Gamereactor UK

The spring sale has started on the Switch eShop

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:32:00 +0200

The spring sales are already in full swing and most stores have already wrapped up, but on the Switch eShop, it's just getting started and runs through April 29. That means there are currently great deals on tons of games, even though it's worth noting that first-party titles seem to be completely missing.

That doesn't mean there aren't any bargains to be had though, far from it, actually. We've dug up ten great suggestions for you that you can check out below, but as always, we encourage you to write in the comments section if you find something extra good that you want to share with others.

Battle Chef Brigade (85% off)

Grandia HD Collection (50% off)

Metal Slug Tactics (40% off)

R-Type Delta HD Boosted (30% off)

Red Dead Redemption (50% off)

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Digital Deluxe Edition (50% off)

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds (40% off)

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble (70% off)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (75% off)

{Yakuza Kiwami & Yakuza Kiwami 2 Bundle} (30% off)

Asobo shares a few images of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:12:00 +0200

Considering the ending of A Plague Tale: Requiem, it's unclear what the future will hold for the mainline series and whether we will get to return to Amicia's wider journey. In the past, there have been job listings that suggest a third game was in the pipeline, but it's more likely that these listings applied to the incoming spinoff adventure from developer Asobo.

Known as Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, this is a prequel adventure that is entirely standalone to the main story. We follow Sophia, a protagonist who must wander the streets, rooftops, and canals of Venice, all in a bid to reach Minotaur's Island and face the mythical creature that calls the land home and is the reason for a devastating curse.

As it stands, we're expecting Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy to launch sometime in 2026, but a firm date has yet to be shared. When launch does come around, expect the game to be playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and for a fresh taste of what it will offer, Asobo has now shared a few new images of the gameplay, all of which you can see below.

Each depicts a bright and striking Venetian landscape with a noticeable lack of dangers, particularly rats... For more from the game, we'll have to stay tuned, but hopefully it won't be long before more significant information is shared all the same.

A Reddit user just made a working Lego PC

markus@gamereactor.eu (Markus Hirsilä) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0200

We all know that building your own PC is a project and with it comes all kinds of interesting options. Now a Reddit user has built a gaming desktop out of Lego pieces. "OkDebate6649" has documented an attempt at building a working gaming PC, that is housed entirely inside a Lego brick chassis, as reported by Tech Radar.

The device is centred on an AMD BC-250 motherboard, and is essentially a cut-down PlayStation 5 APU with six Zen 2 CPU cores, 24 RDNA2 Compute Units in the GPU, and 16GB of memory. The actual performance is roughly akin to that of an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, making it suitable for 1080p gaming for medium to high settings. The entire Lego chassis has been crafted to resemble an old-school Macintosh of the type sold by Apple in the 1980s and 1990s.

It should be noted, though, that if you want to use this motherboard in a computer as "OkDebate6649" just did, you need to run your system on Linux, as the board is not compatible with Windows 11.

Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz for the duration of the ceasefire

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:44:48 +0200

Iran has announced on Friday, shortly before 15:00 CEST, 14:00 BST, that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen during the ceasefire reached between Israel and Lebanon that began on Thursday, and will last for ten days. Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed it: "in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route".

https://x.com/araghchi/status/2045121573124759713

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has brought immediate relief to the markets, with petrol price falling 10%, as reported by El País, and to the International Energy Agency, who warned this week that planes in Europe may be running out of fuel in a matter of six weeks.

The reopening is initially temporary, during the ten days of ceasefire (that started on Thursday) reached between Lebanon and Israel, although Lebanon has continued to report Israeli attacks even after the ceasefire.

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2045129980498100295

Donald Trump is confident that the war in the Middle East will end soon. Reacting to Iran's announcement, Trump confirmed that the Strait is indeed "open and ready for business", but their naval blockade will remain in place until a deal with Iran is reached, via Al Jazeera. He added that the process should go "very quickly as most of the points are already negotiated".

David Leitch is 100% confident that the Netflix Gears of War movie will be made

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:40:00 +0200

This year is set to be a very big and exciting one for Gears of War fans, as The Coalition will be delivering a new chapter in the series, a prequel that actually explores events before the first title. It's known as Gears of War: E-Day and we'll get to meet it in greater depth rather soon, as part of a dedicated Direct showcase following the Xbox Games Showcase in the summer.

But this is just part of the Gears of War plans that are ultimately in place, as for a long while Netflix and Xbox have been collaborating in an effort to adapt Gears of War into a feature length flick. Little has come of this so far, other than The Fall Guy and Bullet Train's David Leitch being attached as the director.

Speaking about Leitch, in a recent interview with Collider, the director spoke a little about the Gears of War film and how he's very confident it will become a reality.

"Gears of War, I think, is going to happen. We have a great draft that's in progress that's in really great shape. The studio's more determined than ever to make it. Netflix is 100% behind it. The Coalition is fired up, as well. They have their game releasing this year, as well, and so it's all lining up that that movie will happen."

One of the big questions about the Gears of War film is who will play the iconic characters. Dave Bautista has frequently shown interest in taking a stab at Marcus Fenix, but the actor is getting on and Fenix is a burly (and quite young) dude at the start of his COG story, meaning this great marriage of actor and character may never become a reality.

Are you still interested in the Gears of War movie?

Ukrainian Prime Minister feels supported by US Treasury Secretary following recent Washington visit

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:11:00 +0200

A recent visit to Washington has left Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko feeling more positive about future relations between the US and Ukraine, with the possibility of support for the latter country from the former. Svyrydenko made particular comments about US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was supportive of reimposed sanctions on Russia and Russian oil.

"I think Secretary Bessent stands with Ukraine and stands for Ukraine," Svyrydenko told Reuters. "It was very friendly discussion, and he's very supportive. I think that all our counterparts here in ⁠the United States ... understand it perfectly well: that to prevent the circumvention of the sanctions, and also to strengthen the sanctions is an extremely important measure that should be taken to make Russia weaker."

Earlier in the year, Ukrainian and US officials met in Florida in the hopes to end the war with Russia. However, it appears these talks did not bring peace as some had hoped. Instead, Svyrydenko remains aware this war will be a drawn-out conflict, and Ukraine is in need of securities before it can agree to a deal with Russia.

"I dream that this war will end, but it will end ... with the proper security guarantees, the proper prosperity plan, with a proper plan for the reconstruction and the recovery. That would give the opportunity for Ukrainians to live the life that they deserve because they have been fighting so hard," she said.

Disney reveals leading stars for upcoming animated film, Hexed

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:05:00 +0200

2026 is a huge year for Disney and animation, as already we've been able to see Hoppers, but the summer will bring Toy Story 5, and beyond that we know the big autumn premiere will be Hexed.

We don't actually know a great deal about Hexed as of yet as Disney has been surprisingly tight-lipped in regards to the project, but perhaps this will soon be changing. We say this as during CinemaCon, Disney confirmed the leading cast for the project, noting that both Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones are on board.

Steinfeld is set to play a character called Billie and Jones will become Alice, both of whom will no doubt steal the spotlight when Hexed arrives in cinemas on November 25, making it a big Thanksgiving weekend arrival alongside Focker-In-Law, which just received its first trailer too.

https://x.com/DisneyAnimation/status/2044917947085570218

As for what Hexed is actually about, it follows an awkward teen and their unusual mother who discover that their strangeness may in fact be magical powers. Naturally, this leads the pair on a crazy adventure into a hidden magical realm.

Expect more information from Hexed soon now that the leading cast has been confirmed.

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has received reinforcements from an Angry Bird

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:41:00 +0200

Less than a month ago, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds welcomed some truly special guests: Mega Man and Proto Man joined the game, along with a Rush-inspired car and a track based on Dr. Wily's fortress. However, we already knew that at least one new driver was on the way in April: the Angry Birds icon Red.

And now Red has made his entrance, and since he's a Sega character, he's completely free to download (just like the other Sega drivers). He comes with the Super Roaster vehicle and has his own emotes and sounds, as well as three music tracks:

Go! Theme

Go! Theme (Final Lap)

Angry Birds Theme

As expected, there's also an event called the Angry Birds Festival: Point Up Chance to celebrate this, which ends at 2:00 AM on Monday. The premise of the event is:

"In each race, players will be split into three teams: Red, Chuck, and Bomb. Compete for victory based on total team score!"

Goro Majima (Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii) joins Sonic Racing: Crossworlds on April 30.

DC Universe's Clayface will seemingly not be for the faint-hearted

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:17:00 +0200

You would expect a DC Universe film to be rather accessible and somewhat comfortable, but for the upcoming Clayface, which is expected to premiere in October, this seemingly won't be the case at all.

During CinemaCon, DC Studios presented a first look at the movie and according to those who were present, it wasn't for the faint-of-heart. GeekTyrant explains that Clayface "leans hard into body horror" and that there are gruesome and unsettling scenes from the beginning, which even depicts Tom Rhys Harries' lead character of Matt Hagen with a missing eyelid.

Clearly, we should expect a film with a much more horrific focus, even if it will also explore the more comic-centric element of Clayface by eventually showing Hagen's transformation into the villainous monster.

The report notes that "DC isn't playing it safe with this character" and that it's more than just a regular comic book adaptation, as "it's something way more unsettling."

Directed by the horror expert Mike Flanagan, Clayface will debut in six months, following a slight delay, meaning it likely won't be long until a dedicated trailer for the movie makes its arrival. Will you be watching Clayface in cinemas in a few months?

Dead Space and Callisto Protocol creator has had enough of people "putting down AAA" games

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:01:00 +0200

Is AAA dead? Has AAA gaming run its course? Should we ditch it all for premium-feeling AA and indie experiences? We've asked these questions, as almost every other outlet has, as it seems what was once the pinnacle of game quality has now diminished at a rapid rate. Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol, thinks quite differently. He believes there are fixes to the AAA woes being experienced right now, and we should all be a little kinder to the top studios.

"Everyone is putting down AAA these days. Who do you think started every single new console or platform? It started with AAA games blasting through it," Schofield told Gamesindustry.biz. He explained that COVID was a huge moment for the industry, as it showed AAA developers they couldn't make games fast enough to keep up with demand, as everyone was at home, wanting to play games.

"Billions of dollars poured into the industry. When you have that much money coming in, you inevitably give it to the wrong people. I look at who they are (and some of them I know) and I think, 'He's 10 years away, she's 5 years away from being able to do this'. They're handed a studio and a game at the same time," Schofield said.

He added: "The due diligence by the people who are investing is terrible. Think of Bungie! They were overpaying, and they weren't paying the right people in many cases. All you have to do is find who the true creative person is, as opposed to the person who just says they're creative. There are a lot of people who copy very well. The non-creative people just have to scratch the surface harder to find some creative people that in turn will help them hire the right creative people."

Unlike other industry vets, Schofield isn't calling for smaller teams on AAA projects, just more focused development, with the "right people" being picked for the jobs. Sounds easy on paper, but it might be difficult considering the state of the industry right now.

Red Bull Racing announces changes in leadership, reshaping the F1 team after a series of exits

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:54:32 +0200

Formula 1 team Red Bull Racing has announced a big change in leadership, with new Chief Performance and Design Engineer and Head of Performance, "changes that support the Team's long-term technical ambitions and reflect its continued focus on developing internal talent while attracting leading expertise from across the sport."

Ben Waterhouse has been named Chief Performance and Design Engineer, overseeing the design and vehicle performance teams, reporting directly to Technical Director Pierre Waché. And Andrea Landi, formerly from Ferrari, will join on July 1 as Head of Performance, taking Waterhouse's previous role and reporting to him.

These moves respond the recent series of departures, which most recently include the confirmed exit of Max Verstappen's race engineer and close friend Gianpiero Lambiase, who joins McLaren, although not until his current contract ends at the end of 2027.

Previously, Red Bull had lost key figures for a variery of reasons, like Helmut Marko, Christian Horner, Adriean Newey, and Jonathan Wheatley.

Report: Sony's Fairgames is pivoting to become an extraction shooter

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:21:00 +0200

While a lot of Sony's live-service efforts are being left to sit like ice cubes kicked under the fridge, some projects are so far along that it seems they'll see the light of day, even if the publisher has largely given up on being a multiplayer power house. One such game is Fairgames, or Fairgame$ depending on how rebellious you're feeling. Initially depicted as a heist shooter, it seems the game is taking quite a significant turn to a new kind of multiplayer genre.

According to Insider Gaming, Fairgames will be reimagined as an extraction shooter, with one of the game's modes, Cargo Heist, having a strong extraction shooter feel. Essentially, it revolves around players breaking into a safe, collecting cash, either grabbing loot or intercepting it from other players, and getting as much of it as you can out via extraction.

Extraction shooters do feel like the new trendy multiplayer experience, and when ARC Raiders reaches 12 million players, you can see why studios would want to emulate that kind of success. Problems may arise with Sony releasing a new extraction shooter as well as Bungie's Marathon, though, as there's always the chance these sort of games can eat each other. After all, there's only so many gamers with so much time to play each day.

Gearbox lays out what to expect from Borderlands 4 over the few months

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:07:00 +0200

Gearbox has been quite eager to share the wider plans for Borderlands 4 and what content will eventually be coming to the game, but now that the first DLC Vault Hunter has arrived in C4SH, the developer is honing its focus and shining a closer spotlight on its plans for the rest of the spring.

A mini roadmap has been shared, which explains what will be introduced in Update 1.6 through 1.8. Long story short, expect technical improvements and a sprinkling of new content, most of which is free besides from Bounty Pack 3 when that arrives in late June.

The next update brings Version 1.6 of the game on April 30, and this will be a smaller-scale patch that focuses on bug-fixing and quality-of-life improvements. C4SH is being monitored in case it needs further tuning and there are plans to increase World Event and World Boss spawn rates so that there are more opportunities to farm for quality loot. This will be the first of three free updates.

Version 1.7 will be the next free update, with this adding another Raid Boss encounter. The exact name of this boss has yet to be revealed, but if you do defeat them, you may be rewarded with a new Pearlescent weapon, four new Legendary items, or five new Class Modes (one for each Vault Hunter). This patch will land in late May.

Late June will then bring Version 1.8, which has both a free and paid element. For the free content, there will be a new Takedown described as "Borderlands 4's most extreme endgame challenge", offering tons of enemies, a midway and final boss, and also the chance to snag a new Pearlescent weapon and nine new Legendary Items. There will even be three weapon skins, one Vault Hunter skin that can be used by all characters, and an Echo-4 drone skin too, for those who complete the accompanying challenges.

As for the paid Bounty Pack 3, which arrives on the same day as Version 1.8, this adds a new mission with three minibosses and a final boss, new Legendary and Pearlescent gear, a Vault Card with 24 cosmetics and four pieces of rerollable gear, a new vehicle, a new Vault Hunter skin, and an Echo-4 drone skin too.

Beyond these plans, later in 2026 we can expect shared character progression and cross-platform saves, as well as at least two more Bounty Packs, and more.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will run for under three hours

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:02:00 +0200

Christopher Nolan might be known for his films running a tad long, but when you look at his filmography, they're not all three-hour sagas. Oppenheimer just kissed the three-hour mark, for example, and The Odyssey won't even hit it.

As Nolan's wife and producer Emma Thomas confirmed to Deadline, The Odyssey's runtime will be under three hours. At the minute, Thomas isn't exactly sure of the actual running time, as the team is still in post-production with the film.

The Odyssey is set to release in July, and got its first showing at CinemaCon this week. Deadline seems quite high on the movie, comparing it to the likes of Hollywood's traditional epics, such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. We'll have to see for ourselves later this year, but there are a lot of high expectations after Nolan's last hit scored a major box office win and more than a couple of Oscar wins.

Replaced developers speak out after being called an "AI-based adventure"

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:33:00 +0200

With AI being such a massive turnoff for a lot of gamers these days, a game being called an "AI-based adventure" might lead some to believe it includes AI in more than just its story. Replaced is a game that does contain AI, but only in the lore of its world, rather than in its art, coding, or anything else.

However, with a recent, now deleted IGN post of its review referring to the game as an "AI-based adventure," the developers behind Replaced had to step in to explain. "This game does not use any Generative AI. What IGN is referring to is the story that is about AI in an alternative 80s America. It is 100% handcrafted by humans," the official Replaced account clarified, responding to a comment on the deleted post calling the game AI slop.

https://x.com/chikocash/status/2044843218794070064

https://x.com/REPLACEDGame/status/2044790976074399853

As AI continues to be such a buzzy topic these days, creating heated debates whenever a hint of it is found, it can seriously damage a game's reputation if generative AI is believed to have been used. It's probably best not to describe something as "AI-based," then, even if it does include references to the technology in its story. Considering Replaced is a game from a smaller studio, here's hoping there hasn't been any damage done by this labelling mistake in a review. We'd love to see the game get the attention it deserves, as we were incredibly fond of it in our review.

Europe only have jet fuel for six more weeks

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:32:37 +0200

Bad news for anyone who has an enjoyable flight booked for the summer. It seems far from certain that all flights will go as planned. The reason is the fuel shortage that has arisen as a result of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, and now the International Energy Agency has issued a warning, according to The Guardian.

The result is that Europe's aviation industry is now drawing from rapidly dwindling stocks, and these are expected to last only about six more weeks before a crisis becomes a reality. With no new deliveries on the way, some airlines have already begun rationing, with particularly unprofitable routes simply being canceled to shift capacity to more profitable ones.

According to Göteborgsposten, which has spoken with travel agencies, air travelers are entitled to a refund if flights are canceled for these reasons. Perhaps a small consolation, even though many other plans and bookings at the destination are, of course, at risk of falling through.

Polestar Australia CEO calls plug-in hybrids "the worst of both worlds"

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:28:30 +0200

Polestar is built on EV values, and they have big plans for the future. So it comes as little surprise, that they don't think much of plug-in hybrids or "PHEVS".

The EV brand has openly slammed this particular type of car. Specifically, in an interview with Drive, Polestar Australia CEO Scott Maynard, said this:

"I think [plug-in hybrid vehicles] are the worst of both worlds. So, you've got all the complexity of an electric drivetrain, coupled with all of the weight and complexity of a petrol drivetrain. You don't have zero emission, you have an increase in maintenance requirements, because you've got all of those varying systems that need to be maintained independently."

In other words, you don't get true zero-emissions driving like a full EV, but you still end up with a more complicated and potentially heavier setup than a traditional combustion car. Again, this comes as little surprise, but is still at odds with an industry that seems to welcome "back" the combustion engine in some respects.

BMW will deliver new "brand-shaper" halo cars

magnus@gamereactor.eu (Magnus Groth-Andersen) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:25:24 +0200

While not necessarily something that comes along often, so-called "brand-shapers" debuting at big motor shows or CES, can be a way for a brand to reform their identity, or push new ideas. BMW has made such cars in the past, and they are not done. Internally BMW has dubbed them "brand shapers" , and they officially more coming.

And they aren't just show-stealers either, these halo cars will apparently be sold, too, although not at scale or in large quantities. These cars will sit above the core lineup, acting as statement pieces. Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse, has said this to Australian magazine Carsales:

"For us, the middle of the brand is most important. The best way is to start in the middle of the brand, and not on the boundaries of the portfolio. For us, it was really important to start in the mid-size class because there is the [sales] volume. To scale the new technology and architecture, you need volume. The [original] i3 was a brand shaper, for example. Or the i8. That was the time to make a brand shaper, far away from the normal series portfolio. Now, it is completely the other way."

These halo cars aren't coming anytime soon. BMW is prioritising its mainstream lineup first, meaning the more experimental, image-defining models will arrive later in the cycle.

Breaking: Novak Djokovic confirms he will miss Madrid Open due to injury

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:20:52 +0200

Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he will not play the Mutua Madrid Open next week, the next Masters 1,000 in the clay season. "I'm continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!", the 38-year-old Serbian posted on X, extending his absence from the tournament since losing to Jack Draper in the round of 16 of Indian Wells.

Djokovic was actually seen in Madrid last night, where he attended a Real Madrid basketball game in the Euroleague, sitting next to Luka Doncic. He was also training in Marbella, but said to reporters that he may miss the tournament due to an injury. He has confirmed now that he will skip the event.

https://x.com/DjokerNole/status/2045081591068741811

This year, his only other tournament was the Australian Open, where he reached the final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. At his age, his main goal is to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam, so he will focus to regain shape for Roland Garros, between May 18 and June 7.

The draw for Madrid Open takes place next Monday. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are scheduled to participate, but wouldn't be surprising if they withdraw too: Sinner due to overload of matches and Alcaraz because of the wrist injury that already caused him to retire from Barcelona Open.

Four Babu Friks dominate the final trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:15:00 +0200

Not one Babu Frik, not two Babu Friks, not even three. Four fricking Babu Friks on my screen at once. What a treat! The final trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu has arrived, showcasing more action with the unlikely duo's big-screen adventure.

The Rebellion is still around (kind of), as we kick into gear in this new trailer, as some fighters are still flying their X-Wings around, making sure that another war isn't started now they've finished off the Empire. That seems to be the central conflict of the movie, but then again we see Mando grabbed by the Hutts midway through the trailer, so there's a lot going on.

By the looks of it, we'll see The Mandalorian & Grogu separated for a significant portion of the movie, but our dynamic duo won't be apart for too long, as in the trailer we see Grogu come back to save his friend and carer. Legal guardian, I guess you'd call him at this point.

Check out the final trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu for yourself below, and check out the movie in theatres on the 22nd of May:

Donald Trump seems to believe the U.S.-Iran war will conclude soon

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:11:53 +0200

The conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has had an immense impact on the wider world, with costs for many goods (including petrol) increasing significantly due to the closure of the Hormuz Strait.

Recently, it seemed like progress was being made in the effort to bring this conflict to an end by a ceasefire being agreed, which was backed by the United States. Seemingly, this ceasefire could lead to ongoing positive results, as President Donald Trump is indicating that the war is nearing its conclusion.

As per Reuters, Trump has commented on the recent ceasefire and how there may not be a requirement to extend the 10-day period any further.

"We're going to see what happens. But I think we're very close to making a deal with Iran."

To add to this, it's mentioned that Pakistan is involved in mediating a deal between the U.S. and Iran, and that "both sides are agreeing in principle," suggesting that significant progress is being made.

The issue that seems to be holding back any agreement is Iran's nuclear ambitions, with the U.S. asking for a 20-year suspension on nuclear activity while Iran is aiming for three-to-five years.

ESL FACEIT Group will begin streaming its tournaments on Kick

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:10:04 +0200

Considering how much Kick has grown as a livestreaming platform, this latest news from the ESL FACEIT Group is perhaps less of a surprise. In a press release, it's confirmed that future EFG tournaments, events, and broadcasts will also be livestreamed on Kick, with the intention that committing to this platform will allow the organiser to reach younger fans.

EFG has noticed that Kick is a location where "younger, digitally native audiences are most active," and by accommodating Kick as part of its existing distribution (meaning YouTube and Twitch will still be supported), it should make its content "more accessible than ever before."

Speaking about this move, EFG's SVP of advertising and distribution, Steve Ford, has stated the following: "Our goal has always been to bring esports to the fans, wherever they are. By partnering with KICK, we aren't just adding a new stream; we are entering a long-term collaboration designed to grow the global footprint of Counter-Strike and Dota 2 by engaging with new and incremental audiences."

The one added caveat with this news is that Kick will now serve as the exclusive broadcast destination for the ESL Challenger League, meaning you will need to head to the streaming platform should you want to watch second-division Counter-Strike 2 action.

Bayern Munich surpasses Real Madrid in the UEFA club coefficient for the past five years

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:06:07 +0200

Real Madrid lost against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals this week, being eliminated from the competition losing both games, and this means that Bayern Munich has overtaken Real Madrid as the No. 1 club in the UEFA coefficient. Bayern has 146,500 points, passing Real Madrid with 144,500 points as the new leaders.

This UEFA coefficient measures the results of the clubs during the last five years, so it is currently counting points since the 2021/22 season. Real Madrid has won two Champions League titles in between (in the 21/22 and the 23/24 seasons) and Bayern none (their last title was in 2019/20 season), but the Bavarian club has reached at least the Champions League quarter-finals of every season since then, including semi-finals in 23/24 and now semi-finals in 25/26.

In the five-year coefficient, Liverpool is third (130,000 points), Inter Milan is fourth (127,000 points), Paris Saint-Germain is fifth (126,500 points), Manchester City is sixth (125,500 points), Arsenal is seventh (113,250 points), Barcelona is eighth (113,250 points), Bayer Leverkusen is ninth (105,000 points) and Atlético de Madrid is tenth (103,750 points).

Bayern Munich is scheduled to play against Paris Saint-Germain on April 28 and May 6, and would face Arsenal or Atleti in the Champions League final.

Arcadia Fallen II

claus@gamereactor.eu (Claus Larsen) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0200

If there's one thing I love in games, it's a good story. It really makes all the difference. If the gameplay and story don't come together seamlessly, I can never give top marks, but a good story can carry me a long way and make me overlook quite a few flaws along the way. However, I've never really thrown myself into the so-called visual novel genre, which, to me, used to be nothing more than a fancy PowerPoint presentation. Static images, a box at the bottom where the story is told, and digital cardboard cut-outs that are moved around depending on who's speaking. In my mind, it wasn't exactly the most exciting thing imaginable.

I must admit, however, that I've changed my mind after playing Arcadia Fallen II, developed by the Danish studio Galdra Studios, because the story actually works incredibly well and is compelling in its own right, and the game does something that others in the genre I've tried can't quite manage.

A funny little anecdote to start with: the game is in English, and so is the voice acting, but most of the names are Danish. It's quite funny to hear names like Puk, Elias and Miss Honning spoken in English. It sounds like a slightly odd mix of Danish and English.

As mentioned, Arcadia Fallen 2 is a visual novel, which is essentially an interactive book that unfolds before you bit by bit. In some games there are no choices, but here you can make a whole host of choices that have a greater or lesser influence on the story. If you're into wild action, sweaty car chases and things that are constantly on the move, then this probably isn't for you. But if you like a good story and intriguing characters, then this is a bit of a smorgasbord.

The game begins with your own character, whom you create yourself. There aren't that many options, but that isn't the most important thing either. I called myself Binky, and you start out alongside your future schoolmates Nina and Søren. I haven't played the first game, so if there are any references, they've gone right over my head. It doesn't feel as though that spoils anything, though.

The world of Arcadia Fallen II is one where magicians are taken from their families as children and sent to schools to learn to control their abilities. Magic is something that is controlled, and certain forms are seen as dangerous. It is in this context that we meet Nina, Søren and your own character, with Nina already feeling sad and missing her family right from the start. And even at this early stage, you get a sense that these three are going to be linked later on.

The game then jumps forward a few years, to when you are a teenager at school learning the various forms of magic. Depending on your abilities, different opportunities open up later in life. It is from here that the story begins to unfold, with conflicts surrounding magic and those who wish to control it.

The story starts off quietly but really picks up after a while, and I must admit I was surprised by how engrossed I became. I'm not usually very good at reading off a screen, but here I was, sitting for hours on end without any trouble.

At one point, some of the young people are hunted by the so-called Alethean Knights, and that's when the game really starts to pick up pace. One of the things that captivated me most was the characters. As well as Nina and Søren, you meet several new characters, all of whom have their own stories to follow. You can also start romances with several of them, which I naturally threw myself into straight away.

There's Puk, who is non-binary and a magical mechanic; Hannah, the quiet librarian who turns out to be capable of more than you might think; and my favourite, Cathrine, who starts off as a bit of an arrogant snob but turns out to have a lot of kindness and depth once you've worked on the relationship a bit.

The cool thing is that all these characters are woven into the main story, whilst also having their own little side stories. So you've got several storylines running at the same time, and it actually works quite well. The dialogue is really well written and full of humour, and it helps a lot that a large part of it is voiced. It gives you a clear sense of who the characters are.

It's all about choices. In almost every conversation, you can choose how to react, and the options are labelled with emotions such as sarcastic, angry or flirty. This makes it easy to play your character in a particular way. I'm not entirely sure, however, how much these choices actually change the story. It sometimes feels as though they alter the tone more than the actual course of events. There are, however, a few choices where you're clearly told that they have consequences, and that works really well.

And yes, my own slightly grumpy sense of humour crept in, so my character ended up coming across as a teenager with chronic stomach ache and a bad temper. It was actually quite entertaining.

If I had to criticise anything, there is quite a bit of repetition in both the music and the visual elements. You hear the same songs over and over again, and the backgrounds don't change all that much. It can get a bit monotonous in the long run. Whether this is a conscious choice or a question of resources, I don't know, but it's something you notice.

All in all, Arcadia Fallen II has pleasantly surprised me. I could easily see myself going back to play the first game just to get the full story. If you're a fan of visual novels, this is a really good choice with a strong story, good characters and solid dialogue. It's a quiet game. A game you play over a hot cup of coffee. Or tea with a little bit of honey in it.

LeBron James "doesn't take for granted" playing with his son, as they approach another first in NBA history

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:47:33 +0200

Los Angeles Lakers is playing with home court advantage in the play-offs against Houston Rockets, starting on Saturday night (Sunday in European time), and it is expected that LeBron and Bronny James will play together, making it another first in NBA history: first time a father and a son play together in the NBA play-offs.

Despite Bronny James making his debut for the Lakers at the beginning of last season, in late 2024, it has been recently when coach JJ Reddick has trusted more in the 21-year-old, who up until now played more regularly in the G-League. LeBron James Jr. has played 13 minutes or more in seven of the past 10 games with the Lakers, averaging 19 minutes over the past four, and Reddick confirmed that he will use every healthy player available, specifically saying that Bronny has improved a lot defensively.

LeBron James, 41 years old, is proud of his son: "Every moment we get an opportunity to play together is something I never take for granted" LeBron said (via AP/NBA.com), praising how much he has improved despite some early criticism of "nepotism".

"Me being on the floor with him postseason, regular season, training camp, practices, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me in my career, above everything I've accomplished. The fact that he's put himself in position to get his number called for a postseason game is pretty remarkable and pretty cool, given the circumstances that he's been through over the last couple of years. He earned it. He deserves it. He'll be ready."

Los Angeles Lakers' first play-off game against Houston Rockets takes place on Sunday, April 19, at 02:30 CEST, 01:30 BST.

Paramount confirms new World War Z, Transformers movies in the works

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:46:00 +0200

Paramount might be concerned with its big Warner Bros. buyout right now, but rather than just look at the shiny new IP it'll have when the deal goes through, it still wants to cultivate its own franchises, with fresh new movies that could be a shot of adrenaline to theatres as well as the IPs themselves.

As confirmed at CinemaCon (via IGN), Paramount confirmed there will be new entries in the World War Z, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Paranormal Activity, Star Trek, Longlegs, and Jackass franchises. There's also talk of more Sonic the Hedgehog, which we presume means additional projects after the already announced Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

World War Z hasn't had another movie in 13 years, and while zombies are back in a big way these days, we'll have to see how the plot develops in the sequel, considering the original film seemed to end on quite a positive note for the state of the devastated world. Transformers is also a bit of a head-scratcher. The animated Transformers One may have impressed fans and critics, but didn't win big at the box office. So, it's likely we'll be going back to the Michael Bay-style movies, even if Bay himself isn't behind the camera.

Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley navigate a post-apocalyptic world in Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:23:00 +0200

After taking us to history class with Napoleon, and then delivering some pure spectator sports with Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott's next cinematic venture is an adaptation of the 2012 novel The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller. It's a post-apocalyptic drama, set in a world ravaged by a virus that wiped out humanity.

We're all familiar with this kind of story, but unlike The Last of Us or 28 Years Later, the virus wiping out humanity doesn't leave flesh-hungry monsters behind. Instead, it leaves Reapers, scavengers that roam the world looking for supplies they can take from the few communities left. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a pilot who lost his wife to the virus. In his old plane, he starts getting mysterious signals, which he'll follow over the course of the film's plot.

The movie also stars Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, and more to give this new Scott feature quite a star-studded line-up. Check out the trailer for yourself below. The Dog Stars premieres in theatres on the 28th of August.

Spain suffers big blow in the Champions League race against Germany

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:20:38 +0200

The race for the fifth spot in Champions League next season, determined by UEFA ranking, took a turn against Spain after Real Madrid got eliminated by Bayern Munich and two teams were eliminated in Europa League, Celta de Vigo and Betis. Now, Spain has only two teams in European semi-finals: Atlético de Madrid in Champions League and Rayo Vallecano in Conference League, but Rayo lost 3-1 to AEK Athens on Thursday (qualified by the aggregate result).

This means that Spain is second in the UEFA ranking this season, with 21,406 points, but Germany is close with 21,214 points. England is at the top of the list with 26,569 points, and still four teams in European semi-finals, they have already secured the extra slot in Champions League next season, awarded to the fifth team in the league.

https://x.com/fmeetsdata/status/2044897617524433009

Spain and Germany are racing for the other extra slot in Champions League, and while Spain is currently ahead, Germany could overtake them. Bayern Munich plays against Paris Saint-Germain in Champions League and Freiburg plays against Braga in Europa League; while Atlético de Madrid plays against Arsenal in Champions League and Rayo Vallecano plays against Strasbourg in Conference League.

In theory, the German teams are the favourites in all cases, and the opposite happens with the Spanish teams: if Atleti and Rayo are eliminated next round, and at least one of the German teams qualify for the final, Germany would get the fifth Champions League spot...

FaZe Clan looks to get its Counter-Strike 2 efforts back on track by signing new head coach

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:05:02 +0200

For a period of time in the early 2020s, {FaZe Clan} was arguably the best Counter-Strike 2 team in the world. The organisation won a boatload of tournaments and looked indomitable, but then it all fell apart and since then, it has been struggling to replicate a modicum of that same success.

To this end, {FaZe Clan}'s last truly successful major tournament was the StarLadder Budapest Major in December 2025, when it finished second, only losing to the current competitive behemoth, {Team Vitality}. But even this isn't a victory, and this is what {FaZe Clan} is hoping to change by bringing on a new head coach.

Niclas "enkay J" Krumhorn has been acquired from {ENCE} with the hope that the German coach can get the team back to its winning-ways. This change naturally will see Dominik "GruBy" Świderski moving back to an analyst position too.

https://x.com/FaZeEsports/status/2044808097147900253

As for when we'll next see {FaZe Clan}, it will be appearing at the BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 tournament from late April and then travelling to the United States for IEM Atlanta in mid-May afterwards.

This is how you block Shorts on iPhone and Android

markus@gamereactor.eu (Markus Hirsilä) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:59:57 +0200

Short video content has become very popular, but not everyone wants to use it. The problem is that you are greeted with Shorts as soon as you launch the YouTube app. As reported by Life Hacker, there is a way to block Shorts, but it requires a bit of thinking on the user's part.

Back in October, YouTube added an option to limit your Shorts watch time. But the lowest you could go with the timer was 15 minutes, so you could still watch Shorts when you launched the app. Now YouTube is adding a new "0 minutes" option for the Shorts time management feature. So you can't just toggle an option to disable Shorts entirely, but there is still a way to do it. Setting the time limit to "0 minutes" also removes Shorts from your main feed. You will still see a Shorts tab, and if you tap on a Short from a profile, you'll see an option to ignore the limit for the day.

And how do you block Shorts on your YouTube app on iPhone and Android? Open the YouTube app, go to your Profile tab, tap the Settings icon from the top toolbar, and choose the Time Management option. Then enable the Shorts feed limit feature, then choose "0 minutes" option.

YouTube is adding this feature slowly across the globe, so it might take a while for everyone to be able to use it.

Messi faces lawsuit from an event planner for not playing in a friendly in Miami

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:45:16 +0200

VID Music Group, an event promoter in Miami, has sued Lionel Messi, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), and sports executive Julian Marcos Kapelan after Messi did not play in an exhibition match last year in Miami, as Reuters reports.

VID Music Group had signed a deal with AFA last summer to promote two Argentina's friendly matches in October 2025, against Venezuela (October 10) and Puerto Rico (October 14). VID got the exclusive broadcast rights in exchange for ticketing, broadcast, and sponsorship revenue for the AFA, but VID required that Messi would play at least 30 minutes in each match, unless he was injured, because his participation was central to the commercial value of the package.

Messi did not play the match against Venezuela, as Messi was scheduled to play with Inter Miami in the MLS just the following day, and the two competitions overlapped: he scored a brace in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United. He did play in the match against Puerto Rico on October 14, recording two assists in a 6-0 victory.

Now, VID is suing AFA for breach of contract, and accuses Messi of ⁠negligent misrepresentation and conspiring with Kapelan and the AFA to induce VID into a contract under false pretences.

Doctor Doom catches Mjolnir with his bare hands in first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:29:00 +0200

CinemaCon is in full swing, and last night Disney took the main stage to show off all it's got coming up in its theatrical release calendar. Of course, we can't discuss Disney movies without talking about the next major Marvel releases. At CinemaCon, the Mouse treated fans to a new look at the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.

Via Variety, we've got all the juicy trailer details, even if we've not yet witnessed it ourselves. The trailer begins with a shot of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, preparing to invade the multiverse. We then cut to Sir Patrick Stewart's Professor X looking out of the window of the X-Mansion.

Most of the trailer from there gives us glimpses at the fights we'll see and the crossovers that'll occur. Gambit, Mystique, Yelena, Shang-Chi, Thor and Steve Rogers all return in the trailer, with Thor seeming to have a big spotlight as he faces off against Doctor Doom himself. Captain America turns up to team up with him at one point, even picking up Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. He's not the only one who can mess around with the Norse god's weapon, though, as Doctor Doom catches Mjolnir in the trailer. Expect a lot of fights in the final movie, then, which releases on the 18th of December, 2026.

IEM Rio 2026: The playoffs commence today, here is the six-team bracket

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:05:02 +0200

It's crunch time for the Intel Extreme Masters event in Rio de Janeiro, as the big Counter-Strike 2 tournament comes to a close this weekend. With this being the case, the group stage recently concluded, meaning the six-team playoff bracket has been locked in, with this being a single-elimination event where there are no second chances.

The format will see the two quarterfinals being played today, April 17, before the semi-finals follow tomorrow, and finally the third-place match and the grand final occurs on Sunday. With this being the case, you can see the full schedule and slate of fixtures below.

Quarterfinals - April 17

Mouz vs. Team Spirit at 16:00 BST/17:00 CEST

Team Vitality vs. NAVI at 19:15 BST/20:15 CEST

Semi-finals - April 18

Team Falcons vs. Winner of Mouz/Spirit at 16:00 BST/17:00 CEST

Furia vs. Winner of Vitality/NAVI at 19:15 BST/20:15 CEST

Third-place match - April 19

Loser of Semifinal 1 vs. Loser of Semifinal 2 at 14:30 BST/15:30 CEST

Grand Final - April 19

Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 at 18:00 BST/19:00 CEST

Considering Team Vitality has shown its first sign of mortality by losing its group final to Team Falcons, who do you regard as the favourite to win IEM Rio 2026?

Pokémon Champions

johan@gamereactor.eu (Johan Vahlström) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0200

I doubt I was the only one who got a bit excited when Pokémon Champions was announced. A game that would focus solely on online battles. No story, no running around collecting gym badges and taking down massive criminal syndicates. Nope, pure, unadulterated battle action. A new, much-needed Pokémon Stadium or Colosseum. If you had those hopes, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Champions is no champion, and I wonder what the point of this game actually is.

Battles, battles, and more battles.

In a way, it feels as though the game is overdue and should have been released quite some time ago, whilst on the other hand it feels as though it isn't quite finished and could have done with a bit more time in the oven. To back up the former point, this is a game being released on the Switch. The original Switch, that is, not the Switch 2. This review is therefore based on the Switch experience. And at a lovely 30 FPS, too. There is, however, a Switch 2 update available to download completely free of charge, but it's still limited to 30 FPS. At the same time, it's a game that's rather light on content and suffers from a few bugs.

Firstly, there are only 186 Pokémon to use out of the 1,025 available. This is fewer than were in Pokémon Stadium 2 (251), a 26-year-old game. This means that most teams look quite similar once you climb a bit in the rankings. There are around ten Pokémon - such as Mega Charizard, Whimsicott, Sneasler, Incineroar, Mega Froslass, Rotom (Wash), and Kingambit - that feature in almost every team in various line-ups. The lower tiers, Poké Ball and Great Ball (each 'tier' is divided into four divisions, with one being the highest. Perform well enough in Division One and you move up to the next tier) can offer a few other monsters as there are more beginners there, but once you reach Ultra Ball and above, the meta is very limited. Something that really doesn't help matters is that many, many, many 'held items' are missing from the game. These are items a Pokémon can hold that provide various bonuses, such as healing HP or stronger attacks. Among others, the Flame Orb is missing, which makes the Guts ability completely useless, as well as Black Sludge for healing Poison-types, Choice Scarf, Assault Vest, and Life Orb. If you've played more seriously in a competitive context, you're undoubtedly familiar with these. On the other hand, you could see it as a new, fresher setup where you have to try new things.

VP and vouchers are the foundation of the Champions world.

Battles can then be fought as one-on-one matches or with both trainers fielding two Pokémon at the same time. Each mode has its own separate rankings. In the first mode, you bring a team of six Pokémon and then select three of them to battle. They are then sent out individually. For two-on-two battles, the developers have opted to follow the rules used in official tournaments. This means you select a team of six Pokémon and then choose four to battle, with the first two sent out together. Usually in Pokémon games, such as Scarlet & Violet, when playing against friends you can use all six Pokémon in your team in the same battle. All of them are then at level 50, regardless of what they were before. Furthermore, in addition to the online rankings, there are regular tournaments, unranked matches, and the option to create private matches using an ID number to invite an opponent.

The question is why experienced players should play this if they already play matches frequently in Scarlet & Violet, apart from the novelty factor. Champions doesn't introduce anything new and is essentially a stripped-down version. The only difference is that it is currently possible to use Mega Pokémon, but not 'Terastallising'. It's possible this will be added eventually, but right now it's very basic and it feels like they just had to get this game out now that Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The answer is quite simple. The players have to. From this year's Pokémon VGC World Championships onwards, this is the official tournament game.

New monsters are recruited via a gacha system.

However, Game Freak and everyone involved with Pokémon deserve credit for the fact that this is an excellent introduction to competitive battles for beginners. The game is 'free-to-start', meaning you can play it completely free of charge, and it's very quick to get into a stream of match after match after match (without needing an online subscription, either). As soon as a match is over, you can choose to jump straight into the next one with the same team, and it all flows very smoothly. So, if, for example, someone doesn't own the latest games in the series and has come in via Pokémon Go, they can give it a go here, with the added bonus of being able to import their monsters from Go via Home. As this is a game that focuses 100 percent on battles, you can't just walk around throwing Poké Balls in the game. Therefore, there are only two ways to catch monsters. One is, as mentioned, to transfer them via Pokémon Home. Nicknames, titles, attacks and other details are carried over. What's more, this is done completely free of charge in the game. However, this brings me to the second way, which involves spending money.

It's easy to change your monster's various attributes (in exchange for VP or vouchers, of course).

This is where the "free-to-start" aspect ends. You can also recruit monsters via a gacha system (think lottery), where you either pay VP or use Quick Coupons. The way it works is that you get one free spin every 22 hours. Ten random monsters then appear, and you get to choose one to recruit, either on a seven-day trial period or permanently by using VP or recruitment coupons. If you want to get ten new candidates before these 22 hours are up, you have to pay 100 VP or 1 Quick Coupon for every hour remaining until the 22 hours are up. That is 2200 VP or 22 coupons. These are things you can gradually earn in the game by playing matches and completing daily or weekly missions. Do you then want to change your new friend's attacks or attributes? Spend more VP or another type of coupon. If you want to make things easier for yourself, you can always buy a Premium Battle Pass and a membership. The Battle Pass gives extra rewards as you level up during the season (up to level 50), whilst the membership gives you various bonuses, one of which is completely absurd. The basic version is limited to you only being able to store 30 Pokémon, with five extra when you move up to the next division. This is incredibly stingy. With a membership? 50? 100? 200? Nope, you get 1,000 (!) box spaces. So, from 30 for free to 1,000 for a fee. You also get the chance to build 15 different teams and access exclusive missions for vouchers and other rewards.

Mega Pokémon is the special mechanic in this game.

One question I've been pondering is: "Does this game have potential?" The answer is "maybe". Right now, the game is sorely lacking in content, but if they expand the number of playable monsters (its Pokédex), introduce more mechanics such as Terastallising, Gigantamax, or even the long-forgotten Z-Moves, it could offer greater variety. The question is how much of the (surely massive) player base will remain by then. Right now, it's all about the novelty and the fact it's free, but once everyone's had a go, will there be more than just the hardcore fanbase left? We'll see. For now, Pokémon Champions is a good introduction for new players, but the seasoned veterans will surely feel that something is missing.

Novak Djokovic is training in Spain, but "not sure" if he'll participate in Madrid Open

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:58:37 +0200

Novak Djokovic is in Spain, where he is scheduled to participate in the Madrid Open, the next Masters 1,000 tournament: he has been spotted in Marbella, where he will train on clay courts, and on Thursday he attended a EuroLeague match between Real Madrid and Red Star Belgrave, alongside former Madrid player Luka Doncic.

https://x.com/EuroLeague/status/2044864960073760795

On the basketball court, Movistar interviewed the 38-year-old Serbian player, who last played against Jack Draper at the Indian Wells round of 16, and recently played the Australian Open final, losing to Carlos Alcaraz. But the veteran player cast some doubts about his participation in the Masters 1,000 tournament that started next week (between April 22 and May 3).

https://x.com/MPlusDeportes/status/2044872828067995838

"I hope to compete here, ‌I'm ⁠working towards that. I'm not sure. I have been struggling physically a little bit with an injury, ⁠so I'm trying to address that and play as long as I can", said Djokovic, who is enjoying taking the sport a bit more slowly: "Now I have a little bit more time, not playing as much, ⁠so I get a chance to enjoy other sports and great athleticism".

Djokovic's goal will surely be to arrive in his best shape at the next Grand Slam, but for that he also needs to practice and get accustomed with clay courts before Roland Garros starts on May 18, running until June 7. With the draw for the Madrid Open taking place on Monday, seeded players like Djokovic (fourth in the world) wouldn't start until second round, around Saturday, April 25.

Top Gun 3 confirmed by Paramount, Tom Cruise to return as Maverick

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:46:00 +0200

The wait between the first and second Top Gun films was just shy of 40 years (36 years to be exact), which is why despite the success of the recent Top Gun: Maverick, there was always the question about how long we'd have to wait for a third film, even if it seemed like it was coming... Judging by recent news, the wait will be significantly shorter.

During the Paramount presentation at CinemaCon, it was revealed that Top Gun 3 is officially in the works and that some of the creative team and star power from Top Gun: Maverick will be back for it.

As per Variety, it's said that Tom Cruise will be returning as Maverick and Jerry Bruckheimer is attached again as a producer. We can also expect a script from Ehren Kruger once more, the co-writer behind the last flick.

Beyond this, details are a tad scarce, as there is no mention of a confirmed director yet and likewise it's unclear if the wider talented cast will be back and reprising their respective roles. We also have no clue as to a premiere date or window, but hopefully it won't be too long, as Cruise isn't exactly getting any younger.

Are you excited for more Top Gun?

Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham successfully appeal against rule of 65 games for MVP

javier@gamereactor.eu (Javier Escribano) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:37:39 +0200

Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) and Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) will be eligible for the MVP and other individual awards at the end of the season despite not fulfilling the rule of playing in 65 regular season games. A rule that many see unfair and will stay for the time being, but the league will make an exception for those two players due to "extraordinary circumstances".

Doncic played 64 games for Lakers, but missed two to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia, while Cunningham played 63 games, but missed 12 due to a collapsed lung diagnosed on March 17: those are the reasons cited by NBA that factored in their decision. Both players appealed, and the league has agreed that, "taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Dončić, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the {CBA}."

The rule for playing a minimum of matches each regular season to be eligible for the best player of the season makes sense, as it rewards consistency. However, it causes that, if a great player is injured for a prolonged period of time, they may not be eligible. This year, Doncic and Cunningham's cases were very exceptional, as they barely reached the mark and had very good reasons to miss some games. However, Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota Timberwolves has been denied the same treatment before an independent arbitrator, after playing in 60 games.

According to betting predictions, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains favourite to win MVP award for second year in a row, followed by Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II has surpassed 12 million players

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:11:00 +0200

Around 18 months ago, Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment gave the world the long-awaited sequel, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II, a game that we absolutely adored and which clearly found a home among players, as it quickly raked in a large audience.

Since its launch in September 2024, the game has steadily expanded and grown, connecting with more and more players, surpassing milestone after milestone. On this front, it has now been revealed that the game has reached as many as 12 million players, a feat that Focus regards as surpassing "even our wildest dreams".

When you look at this success, it's no surprise that a greenlight came rather soon for a third chapter in the series, which is currently in-development at Saber Interactive and planned for an unknown launch date.

https://x.com/focus_entmt/status/2044819596570493312

Thrash

peter@gamereactor.eu (Peter Westberg) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0200

Tommy Wirkola. Something of a legend in the horror genre, isn't he? I'm not a huge fan of the Dead Snow films, though I'll admit they're very entertaining. A few years ago, he also brought us the ultra-violent and highly entertaining I Onde Dager (The Trip in English), starring Noomi Rapace, Aksel Hennie and Atle Antonsen.

Now he's swapped the Norwegian countryside for hurricanes and sharks in an American coastal town in South Carolina. I'm going into this without any particular expectations, but at the same time I really do hope it's as entertaining as it sounds. I'm a sucker for shark films, even if there are few memorable ones. Deep Blue Sea is mindless and bloody silly, but it's still fantastically entertaining. We don't even need to mention Jaws. A classic. And I actually thought The Meg was really enjoyable, if you're prepared for what you're getting into: an angry Statham fighting a monster shark. It's fun, folks.

A quick word on the plot then. You've already got the gist. It doesn't take more than a couple of sentences. Abridged and translated: When a Category 5 hurricane devastates a coastal town, the storm surge brings with it destruction, chaos and something far more terrifying: hungry sharks.

You get the picture. It's not kitchen-sink realism. Because the kitchen sinks get swept away in the flood. Thrash doesn't drag its feet. It builds up the plot and the tension just as we'd expect from a disaster film. I think Thrash is relatively stylish. It gets by with simple means. We find ourselves in flooded shacks, out on flooded streets. The sharks are competently animated. It's not eye candy, but it doesn't make you angry either.

The dialogue is what you'd expect from this sort of film. The acting is much the same. There won't be any Oscar nominations, but we're spared the Razzies too. Everyone does a decent job. I actually think that sums up Thrash quite well. We know what we're getting, and if you don't expect anything more, you'll be satisfied. It's a bit like a bag of mixed sweets. You want the raspberries and liquorice, but you end up popping an orange sweet into your mouth every now and then. It's not brilliant, but it works.

There are a few scenes that offer a bit more edge. There are a couple of half-decent shark attacks, but nothing that stands out. Nothing that surprises. It's bloody, but it feels like they're holding back a bit. I can imagine that Wirkola, who's previously been allowed to go wild with the violence, has been tied to the director's and editor's chair. There's a scene where one of the main characters is supposed to throw "things that vibrate" into the water, and I immediately think, "I know Wirkola would have wanted to include a vibrator here, but Netflix said no, it'll be an electric toothbrush."

I've always had a soft spot for Djimon Hounsou. He doesn't get nearly enough screen time, though. Despite my reservations and having to keep my expectations in check so as not to get my hopes up for the next big shark action film (is that a genre? Well, now it is!), I still like Thrash. It doesn't offer anything particularly new. It isn't scary or overly thrilling, but it's still entertaining enough that I sit back and feel grateful that in 2026 I can watch sharks feasting on meat on a Friday night.

If I could make a wish out loud, I'd love to see some sort of crossover between this, Jaws and Deep Blue Sea. But with stylish effects, more tension and non-stop gore. And an LL Cool J who gets to say something cool along the lines of "You ate my bird."

The Call of Duty Movie will open in cinemas in June 2028

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:47:54 +0200

One of the video game series that production companies have been eager to land for adaptation purposes is Call of Duty, as Activision's shooter series has an immense player following, which will surely translate into cinemagoing fans, right?

Relatively recently, it was confirmed that Paramount and Activision had struck up a deal to make Call of Duty into a film, and now as part of CinemaCon, a few extra bits of information about the project has been shared.

For one, we're told that the Call of Duty movie will open in cinemas on June 30, 2028, so in just over two year's time. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the project will be written by Taylor Sheridan (yes, the Yellowstone creator, but also the individual who gave the world Sicario!) and it will be directed by Pete Berg (Lone Survivor), so there are two key creative forces attached that are experienced in making action war films.

Beyond this, there's nothing new to share, so we'll just have to stay tuned for a wider update on casting choices and such.

https://x.com/callofduty/status/2044830135803928629