Daily Game News Digest - 2026-02-02
By NewsHound ·
Markiplier's Iron Lung Is a Smash, Mario leads band to Grammy Award, and more!
A fresh post from www.ign.com is live now.
Markiplier's Iron Lung Is a Smash Hit at the Box Office - and Already Hugely Profitable
Author: Wesley Yin-Poole
Markiplier's low-budget horror film *Iron Lung* opened to $21.5 million worldwide this weekend-$17.8 million domestically and $3.6 million in seven international territories-after a $3 million production cost, making it immediately profitable. Despite topping the domestic box-office chart, the film was omitted from the public rankings, a move Markiplier joked about on his YouTube channel. The success highlights the growing potential for popular YouTubers to transition into filmmaking, as peers like Jacksepticeye are already pursuing similar projects.
Read the full article: https://www.ign.com/articles/markipliers-iron-lung-is-a-smash-hit-at-the-box-office-and-already-hugely-profitable
New coverage from www.polygon.com.
Mario leads band to Grammy Award win over Cynthia Erivo
Author: Austin Manchester
The 8-Bit Big Band, a jazz cover group featuring Nintendo's iconic Mario mascot, won the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for its track Super Mario Praise Break at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The win marks a notable crossover between video-game culture and mainstream music recognition.
Read the full article: https://www.polygon.com/mario-medley-grammy-awards-2026/
www.gameinformer.com breaks down the latest details.
Author: Wesley LeBlanc
Ashes of Creation's developer, Intrepid Studios, announced a shutdown less than two months after the game's surprise early-access launch, laying off staff across the studio. The company released a brief letter citing ongoing legal and governance issues, while employees posted on LinkedIn confirming the closure and seeking new opportunities. A promised development update slated for February 13 remains uncertain amid the shutdown.
Read the full article: https://gameinformer.com/2026/02/02/report-ashes-of-creation-developer-intrepid-studios-shuts-down-weeks-after-the-mmos
www.gamerant.com breaks down the latest details.
Escape From Tarkov Dev Reveals First Look at New Game
Escape from Tarkov co-founder and COO Nikita Buyanov unveiled a teaser for Battlestate Games' next project, a sci-fi first-person shooter titled **COR3** set in 2251 on a devastated Mars where a faction called The Core seeks to rebuild humanity. The short trailer and an interactive website reveal only the game's post-apocalyptic setting and premise, with no gameplay details or release date disclosed, while Battlestate also announced upcoming content updates and a crossover for Escape from Tarkov.
Read the full article: https://gamerant.com/escape-from-tarkov-dev-new-game-cor3-trailer/