Daily Briefing, Friday 15th January

Hello, friends, and welcome to another edition of the Bellular Daily Briefing - your stalwart companion in industry news

Battle.net just got a makeover

The makeover's most significant changes will feel pretty familiar to anyone who has been running the Battle-net beta version recently - players can favourite and filter games however they want, and Battle.net's social and news tabs have also been expanded.

• Blizzard have called the update Battle.net's "biggest ever makeover" and, while the updates are currently only available to some users in North America, Blizzard have confirmed that the makeover will rollout to the rest of the world "in the weeks ahead."

Capcom announce Resident Evil Village showcase coming next week

The showcase is set to go out on Thursday 21st January at 5 pm EST/2 pm PST and, according to Capcom, will include a "guided tour" of the upcoming Resident Evil Village - meaning a new trailer and first-look gameplay.

• The showcase also promises news on the wider Resident Evil franchise as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Capcom are teasing an all-new announcement for during the event - and a closed beta for an unannounced multiplayer title is set to run from January 28th-30th. Watch this space!

New Pokémon Snap gets surprise April release date

The long-awaited sequel to the class Nintendo 64 title will release on April 30th, Nintendo confirmed this week, and challenges players to take photos of over 200 Pokémon while exploring a lovely island setting.

• The enduring popularity of Pokémon Snap may be rather odd but there is an undeniable charm to the experience. The Pokémon franchise is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and is apparently happy to dip into the weirder parts of its history to please veteran fans.

Epic Games expand their Apple/Google legal challenge into the UK

Epic have filed complaints against both Apple and Google with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging that both companies abused their dominant position within the mobile market to engage in "anti-competitive agreements/concerted practices" in the UK and EU.

• The filings, which were actually made back in December 2020 but only just made public by the Tribunal, represent the latest escalation of Epic's ongoing legal dispute with Apple and Google - they want to see an end to anti-competitive behaviour on both marketplaces, as well as Fortnite's return. Again, good luck.

That's everything for today and this week - have a wonderful weekend of gaming and catch us back here on Monday for more industry happenings!