Week 20 2026 game industry roundup: Sony writes off $560M from Bungie, Nintendo raises Switch 2 US price to $499.99, Stop Killing Games fights age verification laws, LBPOnline shuts down before launch, Valve opens Steam Controller reservations.
Valve has opened a reservation system for the new Steam Controller starting May 8, 2026. Drawing on lessons from the Steam Deck's chaotic launch, Valve will fulfill orders sequentially — starting with US and Canada next week, followed by UK, EU, and Australia.
LBPOnline, a fan-built private server project for LittleBigPlanet 3, has collapsed before its May 4 launch after community allegations emerged that its developers were behind the original DDoS attacks that killed the game's official servers in 2024.
Stop Killing Games, the campaign pushing for legislation to keep games functional after publisher shutdowns, has broadened its advocacy to oppose mandatory age verification laws targeting online platforms and games. The campaign argues such laws are overreach disguised as child safety measures.
Nintendo has announced global price revisions across its hardware and subscription lineup. The Nintendo Switch 2 will increase from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US starting September 1, 2026, while Japan sees broader increases across the full Switch family and Nintendo Switch Online tiers effective as early as May 25, 2026.
Sony has recorded a $560 million impairment in its Q4 FY2025 results tied to its troubled Bungie acquisition. With Marathon failing to gain traction and Destiny 2 at its lowest Steam numbers ever, total Bungie-related losses for FY2025 have reached approximately $765 million.