Xbox and its Asian division gets the spotlight in this week’s gaming newsletter, along with other news & surprises.

The Big Picture

Despite the current Xbox regime being relegated to being a third-party games company that happens to have its own console, the company is doing great when it leaves a few of its divisions to their own devices. Such is the case of the Xbox Southeast Asian side, whose goal is to support willing game developers while also acquiring games for the Game Pass ecosystem on a surface level. 

With its current path of working closely with Asian and Southeast Asian indie game developers, some even being literal one-man shows, the group has been one of the major players in growing the SEA scene as a whole. Let’s hope its US parent does not meddle in what already seems like a surefire thing that benefits game developers, publishers, console makers, content creators, and consumers in the region.

Short Beats

Xbox published its Xbox Asia Developer Session featuring a slew of upcoming indie games made in Southeast Asia and Korea: Kriegsfront Tactics, Nightmare Circus, 13Z: Zodiac Trials, Vapor World, and Agni: Village of Calamity. 

The Asian International Arbitration Centre is hosting a Malaysian Esports: Legal Barriers, Complexitities, and Opportunities talk on 17 April 2025. Details are here.

The BAFTA Game Awards 2025 has concluded, with Astro Bot winning the most awards. The Chinese Room’s adventure game Still Wakes the Deep secured three awards, while multiplayer player-versus-enemy shooter Helldivers 2 won two awards. 

SNK showed off more Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves gameplay and development news via an EVO special livestream. Producer Yasuyuki Oda said that the game will feature 3 year’s worth of character DLC post-launch, bringing back all of the series’ characters in the upcoming fighter. 

Indie title World of Goo 2 will be out for PC (Steam) on 25 April. 

HBO’s The Last of Us has been renewed for a third season. 

A new developer, Sirius Studio, has been announced and is based in Tokyo. The new company will include former SIE Japan Studio producer Teruyuki Toriyama. 

A Minecraft Movie sequel has been greenlit, following the box office success of the first movie, earning US$301 million on its opening weekend. 

Action RPG Diablo 4 now has a roadmap for 2025 and 2026; the game’s next expansion is only due for 2026. 

Sega’s Sonic Rumbles multiplayer party game is coming out for PC, iOS, and Android platforms this May. 

PlayStation has increased the price of PlayStation Plus subscription service starting 16 April. 

Capcom has announced that Elena, the next Street Fighter 6 character, will be out on 5th June. 

Op-Eds

We interviewed Xbox Southeast Asia’s Strategic Markets lead Jun Shen Chia about the future of indie games and the Xbox Asia Developer sessions.

Games Out This Week

Blue Prince is a new PC adventure title where you navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers, in your quest to find the elusive Room 46. 

Crashlands 2 is a new survival action role-playing game from developer Butterscotch Shenanigans. Slap your way across a vibrant world where interstellar friendships are the key to your survival. Befriend eccentric aliens, craft bizarre weaponry, and stick it to the man

Monaco 2 is a multiplayer stealth action game using an isometric viewpoint and featuring stylish aesthetics. Get your crew back together for the ultimate heist experience! Return to Monaco, plan your operation, and skedaddle when things inevitably go awry in this co-op heist game.

Promise Mascot Agency is part adventure, part simulation, and an all-zany experience from Kaizen Game Works, the makers of Paradise Killer a few years back. You play a yakuza who has to earn back the money he lost by helping out a mascot agency get back on its feet, while also dealing with oddball scenarios along the way. 

Recommended Viewing

The full BAFTA Game Awards 2025 livestream is available here. Check it out to see a great awards show that highlights the best and most deserving in the games industry. 

Check out the highlights of the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Evo showcase here, featuring guest characters like Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvadore Ganacci’s move sets used in full effect by tournament-level players.