Game Pass Pricing, California Gamer Bill, Ashes of Creation Expenses + more!

Duration: 05:54

Timestamps:

0:00 archaeologyLinked let's go

0:11 Xbox Game Pass 'too expensive'

1:11 Stop Killing Games backs California bill

2:11 Ashes of Creation ledger leak

3:16 QUICK BITS INTRO

3:24 Windrose: the spirit of AC: Black Flag

4:00 Blizzard shuts down Turtle WoW

4:31 Bloodborne movie ft. Jacksepticeye

5:06 Tomodachi Life obsession

NEWS SOURCES:

MAINS

TRY THE OPPOSITE

Apr 13 - Xbox Game Pass ‘has become too expensive,’ says Microsoft’s new gaming chief in leaked memo. Microsoft is getting ready to address Game Pass pricing concerns.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/911182/microsoft-xbox-game-pass-too-expensive-leaked-memo

https://hothardware.com/news/xbox-boss-says-game-pass-too-expensive-microsoft-memo

https://www.gadgetreview.com/xbox-boss-admits-game-pass-has-become-too-expensive

Too expensive for players quote: https://lmg.gg/juT3r

It got more expensive in October $16.99 → $19.99 → $29.99

https://mashable.com/article/oct-1-xbox-game-pass-price-hike

Maybe one of the reasons they could lower the price is that reportedly Call of Duty 2026 Might Not Launch on Xbox Game Pass day one

https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/future-call-of-duty-games-might-not-launch-day-one-on-xbox-game-pass/

1:49:50 on the xbox 2 podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiuqOKvlHbc&t=6590s

Apr 14 - Xbox Is Reportedly Considering a Return To Exclusive Games: “There Are Very, Very Big Discussions Internally,” Insider Says

https://wccftech.com/xbox-considering-return-exclusives/

https://mynintendonews.com/2026/04/14/windows-centrals-jez-corden-says-xbox-discussing-internally-whether-to-return-to-exclusives/

WARDED FROM SHUTDOWNS

Stop Killing Games has endorsed California's recently amended Protect Our Games Act https://www.techspot.com/news/112055-stop-killing-games-backs-california-bill-supporting-clearer.html

The bill was introduced earlier this year by California Assembly member Chris Ward, and has since been amended.

https://lmg.gg/Protectourgamesact

The newly amended bill would force publishers of "server-connected" games released after January 1, 2027 to either patch titles losing online-only functionality so they remain playable offline after support ends, OR cough up full refunds.It also requires publishers to warn players 60 days before servers go offline, both in-game and on their website, with clear notice of which features get disabled, any security risks, and what's needed to keep the game running offline long-term. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1921#:~:text=60,distributing

This doesn’t apply to subscription services, free-to-play games that never required a purchase, and one-time downloads designed to run fully offline from day one. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1921#:~:text=%281%29%C2%A0Any,consideration

Moritz Katzner, the Stop Killing Games EU lead, wrote that the bill is already drawing heat from major U.S. gaming industry lobbying groups, ‘which likely means we’re on the right track.’”

https://lmg.gg/moritzkatzner

GOTTA GET THAT DASHPASS BRO

Ashes of Creation's Alleged Expense Ledger Leaks, they deny it all but its pretty goofy

https://massivelyop.com/2026/04/11/ashes-of-creations-alleged-expense-ledger-has-been-leaked-to-ruin-your-weekend/

https://www.mmorpg.com/news/alleged-ashes-of-creation-financial-ledger-leaked-claiming-misappropriation-of-studio-funds-sharif-responds-2000137792

From this kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1791529601/ashes-of-creation-new-mmorpg-by-intrepid-studios

Comes from Youtuber NefasQS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8xSWtwUl1o

List of expenses: (Editor go to the general ledger for screenshots, show these quickly as the host lists them)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ivYAjjAInMyW3bthU2sulGrVysZoXh6QtzhFhChkGqU/edit?gid=336740725#gid=336740725

Line 5511 Doordash

Line 4553 for the 10 chili’s trips

Line 10023 for private chef inc

Line 8002 for the oil company

Line 7633 Fortnite (draw the eye to R&D)

The company wasn't super impressed and slapped back with a statement

https://www.mmorpg.com/news/alleged-ashes-of-creation-financial-ledger-leaked-claiming-misappropriation-of-studio-funds-sharif-responds-2000137792?amp=true

The companies response: https://www.reddit.com/r/AshesofCreation/comments/1rm0y1m/public_statement_and_update_regarding_intrepid/

QUICK BITS

BLACK FLAG FANS REJOICE

Ahoy, landlubbers, open-world pirate survival game Windrose just launched into Steam Early Access and players are absolutely eating it up.

https://www.eurogamer.net/windrose-early-access-steam-positive-reviews

People love this game and are saying it “scratches that black flag itch in the best way”

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/open-world/open-world-pirate-survival-game-windrose-launches-to-69-000-steam-players-and-88-percent-positive-reviews-scratches-that-black-flag-itch-in-the-best-way/

The early access game is currently sitting on steam with over 3,000 reviews and is very positive.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/3041230/reviews/

Editor: first the top of the steam page, then the bottom reviews section

Momentum's only building, the game's now up to a 109,000 concurrent player base.

https://steamdb.info/app/3041230/charts/

You can hunt treasure, fight naval battles, build a house, engage in combat, and - most importantly - farm. How else is a man of the sea supposed to stave off scurvy??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEUNq2eHrNI video of gameplay

00:11 find treasure

00:12 kill birds

00:23 navigate pirate naval warfare

00:34 build a house

00:42 engage in combat

00:58 farm, I LOVE FARMING

BLIZZARD CRACKS THE SHELL (if too long: SHELLED BY THE LAW)

Blizzard has won a permanent court order against Turtle WoW, forcing the server to shut down.

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzard-wins-injunction-against-vanilla-world-of-warcraft-private-server/

Turtle WoW's custom Mysteries of Azeroth expansion built new content on top of Vanilla WoW, staying in the Warcraft III era instead of jumping forward to Burning Crusade.

https://turtlecraft.gg/

One player stating IP should be respected, but “turtle wow is giving us what Blizzard won’t”, Basically the Classic Plus experience Blizzard has never officially delivered on.

https://lmg.gg/redditcommentmakesgoodpoint

Court documents lay out the full scope, Turtle WoW must "immediately and permanently cease and desist" from developing, programming, operating, updating, supporting, distributing, or marketing the server.

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71235075/56/1/blizzard-entertainment-inc-v-turtle-wow/

Editor: Highlight not working but “shall immediately and permanently cease and desist from any of the following: developing, programming, coding, operating, updating, supporting, maintaining, distributing, marketing,”

YHARNAM-WOOD

Sony just announced at CinemaCon that an R-rated animated Bloodborne movie is in the works, finally giving FromSoftware's eldritch horror nightmare a worthy adaptation. https://variety.com/2026/film/news/bloodborne-video-game-r-rated-animated-movie-adaptation-sony-cinemacon-1236720936/

Sanford Panitch, president of Sony Pictures, promised the adaptation will be "very true" to the roots and Miyazaki's vision of Bloodborne, fingers crossed.

https://lmg.gg/sanfordpromises

On top of the announcement it was revealed famous youTuber jacksepticeye is co-producing it https://youtu.be/nRgyggAsta4?t=99

Editor: timestamp 1:39, less important since I just want to show the title and his channel, maybe if you can get a screenshot of the video pre-clicking to get the thumbnail.

So Markiplier made Iron Lung, and Jacksepticeye is working on Bloodborne? I told you screaming at video games was a valid career path, MOM!

THAT Mii BETTER PASS THE GAS

Apr 14 - Nintendo Was "Obsessed" With Getting Mii Farts To Sound Correct For Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-was-obsessed-with-getting-mii-farts-to-sound-correct-for-tomodachi-life-living-the-dream/1100-6539386/

https://kotaku.com/tomodachi-life-fart-miis-nintendo-switch-2000687513

https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-21-tomodachi-life-living-the-dream-part-1/

Fart quote: https://lmg.gg/EilRS

Its apparently an optional feature: https://lmg.gg/dj7L4

This clip from the trailer kinda looks like they are waiting in line for a bathroom at 1:33