We’re about to enter the Ship of Theseus part of Nintendo. The winter gaming showcase season is about to start. And is there any approach to forestall Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks at launch? It’s one other version of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture. We’re one step nearer to lopping off the “Morning” half because it retains arriving so late. However hey, it’s a snow day within the Mid-Atlantic. Regardless of the winter wonderland outdoors, my children determined to get obsessive about Kingdoms: Two Crowns this weekend. Now as an alternative of constructing a snowman themselves, they preserve trying round for poor villagers who they will pay to take action as an alternative.
Extra Nintendo veterans are leaving
紺野さんの退職が話題になり始めた‥
時代を作った人たちが任天堂から離れていく‥。 https://t.co/5YMnx5w5vv— 今村孝矢 / Takaya Imamura (@ima_1966) January 24, 2026
Hideki Konno, who’s been on the Mario maker for many years and labored on video games starting from Sim Metropolis for the SNES to Mario Kart 8, left the corporate final summer season. Game*Spark reports that the developer really signaled the information on the time with an replace to his Fb web page standing however followers have solely been noticing this month. “Talk of Konno-san’s resignation is starting to buzz…” wrote one other ex-Nintendo veteran, Takaya Imamura, on X. “The people who shaped an era are leaving Nintendo one by one…”
Ubisoft is seeking to reduce 200 extra jobs from its Paris headquarters
The transfer was introduced internally at the moment and impacts folks throughout advertising and marketing, admin, design, and extra from the writer’s head workplace, which amongst different issues has previously helped information recreation design selections. “At this stage, this remains a proposal, and no decision will be final until a collective agreement is reached with employee representatives and validated by French authorities,” the corporate stated in an announcement. “The proposal applies exclusively to Ubisoft International employees under French contracts and has no impact on other French entities or Ubisoft teams worldwide.”
The following Nintendo Direct is devoted to Tomodachi Life: Dwelling the Dream
Be a part of us on Jan 29 at 6am PT for the #TomodachiLife: Dwelling the Dream Direct! The presentation will final roughly 20 minutes and supply extra information on the upcoming Nintendo Swap recreation. #NintendoDirect
Watch right here: https://t.co/COS9STbtoB pic.twitter.com/ZdsEQpHTFD
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 26, 2026
The life sim, arriving greater than a decade after the 3DS recreation, might be the final massive unique to land on the OG Swap. Nintendo will dive deeper into the quirky launch deliberate for the primary half of 2026 in a 20-minute livestream on January 29 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Blizzard stated maintain my beer and simply introduced 4 February showcases
A “series of developer-led spotlights” can have bulletins for what’s coming forward in 2026. There’s World of Warcraft – State of Azeroth on January 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET, Overwatch Highlight on February 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET, Hearthstone Highlight on February 9 at 12:30 p.m. ET, and Diablo thirtieth Anniversary Highlight on February 11 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Additionally perhaps a PS5 State of Play
That one’s not official however it comes straight from the mouth of leak whisperer NateTheHate.
An insider claims Grand Theft Auto 6 may launch and not using a bodily model to keep away from leaks
VGC reports that Graczdari, of Polish web site PPE.pl, is “hearing more and more that the physical version won’t be released simultaneously with the digital version to prevent leaks.” This particular person has beforehand leaked particulars on the bodily model of Oblivion Remastered, so it’s potential there’s one thing to this rumor. And seeing as how each recreation that does have a bodily launch lately does seem to finish up leaking early, I wouldn’t put it previous Rockstar to strive a distinct strategy.
On the identical time, GTA 6 is the one recreation that may deliver random folks in off the road asking for a bodily copy, so I’m skeptical that combating leaks, which gained’t harm the sport’s hype within the slightest, is sufficient of a motive to probably endanger these gross sales.
Now you can play Tremendous Monkey Ball inside your internet browser
It’s actually that straightforward. Not regularly falling to your demise? Effectively, that’s one other matter.
ICYMI:
Watch this:
