Aug 13, 2026 · Gaming & Entertainment Daily Digest
Daily gaming and entertainment highlights for Aug 13, 2026, with summaries, links, and commentary.
I. Big Publishers & Products
1. Amazon exits Western MMO ops as NCSoft takes TL in-house and Smilegate inherits Lost Ark (Retreat)
Summary:
NCSoft said on Aug 13 it will bring global operations of MMORPG Throne and Liberty in-house by year-end, ending its Western publishing partnership with Amazon Game Studios to tighten the link between development and live ops. After the switch, Purple, Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox players are to sit in one global environment, with characters, progress, inventory, and Lucent preserved. Amazon separately said Western Lost Ark live ops will move to developer Smilegate in early 2027; Steam accounts and characters migrate by default, but mail, friend-list notes, and chat history will not, and players may opt out. With New World already set to shut on Jan 31, 2027, Amazon will no longer operate any MMO directly.
Links:
- Digital Today — NCSoft to shift TL global service in-house
- Wccftech — Amazon Game Studios exits MMO operations
Commentary:
Handing Western live ops back to the original studios shows Amazon Games is reallocating chips from long-horizon MMOs toward Tomb Raider, 007, and Luna.
2. Phantom Blade Zero hits Steam's global top sellers a day after pre-orders; Black Myth: Wukong returns on first 30% off (China 3A)
Summary:
S-GAME's Phantom Blade Zero, which opened pre-orders on Aug 12, reached No. 1 on Steam's global bestsellers on Aug 13 and also led China mainland and Hong Kong charts. Wishlists topped 1.62 million before launch—first among 2026 Steam wishlists, more than half from overseas. Standard is CNY 268 and Deluxe CNY 328, with pre-order floors of CNY 219 / 268; worldwide release remains Oct 29. The same day, Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong took its first 30% discount (prior peak 25%) and climbed back to about No. 9 globally and No. 5 in China; the 2024 launch sold more than 20 million copies in its first month.
Links:
- Inven Global — Phantom Blade Zero hits Steam #1, Wukong discount surge
- ZOL — Phantom Blade Zero pre-orders top Steam global chart
Commentary:
Pre-order chart heat and a catalogue discount on the same day let China's action 3A occupy Steam with both the next window and the last breakout's tail.
3. Super Mario Sunshine joins Switch 2's NSO GameCube library; soundtrack lands on Nintendo Music (Rerelease)
Summary:
On Aug 13 Nintendo added the 2002 GameCube title Super Mario Sunshine to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's Nintendo Classics library, playable on Switch 2 with the paid Expansion Pack. The game previously shipped in the now-delisted Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. The same day, a 58-track soundtrack by Koji Kondo and Shinobu Tanaka—about 1 hour 34 minutes—arrived on Nintendo Music for NSO members. The GameCube online library already includes The Wind Waker and Luigi's Mansion.
Links:
- Nintendo — Super Mario Sunshine joins NSO Expansion Pack
- The Verge — Sunshine added to Switch Online GameCube library
Commentary:
Putting a delisted compilation's Sunshine back into a subscription catalog is Switch 2's standard move to recoup classic IP through service fees.
4. Madden NFL 27 unlocks worldwide on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC (Launch)
Summary:
EA Sports' Madden NFL 27 unlocked worldwide on Aug 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with the calendar date rolling to Aug 14 in parts of Asia. MVP+ members had seven-day early access from Aug 6; Deluxe / MVP Bundle owners got three-day early access from Aug 10. Standard Edition players now enter the full season. Cover athlete is Caleb Williams; the companion app is targeted for Aug 24.
Links:
Commentary:
Pulling Switch 2 into the day-and-date sports sim matrix shows simultaneous console launches are now the default, not a concession.
5. CD Projekt confirms nine layoffs on Witcher multiplayer Project Sirius, nine more moving internally (Staffing)
Summary:
CD Projekt confirmed to press that multiplayer Witcher spin-off Project Sirius is cutting nine staff—four in Boston and five in Warsaw—while nine others were invited to internal recruitment for other CD Projekt Red projects. The studio said it "adjusted the size of the Sirius team to reflect the project's needs at this stage." A May filing put Sirius at about 83 people, so a sizable team remains; there is no cancellation announcement. The Molasses Flood title was already rebooted and cut in 2023 and still has no public name or date. CDPR continues work on The Witcher 4, a Cyberpunk sequel, and other slate items.
Links:
Commentary:
The multiplayer Witcher is still alive, but headcount now follows "stage needs"—live-service ambition is yielding the road to the single-player mains.
6. Embracer Q1 sales rebound; Darksiders 4, next Kingdom Come, and Tomb Raider Catalyst slotted for FY2027/28 (Earnings)
Summary:
Embracer Group reported Q1 FY2026/27 (April–June) net sales of about SEK 3.94 billion ($411 million), up roughly 24% year on year, and a net profit of about SEK 39 million ($4.07 million) after a year-ago loss of about SEK 418 million. The company said this fiscal year is anchored by Metro 2039 and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, both expected in February 2027; Metro 2039 hit 1 million wishlists faster than any title in group history. For FY2027/28 (about April 2027–March 2028) it expects Warhorse's next Kingdom Come, Gunfire Games' Darksiders 4, and externally published Tomb Raider: Catalyst from Crystal Dynamics with Flying Wild Hog and Eidos Montréal. Fellowship Entertainment remains on a 2027 spin-off path.
Links:
- WN Hub — Embracer Q1 revenue and profit rebound
- PlayStation Universe — Darksiders 4 and next Kingdom Come in FY2027/28
Commentary:
Pinning a 2027–28 calendar before the spin-off is how a slimmed holding tells markets there is still a pipeline after the diet.
II. China & Regional
7. Valorant mobile HarmonyOS client goes live with cross-progress across Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS (Platform)
Summary:
Tencent-published, Riot-developed 5v5 tactical shooter 无畏契约：源能行动 (Valorant's official mobile title) launched on Huawei App Gallery on Aug 13. The HarmonyOS client inherits existing accounts and progress and supports cross-play matchmaking with Android and iOS. Minimum specs are cited around Snapdragon 430 / Kirin 710 / Apple A9 with 3GB RAM. The mobile title hit Android and iOS in August 2025 and ran a HarmonyOS wipe-test from June 25 to July 3. Tencent's Q2 results had named it a core driver of domestic games revenue growth.
Links:
Commentary:
Filling HarmonyOS on a hit shooter is Tencent treating three-OS coverage as a migration cost for existing users, not a new product line.
8. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit mobile launches with 50+ playable characters (New release)
Summary:
Mobile game JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit launched Aug 13 on Google Play and the App Store in multiple regions. Players can team more than 50 characters spanning Phantom Blood through Stone Ocean. Launch campaigns include a special SSR Jotaro Kujo summon, a Stardust Crusaders story event, and login rewards; pre-registration milestones include SR Joseph Joestar. Publisher is Beijing-based Wanda Cinemas Games, previously behind Saint Seiya: Legend of Justice. The Steel Ball Run anime's second cour is slated for weekly streaming in fall 2026.
Links:
Commentary:
Long-running shonen IP still opens with an all-era gacha pool, tying the anime calendar to the same launch week as the mobile client.
III. Streaming & Platforms
9. Helldivers 2 hits PS Plus Extra/Premium as Devoid of Liberty update lifts the level cap (Subscription)
Summary:
Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 joined the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalogues on Aug 13 worldwide. Patch 7.0 "Devoid of Liberty," which shipped the day before, adds void-zone missions, new Illuminate enemies, a level cap of 300, and SEAF soldier backup on missions. Later August PS Plus drops include Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Vampire Survivors on Aug 18, plus Hell is Us and Two Point Museum in some regions on Aug 25; Premium also adds Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams and the PS1 Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Links:
- GamingBolt — Helldivers 2 now on PS Plus Extra/Premium
- ScreenHub — PlayStation Plus August catalogue
Commentary:
Dropping a 2024 hit into the subscription pool on a major-patch day is the console-maker's usual way to paper a quiet first-party window with catalogue scale.
IV. Esports
10. TI 2026 Swiss stage opens in Shanghai; defending champion Falcons hint at a post-event split (Tournament)
Summary:
Dota 2's The International 2026 opened Aug 13 in Shanghai with 16 teams in a Swiss stage through Aug 16; the final eight move to the Oriental Sports Center main event Aug 20–23. The base prize pool is about $1.6 million, with Compendium sales still able to add on. Defending champion Team Falcons support Andreas "Cr1t-" Nielsen told the official broadcast that TI 2026 is "probably gonna be the last tournament for this roster together"; the five have played as a unit since November 2023 across three TIs. LGD is competing with Topson after PGL banned mid laner TaiLung; Team Liquid beat Vici Gaming 2-0 on opening day.
Links:
- GosuGamers — Cr1t says TI 2026 may be Falcons' last tournament together
- DLTV — Team Liquid 2-0 Vici Gaming, TI 2026
Commentary:
Putting a likely roster breakup into the opening-day broadcast means TI's story starts with a farewell as much as a trophy.
11. Esports World Cup CS2 group play continues in Paris with 32 teams and a $2M pool (Tournament)
Summary:
The Esports World Cup 2026 Counter-Strike 2 event entered day two of groups on Aug 13 in Paris, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with the final day at Accor Arena and the tournament running through Aug 23. Thirty-two teams are competing for a $2 million prize pool. Defending champion The MongolZ remains in the field alongside Falcons, Spirit, Vitality, FURIA, Aurora, and others. Thursday's slate covered Group A/B upper- and lower-bracket best-of-three series, with live brackets on HLTV and Dot Esports.
Links:
Commentary:
Shanghai's TI and Paris's EWC on the same Thursday turn the summer calendar into a two-arena, two-timezone world-championship week.
Today's Summary
- Amazon is handing Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark back to their original studios, retreating from Western MMO live ops.
- Phantom Blade Zero's day-two Steam No. 1 sat alongside a Wukong discount rebound, Super Mario Sunshine's NSO return, and Madden NFL 27's worldwide unlock.
- Embracer used a Q1 return to profit and a 2027–28 slate (Metro, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, Kingdom Come) to stock the spin-off story, while CDPR kept trimming the multiplayer Witcher "to stage needs."
- TI 2026 opened in Shanghai as EWC CS2 continued in Paris, putting two world championships on the same summer Thursday.
Daily Framing:
Aug 13 was a "publisher retreat + China 3A pre-order payoff + dual world championships" day—live-ops MMOs went home to their developers, storefronts filled with pre-orders and rereleases, and Shanghai plus Paris lit up at once.
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