Kingdom Hearts Hits $1B, Call of Duty MW4 Beta Features Campaign, Pokémon Pokopia Sells 5M - Aug 14 2026

Key points

• •The Kingdom Hearts franchise has surpassed $1 billion in revenue, solidifying its status as a major Disney-owned video game property and building anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 4 ahead of the D23 2026 event.[IGN]
• •Super Mario Bros speedrunning is witnessing historic achievements as elite players close in on near-perfect runs, with one player setting a world record just four frames away from perfection, highlighting the game's enduring competitive scene.[GamesRadar+][Polygon]
• •Nintendo is expanding its Fire Emblem series with new characters revealed for the Fortune’s Weave Cai route, while also enhancing classic Zelda titles like Minish Cap and A Link to the Past with new 3DS ports that feature improved performance and added content.[Siliconera][Polygon]
• •Old School RuneScape, marking 13 years since its inception, is setting new subscriber records, demonstrating sustained player engagement in longstanding MMORPGs.[PC Gamer]
• •Rockstar Games is boosting its GTA Online roleplay with NoPixel V's exclusive closed beta launching in September, preparing the community and keeping momentum before the highly anticipated GTA 6 release.[GamesRadar+]
• •Indie publisher TinyBuild announced strong sales success with 300,000 copies sold in the first week for its latest game on Steam, while actively combating key reselling practices by canceling hundreds of scalped keys.[GamesRadar+]
• •The upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta includes for the first time a single-player campaign mission alongside Warzone and multiplayer modes, providing players with a comprehensive pre-release testing opportunity this August.[IGN][Polygon]
• •Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, a 2024 action-adventure game, has become more accessible by launching on PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, broadening its reach to new audiences on console platforms.[Polygon]
• •High On Life, noted for its imaginative alien gun combat, is expanding into VR with an upcoming 2027 release on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, and SteamVR, promising an immersive experience for fans of quirky shooters.[GameSpot]
• •Pokémon Pokopia has sold over 5 million copies globally within just over four months on Switch 2, indicating that roughly one in four owners of the platform now have the game, underscoring its massive popularity.[Eurogamer]

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