The top four games in this week's rankings remain unchanged. 'Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred' held the top spot for the second consecutive week, followed by 'E-Hwan', 'Pragmata', and 'Imjin War: Joseon's Counterattack'. The buzz surrounding these titles, which officially launched on April 28 and 29, has carried over for another week.
The most significant shifts come from 'Path of Exile 2', ahead of its new expansion, and 'Azur Promilia', which is nearing its closed beta test (CBT). They entered the rankings at 7th and 5th place, respectively. The 'Return of the Ancients' major update, launching May 30, features a wealth of content, including six new endgame storylines, new final bosses, a new crafting system, and new ascendancy classes. Five new bosses will be added, along with the Monk's 'Martial Artist' and the Huntress' 'Spirit Walker' ascendancy classes.
'Azur Promilia' is a new fantasy world RPG from Manjuu Games, the developer of Azur Lane. It is gaining significant attention in Korea, where Nexon will handle publishing. The CBT will run for four days from May 15 to 18, allowing selected testers to experience the game on PC and Android.
As a result, 'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad' (6th), 'Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era' (8th), 'Forza Horizon 6' (9th), and 'Mon-Gil: Star Dive' (10th) each slipped one or two spots. 'Forza Horizon 6', which reached 6th place last week, saw the largest drop, falling three spots. Meanwhile, 'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad', which is set for a PC early release on May 14, sits at 6th place as it approaches its launch.
Notable New Releases, Events, and Updates
Last week, HoYoverse's urban fantasy action RPG 'Zenless Zone Zero' released its 2.8 update, 'Sunset of New Eridu'. This version, which serves as the finale for Season 2, centers the main story on a chase involving the mysterious target 'Ramiel'. New agents include the S-rank Ice anomaly agent 'Promia' and Billy's new form, 'Starlight Billy'.
On May 7, the indie title 'Mixtape', published by Annapurna Interactive, was released to a solid 85 on Metacritic. However, some in the Western gaming community have pointed out that the critic score seems high relative to the game's length and gameplay depth. On the same day, Netmarble's 'Solo Leveling: ARISE' celebrated its 2nd anniversary with an update, officially implementing the new content revealed at an offline event on April 25.
Other indie titles released throughout the week include 'Farever', 'Will: Follow the Light', 'Alabaster Dawn', and 'Duck Side of the Moon'. Additionally, the PC version of 'Freestyle Football 2' held its CBT from May 8 to 9.
This Week's Issue: Steam Wishlist #1 'Subnautica 2' Early Access Launch
The biggest news this week is the PC early release of Netmarble's 'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad' on May 14, and the early access launch of Unknown Worlds' (Krafton) 'Subnautica 2' on May 15. Both are live-service titles generating significant global interest.
'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad' is an open-world action RPG set during the events of Season 4 of the HBO series 'Game of Thrones.' The game first launched in North America and Europe last May, and it is now entering the Asian market after a year of Western operations, during which its content and monetization structure underwent significant overhauls. The grand launch, including the mobile version, is scheduled for May 21, one week from now.
'Subnautica 2' is the official sequel to the 'Subnautica' series, a landmark title in the marine survival genre. The core gameplay centers on open-world underwater exploration on a new alien planet, with this installment introducing a new four-player co-op mode. Having topped the Steam global wishlist for nine consecutive months, the game is set to launch in early access on May 15 at midnight.
Additionally, the horror adventure 'Directive 8020' launches on May 13, and the 'Azur Promilia' CBT runs from May 15 to 18. The 'Blade of Fire' 2 update is also scheduled for release on the 15th.
Last Week's Metacritic Scores?
The highest-scoring release from last week was 'Mixtape', published by Annapurna Interactive. Developed by BAFTA-winning Beethoven & Dinosaur, this late-1980s narrative adventure is praised for its storytelling—which recalls a final night with friends—and its period-accurate soundtrack. However, some critics have argued that international media were too generous to a short game with very little player agency. Indeed, the user score sits at 6.7, a significant gap from the Metacritic score.
Top Hat Studios' 'Motor Slice' earned a 79. In this indie game, players don an orange jumpsuit and race through a massive construction site, with a heavy emphasis on parkour and action. It maintains a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam with over 1800 reviews.
'Everything is Crab', published by Secret Mode, received a 75. As the subtitle 'Animal Evolution Roguelite' suggests, it follows the story of a creature struggling to survive in its ecosystem. It includes all the expected roguelite elements, such as over 125 evolution-based abilities, random bosses, and a meta-progression system, all wrapped in cute pixel art.
TomorrowHead Studio's 'Will: Follow the Light' sits at 68. Released on May 7, reviews are somewhat mixed. The story follows Will, a lighthouse keeper who receives a radio message that his only son has gone missing due to a sudden natural disaster. Players join Will on his arduous journey to find his son. While the depiction of natural disasters and lighting effects have been praised, critics have pointed to a confusing narrative, unfriendly puzzles, and poor Korean localization.
Finally, Square Glade Games' 'Outbound' recorded a 67. While it promotes a concept of open-world survival crafting using a camper van, the initial reviews have been somewhat harsh. As it is currently in early access, there is room for the score to change through future updates.
New Game Popularity Poll
This week's poll covers games released or scheduled for release between April 11 and June 11. Consequently, games like 'The Occultist' (released in April) have been removed from the poll, while titles like 'Tour de France 2026' and 'Witchfire' have been added.
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