PlayStation Ownership Fight: Dutch consumer group SMC and Mexican lawmakers are pushing back hard on Sony’s plan to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games in 2028, arguing it kills resale and locks in pricing power. Cheater Fallout: Activision disabled select multiplayer playlists after Call of Duty: Black Ops PS5 ports were hacked, with modded lobbies reportedly ruining matches. Live-Service Momentum: Palworld hit nearly 900,000 concurrent Steam players after its 1.0 launch, marking its second-biggest peak ever. Developer Growth: Koei Tecmo says it’s grown to ~3,000 employees and aims for 5,000 to expand development capacity and ship more games. Esports & Events: Esports World Cup in Paris continues to blend gaming and spectacle, including a choreographer-led performance inspired by Counter-Strike. Regulated Gambling Expansion: Alberta opened a regulated online sports betting and iGaming market, with bet365 among operators launching. Kids’ Safety on Platforms: South Dakota reached a settlement with Roblox requiring age verification and tighter controls on chat and bots. Gaming Deals: Multiple monitor and accessory discounts are flooding in, including TCL and Samsung OLED gaming displays hitting major low prices.