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This past week, June 16–22, 2025, was a seismic one for gaming. Broken Arrow, a modern warfare RTS, exploded onto the scene with unexpected popularity, proving the genre’s still got legs. Summer Game Fest and Xbox Games Showcase reveals like Resident Evil Requiem and The Outer Worlds 2 kept the hype train rolling, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 held its GOTY crown. Oblivion rumors swirled, and Apple’s Epic loss shook things up. Here’s what defined the gaming pulse.Broken Arrow: The RTS Underdog That RoaredBroken Arrow, a real-time strategy/tactics hybrid from Steel Balalaika and Slitherine, launched June 19 on Steam for PC, and holy smokes, it’s a phenomenon. This modern warfare RTS, set in a fictional U.S.-Russia Baltic conflict, blends Command & Conquer’s accessibility with World in Conflict’s realism, boasting 300+ customizable units—tanks, choppers, jets, infantry, and more—across 19 campaign missions and 5v5 multiplayer. Its deck-building system, with 1,500+ unit combos, lets players craft unique armies, while maps based on real-world locations add tactical depth.
The game hit Steam’s top charts, peaking at 32,000 concurrent players and 27,000 at launch, with a “Mostly Positive” 75% rating from 6,716 reviews, per@NotebookCheck. X posts exploded—@rebootduderaved about its “milsim meets RTS” vibe, and @SyphoticARTcrowned it 2025’s RTS king over Tempest Rising.@PCGamesNcalled it a “great middle point” between classic RTS and complex milsims, though a launch flaw—no 1v1 AI skirmish mode—drew flak. Devs patched in 1v1 and 2v2 skirmishes post-launch, per@PCGamesN, boosting goodwill.
@Strategyandwargaming gave it an 8.5/10, dubbing it “the best RTS of 2025” for its campaign and customization, despite UI gripes and missing replays.@Jeffe73891152on X praised its fresh modern setting—finally not WWII or Cold War—and infantry’s viability. Its Steam Workshop and Scenario Editor promise endless replayability, per @MagicGameWorld. Broken Arrow’s surge, with 800,000 pre-launch wishlists, per @dlcompare, signals an RTS renaissance no one saw coming.
New Releases: Stellar Blade PC and MoreThis week’s releases leaned on ports and indies:
Zoe: Memory Circuit (June 19, PC, Xbox Series X|S): A stylish action-RPG with Soulslike vibes, per @checkpointgaming.
HoloParade, Gex Trilogy, Zombie Army VR (June 10–12, PC/console): A quirky mix, per@tech_gaming.
Alien Hominid HD (June 10, PS5, PS4): The Behemoth’s retro run-and-gun hit consoles, per@pushsquare.
Final Fantasy XVI (June 8, Xbox Series X|S): A surprise Xbox drop from the Xbox Showcase, breaking PS5 exclusivity, per@cheatcc.
Stellar Blade (June 9, PC): This Soulslike hit landed on PC with a Complete Edition and DLC crossover, topping Sony’s Steam launches, per@IGN.
Announced Titles: Showcases Keep DeliveringSummer Game Fest (June 6) echoes lingered, with Resident Evil Requiem (Resident Evil 9) and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (June 26, PS5) driving hype, per@eurogamer. Dune: Awakening’s early access hit 100k players, per@eurogamer, while Wildgate, a space shooter, nabbed a July 22 release, per@ign. The Xbox Games Showcase (June 8) unveiled Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (2026, Game Pass day one), The Outer Worlds 2 (October 29), and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2035 setting), per@tvpulsemag. A Persona 4 remake and Clockwork Revolution teased big, per@ign.
Future Games Show (June 7) hyped SCUM (June 17) and The Finals Season 7 (June 12), while PC Gaming Show (June 8) dropped Guntouchables (June 17) and Abyssus (August 12), with Steam Next Fest demos, per@pcgamer.@HerrClayon X called the week “overwhelming,” and it was.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Unstoppable MarchClair Obscur: Expedition 33 (April 24) kept its GOTY buzz, with 2 million copies sold, per@XBorgHQ. Sandfall’s RPG, a Galaxies standout, blends haunting visuals and turn-based combat.@IGN’s “masterpiece” label and 92 Metascore, per@MortisWes, held firm. NVIDIA’s DLSS support, per@NVIDIAGeForce, made PC visuals pop. A summer epilogue tease kept X buzzing, with @Misery_AZpairing it with Broken Arrow as 2025’s peaks.
Oblivion Remake Rumors PersistThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’s April 22 remaster (PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5) topped PS5 charts, per@WindowsCentral.@Eurogamer’s 2027 remake leaks, promising 4K and mods, split X—@RinoTheBouncerhyped a reborn Cyrodiil, but some feared a Skyrim clone. The remaster’s 4K/60 FPS, per@JamieMoranUK, kept it trending.
Apple’s Epic Loss RipplesApple’s April 30 loss to Epic Games, banning its 27% commission and anti-steering rules, per@Reuters, stayed hot. Epic’s Tim Sweeney eyed Fortnite’s App Store return, per@TechCrunch.@jason_kintcalled it a “sledgehammer,” but Apple’s $73.4M legal fee demand and May 7 appeal kept the fight alive, per@Reuters. X sees it as a dev win, but the saga’s ongoing.
Switch 2’s Hot StreakNintendo’s Switch 2 ($449.99, June 5) hit 3.5 million sales in four days, per@variety, with Mario Kart World and Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition leading, per@nme.@GamerGuildTVcalled it a “game-changer,” despite price gripes.
Indies StruggleBig drops buried indies like Camper Van: Make it Home, per@engadget. Blue Prince (92 Metascore, per@MortisWes) and Galaxies’s Bionic Bay fought for air, per@pcgamer. Broken Arrow’s indie-like rise was the exception.
The Wrap-UpJune 16–22 was electric: Broken Arrow revived RTS with shocking popularity, Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy XVI landed big, and Resident Evil Requiem and The Outer Worlds 2 hyped the future. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Oblivion kept hearts racing, and Apple’s Epic loss stirred debate.@SyphoticARTnailed it—Broken Arrow’s a 2025 banger. What’s your vibe—Broken Arrow’s tactical chaos, Expedition 33’s depth, or an indie gem? Drop it below—I’m listening.
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