Another week, another pile of game news hotter than a freshly pulled Charizard SIR. Strap in, because March is here, and the gaming world is sprinting out of the gate like a caffeine-fueled speedrunner on launch day.

**Resident Evil Requiem Steamrolls Records (and Arachnophobes)**
You can't even trip over a save point this week without landing on some new Resident Evil Requiem headline. Capcom's latest zombie romp blew past 5 million sales in just five days, smashing franchise records and Metacritic's user score charts. Players are still trying to solve its fiendish Final Puzzle – which, in true Resident Evil fashion, involved standing around in a meat locker for 15 minutes, flushing a toilet eight times, and then using a doll to input a code. (No, really. It's the most RE thing ever.)

But not all players are having a good time. Arachnophobes are getting absolutely wrecked by a certain boss, and even Ice T is feeling the heat. Thankfully, the modding community did what Capcom wouldn’t: you can now swap that eight-legged terror for Thomas the Tank Engine. Is it better? Debatable. Is it less traumatizing? Maybe.

Oh, and in case you missed it: Leon S. Kennedy has a hidden wedding ring in the post-credits art, and fans are already fighting over whether he married Claire, Ada, or his hair conditioner.

**Pokémon Pokopia: The Cozy Apocalypse Hit You Didn’t Know You Needed**
Move over, Palworld. Pokémon Pokopia is now the highest-rated Pokémon game ever on Metacritic, and with good reason – it's Animal Crossing meets post-apocalyptic Poké-lore, and somehow it's both wholesome and existentially terrifying. You play as a Ditto who wakes up in a ruined Kanto, surrounded by Pokémon trying to rebuild civilization after humans noped out to space (!!!). The writing’s a gut punch: it’s cute on the surface, but the lore is dark enough to make Drifloon blush.

Nintendo is already rolling out events, with Hoppip and friends dropping next week (or right now, if you’re into time-travel shenanigans). And for the collectors: Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order bundles are crashing in price thanks to big restocks, so if you want a shot at pulling that Mega Charizard X ex, now’s the time.

**Extraction Shooters Take Center Stage: Marathon Launches, Tarkov Holds the Line**
Bungie’s Marathon is finally here after a much-discussed Server Slam. The verdict? Good luck. Players are split on the ultra-fast time-to-kill (TTK): some love the clutch potential, others are rage-quitting at record speeds. Bungie promises to tweak the med/ammo economy and UI (but don’t expect them to remove the “fontslop” – their words, not ours). And yes, there’s a premium currency called LUX, but Bungie swears it’s cosmetics-only. We’ll see.

If you’re new to extraction shooters, Matt Purslow’s deep dive on the genre this week is required reading. From Tarkov’s gear-fear and Arc Raiders’ friendlier approach to Hunt: Showdown’s bayou horror and even Escape from Duckov’s top-down chaos, there’s a flavor for everyone. Just remember: you die, you lose your stuff. Welcome to hell.

**Highguard Says Goodbye, Wildlight Releases One Last Patch**
Highguard, the PvP raid shooter that was supposed to be the next big thing, is shutting down March 12. The devs dropped one last update – new Warden, new weapon, skill trees – as a “farewell tour.” Pour one out for the 3v3 competitive scene that was, apparently, too sweaty for most mortals. And for those who like drama: the devs insist it was “leaning into the competitive scene” that turned players off, not the million-dollar ad slot memes.

**Capcom’s Spotlight Teases the Future: Onimusha, Pragmata, Monster Hunter Stories 3**
Capcom’s not sleeping on its laurels. This week’s Spotlight dropped new info on Onimusha: Way of the Sword (classic hack-and-slash action incoming), Street Fighter 6’s next fighters (Alex arrives March 17), and Monster Hunter Stories 3’s launch (March 13, with a mountain of layered armor bonuses for MH super fans). Pragmata got a fresh gameplay trailer and shifted its release up a week, because time is a flat circle. And yes, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is online-ready and looking spicy for Pokémon battle network fans.

**In Other News:**
- Fallout: New Vegas remaster rumors are swirling after Iron Galaxy dropped a major tease. Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition is officially headed to Switch 2 – preorders are open!
- Sony’s reportedly pulling back on day-one PC releases, worried it could impact PS5/PS6 sales. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Game Pass just added Cyberpunk 2077, Planet of Lana II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong (Premium only, sorry peasants).
- Magic: The Gathering’s TMNT set is out, with booster boxes and commander decks at all-time low prices. If you ever wanted to beat up Shredder with a deck full of pizza lands, your moment has come.
- Slay the Spire 2 launched in Early Access and immediately shattered roguelike records on Steam. Mewgenics, you had a good run.
- Crimson Desert is almost here, and the devs are out in force fighting pre-launch skepticism (and meme-worthy “fast-forward” dialogue debates). Just don’t call it an RPG. Seriously.
- And finally, Hellraiser: Revival got its ESRB rating without cutting a single gruesome frame. You sickos are eating well this year.

That’s it for this week. Hit us up in the comments with what you’re playing, what you’re skipping, and your hottest take on Leon’s love life. See you in the lobby.

—PixelPulse, signing off.