Pickmos Publisher Pulls Steam Page Following Pokémon Rip-Off Accusations

Pokémon fans have spent weeks accusing Pickmos of being a rip-off, and now, publisher Networkgo has stepped in, starting by taking down its Steam page.

The company backing developer PocketGame took to the official Pickmos X/Twitter account to clear the air after players noticed that its Steam page was nowhere to be found. Its message was clear: "Networkgo has officially intervened in the development of PocketGame."

Networkgo says it will be "supervising" the development of Pickmos “from a player’s perspective.” The goal, as outlined in a follow-up post, is to steer away from the controversy that has plagued most conversations about the game regarding its clear Pokémon influence for the last month.

Hello players, this is the publisher, Networkgo. We’ve heard your feedback regarding the removal of our Steam store page and want to clear things up. Networkgo has officially intervened in the development of PocketGame.
We will be supervising the Pickmos team from a player’s… pic.twitter.com/ckqt4AEYUj

— Pickmos / Pickmon / ピックモス (@PickMon_EN) April 16, 2026

"We are revising the game to ensure a controversy-free experience," one message from the Pickmos account said. "It will be re-released once our publisher gives the final approval."

Conversation around Pickmos picked up in early March when players began to call out developer PocketGame not only for how it has pulled from Pokémon but also from other games, such as The Legend of Zelda, Overwatch, and even Palworld, too. Its initial reveal, which saw it announced with the name Pickmon before dropping its "N" for an "S," included plans to launch for PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch soon. With its Steam page now, at least temporarily, shuttered, it’s unclear when or where Pickmos will arrive, or what it will even look like.

Meanwhile, Pickmos has also been under fire for what many believe is "stolen art." The design in question involves a piece created by X user @ElpsyFake01, which depicted concept art for an alternate Mega evolution for the Pokémon Meganium.

"Hello, I am an editor from the publisher, and we are currently gathering some information," Networkgo said regarding the allegations. "We will be actively reaching out to @ElpsyFake01."

For now, there is no word on how Pickmos will evolve to dodge any future controversy. For more on creature-collecting in video games, you can read about Nintendo's recently rejected Pokémon patent.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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Slay the Spire 2 Review-Bombing

Recent Slay the Spire 2 Steam reviews have fallen to "Mixed" after a new update triggered a second wave of review bombing.

The sequel to developer Mega Crit's popular roguelike deckbuilder, which launched in Early Access to "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews March 5, received its first major update (version 0.103.2) yesterday. It’s a patch that introduced updated art, a range of UI and UX adjustments, tweaked writing for clarity, and more, but not everyone is pleased with the host of balance changes it added.

It’s resulted in an influx of negative reviews and, at least temporarily, left Slay the Spire 2 with the mustard-yellow Mixed recent reviews label. Unfortunately, it also appears to be something Mega Crit expected, with its patch notes beginning with a warning in bold: "This is still an Early Access game, so just because something made it from beta to main does not mean it's set in stone."

"Be sure to pay close attention when embarking on your next few runs: many things that you've grown used to have been re-balanced, reworked, or even removed (in a couple rare cases)," the Slay the Spire 2 patch notes added. "However, quite a few new pieces of content have also been added for you to dig into."

At the time of this piece’s publication, a whopping 4,800 negative reviews have been posted today alone. Steam filters show that users sharing reviews in Simplified Chinese have fallen to Mixed, with most other languages reflecting a "Very Positive" or "Overwhelmingly Positive" reception.

Running many of the more popular reviews through Google Translate reveals that players appear to be disappointed in balance changes. Some have suggested Mega Crit hastily pushed out the version 0.103.2 update without consideration for fans.

"This is no longer the Early Access title I supported financially," one user, who translated their own review, said when requesting a refund. "This is a hostile, gutted shell of what was promised. I am genuinely nauseated by every minute I have spent with this build of the game."

As you may have noticed in the graph above, this is the second time Slay the Spire 2 has faced some level of review-bombing. The first instance happened following an earlier update in March, with many of the negative reviews posted in its wake also criticizing balance changes. As pointed out by Kotaku, Steam users in China will often take to review-bombing as a result of restrictions on social media across the country. Valve’s digital storefront in turn offers a place for players to voice their frustrations.

Some users have also started leaving positive reviews not only to share their appreciation for Mega Crit’s work but to speak out against the flood of negative reviews.

"Why are we review bombing the game????" one user said during the first wave of review-bombing in March. "The balance patch is not that bad, the game is still fun, the game is in early access and you should expect many balance changes, and THE PATCH ISN'T EVEN ON THE MAIN BRANCH ITS ON THE BETA FOR TESTING. You should ignore all the recent negative reviews complaining about the balance patch."

As Slay the Spire 2 faces a string of negative reviews, player numbers on Steam seem to be holding strong. After launching to a staggering peak of 574,000 concurrent players early last month, the sequel currently has a 24-hour peak of 286,000 players (via SteamDB).

We gave Slay the Spire 2 a 9/10 review upon the arrival of its Early Access release. We said at the time that it "doesn't radically rethink the original's deckbuilding roguelike successes, but it does build on top of them in a way that reinvigorates its captivating gameplay."

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Remake Reportedly Set for July Release

In March, Ubisoft released the first piece of concept art for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, confirming the existence of the remake of the beloved pirate installment of the series, and today we have a release date, July 9. The date was reported by Insider Gaming but hasn't been confirmed by Ubisoft as yet.

In a (now deleted) March blog post from Ubisoft's Jean Guesdon, Head of Content did hint at the rumors of the remake. "Speculation around Assassin's Creed is not new, but it's worth repeating: "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." Well, except in this case, some whispers have a little more wind in their sails. Keep your spyglass on the horizon. 🦜"

The project's official name, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, was seen in December, when it popped up via a European PEGI ratings board listing. That sighting followed a few hints from the original game's lead actor.

"Players can be excited about some remakes,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in June 2024, “which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them; there are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich.”

Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.

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Disney Lorcana TCG: Collection Starter Set - Stitch Edition Has One of the Coolest Cards and It's Also Great for Beginners

If you are new to Disney Lorcana, are looking to learn more and build your collection, or simply want one of the coolest cards I've seen yet from the trading card game, I strongly recommend this Disney Lorcana TCG: Collection Starter Set - Stitch Edition after getting my hands on it earlier this month.

This Stitch-themed starter set is part of the larger Winterspell expansion that was recently released, and it comes complete with a Stitch - Rock Star card portfolio, four Winterspell booster packs, a very handy collector's guide, and a "Glimmer Foil" Stitch - Carefree Snowboarder Promo Card.

I want to start with the card because it is GORGEOUS. Not only does it feature some amazing art from Federico Maria Cugliari of Stitch having the time of his life snowboarding, but it is all gold and shimmers with the colors of the rainbow in the proper light.

It has become a new showpiece in my collection, and it really stands out from the other cards in a way that makes it feel special and rare. It's also just a great decision by the Lorcana team as Stitch is more popular than ever these days with his box-office smash hit live-action film and a sequel on the way.

The Stitch card also looks great in the Stitch - Rock Star card portfolio, which can hold up to 80 cards and keeps them safe and secure.

Speaking of the cards, the set comes with four Winterspell booster packs. I didn't have the greatest luck, but I did manage to snag a Legendary Tod - Knows All the Tricks from The Fox and the Hound and a Rare 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,' which we were able to exclusively reveal prior to the launch of Winterspell.

All in all, the four booster packs contained 48 cards, 25 of which were common (52.08%). 14 were Uncommon (29.16%), eight were Rare (16.66%), one was Legendary (2.08%), and four of them were Holo cards (8.33%).

In addition to everything else, this starter set includes a small Collector's Guide. Sure, you could find all this info online, but it's nice to have this small card-sized booklet that breaks down what you need to know about Disney Lorcana.

This guide helps you understand each part of a card, how to build your collection and keep it safe, what the rarity levels are, how you can see all your cards in a digital library, and more.

Overall, I highly recommend this Starter Set. At a $30 MSRP, it's roughly $5-$6 more than buying a booster pack on its own. That means, instead of one more pack, you can guarantee a really great Stitch card, a card portfolio to match, and a bit of info on how to become a better player/collector.

There is so much more planned for Lorcana this year, including the upcoming Wilds Unknown set that will introduce Pixar, Toy Story, and The Incredibles into the TCG for the first time ever.

For more, check out our impressions of Winterspell's Illuminier's Trove, the top chase cards for Winterspell and Fabled and what else to expect from Lorcana in 2026.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

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Metro 2039 First Look Reveal Roundup

Publisher Deep Silver and developer 4A Games have brought a light up to Metro 2039 as part of an Xbox First showcase, revealing a first look at gameplay and a winter 2026 release window.

Where 2019’s Metro Exodus saw protagonist Artyom leave his life underground behind, the next game in the first-person survival shooter series features a new lead called The Stranger as they dig deeper into the Moscow Metro. These details and more were revealed during the 15-minute presentation, as Microsoft teamed up with the studio to show players a new, story-driven single-player entry for the franchise in seven years.

During the Xbox First Look, the debut trailer for Metro 2039 was revealed, which features our new main character as they endure a psychological battle in a radioactive wasteland. As chains wrap around them and pull them into darkness, we see them encountering supernatural elements that include a nuclear explosion, creepy ghost children, and the return of the Dark Ones.

The Metro video game franchise is based on a series of books written by Dmitry Glukhovsky and encompasses Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, Metro Exodus, a VR spinoff titled Metro Awakening, and, soon, Metro 2039. After more than 16 years in gamers’ hands, 4A is looking to keep the radioactive tunnels of its post-apocalyptic world looking grittier than ever thanks to the use of its 4A Engine.

“Metro 2039 takes you to the dark heart of the Moscow Metro, where the last survivors of the nuclear apocalypse struggle to exist in the tunnels and subways of the ruined city,” co-creative director and lead audio designer Pavel Ulmer said regarding the game’s story. “Hope is lost. The future looks bleak, if there is one.”

Creative director Andriy ‘mLs’ Shevchenko shared more about the plot: “The underground factions and station communities have all been united under one banner, the Novoreich, led by a new Führer, the legendary Spartan, Hunter. Führer promises a new life for the people, up on the surface. In reality, they are trapped down in the Metro, flooded with propaganda, misinformation, and fear. The people suffer under his authoritarian regime and the brutal belief if it’s hostile, you kill it.”

The story of Metro 2039 is said to feature a “much darker tone this time around,” with the Xbox First Look stream putting a spotlight on 4A and the conditions that have surrounded the development of the new game. Executive Producer Jon Bloch said that everything the team had planned for Metro changed in 2020 and again in 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Shevchenko added that the events of the last few years have shaped Metro 2039 into something new, resulting in a handcrafted story told from a Ukrainian perspective. Additionally, its narrative was crafted in collaboration with Glukhovsky, who is living in exile from Russia for criticizing the government and its invasion of Ukraine.

“We will push through no matter what,” Ulmer added. “Getting electricity from generators or batteries. Power outages or sheltering from rocket and drone attacks are interrupting, but not stopping us from making what we deeply believe, what we do best. Of course, taking care of the family is the biggest priority. Sometimes you just put your head down and focus on work, but it’s each other’s support that keeps you running.”

The First Look wrapped up with a sneak peek at a video featuring a mix of gameplay and cinematics. It’s footage that fans will find familiar, as we see The Stranger exploring tight spaces before coming into contact with one of the series’ many mutated creatures.

Metro 2039 launches this winter for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. While we wait for more updates, you can read our 8.5/10 Metro Exodus review. At the time of its launch, we said that it “brings its survival horror to the surface without sacrificing any of the series’ signature tension.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

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Starfield Nintendo Switch 2 Spotted

A version of Starfield for Nintendo Switch 2 has been leaked by the Taiwan ratings board, suggesting Bethesda's space RPG will land on the console.

As spotted by Universonintendo, the listing shows a Switch 2 version of the game being approved for release just this week, though there's no mention yet of a formal release date.

Starfield just touched down on PlayStation 5, nearly three years after its original arrival on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Billed as the next big franchise from the makers of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, the space-based role-player has received a more muted response.

Bethesda has since launched various updates to add fan-requested features, though recently played down the game's latest big update as not being a "2.0" version of the game. "I think it’s the kind of thing where if you love Starfield, we think you’re going to love this," Bethesda development chief Todd Howard said last month. "It’s updates and things that change the game, not in an isolated way, but sort of meta."

Recent months have brought rumors of a Switch 2 version being in the works — though Bethesda itself has not confirmed anything publicly. With technical issues currently affecting players on PS5, Bethesda will likely want to ensure that whenever Starfield does finally hit Switch 2, everything is running smoothly.

Of course, Microsoft has published various other former console exclusives on Switch previously — such as Grounded and Pentiment. Bethesda's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Switch 2 next month, while Oblivion Remastered is also set for release later this year.

Back in 2023, Howard discussed the benefits of Starfield being an Xbox exclusive at the time, namechecking the brand association Nintendo enjoys with its first-party games. "I do also think people attach brands to certain games," he said. "When you think of Zelda you think of the Switch and I think there are times when that can be a real benefit."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

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Replaced Review

Between the ubiquitous virtual assistants cheerfully patronising us from almost every electronic device and the disposable slop that nobody asked for clogging up our social media feeds, it’s becoming pretty hard to escape artificial intelligence these days – but it could be worse: what if you had an AI actually implanted in your brain? Such is the premise of Replaced, a 2.5D action platformer that follows a scientist named Doctor Warren Marsh who’s on the run after a sentient AI called REACH is shoehorned into his skull. The twist here is that you don’t actually play as the scientist, you play as the AI that’s effectively puppeteering him – with your sole objective to return to the laboratory so you can unpair from your human host. It makes for a compelling 11-hour quest that winds its way through an alternate ‘80s America rendered in a pristine pixel-art style, and one that I ultimately remained engrossed in despite some dull sidequest design and combat that occasionally felt more unresponsive than a muted Siri.

It really can’t be overstated just how stunning Replaced’s 16-bit inspired game world is. It basically updates the look and feel of classic 2D adventures like the original Prince of Persia and Flashback in a similar way that Octopath Traveler’s HD-2D style transformed SNES-era RPGs, enhancing primitive yet personality-packed character sprites and pixelated landscapes with 3D depth and lighting that really pops. From ruined scientific research facilities, to neon-soaked streets, and down into the flare-lit depths of an underground enemy hideout, Replaced’s world is consistently captivating to explore. Developer Sad Cat Studios is clearly – and quite rightfully – proud of its work, since REACH will occasionally pause to marvel at some immaculately crafted cyberpunk skyline that looms in the distant background. I really appreciated these opportunities to stop and pore over every perfectly crafted pixel.

REACH and Clear

REACH isn’t equipped with a particularly extensive arsenal, but its omniscience seems to include the same martial arts info dump that Neo had installed in The Matrix, since it turns Marsh’s pencil-pushing scientist body into a kinetic killing machine. Armed with a gun that transforms into a baton, REACH is able to indulge in a sort of 2.5D tribute to the Batman: Arkham style of fisticuffs anytime it finds itself surrounded by burly police squads or menacing underworld mutants. In addition to delivering simple strings of skull-cracking combos, coloured indicators that appear above each enemy’s head briefly telegraph when to dodge and when to counter, so Replaced’s skirmishes demand something more than merely button-mashing your baton-smashing. Meanwhile, the use of REACH’s gun is sporadic since it can only be fired after first charging up with successive melee strikes, while getting hit or performing dodges depletes that gauge, putting further emphasis on striking a careful balance between attack and evasion.

It really can’t be overstated just how stunning Replaced’s 16-bit inspired game world is.

It’s a mostly engaging system, and it gradually introduces welcome strategic wrinkles such as tank-like foes that need their armour stripped off before you can damage them, and other more nimble nasties that will dodge every incoming attack other than counters. It’s just a shame that it’s all regularly undermined by controls that frequently fail to respond – at least in the PC version, even after a day one patch. In particular, the button to apply a medkit routinely failed and often saw me copping a death blow while REACH was seemingly fumbling with its coatpocket. At other times, the input to deflect an enemy gunshot was apparently ignored and REACH’s arms would remain rooted to its sides while it copped a dose of hot lead to the face, which was equally frustrating.

As much as I think Replaced’s visual design is an absolute standout, it too managed to spoil the combat on occasion. Since you’re only ever pit against a set number of enemies at a time, reinforcements often linger in the background waiting for their turn to enter the fray like the curiously courteous extras in a Bruce Lee movie. The trouble is that it’s extremely tough to discern one 2D plane from the other in the heat of battle, and I’d invariably find myself trying to land blows on enemies that technically weren’t there, making me swish my baton through an empty space and leaving myself open to a genuine threat waiting to strike while I was distracted.

Thankfully, I found Replaced’s platforming sections far more consistent. Though it doesn’t ever reach the heights of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance or Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s complex midair maneuvering, it is fun to wall-jump your way up narrow elevator shafts, monkey-swing along suspended ceiling pipes, and carefully flip past electrified surfaces. There are also a number of interesting environmental puzzles to solve throughout, such as carefully positioning industrial fans to boost the double-jumps powered by REACH’s multipurpose pistol. To be fair, there are some cases where the checkpointing seems a little severe, and a number of times I had to painfully retrace lengthy platforming stretches after mistiming a jump and falling to my doom, but for the most part I got a kick out of Replaced’s pixelated parkour.

Attack of the Drones

When you’re not throwing down with increasingly well-armed riot squads or fighting a one-on-one battle with gravity as you scramble and flip up the side of a skyscraper, Replaced changes things up in the form of regular instant-fail stealth sections. Initially these deadly encounters with surveillance drones feel pretty uninspired, and patiently waiting for the arc of a spotlight to swing away from your position so you can scramble to safety behind a stack of conveniently placed crates is something that’s been repeated in the likes of Limbo and the Little Nightmares series many times over at this point. However, Replaced eventually makes its sneaking a little more involved with the welcome addition of a hacking system, which both introduces a neat little shape-matching minigame, as well as the ability to temporarily disable enemy turrets or create distractions for mechanical sentries. I appreciated the more puzzle-oriented form of stealth that Replaced’s hacking provided, I just wish it had been introduced earlier on.

Those stealth sequences may demand a rigidly slow and steady approach, but it's the story pacing that staggers to a crawl each time you return to the train station hub between outings. This combat-free zone offers a series of sidequests of the bog standard go-here-and-fetch-that variety, forcing you to shlep your way through the various tent-lined streets and makeshift hospital areas inhabited by homeless hordes in search of trivial items like missing comic books or food for a local dog. While it’s true that much of this busywork is entirely optional, skipping these uninteresting chores means you miss out on vital rewards like health boosts and expanded medkit slots that prove to be pretty crucial against the heavier enemy groups in the story’s second half. I would have preferred if these menial tasks had been scrapped in favour of just buying upgrades with a currency or an XP system before hurrying back to the more exciting main objectives, but as it stands each trip to Replaced’s train station felt like my progress would go off the rails a bit.

That said, I was a big fan of the playable arcade cabinets found in the station’s basement level, as well as the funny interactions with the sassy young girl who operates them. The inclusion of playable Frogger and Space Invaders clones may seem pretty antiquated in an era when each Like a Dragon adventure features fully-working Sega Rally or Virtua Fighter machines, but since they each have a high score table you better believe I still sat on them until I topped it. Those aren’t the only nostalgic nods I appreciated either. I also loved the Wingman, a sort of GameBoy and Walkman hybrid that can be whipped out of REACH’s pocket in order to play catchy collectible synth tunes or to scan the environment for enthralling scraps of story.

Sad Cat Studios has crafted one heck of a dazzling sci-fi dystopia.

In fact, it’s the story, in tandem with the jawdropping visual design, that ultimately had me hooked on Replaced all the way through to its rousing climax, in spite of any issues I had with its frequently fussy controls or sidequest stumbles. REACH’s journey and evolution feels surprisingly human given its artificial origins, and the quirky cast of side characters show plenty of personality despite the fact that each and every interaction with them is entirely text-based (even the so-called ‘audiologs’ you collect in the environment can only be read rather than heard). Sad Cat Studios has crafted one heck of a dazzling sci-fi dystopia, and with some post-release patching it could still be elevated into something really special.

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