – A survival game set in ancient Scotland.
- The Anarchy – A medieval strategy game set in post-Henry I England.
On the tabletop RPG side, World of Darkness fans have more Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf content coming, and a Transformers One RPG expansion is on the way. Some of these releases sound promising, while others feel like more of the same. But hey, at least board game fans aren’t starved for options.
If you want to check out RenegadeCon 2025
Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti: ‘Rare’ Manufacturing Issues
Buying a high-end GPU is already stressful enough—now Nvidia’s making it even harder. Reports confirmed that a small batch of RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti cards were shipped with fewer render units than advertised. Nvidia says it only affects 0.5% of units and promises replacements, but it’s not exactly reassuring when you’re dropping a small fortune on top-tier hardware.
This comes on top of other Nvidia headaches, including melting power connectors and driver bugs. While this particular issue won’t ruin the performance of most affected cards, it’s yet another reminder that even premium hardware isn’t immune to manufacturing hiccups.
