GameBurst News - 8 Mar 2026

This week on GameBurst, the team unpacks a turbulent few days for the games industry. Sony has reportedly reversed its strategy of simultaneous PC and console releases, returning first-party titles to a period of PlayStation exclusivity — a significant shift that analysts believe is designed to shore up the platform's appeal ahead of its next hardware cycle. In sadder news, Eurogamer faces a second round of layoffs under IGN parent company Ziff Davis, with senior editors, its video team, and staff behind the popular Outside Xbox YouTube channel among those affected. Meanwhile, Bungie has launched its long-awaited extraction shooter Marathon, pledging to avoid pay-to-win mechanics and "FOMO-inducing" battle passes as it bets heavily on a live-service future. Summer Game Fest 2026 has confirmed its return in June, bringing with it the revived industry event The Game Business Live — and with GTA 6 looming on the horizon, expectations are running high. Finally, in a remarkable piece of gaming history, the US National Videogame Museum has acquired the fabled Nintendo PlayStation prototype, the failed Sony-Nintendo collaboration that inadvertently gave birth to the PlayStation brand.

In this week's Picks of the Week, Gary champions the Anglo-Saxon board game Bretwalda, Jerome highlights the indie PC title Sector Unknown and a theatrical wildcard in Phil Porter's BLINK at the King's Head Theatre, while Taylor turns their attention to the Nintendo Switch 2.

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