GAMING NEWS ROUNDUP: PARALIVES KILLS PAID DLC WHILE CALL OF DUTY HEADS TO KOREA

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Paralives Swears Off Paid DLC Forever

The team behind Paralives, the upcoming life sim that's gunning for The Sims' crown, just made a bold promise in their Reddit AMA: no paid DLC. Ever.

Instead, they're planning free content updates funded by the base game purchase. It's a direct shot at EA's DLC-heavy Sims model, where you need $800+ to get the "complete" experience.

Smart move or financial suicide? Time will tell, but it's refreshing to see a studio commit to this approach upfront. If Paralives can deliver on its promises, EA might actually have to compete on value for once.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare Teases Korean Setting

Activision dropped a YouTube teaser showing Korean text and imagery, heavily suggesting the next Modern Warfare will tackle the Korean conflict.

This could be huge. Korean War games are rare in the AAA space, and Modern Warfare's realistic approach could tackle some serious historical ground. The setting offers everything Call of Duty loves: urban warfare, mountain combat, and geopolitical tension.

Just hope they handle the subject matter with the respect it deserves. Korean gamers will be watching closely.

Pokémon Cards Hit 10 Billion Prints, Still Can't Keep Up

The Pokémon Company printed 10 billion cards last year and it still wasn't enough to meet demand. That's roughly 1.3 cards for every person on Earth.

The trading card market has gone absolutely insane since the pandemic. What started as nostalgic collecting became investment speculation, driving prices through the roof. When retirement homes are running Pokémon tournaments, you know the market has reached peak weird.

The supply shortage keeps fueling the frenzy. Basic booster packs are selling for premium prices, and rare cards are hitting house-down-payment territory.

Slay The Spire 2 Gets Mixed Steam Reception

Early Steam reviews for Slay The Spire 2 are a mixed bag, but strip away the usual review bombing nonsense and it sounds like the sequel delivers.

The original Slay The Spire basically created the modern roguelike deckbuilder genre. Following up a masterpiece is never easy, especially when expectations are sky-high.

Real players seem happy with the core gameplay improvements and new mechanics. The negative noise appears to be the usual internet drama, not actual game quality issues.

Reload complete. Feed your brain.