Welcome back, gamers, to another round of PixelPulse’s Weekly Recap—the only gaming news roundup with more drama than a Ready or Not Steam thread. We’re knee-deep in July, and the industry is heating up faster than a Switch 2 OLED on release day. So crack open a cold can of Dew, snuggle your Amiibo, and let’s break it all down:



**Donkey Kong Bananza Review Bombs the Competition**

Donkey Kong Bananza finally dropped on Switch 2, and folks, it’s a straight-up *banger*. Nintendo’s 3D platformer is getting love from reviewers who’ve been starved for a real successor to Mario Odyssey. Our own review called it “a brilliant successor” and “one of the best 3D platformers ever.” Pauline’s here, there’s destructible terrain, and, yes, you can punch so many things they might as well call DK ‘Demo Kong.’

Nintendo also pulled back the curtain on development, showing what Bananza would have looked like on the original Switch—spoiler: it’s like eating a banana with the peel on. Switch 2’s beefier specs mean more stuff to break and smoother framerates (mostly—there are a few drops, but Nintendo says “fun and playability” come first). And the new DK and Pauline voice actors are officially confirmed, so pour one out for the old guard.

As if that wasn’t enough, Nintendo quietly filed a copyright for an “Untitled Donkey Kong Motion Picture.” Cinematic Universe, here we come. DK is about to have more lore than Kingdom Hearts.

**Subnautica 2: Now with 250 Million Reasons to Lawyer Up**

If you like your underwater exploration with a side of corporate intrigue, Subnautica 2 is serving Gordon Ramsay levels of spice. Krafton confirmed a major internal document leak showing the publisher wasn’t happy with the sequel’s progress, and the old leadership claims they were turfed to dodge a $250M bonus payout. Lawsuits are flying, development is delayed, and fans are left wondering if we’ll see the game before the ice caps melt. This is peak “AAA publisher vs. devs” content—someone pass the popcorn.

**RoboCop and Cyberpunk 2077 Keep Night City Lawless (and Updated)**

RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business dropped, giving players more of that slow, crunchy justice we all secretly crave. It’s a fun 10-hour expansion, though don’t expect wild innovation (unless your wildest dreams involve shooting more goons through concrete). Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.3 update brings new cars, photo mode upgrades, and AutoDrive. Switch 2 players will have to wait a touch longer, but hey, at least CD Projekt didn’t drop another launch-day disaster. Small victories.

**Ready or Not Devs Censor—Then Get Modded Uncensored in 20 Minutes**

VOID Interactive updated Ready or Not, toning down violence and nudity for console release. Players revolted, Steam reviews tanked, and—get this—a modder undid the changes in less time than it takes to get spawn-camped. The mod scene remains undefeated, and VOID’s PR team is probably binge-watching “How to Lose a Fanbase in 10 Days.”

**Switch 2 Hype: Demos, Invites, and Sonic Racing Drama**

Switch 2 invites are open again on Amazon, so get clicking if you want a shot at the Mario Kart World bundle. Meanwhile, Sega confirmed Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will actually come on a real cartridge, not just a Game-Key Card sticker scam. (Looking at you, Square Enix, with your Dragon Quest 1 & 2 upgrade shenanigans. No save transfer? In 2025?)

**TCG Collectors: Scalpers, Preorders, and the Summer of Suffering**

Pokémon TCG’s Black Bolt and White Flare sets are here, and so are the scalpers. Amazon relisted Destined Rivals ETBs with a lovely 78% markup. Best Buy’s Mega Evolution preorders are live, and sealed product is disappearing faster than the last PS5 at a Walmart Black Friday. Magic: The Gathering’s Sonic Secret Lair went live and—shocker—sold out instantly, with eBay sellers already upcharging. Welcome to cardboard capitalism, folks.

**Other Notables: Game Pass, Sales, and Board Game Buzz**

- Xbox Game Pass’s July Wave 2 includes Grounded 2 (Game Preview), Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, RoboCop: Rogue City, and more. Your backlog just cried.
- Civilization VI Platinum Edition is free on Epic Games Store. That’s the kind of 4X value you only see once a decade.
- Bomb Busters won Germany’s Spiel des Jahres Board Game of the Year, then promptly sold out everywhere. Scalpers, assemble!
- Julian LeFay, “Father of The Elder Scrolls,” is stepping back from dev due to cancer—an absolute legend in the RPG world. All our best, Julian.

**Quick Hits:**
- Minecraft added the viral Lava Chicken song from the movie via Easter egg (hunt that Chicken Jockey!), because apparently we can’t have nice things without them becoming memes.
- Roblox is letting creators license Like a Dragon and Netflix IPs, and is also rolling out AI-based age verification. The future is weird.
- Warhammer 40,000 fans are in a lore tizzy over Black Library teases—a new book might actually move the story forward… or not. Place your bets.

That’s it for this week, gamers. If you’re not already broke from buying ETBs and preordering Switch 2, you’re not trying hard enough. Now excuse me while I go punch holes in my carpet pretending to be DK. Stay snarky, stay informed, and don’t forget to request those Switch 2 invites before the bots do.

—PixelPulse, out.