Also, I write about why you shouldn't get into games journalism in 2025
Hi, hello, welcome! This is overkill Digest, your go-to newsletter for everything tech and gaming.
I'm still busy playing the Oblivion Remaster, though I'm about to finish all guild quests, got the DLCs covered, and then all I have left is the main quest. There are, of course, a few side-quests that I also want to tackle (like all the Daedra stuff), but I think, with the upcoming release of Skyblivion, I don't want to burn out on too much Oblivion. Talking of, here is my review of the game.
Kevin Wammer
This was originally shared as a members-only preview inside this very newsletter.
But there are 39 unread items in my inbox to add to this newsletter, so let's get to it.
🚀 Big Moves
- The AYANEO Pocket ACE is up for preorder. AYANEO's latest, definitely the best for a week or so until they release a new one, Android-based handheld is available on Indiegogo for a starting price of $339. What that gets you is a 4.5" screen (1620×1080 IPS display at a 3:2 ratio), a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, 8 gigs of memory and 128 GB of internal storage. There are naturally also higher options, with the most expensive version costing a whopping $599. The ACE looks like an intriguing product, but AYANEO has yet to send us a review unit, so I am not sure if I can recommend it. At least the specs are decent; the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 (who the fuck names these products?!) is also in the Pocket S and Pocket DMG.
- Valve's Proton reached version 10. As a reminder: Proton is the magic sauce that allows Windows games to run on Linux-based systems, like the Steam Deck. And it has now reached a first version 10 beta. This update is huge, adding support/fixes for AC: Shadows, GTA V, XCome 2, Flight Simulator 2024, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and way more.
- GTA VI is delayed to May 2026. Look, this game is so overhyped at this point, I expect it to bring world peace the day it launches, solve world hunger, discover an alien civilisation in outer space, and solve the three-body problem. I cannot imagine how this game can live up to the hype. But at least, Rockstar now has another full year to try and make it the best game ever.
The ModCase by JSAUX for the Switch 2 is a modular grip and travel case system — with color-matched protection, laser-textured grips, a detachable cover with game card slots, and full port access. Its expandable rail supports add-ons like a kickstand, fan, or MagSafe mount, making it the ultimate customizable kit for Switch 2 gamers on the go.
🎮 Platform Updates
- The Switch got a big update. Firmware 20.0.0 (there are additional bug fix updates out now too) adds Virtual Game Card support, a GameShare feature, and the ability to transfer all data to the Switch 2.
- Nintendo is suing the Switch 2 leaker. Not a surprise, but Nintendo is suing Genki, the accessory maker that showed off a mockup of the Switch 2 at CES.
- Apple lost the Epic Trial for now. This is big for iPhone users. For one, Apple has to allow developers to accept links to outside payment methods (if you didn't know, Spotify, for example, can't tell iOS users that it's cheaper to buy a membership outside of the App Store). Also, Tim Sweeney pinky-promised that Fortnite will be back in US App Stores. Obviously, Apple plans to appeal. We can't have the super-rich monopolist be a tad less super-rich. (Remember, children, companies are not your friends.)
- The Xbox gets a price hike. The price hike is... wow. The Xbox Series S 512 changed from $299.99 to $379.99, (+27 percent). The Xbox Series X went from $499.99 to $599.99 (+20 percent bump). The prices also changed in other countries, but not as dramatically, which probably means it's due to the tariffs. Oh, and to the surprise of literally NOBODY, first-party games will now cost $80, thanks Nintendo.
💻 Hardware & Software
- I reviewed the Supernote Manta. My e-ink review quest is continuing, this time with the Supernote Manta, a dedicated e-ink tablet for writing. I don't want to spoil the review too much, but let me tell you: I got rid of all my paper notebooks. Next is the reMarkable Paper Pro.
- Borderlands 4 is launching earlier. It's coming September 12th, which is 11 days earlier than originally planned.
- Timo reviewed the AYANEO Pocket Micro Classic. And, I quote, the Classic is "close to being the perfect Game Boy Advance-style retro handheld on Android."
- Automatically optimize Oblivion Remastered on Steam Deck. Krupar101, whom we originally collaborated with on the automatic Fallout: London Steam Deck installer, has created a script which automatically optimizes the game on Steam Deck for either performance or visuals. It takes about a minute to go through the whole thing. Talking of Oblivion (I swear I'll calm down one day):
- There are now over 1,000 mods for the Remaster. Most are quality-of-life improvements, including the Unofficial Patch (this mod exists for every Bethesda game).
🎲 Playthings
- The Switch 2 isn't out yet, but has a stylish case already. Courtesy of WaterField Designs.
- Ubisoft is working on 9(!) Assassin's Creed titles. A game set in China, a Black Flag Remake, a few multiplayer games, Project Hexe, some more remakes, and at least two big RPG-style games a la Shadows or Valhalla. Basically, it seems as if Ubisoft wants to release one smaller AC, one bigger AC, one remake and one multiplayer game every couple of... years? Months? How much AC is too much AC?!
📌 Quick Hits
- LG cracked a flaw in OLED technology. This change should result in brighter screens, longer-lasting displays, and improved battery life for portable devices.
- We’ve reached a breaking point in games journalism. This week, Polygon was sold to Valnet, and Giant Bomb imploded. These are just two recent examples of why the gaming journalism industry is suffering right now. I have some more thoughts on this, so I decided to open up the premium comment for everyone today.
Dig the new format? Hate it? Hit those feedback buttons below and let me know what's working.
Games journalism (and blogging) is hard
I’ll be honest. Since launching overkill back in 2022, there were at least a handful of moments where Chris and I wondered if we still wanted to do this. Or if we should just stop, call it quits, and be done. Because it ain’t easy.
And I don’t want to complain here. But if you look at the general state of games journalism in 2025, while it’s never been easier to launch a website, I doubt it’s ever been this hard to make it viable. There's a reason this year saw 100,000 fewer articles published in the first quarter compared to the previous year. There are just fewer people to write these posts, as publication after publication keeps imploding.
The thing is: Chris and I see ourselves more as bloggers who occasionally wear the journalism hat. It's maybe all semantics, but the rules are a bit different for journalists and bloggers.
But we both worked in journalism for years, and I still do (though now on the product side) at a newspaper in Luxembourg. So, as an insider, I know that the issues we’re seeing are not limited to games. They hit journalism across the board. If you want to get rich, maybe don’t pick this career. And it all comes down to the same reason.
What has changed
Google keeps sending less and less traffic. There's this phenomenon called Google Zero, which means that over time, Google will stop sending traffic to web pages but instead just answer any question directly on the page. We're getting awfully close to that moment.
Right now, Google is still our number one traffic source, but that could change any day. In fact, it has already changed for colleagues of ours, as the recent case of Retro Dodo showed. And while we didn't see the crashes Retrododo and other pages saw, our traffic coming from Google has dropped by at least 20-30%.
This is one reason why I’m working on growing this newsletter more, and if you know someone who might like it, sending it their way genuinely helps a lot.
Meanwhile, AI is turning the web into slop. Everything gets flattened, rewritten, and regurgitated. Even if the stuff it spits out isn’t good, it floods search and drowns out the rest. I use AI on a near-daily basis for all kinds of things, but no matter how much I try to optimize prompts, the writing it outputs is never as good as the writing done by an actual writer.
But the big hats at these publishing companies keep replacing their writers with AI tools, while scammers are creating AI-filled websites with subpar writing to rank highest on Google.
I'm a user of Generative AI, but we're misusing it a lot currently (I should write a comment about this).
Advertising is also weird right now. Rates are down, especially for programmatic ads (which is the type we use), and to cover the lost revenue, some get spammy, but then the whole thing feels cheap. I'll be transparent, at times even we have way too many ads on our web page. It's something we're working on.
I’ve always preferred the idea of fewer, better ads, which is why we’ve been experimenting with placements like the JSAUX ones in this newsletter. (If you run a company and want to book an ad, ping me.)
Memberships could be one way forward, and we’ve got a few of you supporting us already — we’re at fifteen paying members (I love you all tremendously), but that’s not enough to make this sustainable.
But we love it
So overkill is still a hobby for Chris and me. A side gig, and in three years, we haven’t paid ourselves a single euro (or pound, Chris lives in the UK). Every bit of income has gone back into the project. We’ve used it to pay freelancers, to buy review units, to cover things like Gamescom (which we’re skipping this year because prices are way too high), and just to keep the lights on.
But here’s the thing: I still love doing it. Writing these Sunday emails takes a few hours, and I wouldn’t give up part of my weekend if I didn’t enjoy it. I love discovering weird handhelds, playing with niche gadgets (like all the e-ink devices I'm currently testing), writing and editing and sharing it all with people who give a damn. I’m a nerd, and a creator at heart (which is also why I relaunched cliophate.wtf, where I plan to write more about creativity and making stuff.) Getting to share ideas with a community that cares is one of the best feelings I know. I do this because I fucking love it.
So yeah, we’re doing this as a hobby for now. And it’s hard. But we’re still here. We’re still trying to figure it out. Maybe one day we’ll pull the right lever and make this a full-time thing.
Until then, thank you for reading. Truly. It means everything.
Kevin