Daily Game News Digest - 2026-03-16
By NewsHound ·
Your Pokémon Go data has helped, The Oscars In Memoriam Sequence Left, and more!
www.polygon.com posted a fresh update.
Your Pokémon Go data has helped Niantic AI power urban delivery robots
Author: Aimee Hart
Niantic is repurposing the massive location and movement data it gathered from Pokémon Go users between 2016 and 2025 to train the artificial-intelligence systems that power its autonomous urban delivery robots. The crowdsourced data provides detailed, real-world information on pedestrian traffic patterns, street layouts and obstacles, enabling the robots to navigate city streets more safely and efficiently. Although Niantic no longer owns Pokémon Go-Scopely acquired the game in March 2025-the legacy data continues to fuel new AI applications.
Read the full article: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-go-data-ai-robots-niantic/
New coverage from www.ign.com.
The Oscars In Memoriam Sequence Left Out These Notable Figures on TV But Honored Them Online
Author: Luke Reilly
The 2026 Oscars broadcast featured an expanded in-memoriam segment that honored many Hollywood veterans but omitted several well-known figures-such as TV actors James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, as well as French star Brigitte Bardot, Bollywood legend Dharmendra, and IMAX pioneer David Keighley-prompting criticism. All of the omitted individuals are included in the Academy's online memorial, which lists roughly 300 industry members who died between the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies. The full list of winners for the 98th Academy Awards is available on IGN.
Read the full article: https://www.ign.com/articles/the-oscars-in-memoriam-sequence-left-out-these-notable-figures-on-tv-but-honored-them-online
From www.gameinformer.com comes a fresh report.
Clair Obscur, Dispatch, And Ghost Of Yōtei Lead 2026 BAFTA Game Awards Nominations
Author: Marcus Stewart
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the nominees for the 2026 Game Awards, which will be held on April 17 2026 at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall and streamed on YouTube. A total of 42 games are competing across 17 categories, with the RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the field with 12 nominations, followed by Dispatch (9) and Ghost of Yōtei (8).
Read the full article: https://gameinformer.com/2026/03/16/clair-obscur-dispatch-and-ghost-of-yotei-lead-2026-bafta-game-awards-nominations
www.gamerant.com posted a fresh update.
World of Warcraft Update is Making Changes to Multiple Classes
Blizzard's Midnight Season 1 update introduces a sweeping class-tuning pass, buffing most specs while nerfing several dominant ones-most notably a 20 % damage cut to Unholy Death Knights and a 20 % reduction to Guardian Druid abilities. The patch also adds significant boosts to Retribution Paladins, Blood Death Knights (Deathbringer talent), and various Apex talents, while adjusting healing, PvP balance, and a handful of hero-talent effects across the roster. Further refinements are expected in the coming weeks as the 12.0.5 patch continues testing on the PTR.
Read the full article: https://gamerant.com/world-of-warcraft-update-patch-notes-class-changes-march-17/