Are we about to get a surprise Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC? Will an upcoming PlayStation State of Play spill the beans on Santa Monica Studio’s new not-God of War game? And are we entering a new era of MP3 player love? It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint for April 15, 2026, where we are doing our best not to dress like gaming execs at E3 2012.
If you’re wondering why the economic vibes feel so miserable right now, including in the world of gaming, a new study goes in-depth on how perceived price increases are the number one mood-killer for consumer confidence. Hence why the current console generation can feel like such a crisis despite the truckloads of top-notch games released every year. Hell, great games are being given away for free every other week.
Graveyard Keeper 2 just breached Steam’s top100 most wishlisted games
Currently at 450k wishlists
It was announced last Thursday https://t.co/671iw9XHv6 pic.twitter.com/fHkpO66w26
— Alex Nichiporchik (@aNichiporchik) April 14, 2026
Anbernic expands from handhelds into other retro knickknacks
The Anbernic RG Rotate, which I just discovered thanks to Gamesradar hardware editor Phil Hayton, looks delightfully unnecessary. It’s a low-spec device with a display screen that can function as an MP3 player or a game emulator but mostly just looks like it exists to be a portable emblem of early 2000s gadget nostalgia.
What if a Game Boy Advance was actually a primitive sliding phone? That’s the question the designers of the Anbernic RG Rotate appear to be answering. Instead of a mini-keyboard, you get a D-pad and some face buttons. For some reason there’s no headphone jack. Hopefully it won’t be super expensive.
If not, it could give Nintendo a run for its money when it comes to the coolest retro gadget of 2026. The Game Boy that’s actually a $70 MP3 player that only plays chiptune Pokémon music is a reminder of how close the Mario maker is to making actually cool lifestyle gadgets that aren’t just overpriced whimsical curios like its Talking Flower and motion-sensing Alarmo clock.
2025’s biggest flop is still chugging along like nothing happened
Developer Build a Rocket Boy previewed its upcoming content drop for MindsEye which will add a new Blacklist mission, multiplayer races, and an editor for building your own race tracks. There’s no release dates for any of it yet but the studio is celebrating being unshackled from its previous publisher, Hitman maker IO Interactive.
“Build A Rocket Boy is now self-publishing MindsEye,” the studio wrote. “This gives us more direct control over the game and how we communicate. We can move faster, respond more quickly, and you will hear things from us first.”
The God of War Faye spin-off could play with multiple mythologies
That’s according to a report by MP1st, which is responding to older rumors. It claims “East-Asian mythologies” will be part of of the game, including legends from China and Japan. The game is rumored to be close to getting an official announcement, potentially at an April or May Sony showcase.
The He-Man retro beat ’em up has been delayed
Limited Run Games announced that He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction won’t be arriving in May after all but rather release digitally “this summer” on console and PC. The company didn’t explain the reason for the delay beyond more development time being needed. The live action He-Man movie arrives on June 5.
The newest Hades 2 update makes getting one NPC to fall in love with you easier
VGC reports that the buff is specifically for romancing Icarus, one of the more notoriously difficult characters to have a relationship with in the action-RPG. Players can also given NPCs bath salts earlier in the game to up their romantic chances.
A 12GB update has Dragon’s Dogma 2 fans’ attention
The update file size was spotted on Steam’s backend and comes after recent anniversary game art hinted at new armor, characters, and locations. While the game’s director left around the time of the RPG’s 2023 launch, a major DLC expansion is what players are expecting after Dark Arisen did so much to rescue the original Dragon’s Dogma from obscurity.
ICYMI:
- Mouse: PI For Hire was worth the wait. Read our review to find out why
- Nintendo developers put a lot of work into getting Mii farts right
- Capcom is operating on another level right now
Watch this:
Ratchet and Clank 3 can now be beaten in under 1 second
This is not a joke
Wrong Warp to Credits found by Joaof, video credit to @sakeube pic.twitter.com/M197taNIrH
— Xem (@Xemmypoo) April 14, 2026
