Weekly Roundup: Star Fox Returns, Leon Kennedy Can Never Die, Indie Games Funding, and More
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- Free Resident Evil Requiem roguelite mode adds fast-paced, replayable combat runs for Leon Kennedy
- Griffin launches a $100M revenue-share fund to support indie developers and expand IP into transmedia
- Nintendo revives Star Fox on Switch 2 as another remake of Star Fox 64, continuing the franchise’s repeated reboot cycle
- EA SPORTS FC and LALIGA open a new FC FUTURES pitch in the Bronx designed to expand grassroots football access
Capcom Drops Free ‘Leon Must Die Forever’ Roguelite for Resident Evil Requiem
Capcom has surprise-launched a free roguelite-inspired mode for Resident Evil Requiem titled Leon Must Die Forever. Available now across all platforms after completing the main campaign, the update introduces a faster, combat-focused experience centred around Leon S. Kennedy and designed to expand the game’s replayability.
The mode features timed combat runs, randomized upgrades, weapon modifiers, and arcade-style progression systems that push players through increasingly difficult enemy encounters. Unlike the slower survival horror pacing of the main story, Leon Must Die Forever leans heavily into action gameplay and repeatable runs, drawing comparisons to modern roguelite titles.
The update arrives following the commercial success of Resident Evil Requiem, which blended psychological horror with more action-oriented sequences featuring Leon Kennedy. Early community reaction has focused on the mode’s replay value and Capcom’s continued support for the game through free post-launch content updates.
Released in February 2026, Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline entry in the long-running survival horror franchise and stars FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft alongside Leon S. Kennedy. Capcom remains one of the industry’s biggest publishers, with major franchises including Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry.
Griffin Gaming Partners Launches $100M Indie Games Fund
Griffin Gaming Partners has launched a new $100 million Special Opportunities Fund aimed at financing independent game developers through revenue-sharing agreements rather than traditional equity investments. The initiative is designed to give studios more flexible access to capital while allowing them to retain ownership and creative control of their businesses and IP.
“Indie games represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the interactive entertainment market today,” said Griffin Managing Director and co-founder Nick Tuosto. “We know developers want a flexible, transparent financing solution, and we’re excited to support their ambitions through the dedicated Special Opportunities Fund.”
The fund has already invested in 15 projects, including Darkwood 2, Menace, Vaunted, and Hellforged, and will be led by Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender. Griffin says the initiative reflects the company’s evolving investment strategy as it looks to support smaller studios navigating increasingly difficult funding conditions across the games industry.
“Griffin has been honing its strategy since its formation, and we are proud to bring this new initiative to market with an investment team we believe is uniquely positioned to help exceptional developers realize their full potential,” Tuosto added.
Alongside direct game financing, the Special Opportunities Fund will also focus on transmedia and licensing opportunities tied to indie game IP. “We’re very excited for the transmedia potential of this fund,” said Griffin Managing Director and co-founder Peter Levin. “The very essence of these games and the contemplative nature of their development lead to sticky player communities and loyal followings.”
Levin added that Griffin is assembling advisors with experience across entertainment and licensing to help expand projects beyond gaming. “Having fund advisors such as film and television producer Dylan Clark (The Batman, The Penguin, Miami Vice) and brand stewards such as Russell Binder (Five Nights at Freddy’s, Angry Birds, The Walking Dead, Dead by Daylight) shows we’re serious about unlocking opportunities for these titles outside of gaming.”
Nintendo Revives Star Fox for Switch 2 With Another Lylat Wars Reimagining
Following Fox McCloud’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy movie, Nintendo has officially announced Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2, a new remake of the Nintendo 64 classic Star Fox 64 (known in Europe as Lylat Wars). The game revisits McCloud’s battle against Andross with updated visuals and modern systems, marking the franchise’s return after nearly a decade.
The announcement was made as part of a recent Nintendo Direct hosted by noted game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He was followed by Yoshiaki Koizumi, Executive officer of Nintendo, who properly introduced the new(ish) version of Star Fox:
“Star Fox is based on the Nintendo 64 game, Star Fox 64, but the visuals have been completely updated,” he said. “All of the characters in the game have also been redesigned.”
This continues Nintendo’s long-running pattern of repeatedly reworking the same core storyline across multiple generations of hardware, from Star Fox 64 to Star Fox 64 3D on Nintendo 3DS and Star Fox Zero on Wii U. All effectively retell the same core story multiple times rather than advancing it in a linear way, even if the games themselves generally improve on the last iteration.
Launching June 25, 2026, the Switch 2 version adds online multiplayer, enhanced visuals, and new control options while keeping the original branching mission structure intact. The game arrives as part of Nintendo’s broader strategy to strengthen its new hardware lineup with familiar first-party franchises, even as Star Fox continues to be defined as much by reinvention as by progression.
EA SPORTS FC and LALIGA Open New South Bronx Community Pitch
EA SPORTS FC and LALIGA have unveiled a new community soccer pitch in New York’s South Bronx as part of the FC FUTURES grassroots initiative. Developed alongside P.S./M.S. 31 The William Lloyd Garrison School and community partners including love.fútbol, South Bronx United, and Urban Soccer Park, the refurbished space is intended to support local youth soccer programs, school activities, and wider community events.
The launch marks the tenth pitch created through the EA SPORTS FC and LALIGA partnership, with the broader FC FUTURES initiative focused on improving access to grassroots soccer worldwide. EA says the program has already reached more than 500,000 people globally through community pitches, coaching resources, and soccer development projects across multiple regions.
The South Bronx pitch was designed by local graffiti artist BG183, also known as Sotero Ortiz, whose work draws heavily from the borough’s hip-hop and street culture. Elements of the artwork have also been incorporated into an in-game EA SPORTS FC kit, linking the real-world initiative with the game’s digital soccer community.
“Soccer has the power to connect people everywhere,” said LALIGA ambassador Patrick Kluivert during the launch event. EA SPORTS FC Senior Director of Partnerships Marketing James Salmon added that FC FUTURES is designed to “create opportunities for the next generation” by using soccer as a way to bring communities together and expand access to the sport.
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