There's an ever-growing list of games that have received notable backlash for the use of AI-generated placeholder art in games, from Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert to The Alters, and even the award-winning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. When the wildly popular Slay the Spire 2 launched to Early Access earlier in 2026, it was littered with roughly scrawled placeholder art. Mega Crit co-founder, Casey Yano recently explained the decision to shirk AI art in favor of the scribbles in a recent interview with GameSpot, and it mostly seems to come down to both communicating to the players that the game is in an early access state and making it obvious what the cards in the deck-builder do. He argues that generative AI also removes authorial intent, so some of the intended communication would be lost if the studio used generative AI art instead of the hastily scrawled concept sketches.

Yano explains that "If we use art that looks nearly complete, then people would think that that's going to be the final art. It has to look like shit. It's important that it looks like shit." He notes that part of that communication of the game's incomplete state is self-preservation, because "otherwise people would judge the game as if it's a 1.0, fully developed video game." He also notes that the art helps avoid confusion among both players and other artists: "Prioritization was mostly about making sure that our players have an emotional connection to the content and also recognize what content is what," he continues to say "when you draw placeholder art, there's a very high chance that when we pass it on to our artists...so I do want the [placeholder] art to be kind of like a framework, especially-especially-the art that's used in the timeline. They're the narrative beats, and I want to make sure that those kinds of compositions and colors and details [are] communicated through those drawings."

Slay the Spire 2, the much-awaited successor to the indie roguelike deckbuilder, has finally launched on Steam, and within 24 hours of launch, it has rocketed to the top of the Steam Sales Chart and recorded some impressive player count figures. According to SteamDB, Slay the Spire 2 has attracted a peak of 430,456 concurrent players during its first 24 hours out the gates, and it has reached the number one spot in the Steam Sales chart, beating out both Marathon and Resident Evil Requiem for revenue on March 6, 2026. Mega Crit, the studio behind the game, even celebrated the game surpassing 179,456 concurrent players, marking it as "the highest ever for any roguelite."

By all indications, the indie game appears to have had a very successful launch, and the 97% positive review rating on Steam backs that up. The new installment in the game series builds on the gameplay and world of the original by adding new characters, cards, abilities, and secrets, but it notably adds a co-op mode as well. Judging by the Steam reviews, most of the improvements seem to successfully build on what made the previous game great without sacrificing anything in the process, and the multiplayer functionality seems to have been executed well, rather than shoehorned in for wider appeal.

March is in full bloom, and that means a fresh wave of games heading to the cloud. 15 new titles are joining the GeForce NOW library this month. Leading the March lineup is Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert, an open-world action-adventure set in a war-torn fantasy land, alongside plenty of other games to explore. Whether looking to shake off the winter blues or jump into some bracket-worthy gaming action, there's something for everyone in the cloud. March into the cloud and see what's new - and keep an eye on GFN Thursdays all month for more updates. This week kicks off the month with eight new games.

March Gaming Madness
LORT dials chaos up to 11 and snaps the knob clean off. Big Distraction's off-the-rails adventure hurls players into a world where every corner hides a bad idea waiting to become a great story, powered by wild weapons, weirder characters and "Did that just happen?" moments. Catch every glorious disaster in full fidelity and play it on GeForce NOW, available this week.

Welcome to the first week of March, which kicks off with a major release from Bungie, that is not part of its Destiny universe, but rather part of a series that the company first released back in 1994 and is the fourth game in the series. If first-person shooters aren't your thing, then maybe running your own tavern is more your style? Or how about breeding and training horses in ancient Mongolia? Maybe hunting monsters in the fellowship of a cursed hat? Maybe a relaxing deck builder is more your cup of tea? Or finding lost items in a cozy world?

Marathon / This week's major release / Thursday 5 March
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded. Steam link

Slay the Spire is a beloved single-player indie roguelike deck-builder that debuted on Steam in 2019 and has somehow maintained an active community of over 24,000 concurrent daily players, even seven years after its initial launch. The game's sequel, Slay the Spire 2 has been hotly anticipated, and, according to an update to the game's Steam Store page, the developer will be adding four-player co-op to the game. The updated Steam Store page also revealed that the game now has a launch date of March 5, 2026 and a new Early Access trailer.

The original game's format and unique hand-crafted world will make a return in the sequel, but the world has evolved for the second installment, offering new monsters, characters, abilities, and secrets to discover. The four-player co-op mode is likely the biggest change to come to the game, though, and according to the description of the multiplayer features, there will be team-specific cards and team synergies to explore and test out. Of course, the classic single-player mode will also be an option for players who prefer to go alone or simply need to play at their own pace. The total roster of playable characters will also grow to five, offering players some added flexibility in how to approach the gameplay. Slay the Spire 2 will be launching in Steam Early Access initially, so expect the game to change as community feedback is submitted.