A remake of the original Splinter Cell game was first announced nearly five years ago, and since then, we've seen exactly zero seconds of the game in action, or even a trailer. However, as we know with Sam Fisher, silence can be deceiving, and it looks like Ubisoft is actively recruiting for several roles on the project. Spotted by Insider Gaming, job openings for a few different positions, including level designer and producer, have been posted within the last few months. This isn't necessarily indicative of how far along the project is--people are hired and leave all the time--but it does at least let us know that the project is still in active development. It's also not the first time we've seen job listings pop up, but with company in as volatile a state as Ubisoft, you never know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A9iFjaKeMk It's unclear exactly what shape this remake will take, as geopolitical dynamics have changed quite a bit since 2002. It's also unclear how much influence it would take from the later games in the series, with Conviction and Blacklist both including more action-aligned mechanics like Mark & Execute. Since the release of Splinter Cell Blacklist in 2013, we haven't gotten a new Splinter Cell game. Sam Fisher has made numerous appearances, however, including a few guest missions in Ghost Recon and an inclusion in Rainbow Six Siege. The Netflix animated series also released last year, with Liev Schreiber taking over voice duties from Michael Ironside.

The "Xbox reset" has people wondering whether Microsoft is preparing to exit the video game business, but Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has flatly denied that the gaming division will be put up for sale. "Xbox is not for sale," Sharma said to The New York Times. "We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model, and everything needed to achieve that." Sharma's comments come in the wake of analysts predicting that Microsoft could sell Xbox off entirely. Compared with Microsoft's profitable cloud computing and artificial intelligence businesses, Xbox has paled in comparison, and the gamble on Xbox Game Pass hasn't paid off, despite Microsoft investing tens of billions in acquiring several video game publishers and studios over the years. Xbox’s accountability margins amount to only a 3% profit, a small return on investment for its parent company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiYNNGR4uLo Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said that Xbox will have to start pulling its weight under Sharma's leadership, and the Xbox CEO previously told employees that the Xbox business was not in a healthy state. Nadella has also praised Sharma's cuts at Xbox, saying they have led to a "streamlining" of the division. If Sharma is setting Xbox up to generate more profit for Microsoft, then it's all part of a years-long strategy in the making. Halo is now an Activision project, and is likely several years away as the publisher is currently building a new team to develop the next Master Chief adventure. Meanwhile, two of Blizzard's biggest upcoming games will arrive at the end of this decade: Diablo 5 is aiming for a 2029 launch, while StarCraft is set for 2030. At the same time, Xbox has also tasked several of its studios with working on its Fallout franchise, with multiple new games in the series in various stages of development. "We've got a long way to go with Microsoft," Sharma said to the NYT. "And we’re going to take the long-term view." The Best Xbox Series X Games In 2026 View Images

Sonic has had a rough go at things lately, what with the myriad games that haven't been hitting like they used to. Sega appears to be aware of that and has acknowledged that, although the games have struggled recently, the franchise as a whole is back in the zeitgeist again--and it's all thanks to the live-action movies. In an interview with Automaton at the Tokyo Game Show, series producer Takashi Iizuka spoke about the impact that director Jeff Fowler's three live-action movies have had on repopularizing Sonic again. "Thanks to the movies, awareness of the Sonic series has grown, and more people around the world have become interested in Sonic as a character and in the games," Iizuka said when asked about the positive effect other media has had on the franchise. "That has contributed to game sales as well. Strong game sales mean we have more resources available when making the next title, which allows us to deliver something of even higher quality. That creates a positive cycle. In that sense, multimedia and transmedia expansion are majorly beneficial for the games." Iizuka went on to say that movies weren't the only medium that has improved Sonic the Hedgehog's cachet in recent times. Anime has contributed as well, and so has Netflix, which has made film and television production more ubiquitous for Sega. "In the past, even if we decided to make an anime as part of our transmedia strategy, we had to approach television broadcasters and other outlets that would air it, and we couldn't move forward without their approval," Iizuka continued. "With Netflix, on the other hand, once we decide to work together on something, we can distribute it worldwide. That's has [sic] been a major advantage when it comes to expanding the brand." Iizuka's comments echoed similar sentiments from earlier this month. In an interview with One More Game on September 21, Iizuka said the live-action movies essentially saved the franchise. "The biggest milestone for me was the first movie," Iizuka said. "That had been a great hit and definitely changed the course of this franchise." So, whether you like those live-action movies or not doesn't really matter because, in Sega's eyes, the Blue Blur would've stayed just that: a blur that goes poof and is gone ... forever. Iizuka did leave us a little nugget to chew on, though: "Also, we don't use the game developers' resources for transmedia projects, so you don't have to worry about a new game being delayed because we're making movies or anime," Iizuka told Automaton.

World of Warcraft: Forever is looking to keep its secrets, as over 12,500 items in the game's files have been kept hidden from dataminers. The WoW: Forever beta is currently in full swing, and in addition to new dungeons, abilities, and even a whole new playable race, players are quickly discovering there are tons of new items that will completely change how this old-school version of WoW is played. Whether it's items with far more spellpower at early levels or gear tailored towards professions, Blizzard is definitely mixing things up so that the game's leveling journey, and its endgame, are going to feel all new. As broken down in detail by Icy Veins, part of how Blizzard looks to be accomplishing this is by keeping almost 40% of the game's nearly 32,000 items a secret. Dataminers can technically see that these 12,000 plus items exist and even where many of them potentially come from, but can't see what their stats are. Many of these items are assumed to be all-new, though some are likely variants or modified version of items from WoW Classic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvueCoFTkCk&t Players have already taken a bite out of that 12,500 item total, having discovered over 4,400 "hidden" items in the Forever beta. Once an item has been discovered, it's then revealed in the game's backend. Icy Veins notes that not all the items datamined might actually exist in Forever, as it lists a number of items that were part of WoW Classic's Season of Discovery and might not make it into Blizzard's new version of the MMO. Many of the hidden items come from raids and dungeons, including tier sets. So far, players have uncovered a few different sets, such as some low-level dungeon item sets, as well as full loot tables for early-game dungeons like Wailing Caverns, Ragefire Chasm, Shadowfang Keep, and the Deadmines. The beta's level cap is currently 20 (but will be raised to 30 before the beta's end), meaning players will likely uncover even more dungeon loot ahead of launch.  The aura of discovery and mystery players are experiencing as they explore Azeroth once more is just one of the reasons Forever's beta looks to be wildly popular. Multiple WoW devs, including Blizzard VP Holly Longdale, have commented that the beta is breaking player-number records, and Blizzard has had to raise the beta's population cap as a result. However, the beta hasn't been without controversy, as a recent streamer scandal involving gold trading has players demanding Blizzard do more to combat real-money transactions and gold buying.  WoW: Forever's beta ends October 21, with the game's full launch set for November 4. Blizzard's third version of its MMO will add over 1,000 new quests to classic Azeroth, as well as new zones and endgame content. Though there won't be a new class at launch, a recent Blizzard survey revealed 11 new potential WoW: Forever classes that could come to the MMO in the future.

The Street Fighter movie is shaping up to be a love letter to Capcom's classic fighting game series, with its goofy action and costumes, but if there's one crucial element it's nailing, it's the franchise's sound. Specifically, Guile's iconic theme, which is legendary for its ability to complement anything in life. How does the movie version match up? It's not straying from what is considered fighting game soundtrack perfection, but it is adding to it with a kickass guitar solo and a few more cinematic tweaks, allowing the main theme to do all the heavy lifting. Listen to it yourself, from one of the streaming links below: * Apple Music * Spotify * Amazon Music * YouTube Music * Deezer * Tidal Guile's Theme is one of those evergreen memes of the late 2000s and early 2010s, and while it's nowhere near as popular as it once was--YouTube probably got sick of all those 10-hour uploads--it's still instantly recognizable. The original theme debuted in the 1991 arcade release of Street Fighter II and was composed by Yoko Shimomura. For the upcoming Street Fighter movie, the score was produced by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (Cobra Kai), who say that the original game soundtracks were instrumental in shaping their musical identities. "As young and budding composers, we listened to Yoko Shimomura's iconic Guile’s Theme probably more than Raiders of the Lost Ark," the duo said in a press statement. "We hope fans will hear the love and reverence we hold for this music within our version of Guile’s Theme. https://youtu.be/U6sbm1OaJb8 The full Street Fighter soundtrack will feature 39 tracks in total, and it'll be available starting October 16. The movie releases on the same day, and so far it looks like it's leaning fully into the absurdity of its source material. WWE performer Cody Rhodes plays Guile, and if you feel like cosplaying as him, you can grab an official Street Fighter popcorn bucket shaped like his iconic hair. Absolutely perfect, no notes. Street Fighter will be landing a month after another film based on a Capcom video game series, Resident Evil, hit theaters. So far, the Zach Cregger-directed movie has been a critical hit and, commercially, continues to smash franchise records. Street Fighter Movie: Release Date, Cast, And Everything We Know So Far View Images

PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim a trio of freebies starting October 6--F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. If you haven't claimed September's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday. The Formula One games from Codemasters have been an annual treat for racing game fans, and F1 25 is no different. Building on previous releases, the game includes all the official teams and drivers from the 2025 F1 season, a robust career mode, My Team 2.0 in single-player, and the multiplayer mode, F1 World, which pits players against a squad of AI drivers. If you haven't played it yet, Hunt: Showdown 1896 is an unforgiving extraction shooter in which players must track down bloodthirsty monsters. You're not only racing against the clock, but also your fellow hunters as you track down dangerous prey, fight to survive, and use every tool at your disposal to successfully escape the deadly swamps. Finally, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 once again sees the planet under attack by gigantic, blocky enemies. A crossover featuring heroes from across the EDF franchise, you'll have to assemble a team to take down new threats and save the day. With Halloween a few weeks away, PlayStation Plus subscribers can also claim free horror-themed in-game item bundles for a variety of games, like Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch. These will roll out throughout the month. PlayStation Plus October 2026 games Available October 6 through November 2 * F1 25 (PS5) * Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PS5) * Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 (PS5, PS4)

Now that development of future Halo games is being handled by Activision Blizzard's hands, some former developers of the series have spoken out to share their thoughts on the shocking but not entirely surprising mix-up. This includes the former franchise creative director, who has provided some salient advice to the Call of Duty publisher. Frank O’Connor has worked on Halo for over 20 years, first working as a writer and community manager before serving as the game's franchise creative director from 2003 to 2023. This is a guy who knows Halo like the back of his hand, and with all that series expertise, he took to LinkedIn on September 25 to share some thoughts on how to make the next Halo great. "Pro-Tip: Do NOT tie it to hardware/services launch cycles, do not try to force it into a shape (or aging platform) that it can't fit and do NOT abandon sandbox," O’Connor said in response to Xbox's former social media manager, Genevieve Harrison, who was pontificating on Activision Blizzard's development tactics. "Pro-Pro-Tip: Hire Bungie, Halo Studios and other laid-off folk who are bursting w. talent and ideas that got nerfed or shut down over the years." In laying out these tips, O’Connor gave three ways the next Halo game could bring the franchise back to its former glory. The first is a "classic" Halo game that focuses on a sandbox, movement, and shooter experience. It'd be "tailored to a core audience [and] scaled to be successful with that core audience and attractive to a broader one so it can grow." A second option could be "something new [and] modern" that reinvents the game. O’Connor suggests this "surprising but fantastic" reinvention could be an action-sandbox game that's a "new take" on the FPS or an "action RPG" that's fundamentally different, but its success comes from a strong story and IP use. Lastly, O’Connor thinks that an Activision Blizzard-esque Halo game could be viable. It could be a sandbox game with "player, progression, and business models" that the publisher is well-known for with the likes of CoD. Given that experience, maybe this idea could be "a big annual or semi-annual spectacle" with consistent content. O’Connor couched these ideas, saying that none of them are "easy, guaranteed, or necessarily viable." Still, he believes that one "could be successful" now that Activision is driving the Warthog. O’Connor isn't the only former developer who shares his opinion on the CoD publisher taking over the Halo reins. Co-creator Marcus Lehto also weighed in, saying on September 23 that he is "shocked but not entirely surprised" by the move. Like Lehto, we're all "eager to learn more about what’s next," and for right now, all we know thus far is that the next Halo game will be a "full-feature, mainline installment" in the long-running series.

Following an initial rollout to Xbox Insiders, the Xbox disc-to-digital program is officially available for all Xbox One and Xbox Series X users. The program allows you to receive digital licenses for a whole bunch (but not all) of your physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games, and Microsoft has outlined how it works and a pretty neat trick you can use. In order to claim your digital license for a supported Xbox game, all you need to do is put it into an Xbox console while you're signed in. You'll get a notification to let you know you've received a license. One cool thing is this can be an Xbox Series X or an Xbox One console, even if you're exclusively claiming Xbox Series X games. https://twitter.com/xbox/status/2105040959192916253?s=46 While the disc will also automatically start installing when you insert it, you can turn this feature off by going to the Profile & system section in the settings, then Devices & connections. You'll see an option for Disc and you can uncheck "Play disc automatically." This way, you can more quickly claim licenses in bulk. With a disc inserted using this method, you'll have to manually select the game card on the home screen, select it with the Menu button, and then claim the digital license. Once that's done, you just eject the game and move on to the next one. When you've finished the process, re-check that "Play disc automatically" box for whenever you get your next physical game to play. If your license isn't available to claim, there's a good chance the publisher doesn't support the program. Major companies like Square Enix and Ubisoft don't appear to support it yet, which could limit its usefulness for those who want to truly digitize their entire collection. Once you've claimed the digital license, you should still be able to lend the physical game to a friend, but they will then get the digital license. If they give the disc back to you, you'll receive the license back after re-inserting the game into your own system.

Xbox has undergone major changes since a new leadership team took over. Under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Microsoft's gaming division has had waves of mass layoffs, parted ways with several studios, and consolidated its remaining developers under Activision, Blizzard, King, and Bethesda. All of this is being done to make Xbox a profitable part of the Microsoft empire and to grow its reach, but former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has suggested that the company should "pick a lane" and narrow its focus. "I said in another interview a couple of months ago, you've got to pick a lane," Layden said to The Expansion Pass when he was asked if he had any advice for Sharma. "Either you're going to be a platform competitive with PlayStation--which Xbox has not been competitive with PlayStation for years--but that's not out of the window. You can still make another run at it. And there are certain decisions you have to make around that about the platform. We talked about exclusivity. We talked about how do you incentivize third parties to support your platform in a meaningful way. These are all things around the platform business, or you sit back and realize you are the biggest game publisher in the world--maybe Tencent's bigger--but in the Western world you are the biggest game publisher out there with Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, and all the other pieces." "Be that. This is your Dreamcast moment. When Sega decided, 'We're just going to be on PlayStation 2 and we're going to get out of the hardware business and just be a great software company. It can be done. It has been done before. That's my advice. Pick a lane." https://youtu.be/rUwPH-s8TVw?si=C6Y_AOa7-ByyOQ5N The "Dreamcast moment" that Layden refers to is the rise and fall of Sega's last home console--the moment when Sega realised it could no longer compete in the gaming hardware market and had to shift entirely to software. Microsoft has been notoriously secretive with the sales of its Xbox hardware, as it's believed that it trails far behind Sony's PlayStation 5 (95.3 million units sold as of June 2026). The future doesn't look too good for Xbox console sales either, as analysts predict that only 2.5 million Xbox Series X|S units will be sold in 2026, as Microsoft prepares for a "rapid wind-down toward zero" ahead of its next-gen console launch. Would it make sense for Xbox to shift towards being a software-only company then? There's certainly evidence to suggest that it might be a viable path forward, as several of its first-party games have done very good numbers on PC and PS5, and if it's streamlining operations to focus on hit franchises like Fallout and Forza Horizon, there is an audience for those games. Of course, releasing games on PlayStation and Steam also means that Xbox has to give up a cut of its revenue, whereas it gets to keep 100% of first-party game sales when they're sold through Xbox console and PC storefronts. Microsoft also charges a fee to third-party developers, so there's a lot of nuance behind the math of sticking with gaming hardware or focusing purely on software.

While it already feels like it's been around forever, October 31 will mark the one-year anniversary of Riftbound, the trading card game based on Riot Games's popular League of Legends franchise, releasing in Western markets. The game has seen four set releases so far, but there's one more on the schedule, Radiance, before we hit that one-year milestone. There are many exciting cards being revealed as we get closer to Radiance's October 23 launch, and today, we have an exclusive look at the Overnumbered variants of one of the set's most notable names. We've seen the card's base form before, but this new art is a beauty to behold. Without further ado, here's the Overnumbered variants for Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time. * Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time (Legend - Ekko) * Colors: Fury/Mind (Red/Blue) * Empower: Exhaust 1 rune and Ekko to empower him * Disempower Ekko and exhaust him to reduce the cost of the next unit you play this turn by 2 and a recycled rune of any color and give that unit "Kill me at end of turn." Ekko is known for his ability to bend time to his will, while also creating temporary clones of himself to confuse opponents. With this new card, he can effectively give that ability to other units in your deck, though they will be sent to the discard pile at the end of the turn. Building a deck around this legend will capitalize on cards who can make an immediate impact on the board, like units with Accelerate who enter ready and can attack immediately. Considering that Accelerate costs are one exhausted rune and one recycled rune, Ekko's discount means you'll still pay less to summon the Accelerated unit. Radiance, Riftbound's fifth major set, launches October 23 in local game stores and big-box retailers. Prerelease events, or "Pre-Rifts" as they're known in Riftbound, will be held at local game stores beginning October 16.

More than a decade has passed since The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt first launched, and on Steam, the game is doing better than ever. With the launch of The Witcher 3 Remastered, the game has surged up the Steam charts and has reached its best concurrent players level--ever. At the time of writing, the CCU has peaked at 120,975 players, beating the previous January 2020 record of 103,329 players. That older milestone was reached after The Witcher TV series launched on Netflix, but the new numbers have blown it out of the water. The game is also available through other PC storefronts like GOG and the Epic Games Store, as well as on PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S, so it's likely that the total number of players is much higher. Clearly, there's still a lot people out there who are more than happy to toss a coin to their Witcher. https://twitter.com/thewitcher/status/2104959102858178595 The Remastered Edition of The Witcher 3 is a big one, as it added numerous technical and graphical improvements to the original 2015 game. What makes this even more impressive is that the game is reaching these player numbers at a very busy time on the gaming calendar, as numerous high-profile games have launched in an effort to avoid being caught up in the wake of GTA 6's November release. Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Control Resonant, Marvel's Wolverine, and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave all landed within weeks of each other, and that's not including the live-service games which regularly dominate the charts. One other thing worth noting is that The Witcher 3 Remastered is a free upgrade to anyone who already owns the game. Considering that it has lifetime sales of 65 million units globally (as of May 2026) and has been regularly discounted, it's likely that plenty of existing owners of The Witcher 3 dived back into the game to see all the new improvements. If you're wondering if the download juice is worth the squeeze, you can check out GameSpot’s in-depth breakdown of what’s new in the remaster to see all the changes for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oEdB5S2d3U Beyond a return to the Continent, Witcher fans have much to look forward to. The Witcher 3 is getting a new expansion in 2027, Songs of the Past, and The Witcher 4 could be out as soon as 2028. CD Projekt Red is rumored to be working on a multiplayer Witcher game, and the company recently confirmed that it is working with Scopely on a new mobile game based on one of its franchises--which could be The Witcher or Cyberpunk.

The front page of Steam has long been a hot commodity for game developers and publishers, but next year, some big changes are coming. Valve has announced that it'll be changing how it handles game discoverability during sales and promotions on Steam, as it'll be moving away from the old model of a tightly controlled page through a manually curated calendar to dynamic, personalized recommendations that'll cater to individual user preferences and their purchase history. Historically, Valve employees selected which games got featured in a limited number of fixed slots on the Steam front page, and only a fraction of discounted games got valuable front-page visibility. According to Valve, preliminary experiments resulted in up to 10 times as many games appearing per day in the Discounts & Events section, leading to measurable increases in store page visits and wishlist additions. Steam deals page What does this mean? For developers, it means that they won't need to rely on relationships, manual pitches, or sheer luck to potentially get a front-page placement. This will also effectively level the playing field for all developers, as smaller teams and publishers typically don't have the budget to compete with AAA blockbuster marketing teams. Valve added that it has already paused scheduling curated placements in the Weekend Deals, Midweek Deals, and Daily Deals sections, and it will soon roll out new and updated tools to help developers better manage their discounts and sale events on Steam. "Our goal is to let developers focus on crafting the most compelling games and deals for customers, and not spend time trying to convince someone at Valve to feature their products," Valve wrote. The rollout window for this change to the Steam storefront will be in early 2027. This news comes on the eve of a new Steam sales event, as the week-long Steam Autumn Sale kicks off on October 1. There'll also be a new Next Fest held at the end of October, while themed events for the rest of 2026 include Steam Scream V Fest, Auto-Battler RPG Fest, and Cooking Fest before the Steam Winter Sale in December.

If you thought September was a big month for new releases, then you ain't seen nothing yet. As the days tick down to the November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, numerous games are looking to avoid being caught in the blast radius of the year's biggest release, which has led to an absolutely stacked October. Between original releases, sequels, and hot indie games, the next couple of weeks are loaded with options across a wide variety of genres and ideas. You can check out our top picks below, and if you want to see what's closing out the year, you can also read through our list of upcoming 2026 games. Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTVVw9fsHVA&pp=ygUvRHluYXN0eSBXYXJyaW9ycyAzOiBDb21wbGV0ZSBFZGl0aW9uIFJlbWFzdGVyZWQ%3D * Release date: October 1 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 We're suckers for a good Dynasty Warriors game, as these one-against-too-damn-many-enemies simulators are perfect for when you want to turn your brain off and revel in being a battlefield badass. There have been many games in the series over the years, and Dynasty Warriors 3 is often considered a high point for the series, as it further refined its musou formula. If you've never played it, you can grab this new remaster, which enhances the original with Unreal Engine 5 graphics, numerous gameplay tweaks, and plenty of cannon-fodder troops to mow down. Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bQrrWCRkMY&pp=ygUgR2hvc3Qgb2YgWW90ZWk6IENvbXBsZXRlIEVkaXRpb24%3D * Release date: October 1 * Platforms: PS5 Ghost of Yotei fans can look forward to a whole lot of new content for the game--like the new narrative expansion Echoes of Sekigahara and the new combat-survival mode--but if you haven't played it yet, now is a fine time to grab the game's Complete Edition. This $70 version of the game gets you all of that new content, as well as the base game, the online co-op mode Ghost of Yotei Legends, and all of the Digital Deluxe Edition content. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5irVTl0mD8 * Release date: October 2 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S In the mood to take a trip to the danger zone? You can do just that in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, Bandai Namco's long-running aerial-action series. This new entry in the franchise will let you take to the skies to participate in dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through the ranks to earn your wings. Developer Project Aces has done its homework to push the series to new heights with Wings of Theve, and when you're not in the cockpit, there's a first-person story mode to experience. Aion 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZV1pQP09p8&pp=ygUGQWlvbiAy * Release date: October 5 * Platforms: PC Aion 2 wants to be the one game where the sky isn't the limit, as Developer NCSoft has made verticality a key part of the MMORPG. Built on Unreal Engine 5 across a world that NCSoft says is up to 36 times bigger than the original Aion, combat is built around seamlessly chaining skills--on or above the ground--adapting to encounters, and using precision timing to triumph. The game also looks visually stunning thanks to its Unreal Engine 5 visuals, and you can expect to dive into over 200 dungeons after you're done spending a few hours in the highly detailed character creator. Gears of War: E-day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRFE0gCsgLg * Release date: October 6 * Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S After seven years, Gears of War is back and ready to tell the story of humanity's first, disastrous encounter with the Locust. So far, it looks like the campaign will harken back to the horror-inspired roots of the first game as you fight through several days of hell, using an arsenal of classic weapons and completely overhauled gameplay mechanics. Multiplayer is where Gears of War: E-day looks like it'll really shine, as alongside classic PvP, the new Horde Siege mode looks like a playground for creating unique stories as teams fight against the odds to accomplish various objectives and at least one Smash Mouth-inspired Achievement. Star Wars: Galactic Racer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acy2Cixyya0 * Release date: October 6 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S We've had several Star Wars racing games in the past, but Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks like it'll stand out from the pack by cribbing a few ideas from successful genres and throwing in some Burnout influences for good measure. Developer Fuse Games is aiming to evolve the racing-game genre by fusing roguelite progression and replayability with high-speed competition, while also showing what the citizens get up to for fun when they're not dealing with warring empires on a daily basis. Just remember: Sebulba did nothing wrong. Hellraiser: Revival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEOr2w8moTg * Release date: October 8 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 In a welcome change of pace, a cult-classic horror franchise from the '80s and '90s is getting a video game adaptation, and it's not an asynchronous multiplayer title. Instead, Hellraiser: Revival looks and plays like a very horny Resident Evil, as you're thrown into a struggle for survival against Pinhead and his Cenobite goons--and all in the name of love. Saber Interactive has been promising a fresh spin on Clive Barker's books and film adaptations that is designed to make you feel uncomfortable--one that holds nothing back and isn't afraid to create a realm of pure, gory torment. No tears please! It's a waste of good suffering. Silver Pines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfN4uMZK0Cw&pp=ygUMU2lsdmVyIFBpbmVz * Release date: October 8 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch Time for some horror, and Silver Pines looks like an intriguing new game to check out if you're looking for some metroidvania-inspired suspense. Billed as a love letter to classic survival-horror games, Silver Pines follows an investigator caught up in a dark web of intrigue as they have to slug it out with the terror lurking in a small town and solve the puzzles blocking their progress. The game oozes atmosphere with its eye-catching art direction, and you'll also need to carefully manage your scarce resources as the darkness creeps up on you. Legion Was Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqVxHCm0JHg&pp=ygUPTGVnaW9uIFdhcyBIZXJl * Release date: October 13 * Platforms: PC What's the coolest part of the Mission: Impossible movies? Contrary to popular belief, it's not watching Tom Cruise tempt fate with a risky stunt, but those glorious disguises. Legion Was Here captures that charm, as you'll need to use your skills to steal faces and impersonate dangerous individuals to survive deadly conversations in this dark-comedy spy deduction game. If you're the kind of person who spends far too long in the character-creation part of games, then you'll get a kick out of Legion Was Here. Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Snuv1BMjE * Release date: October 9 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 In case you thought Capcom was done after releasing four big games this year, think again. Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is an expanded version of the sequel, featuring a new region to explore and enhanced gameplay. Set in the long-abandoned region of Norgan, players will join forces with the enigmatic Eir and journey to unravel the secrets of the undying Fallen Dragon. Valor Mortis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvpxF8upFQM * Release date: October 13 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S Your typical soulslike is a third-person adventure, but can shifting to first-person shake up that formula? That's an interesting premise from Ghostrunner developer One More Level, as the studio is reimagining the Napoleonic Wars through a lens of challenging combat and mutated soldiers who'd look right at home in a Resident Evil game if it took place during the Battle of Waterloo. One other ace that the game has up its sleeve is its price; as compared to the other $70 releases coming this month, Valor Mortis will set you back just $40, and it's a day-one Game Pass title. Planet Zoo 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnw_niw9nzQ&pp=ygUMUGxhbmV0IFpvbyAy * Release date: October 13 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S The first Planet Zoo game tasked players with building a planet-sized sanctuary for all creatures big and small, and the sequel looks like it'll expand considerably on that idea. Even more tools will be at your disposal to help with your conservationist creativity, and the game's menagerie will include new aquatic and flying species. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkg4CpTRugE&pp=ygUad2FyaGFtbWVyIDQwIDAwMCBib2x0Z3VuIDI%3D * Release date: October 14 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S The first Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun game was a fun throwback to the past with its boomer-shooter design, and it looks like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 isn't straying far from that established formula. More guns and more enemies to turn into pixelated giblets sounds like a fun time, and to seal the deal on its heavy metal influences, the game even features a musical cameo by none other than Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal composer Mick Gordon. The sequel is slightly switching things up, as you can choose to play as either Ultramarine Malum Caedo or Battle Sister Nyra Veyrath when you take on the daemonic demigod Vashtorr and hordes of enemies from the Warp. Over the Hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwRd-RfrwI&pp=ygUVT3ZlciB0aGUgSGlsbCB0cmFpbGVy * Release date: October 14 * Platforms: PC If you enjoyed cozy racing games like Art of Rally and Absolute Drift, then you'll want to check out Over the Hill from Funselektor Labs. This time, the focus is on the golden age of offroading, as you'll need to guide your trusty all-terrain vehicle to its final destination. If you don't feel like tackling challenging trails on your own, the game features a co-op mode for friends to join you for a few sessions of scenic minimalism. The Witch's Bakery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xRCu4qaPhI&pp=ygUSdGhlIHdpdGNoJ3MgYmFrZXJ5 * Release date: October 14 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch What's better than a fresh loaf of bread from a French baker? A fresh loaf of bread from a French baker who also happens to be a witch, that's what. The Witch's Bakery is a 2D narrative adventure where you'll get to serve up delicious baked treats, but also use your baking skills to heal the hearts of local Parisians.  Each day is split into three phases, where you'll get to work, explore, and hone your magic. But more importantly, are you going to finish that croissant? Castlevania: Belmont's Curse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hisx60NSqtY * Release date: October 15 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch Gears of War isn't the only big franchise making a comeback after a years-long absence, as Castlevania is once again cracking its whip this month. Set in a version of Paris that has seen better days before Dracula transformed the French capital into a monster-infested hellscape, this new entry in the series has been developed by the Rogue Prince of Persia studio Evil Empire. It looks like classic Castlevania, with the 2.5D approach that Evil Empire has taken, as you'll be battling all manner of monsters, fallen French legends, and more on your journey to take down Dracula. Heck, it's even a Netflix reunion of voice actors from the Castlevania animated series. Enshrouded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6atVNfcECU&pp=ygUKRW5zaHJvdWRlZA%3D%3D * Release date: October 15 * Platforms: PC, PS5 The early-access journey of Enshrouded comes to an end soon, as the game's official 1.0 release hits PC and consoles on October 15. In case you missed it when it was first announced, Enshrouded draws inspiration from games like Valheim and Minecraft, giving you all the tools you need to survive and thrive in a fantasy world. You've got everything you could ask for to easily build a kingdom, or if that doesn't appeal to you, you can drop the hammer and pick up a sword for some adventuring fun instead. Bluey's Happy Snaps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpX7Ogr39zw&pp=ygUTQmx1ZXkncyBIYXBweSBTbmFwcw%3D%3D * Release date: October 15 * Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch New Bluey games have been arriving at a steady clip lately, with the latest titled Bluey's Happy Snaps. This time, it's up to you to take the adorable Bluey and Bingo to new locations and start shooting--with a camera, you weirdo. You can visit familiar spots from the show, and use your snaps to create your own scrapbook of memories when you're done. Stupid Never Dies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_33MQFuVEY&pp=ygURU3R1cGlkIE5ldmVyIERpZXM%3D * Release date: October 22 * Platforms: PC It's going to take a lot of effort to stand out in October, but Stupid Never Dies might have that magic sauce thanks to a weird title, imaginative visuals, and plenty of gameplay to sink your teeth into. As the weakest zombie alive, Davy, it's up to you to power up the lovestruck hero by defeating the mysterious KOM, recovering humanity's lost knowledge, and surviving the deadly depths of an interdimensional dungeon. The debut game from GPTrack50, Stupid Never Dies is all about eat-or-be-eaten action, as Davy can munch enemies to steal their powers, replace his body parts with powerful tech, and unleash his imagination to transform reality. Final Fantasy Resonance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD0MUx40l6c&t=57s&pp=0gcJCS8MAYcqIYzv * Release date: October 22 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch 1997 marked the start of a new 3D era for Final Fantasy, but what if the franchise stuck to its 2D roots? That's the question that Final Fantasy Resonance aims to answer, as it revives a dead mobile game and transforms it into a HD-2D adventure. What might make this one special is how the original story features several famous faces from across the Final Fantasy franchise as "Visions" that can join you in battle, ranging from Final Fantasy 6's Terra to Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield. The game also looks gorgeous--as you'd expect from an engine used to power titles like Octopath Traveler--and it has received various enhancements like voice acting and overhauled battle systems to make it play like a traditional RPG. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmCtpTSI4E&pp=ygUdTmludGVuZG8gU3dpdGNoIFNwb3J0cyBSZXNvcnQ%3D * Release date: October 22 * Platforms: Switch 2 Nintendo's sports games are a fun way to keep your body moving, and in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, you can take part in a wide variety of activities. Both single-player and co-op multiplayer will be offered, and the sports included for your trip to Wuhu Island range from archery and tennis to some extreme activities like skateboarding and table tennis. The real star of the show is thumb wrestling, as after you've declared a thumb war, you can use the Joy-Con 2 controller to move your mighty digit to victory. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1usju9Bjo4 * Release date: October 23 * Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch The year just wouldn't feel right without some Call of Duty in the mix, and 2026's entry in the blockbuster series is all about Modern Warfare once again. If you've played any Call of Duty games in the last 20 years, you know to expect a weekend-warrior campaign, this time with a conflict involving North Korea and an evil Mads Mikkelsen, plenty of multiplayer action, and an extraction shooter experience in DMZ. What you shouldn't expect is a day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass this year, as Call of Duty is returning to its premium roots. Xbox gamers can still get an exclusive perk, as well as a heck of a cool weapon blueprint as a preorder bonus. Emberville https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPsCEHnjBJc&pp=ygUKRW1iZXJ2aWxsZQ%3D%3D * Release date: October 27 * Platforms: PC Emberville has been in development since 2023, and if you've been looking for a blend of Stardew Valley-like farming and Diablo-flavored combat, this might be just the game for you. The action-adventure RPG features the voice talents of the Witcher himself, Doug Cockle, and Alex Jordan, who voiced multiple versions of the character Dolski in The Alters. The game also features a two-button system for combat that has plenty of depth, as well as a leveling system that allows you to experiment with classes and abilities. Phantom Blade Zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCClGv4MNDA * Release date: October 29 * Platforms: PC, PS5 Action-game fans have been eating well throughout 2026, and we hope you saved room for a side of Phantom Blade Zero. Another action-RPG inspired by Chinese mythology, folklore, and horror, Phantom Blade Zero is all about mastering fast-paced combat in a dark fantasy semi-open world. Featuring martial arts inspired by the Golden Age of Hong Kong action films--and overseen by the legendary Donnie Yen--the game follows an assassin named Soul, who only has 66 days left to live and stylishly exact his revenge.

World of Warcraft: Forever's new take on classic Azeroth is opening the door to all kinds of new ideas in the old-school version of Blizzard's MMORPG, and new classes look to be one of them. Blizzard, of course, has added a total of four new classes over the last two decades to the modern version of WoW: Death Knight, Monk, Demon Hunter, and Evoker. But an alleged leaked survey pushed to select WoW players via Blizzard's Battle.net launcher is now asking about potential new classes for WoW: Forever, the recently revealed third version of the MMO that will introduce new quests, zones, and content to the "vanilla" version of WoW.  It's not the first time Blizzard has conducted a survey this way, and while Blizzard asks participants not to disclose the survey's details, their contents almost always find their way online. That's the case here, as players were quick to share information about 11 potential new classes listed in the survey, and content creators like Bellular have gone as far as to provide a full breakdown. Information contained about each of these potential classes includes basic lore, what types of weapons they would be able to use, the armor class they would wear, the resources they would use, what roles they would fill, and even signature abilities. The classes listed in the survery are: * Bard * Death Knight * Demon Hunter * Illusionist * Monk * Necromancer * Metalborn/Runemaster/Runeknight * San'layn * Tinker * Warden * Witch Three of the new classes would essentially be "new," old-school versions of existing WoW classes like Demon Hunter, Monk, and Death Knight. Considering how fast-paced classes like Monk and Demon Hunter are in the modern version of the game, their Forever counterparts would likely feel significantly different. It's the eight "new" classes that are the most exciting, however. Some of these are ideas that have existed in WoW lore for ages or ones that Blizzard even originally toyed with during the game's early development. The Tinker, for example, is a class many expect to come to the modern version of WoW at some point but is listed in the survey. They would be the ultimate engineer, capable of using mech suits and gadgets to tank, deal damage, and support other players.  Another potential class, the Necromancer, was an idea Blizzard originally had planned for vanilla WoW, only for it to eventually be scrapped. In Forever, Blizzard is proposing a version of the class that seems like it's taking some inspiration from Diablo 2's class of the same name, with abilities like Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion. The survey additionally lists the San'layn, a group of vampires who broke free of the Lich King's domination. This class seems like it would lean fully into the vampire fantasy, with a number of blood-based abilities that could make them similar to retail WoW's Blood Death Knight specialization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerqLHQPN9Y Two other classes steeped in WoW lore proposed in the survey are the Warden and Runemaster. Wardens are the iconic Night Elf faction famous for hunting down and imprisoning Azeroth's greatest threats. How exactly that would work when it comes to Horde players is unclear, but the survey notes that the Wardens would open their ranks "out of necessity" in order to deal with greater threats. Runemasters, on the other hand, are beings infused with power by the Titans who use a rune system that sounds similar to that of modern WoW's Death Knights to heal and fight. That rune system itself was originally for an early version of the Runemaster class that was later scrapped and its core mechanic repurposed. This class appears to have been listed by multiple different names in various versions of the survey, also appearing by the name Metalborn and Runeknight. Other classes seem almost entirely new. The survey lists classes like Bard, Witch, and Illusionist among potential additions. The Bard sounds about like what you would expect, a healer and support class capable of buffing allies, while the Witch and Illusionists are two new flavors of spellcasters. Illusionists would summon and conjure creatures and objects to aid them in battle, while the Witch uses dark powers like blood rituals and even the power of the old gods to buff allies and destroy their foes.  Whether or not any or all of these potential new classes will eventually make their way into Forever remains to be seen, but Blizzard does have, well, forever to make them a reality. In the meantime there's plenty new for WoW: Forever players to discover, including over 1,000 new quests, four new zones, an account-wide Legacy perk system, and more. WoW: Forever's beta is currently live until October 21, with Forever's full launch set for November 4.

GTA 6 will not include its own spoof on one of Florida's most iconic venues: Walt Disney World. I adore all things Disney, including the parks. But I also appreciate and enjoy Rockstar's penchant for sarcasm and making fun of things. And Disney World? There is a lot to poke fun at. So I am a bit bummed that Walt Disney World--or whatever Rockstar would name its simulacrum--won't appear in GTA 6.  Game Informer asked Rockstar if Florida's central region, including Orlando and its tourist destinations like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, would be represented in GTA 6 in some form, and Jack McPherson said they wouldn't. However, McPherson stressed that GTA 6 will offer the "full Florida experience" in numerous other ways.  “We have to constantly evaluate the diversity of landscapes, towns, structures, landmarks, vistas, plant species, rock formations and everything else before we work with design and narrative to distill a list down that best works with and serves the game’s needs. So, while we may not have those exact locations, everything we have is geared to getting that full Florida experience!” Lucia and Jason in GTA 6. GTA 6 also won't feature SeaWorld or Florida's iconic "Space Coast," featuring Cape Canaveral's historic launch pad.  I am not too surprised by any of this, though, considering GTA 6 takes place in Vice City, a stand-in for Miami, which is a four-hour, 230-mile drive from Orlando. I know GTA 6 is going to be a big game--featuring the biggest game map Rockstar ever made--but I never expected the map to run all the way up to Orlando.  Jay Klaitz, who famously portrayed Lester in Grand Theft Auto 5, previously said in an interview that he wondered if Rockstar would create its own, legally distinct version of Disney World that could be called “Psycho Park.” “That would be interesting too if they sort of delve into that environment,” he said. While GTA 6 might not feature its own take on Disney World, it's possible the park could be referenced in GTA 6's radio chatter, and some spoofs could come there. The well runs deep for things Rockstar can make fun of Disney World for, including its ever-increasing ticket prices, the price to buy literally anything in the parks, and the so-called Disney Adult phenomenon, just to name a few options. I love Disney, but even the most diehard fans have their issues. As it happens, the last game in the series, GTA 5, was set where Disneyland--the OG Disney park--is located in the Los Angeles area, and that game also did not feature its own theme park spoof that players could visit. However, GTA 5 featured a film production company known as Fred's Pictures, which was an obvious reference to Disney. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. 

Activision has confirmed that one of the Call of Duty franchise's most notorious maps, Shipment, is coming back for this year's Modern Warfare 4. After fans spotted it in the newly released trailer for MW4's PC version, the Call of Duty account directly confirmed its return with a dedicated post. Shipment, which debuted in 2007's Modern Warfare 4, is a tiny map filled with shipping containers that players can dash through. Due to its small size, players can get wiped out in their spawns easily, and the action generally is extremely chaotic. Some people love the map. Others hate it. https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/2104969093409648927 Shipment's return in 2026's MW4 is no big surprise, as it's been featured in numerous Modern Warfare games over the years. It also showed up in Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Mobile. While Activision has confirmed that Shipment will return in MW4, the company did not say if it will be among the 12 6v6 maps available at launch, or if it will be released sometime later. For those who enjoy Shipment, its inclusion in MW4 is just the latest piece of good news. Before this, Activision confirmed that MW4 will finally fix how double XP tokens work and the dreaded "update requires restart" notice is going away. Additionally, MW4 will usher in a feature in Warzone that lets you avoid seeing all those wacky skins. The game also has a brand-new, Counter-Strike style mode. Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC. The game marks the first Call of Duty release on a Nintendo platform since 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts. It’s also the first game since Ghosts to skip PS4 and Xbox One.

World of Warcraft: Forever is opening up old wounds when it comes to Blizzard's actions (or in many players' views, inaction) against bots and real-money gold buying, with a recent incident involving a popular streamer becoming a flashpoint for the MMORPG. WoW Classic streamer Ziqo was recently seen on stream accepting large sums of gold from strangers in the lead up to a $100,000 WoW: Forever beta dueling tournament on October 17. In a clip in which he was traded 380 gold from a level one character (a huge amount in WoW Classic/Forever, particularly in a beta that's only been out for two weeks), Ziqo can be heard saying there's no way that amount of gold is "natty" but accepts the trade anyways. In another clip, he accepts 175 gold from a different level one character named El Delivery.  The community immediately saw huge cause for concern. Not only did gold buying already appear to be alive and well in the Forever beta after Blizzard previously said it would be more aggressive in taking action against gold buyers, but the streamer looked to be effectively buying his way to victory in the upcoming tournament. With that amount of gold, Ziqo would be able to essentially buy anything he needed in the lead up to the tournament, giving him an advantage. The WoW Classic subreddit became aflame with calls for Blizzard to take action. https://www.reddit.com/r/wowforever/comments/1wsf0km/ziqo_accepting_rmt_gold/ Without mentioning Ziqo by name, WoW community manager Kaivax shared Blizzard's stance on real-money transactions (RMT) in WoW: Forever via a forum post on September 28. While Blizzard has always looked to take action and punish gold sellers, Kaivax said, it will increasingly take action against those buying or accepting RMT gold as well. "It's important to know that while we have always actioned RMT seller's accounts as quickly as possible, we will increasingly take action against buyers' accounts," Kaivax said. "That means that we will remove the illicit gold from the recipient and/or take further actions, which can include closing accounts. "We're once again asking all players to be very cautious when it comes to accepting gifts from strangers or other one-sided transactions. If it becomes apparent that a recipient knew or should have known that gold wasn't from a legitimate source, they may be subject to account actions as well."  According to Ziqo, Blizzard has since removed the ill-gained gold he received (as well as some additional gold he hardened the old-fashioned-way) but as of writing has not punished him further.  Many on the WoW Classic subreddit are calling for Blizzard to stay true to its words from Kaivax's forum post and take further actions against Ziqo's account, as it's obvious he knew the gold could not have been legitimate.  "We can all agree it's not good for the integrity of the game when streamers get showered with free gold on stream," Reddit user Nino171 writes in a post calling for streamers like Ziqo to be banned just like any regular player would. "Treat everyone equally. Streamers should have to watch what they accept for free, just like any other player."  https://www.reddit.com/r/classicwow/comments/1wt4w39/blizzard_is_in_zugzwang/ Even if Ziqo isn't banned from the game, some are calling for him to at the very least be banned from the upcoming tournament by its organizers. Others on the game's forums are calling for Blizzard to ban accounts permanently that are caught engaging in RMT trading, with a call to "make an example of these streamers." For now, it's unclear if Blizzard will punish Ziqo further with an account ban, but it's definitely caused many in the Forever community to lose faith that Blizzard is willing to put its money where its mouth is in regards to cracking down on those both selling and buying in-game gold.  WoW: Forever's beta, which costs $60 to gain access to, is currently live until October 21. The new version of WoW Classic with over 1,000 new quests, as well as new dungeons, raids, and zones, is proving to be popular, with Blizzard recently stating it had to once again increase the beta's population cap. WoW: Forever will launch in full November 4.

Mythic Achievements for Xbox Insiders will officially roll out starting today, and Microsoft has provided more detail on how its new milestone system works. Designed to celebrate the biggest Xbox achievements that a user has unlocked throughout their PC and console history--and similar to PlayStation Platinum Trophies--Mythic Achievements are earned whenever all original achievements for a game have been earned. Microsoft added that achievements added later through DLC or updates aren't required, and once you've earned Mythic status, it's yours to keep forever. This will be applied retroactively, so if you maxed achievements in any Xbox games over the years, expect to see a 15-second notification telling you what a good job you've done. Once the full Mythic Achievement system rolls out to the entire Xbox community, player profiles will be updated with a new Gaming tab where they can view their achievements, track their next Gamerscore milestone badge, and revisit games. A preview of what a Mythic Achievement will look like. This will make it easier to track progress toward earning a Mythic Achievement, as a new progress bar at the top of each game's achievement list will show exactly how close you are to gaining Mythic status. There'll also be an option to focus on the original achievements you still need, and achievements added later will receive an "add-on" tag to make the chase clearer to follow. There's no date yet for when Mythic Achievements will roll out of the Xbox Insiders program to the rest of the Xbox userbase. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma had teased back in August that Mythic Achievements were on the way, but they're arriving during another round of mass layoffs at Microsoft's gaming division. Hundreds more people have been laid off across various Xbox departments, various developers have been consolidated under Activision and Bethesda, and the Xbox Game Studios portfolio has also shrunk with the exit of several teams. Ninja Theory's future looks uncertain, while Undead Labs has started downsizing as part of its move to a new, undisclosed owner.

Gears of War: E-Day is launching into Xbox Game Pass, and because of that, the majority of the game's moneymaking potential will be cannibalized by its inclusion on the service. That's according to Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, who released a report today that covers this, the game's initial sales on Steam, and the possibility of a PlayStation 5 port sometime down the road. According to Elliott, E-Day has surpassed 120,000 copies sold on Steam at this point, generating more than $7 million in revenue. The game arrives on October 6, but people who pay more can jump in starting October 1. For more, check out the official global launch times for E-Day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRFE0gCsgLg Elliott's data showed that E-Day has already sold more than 2X what Halo: Campaign Evolved did over a similar period of time. With 120,000 sales on Steam already, E-Day is unlikely to hit 1 million copies on the platform ever, Elliott said. Additionally, he said "most" of the revenue from the Xbox version will be "eaten up by Game Pass. The game's inclusion on Game Pass might also encourage some people to sign up, so sales alone do not tell the whole story. In any event, Microsoft has already decided to pull some key titles out of Game Pass, presumably due to lost revenue. Microsoft's Activision division no longer puts new Call of Duty games into Game Pass at launch, for example, with this October's Modern Warfare 4 not coming to Game Pass until Fall 2027. Going forward, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has said the company might opt to "window" other titles, presumably to help Microsoft make more money from direct game sales. In 2023, Microsoft admitted that putting games into Game Pass cannibalizes full-game sales. At the same time, a game coming to Game Pass can actually help improve sales in some scenarios. Microsoft made a big bet on Xbox Game Pass, spending billions of dollars to buy up studios with the aim of funneling content to the service to encourage people to sign up. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has said Microsoft's bet on Game Pass did not work out. "Our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome," she said. Elliott previously said Gears of War: E-Day (along with Clockwork Revolution) are being sent out to die due to their exclusivity to Xbox. They are also coming to PC, but not PS5. Elliott told GameSpot that Microsoft will never succeed in the console space and promising fans exclusive games to help drive console sales is not going to make a difference. “Console as we know it is over for Xbox–and has been for a while. There’s no turning that ship. But they still need to pretend to care until they’ve transitioned to pastures where they can return to growth (if they succeed),” he said. “A Gears console exclusive does not shift meaningful numbers of Series X units. Exclusivity as a hardware-driver is over for them, because the install base it would drive simply isn’t responsive enough to justify the cost of building hardware at a 5x component premium. And those games are on Steam anyway,” he added. Elliott went on to say that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are “sacrificial lambs for hearts-and-minds, not economics.” Also in the report, Elliott addressed the rumor that Microsoft canceled a PS5 port of E-Day. He said Microsoft should not have done this, as bringing the game to PS5 would have "added some much-needed extra revenue." While E-Day might not be coming to PS5 at launch, Elliott said he foresees a port coming to market "at some point." There was obvious evidence of a PS5 edition of E-Day. However, Microsoft denied that it canceled a PS5 version at the last minute, but did not deny its existence. Another strange wrinkle to the story is that Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has said E-Day is not a timed-exclusive for Xbox. However, Greenberg said in 2021 that Starfield was not a timed-exclusive on Xbox, but then it did come to PS5, so it's hard to believe some of the things that Microsoft says about its release plans.

Halloween season is almost upon us, and if you're looking to dress up as the Resident Evil movie's in-over-his-head courier, Bryan (played by Austin Abrams), then here's a checklist of everything you need to pull off the Raccoon City look. Fortunately, Bryan's look is surprisingly easy to pull off, as director Zach Cregger and costume designer Caroline Fahrer settled on an outfit that's grounded in the real world, will keep you warm on a chilly night, and can probably handle a few bites from any citizens who have come down with a bad case of the T-Virus. As detailed by Resident Evil News, dressing up as Bryan requires sourcing a few brand-name items and scuffing them up. The actor's main clothing consists of RVCA fatigue pants, a deep yellow plaid shirt and grey hoodie from New Yorker, and Nike Jordan Spizke low sneakers that'll need some customization. For the medical bag, if your local hospital doesn't want to sell you one, the official popcorn bag should do the trick. https://twitter.com/RENews_X/status/2104728868162826249 The devil is in the details, so to really sell the idea that you've been through hell and back, you'll need to do some distressing on the outfit. For example, the thumbs on the gloves were cut off and replaced with stitches, and to scuff up the pants, you can use sandpaper to wear them down. Fake blood will seal the deal, and you can easily make a bucket of the stuff with corn syrup and food coloring to nail the viscosity--a word of caution: it can be very sticky once applied. Dribble the concoction on your costume, get some friends to chuck massive water balloons at you as you sprint down a deserted street, and you'll be ready to win a few Halloween contests. After two weeks at the box office, Resident Evil has scared up some impressive numbers. The film kicked off its run by breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend in the franchise, and so far, it has made more than  $100 million at the North American box office, beating the record that had previously been set by 2010's Resident Evil: Afterlife ($60 million). Currently, it's the fourth highest-grossing live-action Resident Evil movie so far, and it's getting closer to usurping 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ($312 million) as the highest-grossing film in the series. Strangely, the movie has only had a "moderate" effect on Resident Evil game sales, as the movie reenergized the existing fanbase and pumped up engagement for the franchise in September.

The creator of a mod project that sought to bring Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5 to Switch is closing up shop, apparently at the request of rights owner Take-Two. This action comes in the same month that Rockstar published a new "Mod Guidelines" notice informing people they need to "respect our games" and are not allowed to modify its games to operate on consoles or devices that are not officially supported by Rockstar. GTA 5 was never released on Switch. Paralympics Productions announced (via GamesRadar) that it will shut down on October 3. The developer thanked people for their support and apologized for not being able to deliver GTA 5 for Switch. He also said he's "thankful for Take-Two's mercy," which makes it sound like this situation could have been worse for the modder. "This is the definitive end," the developer wrote. "Peace out, girl scouts." https://twitter.com/M0jso/status/2104610351358820703? The developer went on to say that they had received a cease-and-desist notice. He said he plans to comply with this because "I'm not an idiot." No legal action has taken place as of yet, he added. In other replies, the developer responded to people asking him to release his code so others could pick it up and take things from there. He said he won't do this because it would escalate the cease-and-desist into a formal lawsuit. He could, in theory, fight Take-Two in court, but the developer said he would most likely lose. "They have solid grounds and with me being cocky, it shows real intent for 'mayhem," he said. "So I can't even appeal to a jury or something like I didn't know what I was getting into." The GTA 5 port for Switch from Paralympics Productions was due to be released "in the coming days," the developer added. "I'm not releasing anything new and I'm not coming back. It's truly over. And no, no one will take over the project." GTA 5 never came to Switch, and GTA 6 is not expected to be released on Switch 2. However, it was previously reported that Rockstar was exploring the possibility of bringing GTA 6 to Switch 2.

While it's always a good idea to save some cash toward the end of the month, Valve's quarterly Steam sales make it very tempting to dip into those rainy day funds. Fortunately, knowing when these sales will occur has gotten easier over time, as Valve no longer keeps people guessing about the dates. The company regularly posts dates far in advance for its sales and promotional events, and the upcoming Steam Autumn Sale 2026 will run from October 1 to October 8. Beyond that, Valve has also dated several other events for the rest of the year and the first half of 2027. The Steam Winter Sale kicks off in December, while the Spring Sale will kick off March 2027. Between those two sales, you can also dive into events themed around various genres, like desktop companion, shop keeper, and couch co-op games. Steam Sales and Fests for 2026 October 2026 * Steam Autumn Sale 2026: October 1 – October 8 * Cooking Fest: October 12 – October 19 * Next Fest: October 2026: October 19 – October 26 * Steam Scream V Fest: October 26 – November 2 November 2026 * Auto-Battler RPG Fest: November 16 – November 23 December 2026 * Steam Winter Sale 2026: December 17 – January 4, 2027 Steam Sales and Fests for 2027 January 2027 * Desktop Companion Fest: January 14 - 18 * Shop Keeper Fest: January 25 - February 1 February 2027 * Sheep Fest: February 4 - 8 * Couch Co-Op Fest: February 8 - 15 * Next Fest: February 2027: February 22 - March 1 March 2027 * Rhythm Fest: March 8 - 15 * Steam Spring Sale 2027: March 18 - 25 * Dinos vs. Robots Fest: March 29 - April 5 April 2027 * Racing Fest: April 12 - 19 * Witch Fest: April 22 - 26 * Fighting Fest: April 26 - May 3 May 2027 * Real-Time Strategy Fest: May 10 - 17 * Mountaineering Fest: May 31 - June 3 June 2027 * Next Fest: June 2027: June 14 - 21 * Steam Summer Sale 2027: June 24 - July 8 Following the Summer Sale, the next big Steam event will be the Social Deducation Fest in July, a showcase dedicated to games about crimes, mysteries, and solving those dastardly deeds. The Best PC Games To Play In 2026 View Images

The demand for PlayStation 5 Pro consoles is currently outpacing supply in Japan, due to ongoing memory shortages that have yet to be resolved. Now, Sony is offering Japanese players a unique way to earn their way into a PS5 Pro lottery system, but only if they can demonstrate that they've already been gaming at a certain level. Sony's Japanese PlayStation blog notes that players who want to enter the PS5 Pro lottery must have 60 hours of gameplay time on their PlayStation accounts between September 2024 and September 2026. That time can be split between PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 consoles. Some hardcore gamers can get in 60 hours of playtime in a week or even more. So, the threshold isn't too extreme. But it's likely in place to prevent scalpers from getting their hands on PS5 Pros and flipping them on the secondary market at greatly inflated prices. If Japanese players meet the criteria laid out by Sony, they will be entered in the lottery system and subsequently notified that they have a chance to purchase a PS5 Pro directly from the gaming publisher. However, if any buyers fail to act on their opportunity, their systems will be offered to other players in a future lottery. Sony's decision to stop supporting physical PS5 discs starting in 2028 has drawn pushback from some players, but the company appears dead set on following through with that edict. Earlier this month, Sony settled a lawsuit alleging that its PlayStation Store violated state and federal laws governing digital game prices. Sony admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, which is valued at nearly $8 million. Looking ahead to next year, Sony has revealed that it will be skipping the 2027 CES, which will mark the end of an association with the event that dates back decades.

Marvel's Wolverine might not be a critical hit, but it's doing surprisingly well commercially. The new superhero adventure from Insomniac Games faced stiff opposition from new releases and established live-service titles at launch, but according to the analytics firm Circana and its engagement tracker, Marvel's Wolverine broke a live-service stranglehold on the PlayStation charts. For the week ending September 19, Marvel's Wolverine ranked seventh on Circana's Top 10 Titles by weekly active users in the US chart. Sandwiched between Marvel Rivals (sixth place) and Minecraft (eighth place), that's a good start for the game, which is the only single-player title in the top 10--although Minecraft players might disagree. "The average US Marvel's Wolverine player engaged with the title for 14.2 hours during the week, according to Circana's Player Engagement Tracker," Circana's Mat Piscatella wrote. "This ranked in the top 20 across all titles on PlayStation for the week." https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3mwliydz3wc24 While NBA 2K27, Fortnite, and Roblox remained on top, seventh place is still a relatively impressive feat for a game like Marvel's Wolverine, which is mostly a one-and-done experience. Unlike Marvel's Spider-Man and its bustling open-world slice of Manhattan, there's little reason to return to it beyond a New Game Plus mode that unlocks new skills, and this Wolverine game can easily be completed within a week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nGnaG7kVIA&t=2s It has also been the subject of criticism, leading to hotfixes in which Insomniac toned down the infamous scent trails to guide players toward collectibles. Sony hasn't commented on the game's overall sales performance yet, but it's estimated that Marvel's Wolverine has sold through 1.9 million units as of September 18. "Wolverine has sold well, but its commercial long tail is limited by its mixed media and streamer reception," Alinea Analytics' Rhys Elliott wrote recently. Unlike Spider-Man, which reviewed insanely well and has stayed evergreen for years, this one's tail will be shorter and lumpier, but still there. Wolverine will have secondary volume bumps driven by MCU X-Men marketing beats, holiday gifting, and new PS5 owners looking for high-budget graphics showcases. The backlash was fast and hard, but that discourse will sail clean over the heads of the millions of more passive, mainstream players who make up the bulk of this audience. Those folks will buy Wolverine for the brand, get it for Christmas, and never once open Reddit to find out they were supposed to be angry." Marvel’s Wolverine was released on September 15, and sales were seemingly strong right out of the gate, with the game reportedly exceeding the lifetime sales of Death Stranding 2 on PS5 in just a few days. GameSpot’s Marvel’s Wolverine review scored the game an 8/10, with editor-at-large Tamoor Hussain describing it as a "fun but forgettable" experience.

Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has dropped some tantalizing news for fans of The Last of Us, confirming the studio is currently working on not one, but two new The Last of Us projects. Druckmann also gave an update on Intergalactic, saying Naughty Dog will fully reveal the sci-fi game in 2027. The Last of Us Day is marked on September 26, the day that was the start of the zombie apocalypse in the game's lore, and Naughty Dog celebrated the 2026 event with a charity livestream, fan giveaways, and new collaborations. The studio also launched new official The Last of Us social media accounts, hinting that our time with the franchise is far from over. https://twitter.com/thelastofus/status/2104720569661063523?s=20 In a brief post reflecting on the day, studio head Neil Druckmann dropped a few major announcements for Naughty Dog's future, chief among them that there are two new The Last of Us projects currently in the early stages of development. "Both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part 1 and Part 2, Druckmann said. "The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn’t return to it unless we had something meaningful to say. We believe these stories are worth telling." It's not clear whether either of the games will be The Last of Us Part 3, and we're unlikely to find out for some time--Druckman added that both projects are in very early stages, so details are locked down tight. Druckmann also shared a brief update on Naughty Dog's current main project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The studio has been relatively quiet since the game was first announced in 2024--and that silence will continue for the rest of this year. Druckmann said he project needs a little more time to cook before it's ready to be fully revealed in 2027. "We know it's been a long time since we've had much to share with you," he acknowledged. "We're working incredibly hard to make something worthy of your patience." In other The Last of Us news, work on season 3 of HBO's television adaptation continues, with more of the game's voice actors recently joining the TV cast. Season 3 might be the end of the acclaimed TV series, with showrunner Craig Mazin considering condensing his original four-season plan down to three.

Activision has made a key announcement about how Double XP tokens work in the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it sounds like good news. Beginning with MW4, 2XP tokens will only count down when you're actually in a match. Previously, the timer would tick down when you were in a game's menus or searching for a match. That's not ideal for a lot of reasons, obviously. https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/2104619925881168010 If you're anything like me, sometimes you have to get up to let your dog out. Or you want to get up to grab some food or a drink. Or, you might sit in the game's menus when nature calls. Now, you can do those things and still get the full amount of 2XP without your bonus going to waste. Beyond this, several key developers at Infinity Ward discussed a range of hot topics about MW4 in a newly published "The Road to Launch" video. Check it out below to hear what the team had to say about time-to-kill values, spawning algorithms, and UI issues following the game's multiple rounds of beta testing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG68xO8uuq4 This is just the latest positive-sounding update for MW4, following the previous confirmation that players will be able to toggle off skins they don't want to see in Warzone--though the toggle is not supported for MW4 itself yet. Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC. The game marks the first Call of Duty release on a Nintendo platform since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. It's also the first game since Ghosts to skip PS4 and Xbox One.

World of Warcraft: Forever's beta is in full swing, and if its popularity is any indication of how the full launch might go, it's going to be big, as Blizzard has had to increase the beta's population cap multiple times. Forever was Blizzard's big finale during its BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony, a modified version of WoW Classic that keeps the old-school MMORPG's gameplay and world but brings plenty of new changes and content as well. It's something WoW Classic players have asked for years, and Blizzard is now finally ready to deliver. The beta kicked off September 17 with an initial level cap of 20 and will run through October 21, with Forever's full launch slated for November 4. It's important to note that it's not an open beta that anyone can join. Players need to purchase the $60 Skyborne Epic Pack (which unlocks the new playable Skyborne race in Forever) to gain access. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buBZRiQXl8U&t=1s Despite a $60 barrier to entry, everything points towards the beta being huge. From the get go, the beta ran into problems due to sheer popularity, with WoW: Forever senior game producer Tom Ellis (who has since deleted their X account) posting a technical breakdown that boiled many of the beta's initial issues down to the game's beta environment simply not being accustomed to such high demand. It wasn't long before other developers at Blizzard began to chime in on how unprecedented the Forever's beta seemed to be. WoW executive producer Holly Longdale posted that Forever's beta was "setting records." Two days later on September 19, she said "launch will be wild…and we are here for it, come what may." Most recently, Longdale chimed in about the beta's success once more. On September 27, she wrote Blizzard had to increase the beta's population cap once again. "The wild ride continues," she said. https://twitter.com/TheWindstalker/status/2104270224568541611?s=20 Longdale hasn't been the only one commenting on how big the beta seems to be. Senior game designer Josh Greenfield, who frequently answers from the game's community on X, said the beta "has been crazy." "The craziest numbers I've seen in 17 years working at Blizzard and almost 8 years on Classic," Greenfield said. "We've got something really special here."  https://twitter.com/AggrendWoW/status/2101015233506750526?s=20 When asked how Blizzard was preparing to handle potential login queues at launch, Greenfield said the beta itself was the answer, as the team had found and fixed more problems on beta launch day than it would have in six months of internal testing.  Still, given how some previous WoW launches have gone, it certainly wouldn't be surprising if Forever were to run into technical issues at launch, despite the game essentially doing away with traditional servers. Blizzard hasn't yet released exact beta numbers, but off of everything we've seen so far, Forever's launch is shaping up to be a doozy. For more on WoW: Forever, be sure check out how Blizzard approached designing over 1,000 new quests, why it won't include Season of Discovery's biggest changes, and how big a deal it is that it's launching with full controller support.

Sony has attended every edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since it debuted in 1967, but that's ending for the upcoming show in January 2027. This means there won't be any PlayStation news, at least not directly from Sony. The company confirmed to Bloomberg that it's pulling out of the show this year following a strategic evaluation of its approach to "events and communications based on the needs and priorities of our diverse business." The company went on to say that today it's putting more focus on "entertainment," including games, anime, films, and music. CES, on the other hand, is primarily a technology show. What PlayStation announcements have there been at CES before? Sony's showing at CES historically includes a keynote address, featuring executives and creative leaders from the company discussing upcoming technologies and products. Sony never made the most momentous PlayStation announcements at its CES events over the years, but it was an event that fans could expect some news, at least. For example, in 2020, then-PlayStation boss Jim Ryan revealed the PS5 logo at CES. At the time, people were clamoring for any morsel of news about the console, and fans roasted Sony for revealing only the logo. You can re-live the moment where everyone learned that the logo would be the most predictable logo ever in the video below. The juicier details like the release date, price, and technical specifics were saved for later events dedicated to the system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E429XW4isFs At CES 2022, Sony unveiled PlayStation VR2 and a new game for it, Horizon: Call of the Mountain. In more recent years, Sony's PlayStation-related announcements at CES pertained to the company's transmedia adaptations, including the announcement of Horizon and Helldivers movies. Microsoft, for its part, revealed the original Xbox with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at CES 2001, but the company didn't carry the tradition forward with similarly big Xbox announcements at CES over the years. Nintendo, meanwhile, famously revealed the first version of the NES at CES in 1984--it was unveiled as a prototype known as the Advanced Video System. CES 2027 takes place January 6-9 in Las Vegas.

Diablo 4 Season 15 is stuffed full of secrets years in the making, and despite the season having launched two weeks ago, players keep discovering new ones.  Season 15, Hell's Legacy, is a major nostalgia trip for Diablo fans. It adds new dungeons, boss fights, and items from previous Diablo games to Diablo 4, as players team up with Deckard Cain to defeat echoes of the Prime Evils and harness some of their iconic powers. But those references to previous games go far beyond a handful of dungeons and bosses. It also added a full Horadric Cube's worth of secrets. Some stem from older games in the franchise, while others are a continuation of ones added in Diablo 4 that players have worked towards uncovering for years.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MabZDgAHLA After years of searching, Blizzard finally gave players the culmination of its secret cow-level hunt, as players who have gone through the laborious task of reaching the cow level and battling the cow king can now go even one step further to take on Moophisto, the Divine Bovine. In that same vein, players can also finally catch Mefishto, a secret fishing boss Blizzard went as far as to tease with a bizarre infomercial back when the game's Lord of Hatred expansion launched. Players were also quick to discover all kinds of new runewords and items from previous Diablo games, like the highly coveted Enigma that converts each class' evade into a teleport. But those are just some of the secrets. Players can also visit Old Tristram (complete with Diablo 1 NPCs like Griswold, Wirt and Adria) by finding all of Deckard Cain's journals, and even take on an Uber Prime Evil boss encounter there like in Diablo 2. For those who like their secrets silly, Diablo 3's Whimsyshire is now in the game after being teased as part of the cow-level quest, complete with hundreds of colorful killer teddy bears and unicorns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1QzrbZHR3g One of the coolest secrets in the seasons is the next phase of the Lucky Coin questline that players have been scratching their heads about since Diablo 4's launch. In Season 15, the last of these lucky coins can now be found. By converting each coin into a special jewelry item, equipping them, and going to Lorath's old house, a portal opens to an all-new Echo of the Horadrim boss fight, where players take on the tormented souls of Lorath, Neyrelle, and Donan. That might seem like a fitting end to the season's secrets, but nearly all of these secrets lead to even more puzzles for the community to solve. There still seem to be some secrets involving the cow level, as one piece of the cow-themed Bovine armor set is still missing. Players have fished up a teddy bear head that appears to be a reference to a quest from Diablo's Hellfire expansion and may be linked to Whimsyshire. The Horadrim boss encounter rewards players with a Horadric Coin, the purpose of which is still a mystery. Players have discovered a secret sheep level as part of the cow level, one that rewards an item called Map of the Stars that looks to be a reference to a deleted quest in Diablo 1. The quest item's description even states, "Oh for hell's sake, what now!?," seeming to imply there's still plenty more mysteries to keep Diablo 4 secret hunters busy. Diablo lore expert Loatheburger has a great breakdown of the season's remaining secrets, including one that may involve salvaging a certain number of Stone of Jordan rings in order to summon a special Diablo boss fight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y4gj1KkjBQ After a disappointing Season 14, Hell's Legacy looks to have put Blizzard's ARPG back on the right footing with its crowd-pleasing theme and a giant heaping of content ripped from older Diablo games, even as players are becoming stronger than ever with a Mythic Unique trick that might not be intentional. Though Diablo 4 won't receive new expansions as the focus shifts to the development of Diablo 5, due to release in 2029, it will continue to receive new seasons long into the future, Blizzard has said. The Amazon will be added as a standalone class DLC in the first half of next year.

The main voice actor cast for upcoming soulslike Valor Mortis has been revealed, and its star-studded lineup features the surprising addition of a name better known for fronting a black metal band. Adam "Nergal" Darski will play the role of Captain Raphael. If his impressive growls and screams in Behemoth are anything to go by, players can expect a pretty dramatic rendition of the character. It's not his first rodeo, surprisingly. He also voiced The Black Cat in 2022's Blacktail and was the narrator for Apocalipsis: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in 2018. https://youtu.be/JWD4BN8KUZ8 He's joining an impressive roster of voice actors, including Baldur's Gate 3 and Expedition 33's Jennifer English as The Shrike and Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Crimson Desert's James Alexander as William Dowsett. Napoleon Bonaparte will be played by Vincent Cassel, who has starred in the Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen films as François Toulour. Mars Lipowski, who is best known for portraying Sobieslaw "Gromsko" Kosciuszko in the Call of Duty franchise, will take on the role of Lucjan Skawinski. Will De Renzy-Martin, who played Coen in The Blood of Dawnwalker, will portray James Stewart. Finally, Yvan Chamouiseau will step into the shoes of Louis Moreau. Valor Mortis is a first-person action soulslike from the developer of Ghostrunner. Set in an alternate 19th century Eastern Europe, Napoleon's endless war has led to a supernatural plague. You'll follow William, played by Alexander, as he fights to survive against his former comrades who are now undead monsters. Valor Mortis is set for release on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on October 13, and will be priced at $40 because this fall has a jam-packed release schedule, the developer admitted recently. It was originally scheduled for launch on September 24, but due to how busy September was, it was delayed by a few weeks.

If you're a fan of The Witcher franchise, you're getting a lot of new stuff over the next few years, starting this week with the launch of The Witcher 3 Remastered. Here's what's on tap for The Witcher over the next few years: 2026 The Witcher 3 Remastered, which includes a bevy of technical and graphical updates and improvements, releases on September 29. The long-awaited remaster, which is free for people who already own the game, includes a reimagined skill system, an expanded photo mode, improved combat, and a new transmog feature. Check out GameSpot's in-depth breakdown of what's new in the remaster to find out more. Just be aware, the graphical overhaul isn't necessarily an entirely positive one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oEdB5S2d3U 2027 After that will come a new expansion for The Witcher 3, Songs of the Past, in 2027. The expansion was originally targeting a 2026 release, but it was pushed to 2027 to make it as good and polished as possible. Songs of the Past takes Geralt on one last ride “before passing the torch.” Players will venture to the location of Letten, home of Geralt's friendly bard companion, Dandelion. There is a new main quest called "A Bed of Thorns" where Geralt will meet up with Lilla, who appears to be a potential love interest for Geralt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwVa3RPBtvo Also in 2027? That's when The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski said he plans to finish the next entry in the novel series, telling the next Geralt of Rivia story. At the Copernicon event in Torun, Poland recently, Wiedzminlandia reported (via Redanian Intelligence) that Sapkowski said he plans to finish the book by the end of 2027, but it's unclear how soon after that it may actually release. Sapkowski's plans could change, but in any event, a new book is coming, and fans of The Witcher may be excited about that. 2028 Then in 2028, CD Projekt Red plans to release The Witcher 4. The game doesn't star Geralt, but instead focuses on Ciri and makes her the playable character. Geralt is set to appear in the game, however. Given The Witcher 4 is coming out in 2028, it likely won't be a on a disc for console due to Sony's decision to end support for physical media. There will be some kind of physical version of the game, however. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1rokekgnY 2029 and beyond CD Projekt Red previously outlined an ambitious plan to release a new trilogy of The Witcher games within a six-year window that begins with The Witcher 4's launch in 2028. If that schedule holds, fans can expect The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 to launch by the end of 2034. That's a lot of Witcher games in a relatively short amount of time. CD Projekt Red is known to delay most of its big games, so there is definitely no guarantee that the plan will hold. Other Witcher projects Beyond all of these projects from The Witcher franchise, CD Projekt Red is believed to be working on a multiplayer Witcher game. The game has undergone numerous changes over the years, and the developer has never shown it off. Additionally, CD Projekt is working with Scopely on a new mobile game based on one of its franchises. It's not confirmed that it's The Witcher, however; another candidate could be Cyberpunk.

Xbox has announced its next collaboration, and it's a partnership with Prince St. Pizza for a specially branded Gears of War pizza and a $60 pizza-cutter. Microsoft and Prince St. Pizza teamed up to make a Prototype Lancer pizza-cutter to promote this October's Gears of War: E-Day, and it's available for $60. To justify the steep price tag, Prince St. Pizza says it's a hefty metal cutter featuring a stainless steel blade and a handle that's meant to make you feel like you're wielding the iconic gun. The pizza-cutter also comes with the in-game pizza emblem. It does look pretty great, but it also looks like a real pain the butt to clean if you're a messy person like me. If anyone is wondering why it's called the Prototype Lancer and not just the Lancer, that's the special solution the developers came up with to explain why the heck a Lancer would even be in a prequel like E-Day. In the Gears of War lore, the weapon was created a year after the events of Emergence Day. However, you can't have a Gears game without the Lancer, so the developers called it a Prototype Lancer. Incredible. As for the pizza itself, it's called the Emergence Pie, and it's themed around this October's Gears of War: E-Day, which is a prequel that tells the story of Emergence Day. The pizza includes spicy vodka red sauce and mozzarella cheese, along with proteins in the form of pepperoni and sausage. The pizza is also doused with spicy Italian chili crisp. "Rugged, relentless, and built to hit hard, it’s the kind of pie that doesn’t go quietly," reads a line from Microsoft's blog post. It's also a pizza that doesn't go quietly for your wallet, as it costs a mighty $46 before taxes or delivery fees if you're getting it sent to your home. The Gears of War pizza costs $46. The Emergence Pie is available now through November 1 at Prince St. Pizza locations in the US and Canada. Prince St. Pizza is not exactly a household name, and there are only about 20 locations in the world in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, and New York City. The single location in Canada can be found in Toronto. Anyone who buys the Emergence Pie also gets a code to unlock a pizza emblem in E-Day. Gears of War: E-Day releases on October 6 for PC and Xbox Series X|S, and it's available at launch via Xbox Game Pass. People can buy the $100 premium edition to play five days early. Despite obvious evidence that Microsoft was planning to release E-Day on PS5, the company denied that it made a last-minute decision to cancel a PS5 version. The company did not deny the existence of a PS5 version, however. E-Day is not a timed-exclusive for Xbox, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has said, leading some to believe it will never come to PS5. However, Greenberg said in 2021 that Starfield was not a timed exclusive on Xbox … and then it came to PS5.

Zach Cregger's highly acclaimed Resident Evil movie had another strong showing at the box office for its second weekend, propelling the film to break another franchise record. It already broke the record for biggest opening weekend for the franchise, and now the movie has made more than $100 million domestically. That's a new record for the franchise--before this, the biggest success domestically for the franchise was 2010's Resident Evil: Afterlife ($60 million). Globally, Resident Evil has now made $196.5 million against a reported $75 million production budget (not counting marketing costs). The highest-grossing Resident Evil movie globally is Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which made $312 million worldwide. Time will tell if 2026's Resident Evil will catch up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c Check out the list below to see how the other mainstream theatrical Resident Evil movies did at the domestic box office. Director Paul W.S. Anderson made six Resident Evil movies that starred his wife, Milla Jovovich, and while none of them individually did very well commercially or critically, they combined to earn over $1 billion worldwide. The worst-performing theatrical Resident Evil movie was 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which made just $17 million domestically. It was directed by Johannes Roberts and starred Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield and Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy. After that film disappointed, rights-owner Constantin put the franchise on hiatus and planned to keep it on ice until Cregger came to the company with a pitch for Resident Evil. His movie is doing great, so people are wondering if there will be a sequel. That remains to be seen, and while Cregger has said he has ideas for where they story could go next, he's also said he is finished with franchise movies. The Resident Evil movie is a huge success, but the recent lift in sales of games in the series is not completely attributable to that, according to a research firm. Resident Evil domestic box office results * Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) - $17,000,612 * Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) - $26,830,068 * Resident Evil (2002) - $40,119,709 * Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) - $42,345,531 * Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) - $50,648,679 * Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) - $51,201,453 * Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) - $60,128,566 * Resident Evil 2026 (so far) - $103,476,247

HBO has announced further casting details for the upcoming third and possibly final season of The Last of Us. Two actors from the games are set to appear in Season 3--Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander--along with prolific veteran actor John Goodman, as relayed by Deadline. Bailey played Abby in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us: Part II, with Alexander portraying Lev. For the TV show, however, Kyriana Kratter is set to play Lev, while Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby. Bailey will play Elizabeth, one of the Seraphite leaders, while Alexander will portray Paco, alongside Goodman as Joey. Joey and Paco are described as "Heroes of the Highway," but that's all we know. Goodman has worked with HBO before, starring on the comedy series The Righteous Gemstones. Bailey's performance as Abby was memorable, and controversial. She received a lot of online hate, and people even sent death threats to her newborn baby. John Goodman previously appeared on another HBO show, The Righteous Gemstones. Many actors from the games have been on the show Bailey and Alexander are just the latest actors from the games to appear on the HBO show, following Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright reprising their characters Marlene and Isaac, respectively. Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in the games, played Ellie's mom in Season 1. Troy Baker, who played Joel in the games, played James on the show. Jeffrey Pierce, who played Tommy in The Last of Us, appeared on the show as a new character, Perry. Season 3 could be its last HBO programming boss Casey Bloys has said on multiple occasions that he believes Season 3 could be the last one for The Last of Us. However, he's also acknowledged that the question might be better answered by showrunner Craig Mazin, who is plotting out the series and previously said he needed four seasons to wrap things up. Alternatively, Mazin is reportedly considering making Season 3 one long season as opposed to wrapping things up with Season 4. A big creative shift In a big shift for the series, franchise creator Naughty Dog is not involved creatively in Season 3, and Neil Druckmann dropped out as a writer/director. People have speculated about what this could mean, but Druckmann, for his part, said he left the show to focus on his work on Naughty Dog’s games. He is currently directing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and if it’s true that Naughty Dog is also making The Last of Us 3, he’s probably involved in that, too.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 is taking a different approach to its relationship with vanilla Minecraft than its predecessor did. According to the game's developers, the sequel deliberately moves closer to the mechanics and feel of the original sandbox game, in part because the Dungeons franchise is now established enough to stand on its own two feet. Speaking to GameSpot, Minecraft Dungeons 2 creative director Måns Olson and design director Laura de Llorens Garcia explained that the team deliberately pulled the sequel closer to vanilla Minecraft during development. "As much as Dungeons 1 tried to interpret vanilla Minecraft--and I think we did a pretty good job of it--with some of the things that we had deviated from, we decided to take them even closer to vanilla," de Llorens Garcia said. https://youtu.be/vBNE3bKMpu8 The sequel introduces several systems that will feel familiar to players of the original Minecraft game, including four armor slots, Enchantment Books, and jumping. "I think the fact that those systems now work that way makes it feel a lot closer to base game Minecraft," she added. However, it wasn't simply a matter of making Dungeons 2 more similar to Minecraft. Olson explained that the team had a specific reason for taking a different approach with the sequel. "When we made Minecraft Dungeons and we did the early testing of the game, when we asked players what they thought and what it reminded them of, there were a lot of players who said, 'This game reminds me of Minecraft PvP servers,' or, 'It reminds me of Story Mode.'" There are now separate armor pieces, like the base game. Olson said that this was particularly important because many younger players had relatively little experience with games outside of Minecraft. As a result, the first Dungeons needed to establish its own identity first. "In that world, it was very important that we made Minecraft Dungeons stand out--a game that didn't feel like the base game, that felt different enough to stand on its own legs and bring something new to the table," he explained. "'Cause otherwise it could have just been a mod, you know? It needed to be something of its own." That led the team to make some pretty significant departures from vanilla Minecraft. "So we made a Minecraft game without mining or crafting, which sounds silly, but that's how we went about it." Olson explained. For Dungeons 2 though, the team felt it had more freedom to move back toward vanilla Minecraft because of that identity being established for the Dungeons brand. The developers see the sequel's larger, more interconnected world as another way of bringing it closer to the main game. Although Dungeons 2 isn't being positioned as an open-world game, the the exploration has been increased compared to its predecessor. "We did push the world to be bigger and more exploratory in this game compared to the first game and that brings us closer to vanilla," Olson said. That philosophy extends beyond Dungeons 2 itself, as the developers have been working closely with the vanilla Minecraft team while developing The Sift--the new dimension that is introduced in Dungeons 2, before coming to Minecraft in 2027.

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie has done big numbers at the box office since it hit theaters on September 18, but has that been reflected in increased Resident Evil game sales? According to new data, a set of fresh discounts prior to the movie's release did most of the heavy lifting for a surge in Resident Evil sales, and after the film landed, there was a "modest" bump in sales. According to Alinea analyst Rhys Elliott, Capcom discounted several Resident Evil games on September 10 and kept those savings active after Cregger's movie arrived. "Almost all the copy movement was on PlayStation," Elliott wrote. "Resident Evil 2 nearly doubled on PS5 while doing just +16% on Steam, and Resident Evil 4 jumped +77% on PS5 versus a flat 0% on Steam. RE2 and RE4 picked up another 50-65% in PS5 copies even after you strip the discount out, which makes sense: they have a mix of nostalgia, quality, and the exact Raccoon City setting the film runs around in. On Steam, the same movie effect is a much milder +11% to +14%." As Elliott noted, the older Resident Evil games currently cost much less than Capcom charged when they first went on sale, while the latest game in the series, Resident Evil Requiem, got a 30% discount and was $49 this month before its price went back up to $70. Overall, there was higher engagement across the entire series, as the film reactivated an existing fanbase of players who already owned Resident Evil games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2sSPdSPvCU "The movie tells an original story with a new lead, so newcomers have no obvious game to jump into," Elliott wrote. "The horror-film audience and the horror-game audience overlap heavily. Cregger is a draw in his own right after Barbarian and Weapons. An opportunity is next year's Resident Evil Veronica, which already has almost 2 million Steam wishlists. It stars Claire Redfield and, if it follows the original timeline, is set three months after Raccoon City, the event the film is built around. If the streaming release is timed to Veronica's launch, Capcom and Sony could finally build the on-ramp that most transmedia projects are missing. Still, transmedia stuff isn't having the impact it could." In its second week at the box office, Resident Evil was dethroned by the Avengers. Ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday, Disney brought Avengers: Endgame back to theaters, taking first place with a North American box office haul of $26 million for the re-release. Resident Evil dropped to second place, but overall, the movie is still doing impressive numbers. After an opening weekend that surpassed expectations, Resident Evil has now made over $196 million at the global box office. That makes it the fourth highest-grossing live-action Resident Evil movie so far, but it still has a way to go before it dethrones the current king of that list, 2016's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter and its $312 million box office gross. Cregger's film has received critical acclaim since launch--even if people were iffy on its ending--and on GameSpot’s Sister site, Metacritic, the movie has a metascore of 79 from 51 reviews. “By backing away from the stories and characters of the video games, Cregger dodges the giant bullet of ‘that’s not my Leon Kennedy’ and instead lets us finally experience Resident Evil ourselves, through our own eyes,” Eric Frederiksen wrote in GameSpot’s Resident Evil movie review.

Ahead of its release on February 16, 2027, Sony has announced that God of War Laufey preorders will go live on September 29. The Standard Edition will be available in both physical and digital, but the Deluxe Edition will be a digital exclusive. Here's a closer look at what you get with each one. God of War Laufey: Standard Edition preorder bonuses * Last Wish Armor Set * Phranque Golden Leaves appearance (cosmetic)  * In-game resource pack God of War Laufey: Digital Deluxe Edition * Dark Alchemy Armor set * Dark Alchemy Blade * Dark Alchemy Bow scales * Dark Alchemy catalyst * In-Game resource pack * Digital mini-artbook  * Official God of War Laufey digital soundtrack This story is developing.

Anyone looking to play Gears of War: E-Day has several options for which platform they choose to get the game on, and yes, Steam is one of them. While The Coalition's new entry in the Gears universe is exclusive to PC and Xbox Series X|S, PC owners can add Gears of War: E-Day to their Steam library. How does this differ from buying the game from the Xbox PC storefront or on console? Let's break it down. Gears of War: E-Day PC price Unsurprisingly, the Standard and Premium Editions of the game will cost you the same through Steam as it would through the official Xbox storefronts on PC and Xbox Series X|S, and it'll also be a day-one release for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. That works out to: * Standard Edition -- $70 * Premium Edition -- $100 Gears of War: E-Day PC release date For more detailed info on this, you can check out our Gears of War: E-Day Global launch times guide, but in a nutshell, the Steam version will unlock at the same time as the official Xbox versions. Owners of the Premium Edition can start playing early on October 1, while the Standard Edition unlocks on October 6. You can also check out our Gears of War: E-Day PC requirements guide to see if your rig can handle the visually impressive game. Are there any Gears of War: E-Day preorder bonuses for Steam users? Nice. Preorder the game, and you'll unlock the Exfil Dom Character Skin and the Exfil Weapon Skin Set in-game at launch. Is the Gears of War: E-Day Premium Edition the same as the Xbox console and PC versions? Yep, you'll get the exact same spread of digital goodies with this edition, which includes: * Five days early access * Two character skins and poses * Death's Rendezvous legendary weapon skin set * Emergence Omen weapon skin set * Emergence Omen banner and emblem * Bravo Squad signature weapon pack * 1,000 Iron premium in-game currency * Four seasonal customization packs Is Gears of War: E-Day Steam Deck compatible? Microsoft says that Gears of War: E-Day is "fully optimized" for various PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and Xbox Ally X devices, but we haven't yet seen it in action. The Steam Deck uses three levels to indicate compatibility with games--Verified means it should run without a hitch out of the box, Playable means that it'll require some tweaking by the user, and Unsupported means that it won't function on the Steam Deck. It's not yet known which category Gears of War: E-Day falls into, but Xbox Game Studios titles are usually playable on the Steam Deck handheld without needing much tinkering to perform optimally. Are any of the other Gears of War games on Steam? If you want to build a Gears of War collection in your Steam library, you can get some of the games through the Valve storefront. The big exceptions are Gears of War 2 and 3, as these have been console exclusives since their initial release, while Gears of War 4 remains missing in action. Here's the full list of what's currently available: * Gears of War: E-Day * Gears of War: Reloaded * Gears 5 * Gears Tactics

Announced today during Minecraft Live, Mojang is adding the first new dimension to the blocky sandbox game in more than a decade and a half. The Sift is an ethereal-looking fourth dimension that was first marketed for Minecraft Dungeons 2, and it's now been confirmed that it's coming to the base game in 2027. The Sift is a major new addition for Minecraft, marking the first new dimension since 2011's The End, where players go to fight the Ender Dragon in the end game. Speaking to GameSpot, Minecraft Dungeons 2 creative director Mans Olson explained that the team wanted to make sure that The Sift felt distinct from the Nether and The End rather than becoming another hostile environment. "We wanted to make sure that it was different. That it doesn't feel like the ones that already exist in the game," he confirmed. Unlike the Nether and The End, where the environments feel immediately hostile thanks to dangerous environmental hazards and angry mobs, the developers wanted it to feel like somewhere players could potentially live. "We thought of it more as a, kind of, different Overworld ... it's this idea that it should be a place where you could see yourself living, a place that's a bit peaceful, sometimes maybe even serene," Olson explained. "We already have two dimensions that clearly scream, 'I'm evil!'" That doesn't mean that The Sift will necessarily always be completely safe. In Minecraft Dungeons 2, the dimension is under threat from the Illagers, leaving its ecosystem in danger. https://youtu.be/1tINxp9ZPZA "We wanted to make sure that, although it is dangerous, it doesn't feel as hostile or as imposing as the Nether and The End," Olson said. "But rather just be an ecosystem of its own, to be rich and lush and vibrant, and provide a new color palette that's pretty different from what we've seen already." The Sift was originally created because Minecraft Dungeons 2 needed a new dimension for its story, but the developers have been working closely with the vanilla Minecraft team throughout its development. "When we do something new, we always look at, like, is there something there that we can reuse, or modify, or change that will suit the purpose? If there isn't, the new thing that we do, could it be added to [vanilla] Minecraft?" explained Olson. "That doesn't mean that it will or that it has to, but we want to make sure that everything could theoretically fit in there." In terms of visuals, The Sift is a vibrant landscape made of red and orange stone, green vegetation, sculk-like elements, and pools of a hazardous liquid called icor. You'll enter the dimension either through mysterious rifts that are opening across the Overworld, in the case of Minecraft Dungeons 2, or via Ancient City portals, which seem the more likely access point for Minecraft, where players control their experience more closely. While there are multiple new mobs in The Sift in Minecraft Dungeons 2, it's not yet been confirmed which of those will be making an appearance in Minecraft. There are Sifters, Singers, Neesters, and Sprouts to name just a few. The Sift will first appear in Minecraft Dungeons 2, which launches September 29. It will then make its way into vanilla Minecraft in 2027.

Minecraft's next game drop will add a new underground environment to the sandbox game, along with a new hostile mob, and items that bring frosty mechanics to exploration and combat. Announced during Minecraft Live on September 26, the upcoming game drop is expected to follow the usual drop cadence of once per quarter, releasing in December 2026. Its biggest addition is ice caves--a rare underground extension of Minecraft's existing cold biomes. Ice caves are a new underground biome coming to Minecraft. Ice caves will add more environmental variety to cold areas, giving you another reason to venture underground when exploring snowy regions. The caves will also contain ice crystals, which can be collected and used for decoration. Ice crystals can be placed vertically or horizontally, and they'll also produce light, giving you another way to illuminate your creations. However, ice caves aren't entirely peaceful. A new hostile mob in the form of the Frozen Zombie will lurk underground, bringing new combat mechanics with it. Frozen Zombies can apply a stacking freezing effect with their melee attacks. If you take too many hits you'll eventually freeze, making getting surrounded by Frozen Zombies especially dangerous. They can also throw ice balls, which deal damage and knock players back. Being hit with an ice ball will give you the Frozen effect. To create a Frozen Zombie, a regular Zombie will need to be exposed to powdered snow. Fortunately, when killed the Frozen Zombie will drop ice balls. Although if you're not coming across any, you can also craft ice balls. Frozen Zombies are a new variant of the existing Zombie mob. The ice balls can be used as weapons to deal damage and knock enemies back in the same way you would be if you were hit by one. They can also be used to brew a new potion that applies a freezing effect. While Minecraft's next update hasn't yet got a name, you can expect it to be released around late December 2026. Following that, Mojang also announced that the first new Minecraft dimension in 15 years will be released in 2027.

After Xbox laid off 1,600 employees over the summer, Microsoft's gaming division followed up with more layoffs and studio closures this week. In the wake of these events, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is taking a look at the bright side and praising Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's actions as a necessary step. "There's some amount of streamlining the team is doing, and Asha is doing, which is great to see," said Nadella during his appearance on the Sources Podcast. He also noted that he feels "fantastic about the IP we have right now. If I look at the studios, the IP portfolio we have, and our ability to then take that and produce great games going forward, I feel fantastic." "We have to invent the right sustainable business model that allows us to deliver gaming to more and more people," added Nadella. Regarding AI, Nadella questioned why Western consumers are so skeptical about the technology compared to other parts of the world. "I think we've not given [AI] breathing space," said Nadella. "In fact ... I was reading the Gallup poll on AI and it's not good in the West. What's also very interesting … it's not a uniform thing around the world. And in fact that's the thing we should ask: 'What did we get wrong in the West that these other countries may not have?' Why are people in Nigeria more optimistic about AI than in the United States?' And I think we should reflect on it and my belief here is the industry [has] to earn the trust [and] show the benefits to both consumers and enterprises and the communities. And then ... we'll be fine. But without it, just any amount of just celebrating technology for technologies sake is not working." Prominent AI skeptic Ed Zitron has blamed Xbox's precarious position on "catastrophic mismanagement" by Microsoft and AI bets that didn't pan out. Even after the most recent layoffs, there are indications that more job cuts are coming to Xbox.

Diablo 4 players are decking themselves out in full sets of Mythic Unique gear as part of Season 15, resulting in characters that are more powerful than ever before. Whether that was Blizzard's goal, or this is simply a mistake of some kind, is currently up for debate. It's about as big of a change from one season to the next that Diablo 4 has ever experienced. Back in Season 14, Blizzard added the "crafted" item tag to Mythic Uniques made via the Horadric Cube, Blacksmith, or Jeweler, with a limit of only one crafted Mythic being equippable at a time. Even if you had the Resplendent Sparks resource needed to make more Mythics, you couldn't use them. Instead, you had to rely on good old-fashioned luck to find natural Mythic drops without the crafted tag. The changes weren't popular, so Blizzard walked it back mid-season, and has made further improvements as part of the latest season, Hell's Legacy. Mythics made by the Blacksmith or Jeweler are no longer considered "crafted," while ones made via the cube still are. Once again, players could have several Mythics of your own creation equipped at once, much like the previous seasons. However, for players with more sparks than they know what to do with, there is technically a way to get around the "crafted" tag. It takes combining three of the same Mythic Unique (not exactly an easy task) in the cube using the Recycle Uniques recipe, resulting in a new version of that same item. While the item will have all new stat rolls, the key here is that this recycled Mythic Unique won't have the "crafted" tag, letting players equip as many of them as they can create. The result is players running around with full sets of Mythic gear, something we've never seen before in Diablo 4. This would be a huge problem and could completely break the game in many ways, if it weren't harder to do than it sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9IHlOYCrbg Considering it costs 15 Resplendent Sparks to just create one Mythic Unique this way, it's definitely a huge time investment. To do this trick with all 12 gear slots would cost an enormous 180 Sparks, something that seems nearly impossible for an average player and would require an ungodly amount of grinding and farming. That hasn't stopped some of the game's most dedicated content creators from doing exactly that, however, as highlighted by Wudijo.  Whether the ability to create non-crafted Mythic Uniques this way is an intentional choice on Blizzard's part or an oversight remains to be seen. Diablo 4's next update is slated for September 29, but the 3.2.2 patch notes make no mention of this trick and instead are mostly bug fixes. Overall, Season 15 seems to have been well-received by players after the largely unpopular Season 14. The season finally added Diablo to Diablo 4, as players relive past Prime Evil encounters from previous Diablo games and rub shoulders with none other than the legendary Deckard Cain.  Diablo 4 won't receive new expansions going forward, but it is set to receive a new class, the Amazon, in the first half of next year. Meanwhile, Blizzard is hard at work on Diablo 5, set to release in 2029, and has already revealed three of its playable classes.

No news is good news, they say. They also say that some news, however little, is good news, too, and girl, do we have some news: Ubisoft's struggling action-adventure game Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still alive despite remaining in development hell. Ubisoft Bordeaux's lead writer and associate narrative director Rik Godwin took to Bluesky on September 22 to provide a brief update on the game. "Odd sort of non-announcement but for the past few months I've been working on Beyond Good & Evil 2 in a support/consultant role," Godwin, who was a writer on Assassin's Creed Shadows, said. "I am allowed to say this, I checked." It makes sense that Ubisoft Bordeaux would assist with Beyond Good & Evil 2. According to IGN, Ubisoft Montpellier, which is leading the project's development, is just south of the Bordeaux studio. And although Ubisoft Bordeaux was the lead developer on both 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage and Shadows' 2025 expansion Claws of Awaji, that studio typically operates in a support role for Ubisoft's myriad other teams. This minor update comes nearly 10 years after Ubisoft re-revealed Beyond Good & Evil 2 at E3 2017, and nearly 20 years after Ubisoft announced the action-adventure sequel all the way back in May 2008. There have been some rumblings of progress, with Ubisoft posting hints that development was ongoing in November 2025 and January 2026. However, whatever progress that has been made has been slow at best and invisible at worst. Although there's no release date at the moment, Ubisoft has continued to swear that Beyond Good & Evil 2 will be released in due time. Just don't expect it anytime soon, and at this rate, maybe don't expect it in this current console generation.

After suing a former Reddit moderator in October 2025 for pirating Switch games, a Washington court has ordered the individual in question to pay Nintendo $4.5 million in damages. According to a September 25 TorrentFreak report, US District Judge Lauren King ordered former r/SwitchPirates moderator James "Archbox" Williams to cough up $4.5 million in damages to Nintendo after the company accused him of operating several pirate shops to illegally decrypt and distribute Switch games to the public. The lawsuit, which was filed in a Washington federal court in June 2024, stated that Williams had been running this racket since at least 2019, using "circumvention device" software to bypass the company's systems and gain access to over 30 Nintendo Switch games. This includes titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Williams reportedly ignored the complaint at the time, which prompted Nintendo to seek the statutory maximum of $150,000 per title in October 2025. And just this week, Judge King agreed with Nintendo's request, stating that Williams was aware of the case, as he both hired a lawyer to object to a Google subpoena and continued posting on Reddit but opted to not respond to the company's lawsuit. In one screenshot saved by TorrentFreak, Williams called himself a "pirate" in a Reddit thread, clarifying that he--and others like him--won't "give Nintendo $50 for a game" when there are "months of releases unavailable anywhere." It's a bit like that I Think You Should Leave skit, where Tim Robinson, in a hot dog suit, drives a hot-dog-shaped car through a suiting store and is "looking for the guy who did this." Both Judge King and Nintendo know the guy who did it, and they want him to pay a lot for his actions. "The last factor also weighs heavily in favor of the statutory maximum penalty because NOA's complaint contains well-supported and extensive allegations that Williams knew the videogames were copyrighted but willfully undertook his copying and distribution efforts anyway," Judge King concluded in the suit. "Williams' egregious infringement activities merit substantial punishment here." In addition to the $4.5 million in damages, Williams has also been ordered to cease all illegal distributions of Switch games through a permanent injunction. This includes barring him from encouraging others to download pirated games or bypass Nintendo's systems to do so, disabling his myriad pirate shops, and deactivating his social media accounts. According to TorrentFreak, much of this has already happened, as Williams' Discord, Instagram, Reddit, Telegram, TikTok, and X accounts are gone. Further, some of the pirate shops Williams ran were taken offline after Nintendo sent a cease-and-desist letter in March 2024. For Nintendo, this is another win against thieves who think they can get away with pirating the company's games. According to the lawsuit, the company wanted to both stop Williams' infringing activities and use him as an example of what happens when you go up against the ever-litigious Mario maker. Be careful. Those white gloves might serve you papers.

Castlevania celebrated its 40th anniversary this week--an impressive milestone in video games and a terrifying pair of numbers for anyone who was born in 1987. Konami marked the occasion with a new video paying tribute to the original whip-slinging hero of the 1986 Famicom game, as well as all of the other influential entries in the Castlevania series over the last four decades. It's a cute little retrospective, and it might also be teasing something else from Konami, if our tinfoil-hat-speculation is right. https://youtu.be/U9hmHw0JFUc Right near the end of the video, Castlevania's first protagonist, Simon Belmont, takes a quick stroll past a series of non-ruined portraits in Dracula's castle. Eagle-eyed observers will note that these feature cover art from three of the 3D-era games--Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness, and Lords of Shadow. The fourth one is for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, which launches in October 2026. Could Konami be teeing up a new compilation that bundles together the PS2 and Xbox 360/PS3-era 3D Castlevania games? Portraits of ruin? Nah, just some really good games. The company isn't saying anything, and there's a good chance that the games were chosen purely because they still have some of the best cover art in the franchise. They're pretty neat, artistically! But a Castlevania collection isn't uncommon, as Konami has released a few of these in the past. The Castlevania Anniversary Collection from 2019 collected eight games spanning the first 10 years of the series, and the Castlevania: Dominus Collection bundled all three DS-era games alongside the 1988 Haunted Castle arcade game. What Konami did confirm is that it will hold sales for select Castlevania titles, new vinyl record soundtracks for classic games are available to preorder, and Castlevania on mobile is also free for a limited time through the iOS and Android stores. For Castlevania fans, next month's release of Castlevania: Belmont's Curse marks a major moment for the series. Following the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014, the video game series went on hiatus, aside from the two compilations released. The Castlevania animated adaptations released for Netflix proved that there was still an appetite for the IP, and last year, it was announced that the developer of The Rogue Prince of Persia--Evil Empire--was reviving castlevania for PC and console. So far, Belmont's Curse looks like a return to the series' roots, as it follows Rose Belmont through the ruined streets of Paris on her quest to stop Dracula. The game will let you turn tough bosses into powerful allies, and a demo for it will go live on October 1 ahead of its October 15 release date. Beyond that, there's hope that we could see more Castlevania in the future, as Konami's decision to outsource development to studios like Bloober Team and Screen Burn has led to several excellent new entries that have redefined what Silent Hill can be. It looks like it's repeating this approach with Castlevania, and a compilation of the cult-classic 3D games sandwiched between new releases would be a fun way to kickstart a Castlevania renaissance. A Pile Of Secrets: The Hidden Gems Of The Castlevania Series View Images

Several years have passed since the last new Gears of War game was released, but at long last, that drought is almost over. Gears of War: E-Day will be one of the early highlights of October, and if you're looking to rev your Lancer up and turn back the Locust tide, you can start playing really soon. Like other big upcoming games, you'll also have the option to preload Gears of War: E-Day, so you can jump right into the fray on launch day. Here's a closer look at the timing for this new chapter in the series. Gears of War: E-Day install size According to the official PC requirements for Gears of War: E-Day, the game will require 115GB of storage capacity on that platform. Xbox Series X|S install sizes are typically on par with PC, so overall, you'll want to make sure you have at least 100GB of free space available on your machine. That's a pretty noticeable increase in size, as the previous game, Gears 5, required a chunky 80GB of space when it was first released back in 2019. One other thing to note is that if you're planning to play on PC, the game requires a solid-state drive to be installed on. This is a mandatory requirement for the game to run optimally. Gears of War: E-Day preloading times Preloading will kick off on September 29 at the following times: * 11 AM ET * 10 AM CT * 9 AM MT * 4 PM BST * 5 PM CEST * 3 PM UTC * 5 PM SAST * 1 AM AEST (September 30) Gears of War: E-Day early access global launch times If you purchase the Premium or Collector's Edition of Gears of War: E-Day, you'll get a five-day headstart to play the game, starting October 1.  Early access will kick off at these times across the globe: * 11 AM ET * 10 AM CT * 9 AM MT * 4 PM BST * 5 PM CEST * 3 PM UTC * 5 PM SAST * 1 AM AEST (October 2)

Saw: Genesis was set to be the next asymmetrical multiplayer horror game to debut, but its 2026 early-access launch has been pushed to 2027, developer Bloober Team announced.  The horror-focused studio said it needs more time to get Saw: Genesis to a place the team is satisfied with. It's an interesting admission, since some teams use Steam Early Access for exactly that purpose: to get the game in good shape. But in the increasingly competitive and crowded space of licensed multiplayer horror games, a bad first impression may be more damaging than a reverse bear trap strapped to your face. We've seen a lot of games like this since Dead by Daylight kicked off a wave of them in 2016, but my appetite remains insatiable because no two are really quite alike. It's exciting to see how studios transpose different horror movies' signature elements into interactive experiences, but when I checked out Saw: Genesis at Summer Game Fest, I came away underwhelmed.  The 3v1 gameplay loop wasn't easy to follow in my hands-off demo. It's set about a century before the movies, with one person playing as a Jigsaw-like "Judge" who runs three others through his maze of torture devices and traps, trying to kill them all before any of them can escape the end of his trials.  The team of three may have brief windows of opportunity to attack the Judge, though a really skilled Judge may never even give them a chance, lurking in corridors the victims can't access, slinking out to activate his next hellish device. Things like complex puzzles for the victims and best practices for the Judge were really hard to follow. Some understanding would come with more experience, no doubt, but the first impression was rough enough to make me think it'll scare off players for being so unintuitive right away. Animations and visuals were lacking, too. I figured those issues could and likely would be polished over time, but if the core experience is unclear or convoluted, Saw: Genesis may struggle to compete for players' time, especially since its closest comparison is Red Barrels' already successful Outlast Trials. The delay feels warranted. I've been rewatching the Saw series lately, and it's reminded me that these movies aren't very good. Many of the 10 of them are plainly bad. Even the first one, which I'd long remembered as a milestone in low-budget horror, now feels like it has too many plot contrivances and nu-metal music-video editing choices for my liking.  And yet, I'm totally on board with Saw: Genesis if it works as a game. I don't have any reverence for the '80s B-movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space, but I had a blast with Illfonic's adaptation. I'm looking forward to seeing how Saw: Genesis changes shape between now and the next time we hear about it. Even though it's horror season and a Saw: Genesis launch would've made sense on the calendar--"If it's Halloween, it must be Saw," I was always told--I like the idea of Bloober Team pushing it out a few months to try to clean it up. This is a studio that told me it's done making "shitty games," and while that's not a guarantee, Bloober Team surely hopes to follow through. 

Anyone looking for a creepy adventure to play in November will want to check out Saraab: Beyond the Veil. Solo developer Lubna Ahmed has announced a November 3 release date for the game on PC via Steam and Itch.io, and a demo will be available for it during the October edition of Steam Next Fest. An Arabian folklore-inspired horror visual-novel game, Saraab follows Elham, a schoolgirl whose brother has suddenly been kidnapped. Rescuing your sibling means confronting your own inner demons, who have been externalized as monsters born of Elham's own psyche. To overcome them, she'll have to unlock the powers of her bloodline and uncover the truth of who she truly is. "I'm incredibly excited to bring this story to players and share a world shaped by authentic cultural themes, folklore, and emotional experiences that are rarely explored in games," Ahmed said in a press statement. "I hope players everywhere can connect with the game's story and characters, because ultimately, it's a story about the human heart." Horror is the crux of Saraab, but healing also plays a vital role in moving the story forward. As Elham comes to terms with her destiny and beliefs, she'll gain the ability to change reality based on the choices she makes along the way. Saraab's narrative is complemented by hand-drawn, anime-inspired art and an emotional soundtrack, and you can expect branching storylines, gameplay focused around Elham and her shadow, and a story about confronting the past to reclaim the future. If you're keen to try it out, the demo will be available starting October 19.

Madden, the David O. Russell-directed John Madden biopic starring Nic Cage, got its first full-length trailer today, and to be completely honest, I have no idea what to make of this movie. Based on the two minutes seen in the trailer, it could either be a subversive comedic delight or The Room 2, but with even more footballs and fewer tuxedos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzh7HzLXXpk The trailer, which shows some of John Madden's time as the head coach of the Raiders before shifting to broadcasting, gives us a very good look at the makeup and prosthetics that turned Nic Cage into the most famous NFL broadcaster of all time. Does he look like John Madden? No, but he does look like Nic Cage wearing John Madden's face as his own, so perhaps this is a secret sequel to Face/Off. Madden's name is borderline synonymous with football video games today, and we get a brief look at how the game-development process began. This includes John Mulaney as EA founder Trip Hawkins, and we see how Madden was not interested in the original prototype, as it didn't feature 11 players on a team. David O. Russell hasn't exactly been on a winning streak the last several years, with Amsterdam losing a whole bunch of money. Perhaps viewers' morbid curiosity to see Nic Cage hamming it up as John Madden will improve its performance, but it's getting a Prime Video release on November 18 rather than a theatrical one. How often Madden will mention Brett Favre remans unclear. Alongside Cage and Mulaney, the film stars Christian Bale, Shane Gillis, Kathryn Hahn, and Marshawn Lynch in an Urkel outfit.

Zelda fans have had no shortage of new games to play in recent years, but it appears that one game--starring the franchise's iconic villain--was also in the works at one point. Rather than having Nintendo internally develop the game, however, the project was in the works at Ubisoft. In a September 24 report, Insider Gaming says that Ubisoft Milan was working on a Zelda spin-off with the internal name "Goliath," which was set to star a new protagonist. During the early period of development, this was changed to have longtime big bad Ganondorf be the playable character. Outside of the Super Smash Bros. series, this would be a first and would presumably be quite different from other Zelda games. However, the report says that Nintendo "rejected the prototype" back in late 2023, and the team--including Davide Soliani, who directed the Mario + Rabbids games--opted to leave Ubisoft and form their own studio, Day 4 Night, which is currently developing Bradley the Badger. This occurred despite Ubisoft's attempts to pitch Nintendo on a different IP in its place, with both Star Fox and Mario mentioned, but it wasn't meant to be. It isn't the first time a Zelda spin-off has been canceled, apparently, with Retro Studios' Sheik-focused Project X reportedly getting canned during the Wii's lifespan. We won't have to wait too much longer to play the next game in the Zelda series, of course. The Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time is out on November 5, giving a whole new generation the chance to play what many consider to be the greatest game in the entire series, and possibly of all time.