I won’t lie—when these headlines first hit, I was glued to my screen like a moth to a flame. Even in 2026, I still catch myself talking about that wild stretch of gaming news. Between a composer calling out a major studio, a cozy life sim breaking records in Japan, and Halo fans finally getting their long-awaited modes, there was no shortage of drama. Let me break it all down for you.
Doom Eternal Composer Mick Gordon Points the Finger at id Software
Let’s start with the heaviest story on the docket. Mick Gordon, the composer behind Doom Eternal’s pulse-pounding soundtrack, dropped a bombshell statement about his time at id Software. The long and short of it? He accused the studio of crunch, poor management, and even swiping his work without proper credit.
According to Gordon, he was pushed into 18-to-20-hour workdays—talk about burning the candle at both ends. He also claimed he waited nearly 11 months to get paid, which would have me seeing red. Gordon pointed the finger at studio director Marty Stratton’s management style, saying the working environment was a mess. On top of that, he said he was asked to score two levels per month, even though most of those levels didn’t exist at the time. That’s a recipe for chaos if I’ve ever heard one.
For fans who have followed the Doom franchise for years, this was a real kick in the teeth. It turned what should have been a celebration of one of the best shooter soundtracks into a messy public dispute.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Becomes Japan’s All-Time Best-Seller
Now for a palate cleanser. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has officially become Japan’s best-selling game ever, and honestly? I couldn’t be happier. It sold a jaw-dropping 10.45 million copies in Japan, finally knocking Pokemon Red/Blue/Green—which sits at 10.23 million—off its long-held throne.
Here’s a quick look at the top of the chart at the time:
| Game | Approx. Sales (Japan) |
|---|---|
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | 10.45 million |
| Pokemon Red/Blue/Green | 10.23 million |
What makes this even wilder is that New Horizons is only the second Animal Crossing game in the top 10, because the rest of the list is dominated by Pokemon and Mario. Talk about punching above your weight.
The cozy life sim came out at just the right time, and its record shows that sometimes a chill island getaway is exactly what we all needed.
Halo Infinite Finally Adds Campaign Co-Op and Forge
Better late than never, right? Halo Infinite’s Winter Update finally brought two features fans had been chomping at the bit for since launch: campaign co-op and Forge mode. I remember the online chatter—people were about ready to throw in the towel waiting for co-op, but 343 Industries finally delivered.
With campaign co-op, you can team up with a buddy and tackle Zeta Halo together, which is how I always wanted to play. Forge mode, meanwhile, lets the community muck about and create custom maps, breathing fresh life into the game. There’s also a nice little bonus for completionists: you can now revisit campaign missions, which makes hunting down skulls and collectibles far less of a pain in the neck.
It took a while, but Halo Infinite finally started to feel like the full package.
Twitter Users Impersonate Game Companies After Blue Tick Rollout
This one is about as surprising as finding a health potion in an RPG—i.e., not at all. When Twitter rolled out its new paid verification system, people immediately saw a loophole. The result? A flood of fake accounts impersonating game companies and developers.
Rockstar, Valve, and Nintendo of America were among the most high-profile targets. The Nintendo impersonation is the one that still makes me chuckle: someone posted an image of Mario flipping the bird. You can bet Nintendo’s lawyers were not amused.
The whole saga was a good reminder that if you hand out blue ticks like candy, people will absolutely use them to stir the pot.
Dark Souls Remastered Returns Online After 290 Days
Last but not least, Dark Souls Remastered’s servers finally came back online after a grueling 290-day offline stretch. Praise the sun! That means the entire trilogy is now playable on PC once again, apart from the original Dark Souls, which will reportedly remain offline forever.
So grab a buddy, jump into Lordran, and get ready to be pounded into the dirt by Ornstein and Smough for the fiftieth time. It hurts, but we keep coming back for more.
Even looking back from 2026, this mix of industry drama and player-friendly wins shows how unpredictable gaming news can be. Keep your controllers charged and your salt levels low—until next time.