I need Marathon vs. Arc Raiders to be the Battlefield vs. Call of Duty of 2026. But which is which? There’s no standalone Zombies Call of Duty game, Activision claims. And another notable March release gets delayed to April. It’s the latest edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news, rumors, and culture.
I think it’s time for every gaming CEO to put their gamer cred on the line. The head of Nightdive Studios has played over 8,500 hours of Dota 2. Anyone willing to come out and admit to beating that? I’ve only got about 2,000 hours in Dota 2 and I regret every one of them. But would I do it all over again if given the chance? Also yes.
Arc Raiders gets defensive about anti-cheat
Yesterday, Bungie’s imminent shooter Marathon outlined a zero-tolerance policy for cheating, unlike Arc Raiders‘ escalating three-strike rule. In today’s patch notes for its Shrouded Sky update, the current extraction shooter king tried to explain its recent struggles with exploits. “When we shared our last update about tackling unfair play, we didn’t fully convey the complexity and scale of what goes into cheat detection,” the development team wrote. “Our defenses operate on multiple levels: some checks are simple and definitive, while others are behavioral and data-driven and evolve over time.”
The note went on to try to expand on that complexity and scale. Arc Raiders leverages “broad gameplay telemetry and machine learning techniques” to detect malicious behavior. But these systems are hard to develop and don’t offer “instant certainty” for quick bans the way “blunt software detections” do. Embark Studios says that this is why most of its bans operate on what I might call a cold, warm, hot scale.
“Strong detections will receive permanent bans right off the bat, while others will receive a temporary suspension and a single chance to correct the behavior,” read the patch notes. But don’t worry! Arc Raiders is “tightening our rules and stepping up enforcement” so that “serious infractions now carry stricter consequences.” A dedicated anti-cheat team is working “tirelessly to keep the game fair.”
Players will judge for themselves if one extraction shooter feels like it has fewer exploits and instant-kills. It’s nice to see some competition though. Like with Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7, a friendly rivalry forces everyone to up their game.
Activision shuts down standalone Zombies game rumors
The rumor factory working overtime. This ain’t it.
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) February 23, 2026
Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope got the rumor mill spinning with claims that Activision was looking at possibly launching two separate games for the arrival of the next Xbox expected in 2027, including one that was a standalone Zombies mode spin-off. The official Call of Duty account responded by vaguely denying the claims. “The rumor factory working overtime,” it wrote (via IGN). “This ain’t it.”
The studio that made Prototype is back
All some gamers want is a remake of the 2009 action-adventure sandbox Prototype. Well, the developer behind it, Radical Entertainment, has reformed as New Radical Games according to the studio’s updated website. Microsoft currently owns the IP, so never say never, though I’m not sure going back to the well of a series that ushered in the studio’s closure is a smart move in the ultracompetitive landscape of 2026. Still, bringing back Prototype 3, canceled before Radical became a support studio for Destiny, would be sick.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire slips to April
Originally set to release on March 19, the 1930s-style animated noir shooter will arrive on April 16 instead. “As we approach the final stages of development, we want to ensure we are taking the extra time and care needed to make Mouse: P.I. For Hire an experience to remember,” reads the delay announcement from the studio. “We remain unwavering in our goal to deliver you the best game we can, and that will take just an extra few weeks.
Nintendo reveals Legend of Zelda weapon collection after skipping the anniversary
バンダイさんより、「ゼルダの伝説 ウェポンコレクション」が登場。全国のお菓子売り場などで発売中です。
マスターソード、ハイリアの盾、オオワシの弓、巨岩砕きなど、全9種類の武器のうち1つが入っています。 pic.twitter.com/OoNhvT8Bk9— ゼルダの伝説 (@ZeldaOfficialJP) February 24, 2026
The company didn’t make any fuss about the beloved adventure franchise hitting its 40th birthday over the weekend, but it has quietly announced a new collaboration with Bandai Namco to let super fans display their very own collection of replica weapons from across the series’ history.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead is pivoting to movies
Former pro-Gamergate developer Daniel Vávra is stepping away from designing RPGs to help usher a Kingdom Come movie into the world. “Getting Kingdom Come to the screen in the next few years is another milestone that we want to achieve, and that is Dan’s new role,” Warhorse Studios head Martin Frývaldský told CzechCrunch (via VGC). “You won’t see him in the office every day anymore, but in a broader sense, he is still part of Warhorse.”
“True,” wrote Vávra on X today. “Gaming world is finally saved from my controversies!”
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