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        <title><![CDATA[GAMES.GG News Feed]]></title>
        <description><![CDATA[Welcome to the GAMES.GG RSS feed! Get ready to explore the world of gaming like never before. Our feed brings you the latest updates, news, and insights on the best games to play, along with unbiased and honest game reviews. Dive into exclusive interviews with game studios and founders of your favorite games, and enjoy tons of entertaining content on both Twitch and YouTube. Plus, don't miss the GAM3 AWARDS, where we celebrate and recognize the best of the best in gaming. Stay informed, entertained, and ahead of the curve with our GAMES.GG RSS feed, your ultimate source for all things gaming!]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:40:10 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Blizzard and Netflix Team Up for an Animated Diablo Series]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Blizzard Entertainment has officially confirmed an animated Diablo series is in development at Netflix , with the announcement dropping during the opening ceremony of BlizzCon 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center today. Johanna Faries , Blizzard's president, made the reveal herself from the BlizzCon stage to audible cheers from the crowd. "We are thrilled to share that we are in development on a new animated series for Diablo with Netflix," Faries said. "As a big Diablo player myself, and as someone who loves the indulgent darkness of Sanctuary, I am very excited to see this project come to life." No footage, release window, or creative team was revealed. Faries acknowledged the lack of details directly: “I begged and pleaded to be able to share more, but I can't spill the beans just yet.” What we actually know about the series The confirmed details are slim. This is an animated series set in the world of Diablo, it is in development at Netflix, and Blizzard itself is involved in the creative direction. That is the full extent of what has been officially shared. Here's the thing: "in development" covers a lot of ground. It means the project exists, that conversations are happening, and that both companies have agreed to move forward together. It does not mean a showrunner is attached, animation studios are contracted, or that a premiere date is anywhere close to being set. Blizzard's official statement framed this as the start of something bigger: "After decades of bringing entire universes to life through our games, we're partnering with some creative powerhouses to tell even more stories beyond gaming across new screens. This is only the beginning, with even more taking shape across our universes." The franchise has 30 years of material to draw from The original Diablo launched in 1996, which makes this the franchise's 30th anniversary year. Three mainline games followed over the decades, with Diablo IV arriving in 2023 and breaking Blizzard's own internal sales records. The publisher reported the game passed $666 million in its first week, which is exactly the kind of number a Diablo marketing team would lead with. Diablo IV has continued to expand through multiple seasons and expansions since launch, with Season 14 bringing new content and keeping the player base active. The lore goes deep. Sanctuary, the world where humans are caught in an eternal war between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been expanded through novels, comics, and in-game storytelling across three decades. There is no shortage of source material to adapt. Plans for an animated Diablo series actually surfaced as far back as 2020, when Blizzard's then-president Nick van Dyk listed himself as executive producer on an "anime style" adaptation on his LinkedIn profile. Nothing official came of it at the time. Six years later, it is now a confirmed project with one of the biggest streaming platforms on the planet. Blizzard is building a media empire beyond games The Diablo announcement was not the only media expansion Faries teased at BlizzCon. She specifically called out the Overwatch and StarCraft communities as having "great discussions being had" about their own adaptations, stopping short of any formal announcements. This fits a pattern that has been building across the industry for years. Netflix alone already has animated adaptations of Devil May Cry, Tomb Raider, League of Legends, Cyberpunk 2077, and Sonic the Hedgehog. The streaming platform has clearly committed to video game IP as a content category, and Blizzard's catalog, with its built-in global fanbases across Diablo, Warcraft, Overwatch, and StarCraft, is exactly the kind of library Netflix wants to tap. This is also the first BlizzCon since Microsoft completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. The event is a statement of momentum for Blizzard as a studio operating under new ownership, and announcing a Netflix partnership on the opening stage sends a clear message about where the company sees its IP going. What most players miss is how much this mirrors the Castlevania playbook. That Netflix animated series, which started as a modest four-episode run, became one of the platform's most-discussed gaming adaptations and ran for four seasons. Diablo's darker tone and lore-rich world puts it in similar territory. What comes next Blizzard has committed to sharing more details "as soon as we can," which is not a timeline. The series is in development, not in production, so the gap between now and an actual release date could be measured in years. The more immediate question is what the other teased adaptations look like. An Overwatch animated series would have a very different tone and audience than Diablo. StarCraft's space opera setting opens up entirely different creative possibilities. Faries made clear this Netflix partnership is meant to be ongoing, not a one-off deal. For players already deep in Sanctuary, keep an eye on Diablo 4's seasonal content while the animated series takes shape. The game is not going anywhere, and Blizzard's investment in the franchise clearly runs well beyond any single release.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/blizzard-netflix-animated-diablo-series/</link>
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            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:46:49 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[WoW: The Last Titan Launches 2027, Ending the Worldsoul Saga]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[World of Warcraft players have been watching the Worldsoul Saga unfold since Blizzard Entertainment first announced the three-expansion arc back in 2023. The War Within launched in 2024. Midnight arrived in 2026. Now, at the BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, Blizzard put the final piece on the board: World of Warcraft: The Last Titan is coming in 2027. The announcement came alongside a short teaser titled "COLOSSAL," which tells you roughly what kind of scale Blizzard is swinging for with this one. Senior game director Iain Hazzikostas addressed the crowd and described The Last Titan as "the culmination of over two decades of World of Warcraft." That's a significant claim. Twenty-plus years of lore, character arcs, and faction history all feeding into a single expansion is either going to feel earned or absolutely overwhelming, depending on how Blizzard handles the landing. What "culmination" actually means here Here's the thing: Hazzikostas was careful not to promise a clean ending. While The Last Titan wraps up the Worldsoul Saga specifically, he also described it as "laying the groundwork for what comes next." So this isn't WoW's final chapter, it's more of a generational closing act, the kind of conclusion that resolves the big questions while opening new doors. That framing makes sense given how long the game has been running. Blizzard isn't going to torch 20 years of IP just to stick a bow on a trilogy. What players should realistically expect is a resolution to the Worldsoul storyline that started with The War Within and the Azeroth-as-a-titan thread, with enough setup to carry the MMO into whatever comes after 2027. important The Last Titan concludes the Worldsoul Saga but Hazzikostas confirmed it will also set up future WoW content, so this isn't a series finale. How the Worldsoul Saga fits together For anyone who needs the quick version: The War Within kicked off the trilogy in 2024 by taking players underground into Azeroth itself, establishing that the world is a dormant titan soul. Midnight, which launched earlier this year, continued that thread through a darker, high-stakes chapter. The Last Titan is where that arc pays off. Blizzard announced all three expansions simultaneously back in 2023, which was unusual. The move signaled that the studio had a genuinely planned narrative arc rather than the more reactive expansion-to-expansion storytelling that defined earlier WoW eras. Whether The Last Titan actually delivers on that promise is the question the community has been sitting with since the original reveal. Players currently working through Midnight's content have a solid year to prepare before The Last Titan drops. If you're still getting up to speed on the current expansion, the World of Warcraft Midnight beginner's guide covers everything from new zones and player housing to the Prey system and raid structure. What the community is actually feeling right now The reaction from WoW players has been predictably split. Veterans who have been with the game since vanilla are treating this as a genuine event, the kind of announcement you mark on a calendar. Newer players who joined during Dragonflight or The War Within are mostly curious about whether they'll have enough context to feel the weight of the payoff. The "over two decades" framing from Hazzikostas is doing a lot of work here. It's clearly designed to pull in lapsed players, the kind of people who raided in Burning Crusade and drifted away somewhere around Cataclysm. Blizzard knows exactly who it's talking to with that language. For players who want to spend the lead-up time collecting rare rewards before the expansion hits, the rarest WoW mounts guide is worth bookmarking now. Some of the hardest-to-get mounts become significantly more crowded to farm when a new expansion announcement drives returning players back to the game. Blizzard has not announced a specific release date beyond the 2027 window, so expect more details to surface over the coming months as Midnight's content cycle progresses.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/wow-last-titan-2027-worldsoul-saga/</link>
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            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:45:15 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[World of Warcraft Forever Officially Announced at BlizzCon 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Blizzard Entertainment officially pulled back the curtain on World of Warcraft Forever at BlizzCon 2026 today, September 12, putting a real name and a real release date on the project the community has been calling Classic Plus for years. World of Warcraft fans who have been waiting for a permanent vanilla experience finally have their answer, and it is arriving faster than anyone expected. What Blizzard actually built here WoW Forever is not a straight reissue of vanilla World of Warcraft . The clearest way to understand it: Blizzard is treating year one of the original game as a permanent foundation, a "time bubble," and then building outward from there without ever breaking the rules of that era. The level cap stays at 60, indefinitely. There is no expansion roadmap, no Burning Crusade waiting in the wings. The philosophy, as executive producer Holly Longdale described it at the opening ceremony, is that “there's no rush here: it's the journey that counts, not the destination.” That framing matters. WoW Classic launched in 2019 as a faithful recreation of vanilla, but it eventually moved forward through Classic versions of The Burning Crusade , Wrath of the Lich King , Cataclysm , and Mists of Pandaria . Forever is Blizzard's answer to players who kept asking for Classic to stop moving. The world itself is the main character here, not a heroic storyline pulling players toward the next patch. important While WoW Forever locks the timeline at year one of vanilla, Blizzard has confirmed the story may diverge from established lore going forward. This is not a museum piece. Everything new inside the time bubble Here is the thing: "time bubble" does not mean static. Blizzard is adding a significant amount of new content to Forever , all of it designed to feel consistent with the original game's era and philosophy. 3 new zones Multiple overhauled existing zones with updated visuals Over 1,000 new quests spread across the full level bracket, not just endgame 9 new dungeons 2 new raids at level 60, one for 10 players and one for 20 A new PvP Battleground called Darkspear Islands New professions and reputations Skyborne Elves , a brand new playable race with their own zone The new quests and content are not exclusively built for level-60 players, which is a smart move. One of the things that made early WoW feel alive was that the leveling world felt populated and purposeful. Blizzard appears to be trying to recreate that density. Launch timeline and what to expect next World of Warcraft Forever is already playable on the BlizzCon 2026 show floor. Beta access opens next week on September 17 . The full game launches on November 4 . For context, the current live game, World of Warcraft: Midnight , is also receiving a new update called Eclipse that Blizzard detailed separately at BlizzCon. So Blizzard is now running what amounts to three distinct versions of WoW simultaneously: the live expansion track, Classic era servers, and Forever . Players who want to get a head start before the beta can check out our World of Warcraft strategy guides for everything from zone breakdowns to leveling routes that will help you hit the ground running when Forever opens its doors on November 4.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/wow-classic-plus-world-of-warcraft/</link>
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            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:43:05 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Overwatch Doctrine Hero Revealed at BlizzCon 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The vampire Support hero the community has been requesting for years is finally real. Overwatch got its ninth hero officially unveiled at BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony today, and it's Doctrine , a vampire-inspired Support with a deep narrative connection to Doomfist . Better yet, you don't have to wait until launch to try him out. A limited hero trial runs from September 12 through September 14, right now. What the trailer actually tells us about Doctrine The reveal trailer, titled 'Breakout,' centers on Doomfist and his allies staging a prison break at Watchpoint: Grimsvotn to free Doctrine from captivity. The setup immediately signals that this isn't a hero dropped in with a thin backstory. Blizzard has been building toward this character, and his arrival lines up directly with the third act of Overwatch's current cinematic story arc. Doctrine is described as a high-skill-floor Support who can deal significant damage while simultaneously providing substantial healing. That combination puts him closer to a battle-medic archetype than a traditional backline healer. He's not designed to hang back and keep health bars topped up. The expectation is that he plays centrally in fights, which is going to make him either extremely rewarding or extremely punishing depending on how well you manage both halves of his kit. Full ability details haven't been released yet, but Blizzard's framing of him as demanding and dual-purpose suggests he'll have a higher learning curve than most recent Support additions. tip The Doctrine hero trial runs September 12-14 only. If you want hands-on time before Season 5 launches, this weekend is your window. A character years in the making The Overwatch community has wanted a vampire character for a long time. The game already leans into gothic and supernatural aesthetics with heroes like Moira and Reaper , and the Halloween Terror event has kept that energy alive every year. Doctrine is the most literal execution of that idea the game has ever produced. His timing also isn't accidental. Season 5 drops just ahead of Halloween, which makes a vampire Support feel less like a coincidence and more like Blizzard playing the calendar perfectly. Whether that was always the plan or a happy scheduling alignment, the result works. His connection to Doomfist is the more interesting story thread. Blizzard has explicitly said Doctrine will be "very central" to what comes next in the Overwatch narrative. Given that Doomfist has been one of the most story-active heroes across the current Reign of Talon arc, tying Doctrine directly to him signals that Season 5 is going to push the plot forward in a meaningful way. Where Doctrine fits in the current roster Overwatch launched Season 1 this year with five new heroes arriving simultaneously: Jet Pack Cat , Anran , Domina , Emre , and Mizuki . That was a deliberate reset moment for the game, establishing a new story direction and expanding the roster in one move. Doctrine is the first major addition since that wave. Here's the thing about adding a high-skill Support right now: the current meta has been shaped by those five Season 1 heroes, and the Support pool has been relatively stable since then. A damage-dealing healer with a steep learning curve could shift team compositions significantly, especially in competitive play where Support selection already carries a lot of weight. For players who have been following the Sierra abilities guide to understand how newer DPS heroes fit into the roster, Doctrine presents a different kind of challenge. He's a Support who needs to be played with DPS aggression, which means your team's positioning assumptions around him will need to adjust. What to expect heading into Season 5 Blizzard hasn't announced a specific Season 5 launch date beyond confirming Doctrine arrives with it. The hero trial window closing on September 14 suggests the season isn't far off, but no exact date has been confirmed at time of writing. What's clear is that Season 5 is shaping up to be a story-heavy season. The Doomfist cinematic arc has been building across multiple seasons, and dropping a hero who is described as central to that story's next chapter means the narrative content will likely be substantial.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/overwatch-doctrine-hero-blizzcon-2026/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:24:22 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Blizzard Reveals StarCraft Open-World Shooter at BlizzCon 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Blizzard just made it official. At BlizzCon 2026, the company revealed a brand-new StarCraft game, and it's nothing like what the franchise has ever done before. The new title is an open-world shooter , with a 2030 release window confirmed at the end of its cinematic announcement trailer. Dan Hay , the former Far Cry executive producer who joined Blizzard in 2022, is leading development. This is the first new entry in the StarCraft franchise since StarCraft: Remastered in 2017, and the first truly new game since StarCraft 2 launched back in 2010. Sixteen years is a long time to wait. What the trailer actually showed The reveal was entirely cinematic, no gameplay footage. The trailer follows a young man enlisting and training for ground combat against the backdrop of Dominion propaganda. The voiceover frames the fight as essential to humanity's survival, leaning hard into the militaristic tone the StarCraft universe is known for. By the end, the soldier you've been watching appears to have died in combat, and the screen cuts to a simple message: StarCraft returns in 2030. The closing lines of the trailer read like a recruitment call: important The trailer's final message reads: "THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE DOMINION ANSWERED THE CALL WHEN MANKIND NEEDED THEM MOST. CARRY THEIR STRENGTH FORWARD. NO MATTER THE COST. JOIN THE DOMINION." Tone-wise, it's grim. There's no heroic last stand, no triumphant score. Just war, sacrifice, and a universe that doesn't seem to care much about individual survival. For a franchise that built its identity around commanding armies from above, putting players at ground level is a significant shift. Three attempts to make a StarCraft shooter Here's the thing: this isn't Blizzard's first shot at a StarCraft shooter. It's actually the third. The first was StarCraft Ghost , announced way back in 2002. Ghost was a tactical-action console game where you played as a Ghost operative working for the Dominion. After years of delays and multiple studio handoffs, Blizzard canceled it in 2006. It became one of gaming's most notorious vaporware stories. The second attempt, codenamed Ares , was described internally as something like Battlefield set in the StarCraft universe. That project got canceled in 2019 when Blizzard redirected resources toward Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. So the new game is attempt number three. Reports of this specific project date back to 2024, when Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier mentioned Blizzard's third StarCraft shooter effort on a podcast, naming Dan Hay as the person driving it. A job posting for an "upcoming open-world shooter" surfaced shortly after, and fans connected the dots. Why BlizzCon 2026 was the right time The reveal wasn't a complete surprise. Blizzard had been teasing something on the official StarCraft website in the weeks before BlizzCon, with visual glitches and a message telling visitors their device had been "compromised." The community read it correctly. There was also an earlier wrinkle: reports emerged this month that NEXON might be in talks to acquire StarCraft IP development rights from Blizzard. That clearly didn't happen, or at least hasn't happened yet, given Blizzard just announced the game themselves. BlizzCon 2026 had other big moments too. Diablo V was announced with a 2029 release window, and Blizzard revealed a partnership with Netflix for an animated Diablo adaptation. But the StarCraft reveal was the one people had been speculating about for years. What a 2030 release window actually means Four years is a long runway. Blizzard is not shy about announcing games early, and the studio has a well-established pattern of holding projects until they're genuinely ready. That's not necessarily a bad thing given the Ghost and Ares history, but it does mean anyone hoping to play this soon is going to be waiting. The open-world format is the most interesting detail here. StarCraft's universe has always had rich lore at the ground level, from the marines who die in droves to the Ghost operatives pulling strings behind the scenes. An open-world shooter set in that universe has real potential, provided Blizzard can stick the landing this time. For players who want to get familiar with other shooter games in the meantime, or brush up on anything StarCraft-adjacent, the StrayShot page is worth a look for fans of the sci-fi shooter genre. Check out the StrayShot guides if you want a head start on that one while the wait for StarCraft begins.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/starcraft-open-world-shooter-blizzcon-2026/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:50:14 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[PUBG Update 43.1 Brings Kicks, Faster Swimming, and Jujutsu Kaisen]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Update 43.1 dropped on September 9, and Krafton packed it with more than the usual round of balance tweaks. Unarmed combat now has kicks, water movement got a significant speed boost, items can be tossed directly to teammates, and Jujutsu Kaisen has arrived on Erangel with themed spaces and a Satoru Gojo statue that shows up inside a JJK gift box. Kicks change how unarmed combat works For a game built around guns, PUBG has always had a surprisingly active fistfight scene in early drops and close-quarter scrambles. Update 43.1 adds two distinct kick actions to that mix, both available in all modes. The Standing Kick triggers with a right-click while unarmed (LT on console). The Jump Kick works the same way but while airborne. Both deal more damage than a punch and carry a stronger knockback effect, which means you can interrupt an opponent mid-animation or shove them back to create distance. Here's the thing: kicks aren't just for other players. The patch lets you destroy specific objects with them: Windows Wooden doors Wooden fences Jars Tires Indestructible doors can be opened quickly with a kick even if they won't break. Vending machines are also interactive now. Kick one and you get items faster than the standard interaction, though the machine takes damage and goes offline temporarily. The kick action can be rebound in Key Bindings, so you won't be stuck with the default if it conflicts with your setup. Water combat and item handling get real upgrades Swimming and diving speeds are up 25% from before Update 43.1. That's not a subtle change. Water zones have historically been death traps because the movement was so sluggish, and now sidearms and throwables can be used directly on the water's surface. The combination genuinely opens up new ways to approach river crossings and coastal engagements on Erangel and Miramar. Item handling saw a similar quality-of-life pass. Depending on the item type, players can now pick things up directly off the ground and carry them, or throw them to a teammate without touching the inventory screen first. Healing items, boost items, and certain deployable gear can also be used straight from the ground. Less menu time, faster reactions. tip The direct-use feature for healing items is particularly useful mid-fight. You can grab a first aid kit off a downed player and use it without ever opening your inventory. LMG balance gets another round of tuning Light machine guns have been adjusted again, this time based on data collected since Update 42.3. The first LMG meta rotation hit harder than Krafton expected, so this patch touches aim speed, recoil, effectiveness against vehicles, and world spawn rates. The adjustments are targeted rather than sweeping, with the goal of preserving what makes LMGs distinct while pulling back on the parts that were warping the meta. For a closer look at how PUBG has handled previous seasonal updates, the PUBG Update 40.2 breakdown covering the 9th Anniversary events gives good context on how Krafton tends to pace its content cycles. Jujutsu Kaisen lands on Erangel The Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration transforms parts of Erangel with themed visual elements and a dedicated JJK warehouse. A special gift box in the collaboration contains a Satoru Gojo statue along with a visual effect. Care packages and other map elements have been reskinned to match the JJK aesthetic, so players will run into the crossover content naturally during regular matches rather than needing to hunt for it. Anime crossovers in battle royale games live or die based on how naturally they integrate into the existing map, and putting the JJK content in Erangel specifically is a smart call. It's the most-played map, so the collaboration reaches the widest audience without requiring a dedicated mode. Everything else in 43.1 The patch is dense beyond the headliners. A full list of what else shipped: New Leaderboards added to the Career menu, covering seasonal wins, kills by weapon type, and Clan XP Solo Deathmatch returns in Arcade Rumble returns in Duo format on PC Boat durability and repair functionality adjusted Parachute activation conditions changed NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and AMD FSR 4.1 support added on PC Console hit detection adjustments for character models Additional custom preset slots added The DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4.1 support is worth calling out for PC players specifically. Both are meaningful uplifts for performance at higher resolutions, and PUBG benefits more than most games from the extra frame headroom given how CPU-bound large-scale matches can get. important The new leaderboard categories track stats from this season forward, so players won't see retroactive data populated from previous seasons. Update 43.1 is live now across all platforms. For more PUBG coverage including strategy and loadout tips, the full PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS guide collection has everything you need to stay current with the meta.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/pubg-update-43-1-kicks-swimming/</link>
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            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:43:04 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[FF7 Remake Studio Confirmed to Be Developing Kingdom Hearts 4]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Square Enix has a lot riding on 2027. Kingdom Hearts IV and Final Fantasy 7: Revelation are both scheduled to release that year, and now we know both games are being built by the same team. Naoki Hamaguchi , director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, has confirmed that his internal team at Creative Studio 1 is developing Kingdom Hearts IV in addition to wrapping up the FF7 trilogy. He made the announcement in a recent interview, laying out exactly how much his studio has on its plate heading into next year. One studio, two of Square Enix's biggest bets Hamaguchi was direct about it. His exact words: "Between Final Fantasy VII Revelation and Kingdom Hearts IV, those are massive titles that are going to push that. And both are being developed in my own studio, Creative Studio 1. So yeah, I'm really pumped up now for that. That's really all on my watch now, so I'm going to be the guy who's pushing all that forward." That is a significant amount of pressure on one studio. Final Fantasy 7: Revelation is the conclusion to a trilogy that started with the 2020 Remake and continued with Rebirth in 2024. Kingdom Hearts IV was first revealed back in 2022 and has been quietly building hype ever since, most recently with the addition of a Pixar Coco world. Both games are targeting 2027. Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu has publicly framed 2027 as the company's "big fight back," which puts enormous weight on Hamaguchi and Creative Studio 1 to deliver on two fronts at once. What this means for Kingdom Hearts IV specifically Here's the thing: Hamaguchi's involvement is actually a strong signal for Kingdom Hearts IV. The FF7 Remake trilogy set a high bar for action-RPG production values within Square Enix. Rebirth in particular was praised for its world design and combat depth. Bringing that same team to Kingdom Hearts IV suggests the game is being treated as a genuine flagship, not a side project handed off to a smaller group. The Kingdom Hearts series has always had a complicated development history. Multiple spin-offs across different platforms, long gaps between mainline entries, and a story that became notoriously hard to follow. Having a director who just shipped two major RPGs in relatively quick succession running point on Kingdom Hearts IV is a different kind of confidence signal than a vague "it's in development" update. important Both Kingdom Hearts IV and Final Fantasy 7: Revelation are currently targeting 2027. Given the scale of each project, release windows could shift, so keep an eye on official Square Enix announcements. The anime adaptation angle Hamaguchi also touched on the broader question of Square Enix properties moving into other media. Kingdom Hearts is already being adapted into an anime series for Disney+. When asked whether Final Fantasy 7 could get similar treatment, he said the company is actively exploring adaptation opportunities across all of its major IPs, including a potential live-action or animated version of the FF7 Remake story specifically. Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children, the animated film released in 2005, was the last major screen adaptation of that property. That was over 20 years ago. Whether anything concrete comes from those discussions is unclear, but the fact that Hamaguchi is openly talking about it suggests Square Enix is paying attention to how well the Kingdom Hearts anime lands. For players waiting on Kingdom Hearts IV, the Kingdom Hearts IV guides collection at GAMES.GG will be the place to track everything as more details drop closer to launch. And if you want to stay across the broader release calendar, the full gaming guides hub has you covered.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ff7-remake-studio-building-kingdom-hearts/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/ff7-remake-studio-building-kingdom-hearts/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:41:58 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Blizzard Officially Announces Diablo 5 at BlizzCon 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Blizzard dropped the announcement Diablo fans have been waiting years for: Diablo V is officially in development, revealed at BlizzCon 2026 on September 12. The next mainline entry in the Diablo IV franchise lineage is currently targeting a 2029 launch, making this a long road ahead, but the reveal itself was enough to send the community into a frenzy. diablo v Sanctuary has fallen, and it is bad Here's the thing: Blizzard did not just announce a new game. They announced an entirely different kind of Diablo story. Diablo V is set a full century after the events of Diablo 4, and the setup is as grim as the series has ever been. Mephisto returns following his defeat, and this time things go catastrophically wrong for the people of Sanctuary. Blizzard's own framing puts it plainly: this is the darkest point in Diablo history. Diablo has won. Sanctuary has fallen. Players will be dropped into a world that has already lost, and the premise appears to center on survival in the aftermath of total devastation. That is a meaningful shift from the typical "stop the Prime Evil before it's too late" structure the series has leaned on across its 30-year history. The reveal came as part of BlizzCon 2026's anniversary celebrations for the franchise, closing out a Diablo segment that also touched on the future of the series. Blizzard capped the segment with a cinematic teaser for Diablo V, though the trailer was deliberately light on specifics. No gameplay footage, no class reveals, no concrete details on what the survival-focused premise actually means mechanically. important Blizzard has confirmed a "What's Next" panel with additional franchise details, which will also be available to watch via broadcast for players who are not attending BlizzCon in person. What the 2029 window actually means A 2029 release window puts Diablo V roughly three years out from this announcement. That is a long development runway, but it also tracks with where Diablo IV currently sits in its live-service cycle. The game has had a steady stream of seasonal content, and the Lord of Hatred expansion earlier this year brought the Warlock class alongside major new systems. Blizzard clearly has no intention of abandoning Diablo IV before Diablo V is ready. The announcement also lands at an interesting moment for the RPG games genre more broadly. Action RPGs have had a competitive few years, and Blizzard signaling a next mainline entry this early suggests they want to plant a flag well ahead of launch. Almost no gameplay details, and that is fine for now What most players miss in a reveal like this is that a 2029 game showing up in late 2026 is almost always going to be a cinematic-only tease. Blizzard is not going to walk out gameplay for a title three years from launch. The cinematic existed to confirm the game is real, set the tone, and give fans something to talk about until the What's Next panel fills in more gaps. And the tone it sets is genuinely interesting. A post-apocalyptic Sanctuary where the demons have already won is a premise with a lot of room to go somewhere new. Whether Blizzard executes on that premise is a question for 2029. Right now, the confirmation alone is the story. For players still deep in Diablo IV's current seasonal content, the Diablo IV guides hub has everything you need to stay on top of what is live right now while the wait for Diablo V begins.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/blizzard-announces-diablo-5/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/blizzard-announces-diablo-5/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mostafeto]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:37:04 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Borderlands 4 Player Count Spikes With Loveless DLC and Free Weekend]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Gearbox isn't exactly known for subtle marketing, and Loveless is about as subtle as a Torgue shotgun. Borderlands 4 just recorded its highest Steam concurrent player count since the weeks immediately following its September 2025 launch, and the combination of a free weekend and a new DLC Vault Hunter who has already been called "gooner bait" by half the internet is why. From 2,400 to 20,000: what actually changed To understand how big this spike is, you need to know where the game was sitting before it happened. Borderlands 4 launched to a peak of 304,000 concurrent Steam users, which sounds impressive until you watch that number crater. By six or seven weeks post-launch, it had settled around 15,000. More recently, it was floating at roughly 2,400 peak concurrent players on any given day. This week, that number jumped past 20,000. That's the single largest one-day spike the game has seen since release, and it didn't happen by accident. Two things hit at the same time. Gearbox launched a free weekend on Steam, giving anyone on the fence a no-cost reason to jump in. Free weekends reliably move the needle for any game, but the timing here was deliberate. Loveless, the newest Vault Hunter added to the game, dropped alongside it. Who is Loveless and why is everyone talking about her Loveless the Hacker is described by Gearbox as a "superior lifeform," a cybernetically-enhanced fighter with a split psyche who leans into all-out aggression and agility. Her kit sounds like a solid pick for players who like fast, high-risk playstyles. Here's the thing, though. The conversation online isn't really about her abilities. It's about her cosmetics. The character costs $9.99 as a standalone purchase, but players who own the Super Deluxe Edition or the Vault Hunter Pack already have access. The Ornate Order Pack included with those tiers comes with an exclusive skin that has generated... let's say a significant amount of discussion on social media. Posts from players reacting to the outfit have been spreading rapidly, with one going viral with the caption "DEAR. MOTHER. OF. GOD." tip Loveless is available as a standalone purchase for $9.99, or included in the Super Deluxe Edition and the Vault Hunter Pack. The Ornate Order Pack skin is exclusive to those bundles. Gearbox clearly knows what it's doing. A revealing character skin paired with a free weekend is a textbook move for re-engaging a playerbase that had largely moved on. Whether you find it clever or cynical probably depends on how you feel about the broader trend of games using character designs as a retention tool. The bigger picture for a game that had a rough start Borderlands 4 launched to a relatively mixed reception. A peak of 304,000 Steam players sounds healthy, but the drop-off to 15,000 within two months told a different story. The game never quite found the sustained audience that Borderlands 2 built over years of content updates. A 20,000 peak isn't a comeback in any traditional sense. The free weekend inflates those numbers artificially, and a chunk of those players won't convert to paying customers. But it does signal that there's still an audience willing to return when Gearbox gives them a reason. The question is whether Loveless and the free weekend bring back players who stay. If you're one of the people jumping back in this weekend, the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter guide is worth checking before you commit to a build, since Loveless plays differently from the launch roster and her split-psyche mechanics take some getting used to. For anyone going deeper into the game's systems, the legendary enhancements guide covers the farming and build optimization side of things that becomes relevant once you're past the story. The free weekend ends soon, so if Loveless is the reason you're finally trying Borderlands 4, the clock is ticking.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/borderlands-4-loveless-player-count-spike/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/borderlands-4-loveless-player-count-spike/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:33:21 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Polyarc, Maker of Moss, Shuts Down After 12 Years]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Polyarc , the Seattle-based VR studio behind the Moss series, has announced it is closing its doors after nearly 12 years in operation. The news broke via a LinkedIn post from the studio on September 11, 2026, confirming that active development has ended and that the team is now disbanding. The studio's full statement reads: "After nearly 12 years riding the joyous rollercoaster of emotions that is making video games, our time together has come to an end. As we wind down active development, we are saying our farewells to each other. Working together over all of these years has been an honor. Bringing surprise and delight to those who played our games has been a privilege. Thank you to everyone at Polyarc, our work is now finished." What Polyarc built over 12 years Polyarc launched in 2016 with a clear focus: make great VR games. The studio delivered on that with the original Moss, a puzzle-platformer following a young mouse named Quill through a magical world that became one of the most praised VR titles of its era. A sequel, Moss: Book II, followed, along with the spin-off Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss. The studio also raised $9 million in 2020 with plans to expand into AR development alongside its VR work. That expansion never fully materialized into a shipping product beyond the Moss series. Earlier this year, Polyarc released Moss: The Forgotten Relic, a non-VR remastering of the first two Moss games for traditional platforms. It was the studio's attempt to bring Quill's story to a wider audience outside the VR space. As it turns out, it was also the final game the studio would ever ship. The layoffs that came first This closure did not come out of nowhere. Earlier in 2026, Polyarc laid off roughly two-thirds of its staff after failing to secure funding following the cancellation of a large, unnamed project. That left a skeleton crew still operating, and this week's announcement confirms what those layoffs already signaled. The LinkedIn post included a publicly shared spreadsheet listing the studio's remaining developers across all disciplines, with Polyarc urging other studios to consider hiring them. Around 30 people are believed to be affected. important If your studio is hiring, Polyarc has published a public spreadsheet of available developers covering a wide range of disciplines. It is worth checking if you have open roles. Another studio gone in a rough year for the industry Polyarc's closure is part of a broader pattern that has defined 2026 for the games industry. FuturLab , the studio behind PowerWash Simulator, also had to cut staff and cancel a project in development this year. Studio closures and mass layoffs have become a recurring headline, affecting teams of all sizes. Here's the thing: Polyarc was not a struggling unknown. The Moss games were genuinely well-regarded within the VR community and beyond. The fact that even a studio with a critically successful franchise and a recent multiplatform release could not survive funding challenges says a lot about how difficult the current environment is for mid-sized developers. The Moss games are still playable For fans of the series, the games themselves are not going anywhere. Moss, Moss: Book II, Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss, and Moss: The Forgotten Relic all remain available on Steam and other platforms. The studio closing does not pull the games from storefronts, so Quill's adventures are still accessible. What most players miss about the Moss series is how well it used VR not as a gimmick but as a core part of the storytelling. You played as an unseen giant watching over Quill, physically reaching into the world to help her solve puzzles. That relationship between player and character was genuinely original, and it is a shame the studio that created it will not get to build on it further. Where things stand now Polyarc's closure leaves a gap in the VR gaming space that will not be easy to fill. The studio was one of the few that consistently shipped polished, narrative-driven VR experiences rather than tech demos or ports. With the VR market still finding its footing on mainstream platforms, losing a studio with that track record stings. For the developers now looking for work, the public spreadsheet Polyarc shared is a direct line to a team with real shipped-game experience across VR, AR, and traditional platforms. Studios with open roles should take a look. If you want to stay across the gaming industry's bigger picture, our gaming guides cover everything from new releases to getting started in games worth your time, including Moonfrost , one of the more interesting titles to watch right now. If you are already playing, the Moonfrost beginner strategies guide is a good place to start.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/polyarc-moss-developer-studio-closure/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/polyarc-moss-developer-studio-closure/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:32:24 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Death Stranding 2 Has Reportedly Sold Over 2.5 Million Copies]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has now crossed 2.5 million copies sold across PlayStation 5 and PC. That figure comes from analyst estimates published this week, landing at a particularly charged moment: Sony had just announced it was stepping away from publishing Hideo Kojima 's next project, Physint, with Xbox swooping in to fill that role. Naturally, questions started flying about whether Death Stranding 2 underperformed badly enough to sour the relationship. The short answer is: it depends on what you consider success. Where the 2.5 million came from The split between platforms tells an interesting story. Of those 2.5 million copies, roughly 1.8 million were sold on PS5 and around 700,000 on PC via Steam . The game launched on PS5 in June 2025 as a console exclusive, with the PC port following in late March 2026, so the console-heavy split makes sense on paper. Here's the thing though: the momentum didn't hold. In the first two months alone, Death Stranding 2 moved approximately 1 million PS5 copies , with June 2025 pulling in around 722,000 sales on its own. By August 2025, that number had dropped to under 30,000. The front-loaded nature is sharp even by AAA standards, with roughly 65 percent of the PS5 revenue coming in those first two months. tip The estimated total revenue from both platforms sits at around $170 million. The PS5 version alone generated approximately $129 million of that figure. On Steam, the game sold around 550,000 copies in its first two months after the March 2026 PC launch, which accounts for about 80 percent of its total lifetime PC sales. Repeated price discounts on the platform haven't done much to push the needle further, which is a pattern that tends to emerge when a game's initial audience has already been captured. How it stacks up against the original For context, the original Death Stranding has sold around 5 million copies since its 2019 release, generating approximately $243 million in total revenue. The PS4 version made up 71 percent of those sales, with PC at 25 percent and Xbox accounting for the remaining 4 percent. That comparison sounds damaging at first glance, but it's worth remembering the original has had seven years of deep discounts and multiple platform releases to build that number. Death Stranding 2 is less than two years old and currently limited to PS5 and PC. No Xbox version has been announced. Title Total Sales Total Revenue Platforms Death Stranding ~5 million ~$243 million PS4, PC, Xbox Death Stranding 2: On the Beach ~2.5 million ~$170 million PS5, PC Together, the two games have generated an estimated $413 million in combined revenue for Kojima Productions and Sony. The Physint factor The timing of this sales data matters. Sony's decision to cancel its publishing deal for Physint, Kojima's genre-blending action-espionage follow-up, came as a surprise to Kojima himself, who said as much publicly in June. Rumors point to the project going well over budget and Sony being reluctant to sink hundreds of millions more into a game without guaranteed exclusivity, given the studio's history of eventually bringing titles to PC. Xbox has since stepped in to publish Physint, continuing a growing relationship with Kojima Productions that already includes the horror project OD. Whether Death Stranding 2's sales directly influenced Sony's exit is something nobody outside the boardroom can say for certain, but the timing lines up. important Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has no announced Xbox version. Its current availability is PS5 and PC only. What this means for players still in the game If you're still working through Death Stranding 2 or just picked it up during one of those PC discounts, the sales numbers don't change your experience. The game is fully supported, and Kojima Productions has already rolled out major post-launch updates including a new difficulty mode, replayable bosses, and additional cutscenes. For players looking to get more out of the game, our Death Stranding 2: On the Beach guides cover everything from resource farming to skill tree optimization. If you're chasing completion, the complete PC achievement guide walks through all 55 achievements including the ones that require serious logistics grinding. The game's audience may be smaller than Sony hoped, but the players who are in it tend to be deep in it.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/death-stranding-2-sells-25-million/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/death-stranding-2-sells-25-million/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:02:02 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Frontier Developments Reveals New Planet Game and Disney Title]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["The developer has a big release around the corner in Planet Zoo 2, slated for launch on October 13, but Frontier Developments also has plans for additional releases in the years ahead." Frontier Developments just dropped a multi-year roadmap in its latest earnings report, and there's more on the way than most fans were probably expecting. Three new titles are now confirmed across fiscal years 2028, 2029, and 2030, and while the details are slim, the shape of what's coming is starting to come into focus. What the roadmap actually says The first confirmed release is a new entry in the Planet franchise , targeting fiscal year 2028. Here's the thing: Frontier was explicit that this won't be another Planet Coaster or Planet Zoo title. It's a brand-new direction within the franchise, which makes it the most interesting unknown on the list right now. FY2029 brings a new Construction & Management Simulation title. Frontier hasn't named it, but the obvious candidates are Planet Coaster 3 or another Jurassic World Evolution game. Neither is confirmed, so treat any speculation as exactly that. The big one is the Disney collaboration , slated for FY2030 at the earliest. Frontier already announced this partnership earlier this year, and the roadmap confirms it's still on track, though it's the furthest out of the three. No gameplay details, no title, no platform specifics yet. Planet Zoo 2 comes first Before any of that lands, Planet Zoo 2 launches on October 13, 2026. That's the immediate priority for Frontier, and it makes sense that the studio is staggering its bigger reveals until after that release settles. Alongside the major launches, Frontier confirmed that existing titles will keep receiving both paid DLC and free updates, so current players won't be left waiting with nothing. tip Frontier's fiscal year runs April to March, so FY2028 means a release window between April 2027 and March 2028 at the latest. Reading between the lines on Disney The Disney tie-up is the one that has the most room to go in unexpected directions. Frontier's track record with licensed IP is solid, given what the studio built with Jurassic World Evolution, and a Disney collaboration opens up a genuinely enormous range of possible settings. Theme parks are the obvious guess given Frontier's history with Planet Coaster, but nothing is confirmed. What's clear is that Frontier is treating FY2030 as the outer boundary, not a firm date. That gives the team roughly four years of runway, which for a major licensed title isn't a lot, but it's workable. For players who want to stay across everything Frontier and the broader sim genre are doing, the Palworld 1.0 release date guide is a good example of how quickly the management sim space is moving right now. There's genuine competition for Frontier's audience, and that probably factors into why the studio is keeping its pipeline visible. Three games, three years, plenty of questions The roadmap gives fans a skeleton, not a schedule. Three titles confirmed, zero of them fully detailed, and the nearest one still two fiscal years out. Frontier is clearly signaling that the studio has capacity beyond Planet Zoo 2, which matters for investor confidence as much as fan anticipation. The new Planet franchise entry is the most intriguing piece. A fresh direction in a well-established brand could go anywhere, and Frontier hasn't given any hints beyond ruling out the two most obvious answers. For everything else releasing this year and beyond, check out the gaming guides hub for the latest coverage across the biggest titles.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/frontier-developments-reveals-new-planet-game-and-disney-title/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/frontier-developments-reveals-new-planet-game-and-disney-title/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:01:17 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Miami Beach Approves GTA 6 Marketing Negotiations With Rockstar]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The vote was close, the opposition was vocal, and the city nearly walked away from millions of dollars. Miami Beach has officially approved negotiations with Rockstar Games for a marketing campaign tied to Grand Theft Auto 6 , and the deal could bring up to $4 million in benefits to the city before the game even launches. A 4-3 vote and a lot of pushback The approval was not clean. Miami Beach commissioners voted 4-3 in favor of entering negotiations, with dissenting voices citing the game's depictions of gun violence, drugs, and criminal activity. The margin tells you everything about how contentious the discussion was. Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt made the case plainly: "This is coming to Miami Beach with or without us, and to pretend that it isn't is a missed opportunity." Her argument carried the vote. The city is now positioned to negotiate terms rather than watch the campaign roll out around them with no financial stake. The financial picture is straightforward. Rockstar Games is expected to pay $3 million, though the city intends to push for more during negotiations. Bhatt noted the final figure could land "closer to $4 million," and specifically pointed to the Flamingo football field renovation project as something that money could fund directly. How the campaign would actually look Here's the thing most people glossed over: the advertising would be deliberately low-key. The campaign would not plaster "Grand Theft Auto" across Miami Beach. Instead, branding would appear on beach chairs and umbrellas, referencing Vice City or the roman numerals VI rather than the full game title. That framing was almost certainly part of what got the vote across the line. Commissioners who were uncomfortable with the game's content could point to the discreet presentation as a reason to approve. Whether that distinction actually matters to residents is another question. If negotiations conclude successfully, the campaign runs from October 15 through the end of the year , which aligns neatly with the game's November 19 release date . tip A separate deal between Rockstar and Miami-Dade County is reportedly close to being finalized. That arrangement would place a GTA 6 sign on the roof of the Kaseya Center , suggesting the wider Miami region is becoming a major focus of the game's launch marketing push. Why Rockstar wants this specific location GTA 6 is set in the fictional state of Leonida , Rockstar's version of Florida, with Vice City serving as its Miami analog. The real-world geography makes Miami Beach an obvious marketing target. Placing the game's branding in the actual city that inspired its setting is a smart move, and Rockstar clearly planned for this kind of regional campaign well ahead of launch. The Miami Sheriff's office had already rejected a separate GTA 6 marketing proposal earlier this month, which makes the Miami Beach approval a meaningful win for Rockstar's regional strategy. Not every local government is on board, but enough are. With the November 19 launch approaching, the pre-launch marketing window is short. Check out the GTA 6 editions guide covering prices and pre-order bonuses to make sure you know what you're buying before the campaign noise kicks into full gear.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/miami-beach-gta-6-marketing-negotiations/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/miami-beach-gta-6-marketing-negotiations/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:00:29 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Amazon Prime Members Can Claim 11 Free Games This September]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Game prices have climbed steadily over the past few years, with new releases regularly hitting $70 or more. That makes September a genuinely good month for Amazon Prime subscribers, because the service is handing out 11 free games across three separate drop dates, and a couple of them are legitimately worth your time. The games come through Amazon Luna , Prime's cloud gaming service. Once you redeem a title, it's yours to keep permanently, no ongoing subscription required to hold onto it. The September lineup spans everything from a brutal first-person shooter to a cozy botany sim, so there's more range here than usual. The full September lineup, broken down by date Games aren't all available at once. Amazon staggers the releases across the month, so here's exactly what's live and what's coming: Available now: War Hospital (Epic Games Store) Just Die Already (Epic Games Store) Drop Duchy (Epic Games Store) DOOM + DOOM II (GOG) Botany Manor (Epic Games Store) Available September 17: DOOM Eternal (Microsoft Store) Rims Racing (Epic Games Store) Wall World 2 (Amazon Games App) Available September 24: Hue (Epic Games Store) The Da Vinci Cryptex (Legacy Games Code) High on Life (Epic Games Store) important Most of these titles are PC-only. The one exception is DOOM Eternal, which redeems through the Microsoft Store and qualifies for Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning you can play it on Xbox consoles too. Why DOOM Eternal and High on Life are the ones to grab Three DOOM games in a single month is a nice touch. DOOM + DOOM II drops first via GOG, giving you the classic id Software originals. But the real prize arrives September 17: DOOM Eternal , id Software's 2020 sequel to their acclaimed reboot. It's still one of the most mechanically demanding first-person shooters around, built around constant movement and resource management rather than cover-shooting. If you haven't played it, this is an easy yes. High on Life lands September 24 and it's a different vibe entirely. Co-directed by Justin Roiland , it's a comedy shooter where your weapons are sentient alien creatures who won't stop talking. The humor is very much in the Rick and Morty register, which you'll either love or find exhausting within the first hour. Either way, free is the right price to find out. The rest of the lineup is more niche. Botany Manor is a pleasant puzzle game about growing plants by recreating their ideal conditions, genuinely relaxing if that's your thing. Drop Duchy combines deckbuilding with a falling-block mechanic. Wall World 2 is a roguelite mining game. None of them are essential, but they're all worth a download if they match your taste. Luna's September additions go beyond the free games The free titles aren't the only thing Luna has going on this month. Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora are both joining Luna Standard starting today, which is a solid pair of open-world games for subscribers who want something bigger to dig into. Amazon is also rolling out Remote Play support through a new GameNight feature, letting you play multiplayer games with friends and family regardless of where they are. Four titles are launching with that support: King of Tokyo and It's Quiz Time: Guinness World Records are available now, with Bowling Mayhem and Cranium Planet coming soon. It's a casual-focused feature, but the infrastructure for shared play sessions without everyone needing the same hardware is genuinely useful. tip To claim any of these games, log into your Amazon Prime account and head to the Luna claims page. Each title redeems through its respective storefront, so you'll need accounts on GOG, Epic, or the Microsoft Store depending on which games you want. What this month tells us about Prime Gaming's direction Here's the thing: the quality gap between Prime Gaming months has always been wide. Some months you get a handful of games nobody asked for. September is one of the stronger lineups in recent memory, largely because DOOM Eternal alone would be worth talking about. Pairing it with High on Life and three total DOOM titles gives the month a clear identity rather than just a random assortment. The Xbox Play Anywhere angle on DOOM Eternal is also worth noting for console players who've felt left out of Prime Gaming's usual PC-heavy drops. It's not a full solution to the platform imbalance, but it's something. For players who want to keep track of other free reward opportunities across different games, our gaming guides section covers everything from Warframe's Voruna Prime Access rewards to Forza Horizon 6's loyalty reward cars and how to claim them . Free content is everywhere right now, and September is a good time to take stock of what you're leaving on the table.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/amazon-prime-free-games-september-2026/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:57:45 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Two Sonic Collections Coming to Nintendo Switch in October]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Sega is releasing two physical Sonic the Hedgehog collections for Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2026, each priced at $49.99. The Sonic Generations Collection sits alongside these bundles as a reference point for how Sega packages its back catalog, and these new compilations follow a similar philosophy: bring existing titles together under one physical release. The Classic Sonic Collection and Modern Sonic Collection were first announced during Sonic's 35th Anniversary Birthday Livestream on June 23, 2026, but the exact release date only surfaced recently through retailer pre-order listings. Six games, two boxes, one clear split The naming here is a little misleading, so it's worth spelling out. "Classic" and "Modern" don't refer to the era the games were made, but rather the visual style and gameplay approach of the titles included. The Classic Sonic Collection bundles three games: Sonic Origins (a remastered compilation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles) Sonic Mania Sonic Superstars Here's the thing about Sonic Origins being in this box: it's already a compilation inside a compilation. Origins alone covers four remastered Genesis-era titles plus a collection of Game Gear games, so the Classic collection is delivering considerably more content than three titles on paper suggests. The Modern Sonic Collection takes a different shape: Sonic Frontiers Sonic Colors: Ultimate Sonic Forces Three 3D adventures spanning roughly a decade of the series, no overlap, no padding. If you missed any of these on Switch the first time around, this is the tidiest way to catch up. important Both collections are physical-only releases. No digital storefront listing has been confirmed for either bundle, which is an unusual move for a publisher that typically pushes eShop versions hard. If you prefer digital, you'll need to buy each game individually. The Frontiers situation you need to know about Timing-wise, this week also saw Sega shadow-drop Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch 2. That is a separate product from the Frontiers copy bundled inside the Modern Collection, which is the original Switch version. If you own a Switch 2 and want the best available version of Frontiers, the Modern Collection is not it. The Definitive Edition carries updates and additional content that the standard Switch release does not. Worth double-checking at your retailer before committing $49.99 to the bundle. Both collections will be playable on Switch 2 through backward compatibility, but that's different from being the Switch 2 native version. What you actually get in the box Beyond the games themselves, each physical release includes a reversible celebratory coversheet and a commemorative patch with the 35th anniversary branding. That's the extent of the physical extras. These are straight repackages, not remasters or enhanced editions, so don't go in expecting new content, updated features, or bonus modes. The value math is straightforward. At $49.99 for three games (or effectively seven, counting what's inside Sonic Origins), the Classic collection makes sense if you own none of them. Same logic applies to the Modern set. The key here is whether you've already got these titles in your library. Double-dipping on Frontiers or Sonic Mania specifically doesn't add anything new. tip If you only want one collection, the Classic set has more raw content thanks to Sonic Origins being a multi-game compilation on its own. The Modern set is the cleaner pick if you specifically want the 3D Sonic experience. A 35th anniversary with more questions than answers For a franchise milestone, the rollout has been notably quiet on new game announcements. Sonic Team has not announced any major new title for the 35th anniversary. The closest thing to a new release tied to the celebration is Sonic PICO PARK, an 8-player co-op indie game set for November 2026. Two repackaged collections and a collaborative indie project is a modest way to mark 35 years. Pre-orders for both collections are live now at major US retailers. October 20 is the confirmed date across the board. For more on the series, check out our Sonic Generations Collection guides if you're planning to work through the back catalog alongside these new bundles, or browse our full gaming guides hub for tips across the broader library.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/sega-sonic-collections-nintendo-switch-october/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:56:43 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Stellar Blade Is Fully on Cartridge for Switch 2]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Stellar Blade is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5 , and Shift Up has confirmed the physical release will be 100% on cartridge with no downloads required. That means the full game, every piece of previously released DLC, and all the Complete Edition bonuses ship entirely on the card itself. No download required, no asterisk on the box Physical releases that force you to download half the game before you can play have become frustratingly common. Shift Up is taking a different approach here. The studio stated directly that it understands the importance of physical media, and backed that up by making sure nothing gets left off the card. For collectors and players with limited internet access, that is a bigger deal than it might sound. You buy the game, you put it in, you play it. No 20GB day-one patch eating your storage before you even reach the title screen. Everything that comes in the Complete Edition The Complete Edition bundles in a lot. Here's what's included alongside the base game: NieR:Automata collaboration DLC GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE collaboration DLC Stargazer Suit for Eve Stargazer Wear for Adam Stargazer Coat for Lily Half-Rim Glasses for Eve Quadruple Rectangle Earrings for Eve Stargazer Pack for the Drone 2,000 SP EXP 5,000 Gold A new Bayonetta collaboration was also revealed alongside the Switch 2 announcement, bringing four new outfits for Eve. That collaboration content was not listed as part of the base Complete Edition bonuses, so expect more details on how it's distributed closer to launch. important Pre-orders for the SteelBook limited edition are live now through participating retailers. Quantities are strictly limited, so if you want the physical collector's version, waiting is a risk. Pricing and the SteelBook option The Complete Edition is priced at $59.99 in both physical and digital formats. The limited SteelBook version features new key art on a metallic finish and is available to pre-order now through Panax and select retailers. Stellar Blade originally launched as a PlayStation console exclusive, so this Switch 2 release marks a significant expansion for the game's audience. Players who skipped it on PS5 now have a full-featured version to pick up, and the cartridge-complete approach removes any friction from the physical experience. What this means for Switch 2's physical library Switch 2 has been making noise about its physical game support, and a high-profile release like Stellar Blade shipping fully on cartridge adds real weight to that. It sets a standard that other publishers will be measured against. For anyone who wants to get up to speed on the game before November, the Stellar Blade guides at GAMES.GG cover everything from combat basics to boss strategies. If you're new to the game entirely and want a broader look at what to play this fall, the full gaming guides hub has you covered across platforms.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/stellar-blade-switch-2-complete-cartridge/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:53:46 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hasbro's Zelda Master Sword Sells Out in Under a Day]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Legend of Zelda fans cleared out Hasbro's 27-inch Electronic Master Sword pre-orders in less than a day. The item went live on Hasbro Pulse at 1:00 p.m. ET on September 9 and was already sold out before most people even heard about it. At $39.99, that kind of speed isn't shocking, but it's still a sharp reminder of how hungry the Zelda fanbase is for quality licensed merchandise. What the sword actually does This isn't a static display piece. The sword packs over 15 interactive electronic sounds, all tied to real in-game moments. Power it on and the iconic four-note discovery tune plays immediately. Pick up or set down the hilt and you get the classic equip and un-equip sounds. Swing it and it triggers swiping and impact sounds, and after 5 swings you unlock multi-attack sounds. The design is pulled directly from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , with a blue, green, and gold color scheme, a glossy wing sculpt, and the signature gold diamond shape on the hilt. Nintendo had direct involvement in the sculpt and decoration, so this isn't a generic fantasy sword with a Zelda sticker slapped on it. important The sword is currently sold out on Hasbro Pulse. Keep an eye on the product page for restocks, as Hasbro typically opens additional pre-order windows for high-demand items. Part of a bigger 40th anniversary push The sell-out sits inside a much larger celebration. Zelda's 40th anniversary is generating a wave of collectibles and releases, with this sword timed to ship around May 1, 2027, the day after the first live-action Legend of Zelda movie hits theaters. That's deliberate. Hasbro clearly wants fans walking out of cinemas already thinking about their next purchase. The anniversary lineup doesn't stop at the sword. A new Ocarina is also in the works, one that functions both as a playable instrument and a controller for the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , which is set to release on November 5. That crossover between physical merchandise and game functionality is a genuinely interesting direction for Nintendo's licensing strategy. Why it moved so fast Here's the thing: $39.99 is an accessible price point for a licensed electronic replica. Most comparable items from other franchises sit well above $60. That combination of a recognizable weapon, strong sound design, and a price that doesn't require a second thought is exactly why the pre-orders evaporated so quickly. The Tears of the Kingdom connection also helps. That game moved enormous numbers when it launched, and its version of the Master Sword is one of the most recognizable designs in the entire franchise. Hasbro picked the right entry point for a collector's item. If you missed the pre-order window, checking back on Hasbro Pulse is your best bet for a restock announcement. For more on the franchise itself, the The Legend of Zelda guide collection covers everything from the anniversary remake to the broader series. The gaming guides hub is also worth bookmarking as more anniversary content drops through the rest of the year.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/hasbro-zelda-master-sword-sells-out/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:52:15 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[WWE 2K27 Lets Fans Choose a Cover Star]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[WWE and 2K have officially opened the first-ever fan vote for a cover star in the series' history, giving Club WWE members the power to put one of eight superstars on a WWE 2K27 cover. Voting opened Friday, September 11, with the winner set to be revealed in early 2027. If you've been playing WWE 2k26 and wondering what comes next, this is your first real look at the hype machine spinning up for the next entry. Eight names, one cover slot The ballot is locked to eight superstars, all of them representing a younger wave of WWE talent rather than the established main-event names that typically anchor these covers. The full list: Bron Breakker Fatal Influence (the trio, presumably voting as a unit) Je'Von Evans Oba Femi Penta Sol Ruca Stephanie Vaquer Trick Williams That's a genuinely interesting mix. Penta brings crossover appeal from his time in AEW before jumping to WWE. Stephanie Vaquer has been one of the most talked-about women's signings in years. Bron Breakker and Oba Femi have been positioned as future cornerstones of the main roster. The fact that none of these names are being considered for the main cover slot, at least based on their inclusion here, tells you something about where WWE and 2K see the primary cover going. The Club WWE catch Here's the thing: you can't just log onto a website and cast a vote. The entire process runs exclusively through Club WWE , WWE's annual membership service priced at $99 a year (roughly $8.25 a month). Each registered member gets exactly one vote, cast through the Club WWE platform. important Club WWE membership is required to participate. Free registration or social media voting are not options for this cover vote. If you want a say, you need an active paid membership. The membership bundles early access to live event tickets, exclusive merchandise opportunities, and community perks alongside this vote. Whether $99 is worth it depends entirely on how much WWE content you consume outside of the games, but the cover vote is clearly being positioned as a marquee benefit to drive sign-ups. WWE 2K26 used four separate covers for its different editions, with CM Punk headlining the standard version and Triple H on the deluxe edition. Two additional covers leaned into nostalgia, spotlighting the Attitude Era and the Monday Night War. That multi-cover approach drew some criticism, particularly since the top-tier edition carried a $149.99 price tag. WWE 2K27 appears to be continuing the multi-edition model, and the fan-voted superstar will land on one of those variants. Which one remains unconfirmed. What this vote actually signals The eight candidates being drawn from NXT standouts and rising main roster talent rather than top-billed headliners is worth paying attention to. Prior WWE 2K covers have gone to names like Cody Rhodes , Roman Reigns , and CM Punk . None of the eight people on this ballot are at that tier yet. That's not a knock on any of them. It actually makes the vote more interesting. Whoever wins this gets a significant promotional push attached to a major annual sports game release, which is real exposure for a superstar still building their mainstream profile. For someone like Je'Von Evans or Sol Ruca , a cover appearance would be a genuine career milestone. The timing also confirms that WWE 2K27 is targeting an early 2027 release window, consistent with the series' annual cadence. No platforms, pricing, or further game details have been announced yet. How the current game fits in With WWE 2K27 still months away, WWE 2K26 continues to add content through its Ringside Pass seasons. If you're catching up on the current roster before the next game drops, the WWE 2K26 full roster guide covers every confirmed superstar and legend across the 400-plus character lineup, which is a good reference point for seeing where the eight cover candidates currently sit in the game. The fan vote result won't change anything about WWE 2K26, but it does set the tone for how 2K and WWE want to market the next entry. Putting the community in the driver's seat for even one cover slot is a different approach for the franchise, and it gives fans a reason to pay attention to WWE 2K27 news months before a release date is even confirmed. To vote, register or log in at WWE.com/ClubWWE before the voting window closes. Results land in early 2027 alongside what will presumably be the first wave of WWE 2K27 official announcements. For everything else you need on the current game, the WWE 2K26 guides collection has you covered in the meantime.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/wwe-2k27-cover-star-fan-vote/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:49:47 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[FairGames Break In Gameplay Revealed in New Playtests]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Haven Studios' long-in-development shooter Firesky has company in the PlayStation exclusive pipeline, but it's FairGames that's making noise this week. Fresh gameplay footage for the Haven Studios title has surfaced online, and closed playtests are now actively running under the codename Project Espresso through player.gg, a platform partnered with Geoff Keighley . The playtest listing described it as "exclusive access to a closed playtest of an unannounced competitive action shooter codenamed Project Espresso being developed by a AAA Studio." Project Espresso is FairGames. That much has been known for a while, but this marks the first time actual gameplay footage has made it out into the open. What the footage actually shows The roughly 2 minutes of gameplay that circulated confirms what earlier reports suggested: FairGames is an extraction-based shooter at its core. Players load into a map, collect loot, and exfil. The game appears to be shipping under the title Break In , a name PlayStation filed a trademark for earlier this year. Three distinct modes are described in the game's current build: Break In: Find a vault code, access the safe, collect cash, upgrade your skill set, and make your play. Drill: The vault is already breached. Either grab the cargo for your team or intercept the opposing team trying to do the same. Extract: Bring cargo to the Extraction Site using the Extraction device to call your exit. If extraction fails, find a secondary Getaway route. Here's the thing: the mode structure reads like a heist broken into chapters rather than three separate game types. Whether that translates into a compelling loop in practice is the question the playtest is presumably trying to answer. The 'finding the fun' problem important Haven Studios has reportedly been struggling to nail down the core fun factor in FairGames for some time, and early community reactions to the new footage have not been particularly warm. Comments online have already flagged the game for feeling familiar without offering much that separates it from the crowded extraction shooter space. That's a real concern for a PlayStation first-party title that has been in development long enough to accumulate multiple codenames and a potential rebrand. The extraction genre has gotten significantly more competitive since FairGames was first announced. Hunt: Showdown , The Finals , and a handful of others have already staked out territory in the space. Showing up late with a game that looks like a polished but familiar take on the formula is a tough sell, especially for a studio making its debut title. Closed playtest access and what comes next The playtests running through player.gg are closed, so access isn't open to everyone right now. The fact that they're happening at all suggests Haven Studios and PlayStation are in an active testing phase, gathering feedback before any wider reveal or release window announcement. No official launch date has been confirmed for FairGames or Break In. The trademark filing and the playtest activity both point to the game being further along than the silence around it might suggest, but there's still no public roadmap. For players keeping tabs on PlayStation exclusives and the broader extraction shooter space, the gaming guides hub at GAMES.GG is worth bookmarking as more details come in. And if you're into the kind of team-based tactical shooters that FairGames appears to be targeting, the Firesky guides cover another title in that competitive space worth watching.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/fairgames-gameplay-break-in-playtests/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:46:15 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nintendo Switch Customer Appreciation Sale Offers 30% Off Games]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["The Customer Appreciation Sale is our way of saying thank you to Nintendo players for their continued support and is made possible in part by tariff-related refunds." That's the official line from Nintendo of America , and it's a sentence worth reading twice. The company is running what it calls one of its largest promotions ever, and it's explicitly tying the whole thing to money the US government paid back after Trump-era tariffs were ruled illegal. What the sale actually covers The Customer Appreciation Sale kicks off September 12 at 9 PM PT and runs through September 26 at 8:59 PM PT. Here's the breakdown of what's discounted: 30% off dozens of Nintendo Switch digital games and bundles on the eShop Savings on select physical games at the Nintendo Store and participating retailers Discounts on downloadable content, accessories, amiibo , and apparel The sale spans multiple storefronts: the Nintendo eShop for digital purchases, the Nintendo Store online, and physical retail locations across the US. Products and specific offers will vary depending on where you shop, so it's worth checking each channel separately before assuming a deal carries over. tip Check both the Nintendo eShop and the Nintendo Store directly, since discount selections may differ between digital and physical storefronts. For US Switch owners looking to fill out their library, this is a reasonable window. The 30% discount is the standard rate Nintendo applies to its own titles during major sales events, so don't expect anything dramatically deeper than what you'd see around Black Friday. The tariff backstory that makes this unusual Here's the thing: Nintendo didn't just run a sale. They told you exactly why they're running it, and that context is worth understanding. The Trump administration's tariffs on imported goods, announced in 2025, hit Nintendo hard at a bad time. The company paused setting a US price for the Switch 2 when the tariffs dropped, though it eventually held that price steady for over a year. For the original Nintendo Switch , the situation was different: Nintendo raised the US price of the older hardware in August 2025, citing market conditions, while also increasing Canadian pricing around the same period. The tariffs were later ruled illegal, which forced a large-scale refund process. Nintendo absorbed most of the tariff-related costs during that period rather than passing them directly to consumers through itemized charges. Now that refunds have come through, the company says those funds helped make this promotion possible. It's a transparent explanation, and that transparency cuts both ways. Nintendo deserves credit for not quietly pocketing the refund money. At the same time, a 30% discount on first-party titles is a fairly standard Nintendo sale, not a dramatic gesture. The framing as a "thank you" sits awkwardly against a period when hardware prices actually went up for many US buyers. How this compares to Nintendo's usual sale rhythm Nintendo runs sales less frequently than most publishers. Deep discounts on first-party titles are rare outside of specific promotional windows, which makes any sale worth paying attention to. The comparison points are roughly: Sale Type Typical Discount Frequency Standard eShop sale 30% off select titles A few times per year Black Friday 30-40% off Annual Customer Appreciation Sale 30% off dozens of titles First time with this framing The scale here matters more than the percentage. "Dozens" of Switch digital games at once, plus physical, DLC, accessories, and apparel together represents a broader sweep than a typical rotating sale. Whether the specific game selection is worth it depends entirely on what's in your library gaps. Checking your wishlist against the full eShop discount list when it goes live on September 12 is the move. Other developers have used similar goodwill sales to build player loyalty during turbulent pricing periods. Games like War Thunder have seen Gaijin store pack sales timed around community appreciation events, and mobile titles like Umamusume have tied free guaranteed SSR rewards to milestone celebrations. Nintendo's approach here is more conventional but reaches a much wider audience. What US Switch owners should actually do The sale is US-only. Players in other regions won't see it, which makes sense given the tariff refunds are a US-specific situation. If you're in the US and own a Switch or Switch 2, the practical next step is simple: check the eShop when the sale goes live on September 12 and compare against your wishlist. Physical game discounts at participating retailers may require in-store visits or checking specific retailer pages, since those deals won't necessarily mirror what's on the eShop. The sale ends September 26, so there's a two-week window. No need to rush on day one unless specific titles are known to have limited stock physically. For more deals analysis and gaming guides across all platforms, keep an eye on the GAMES.GG guides section as the sale details fill in over the coming days.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/nintendo-customer-appreciation-sale/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:40:01 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Physical Edition Still Requires a Download]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you were planning to pop in the Final Fantasy 7 Revelation disc and play without an internet connection, here's what you need to know upfront: that's not happening. The physical edition of Revelation will still require a partial digital download to run, and director Naoki Hamaguchi has now explained exactly why Square Enix went that route. For fans of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth who were hoping the trilogy closer would fix the disc situation, this is the confirmation that it won't. Why the disc alone isn't enough Hamaguchi was direct about the reasoning. During an interview, he said the team initially considered using the same disc size as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but that option came with a cost: they would have had to compress or cut content to make it fit. The development team refused to accept that trade-off. His words: "We didn't want to make any compromises for the game. So realistically, the only choice that we had was to release this physical disc, but with certain sections of the game being a digital download format through the physical disc." The key here is that this wasn't a lazy call. Revelation is simply too large to fit on a standard disc at the quality Square Enix wanted to ship. The download fills the gap rather than replacing the disc entirely. important The physical disc still exists and still matters for pricing and retail availability. The download requirement covers specific sections of the game that couldn't fit without quality compromises. What Rebirth taught Square Enix about disc limits This decision makes more sense when you look at what came before it. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth shipped on two discs for PS5, which was already a signal that this trilogy doesn't compress easily. Revelation is the final chapter, and by all indications it's at least as large as Rebirth in scope. Hamaguchi acknowledged he personally values physical media, noting that he's glad Revelation is getting a disc release at all given the industry's shift toward digital-only distribution. That context matters. This isn't Square Enix dismissing physical media; it's them trying to preserve it while also refusing to ship a downgraded product. The honest question is whether that balance actually works for players. A disc that requires a download is better than no disc at all, since it keeps retail stores in the pricing equation and gives buyers more options. Second-hand sales are another story, and that depends entirely on whether Square Enix ties the download to a one-use code. The long-term preservation problem Here's the thing that nobody wants to think about but probably should: a disc that requires a server-side download has a shelf life tied to Square Enix's servers. The disc itself becomes incomplete the moment those servers go offline, which could be decades from now, but it's still a real consideration for anyone who cares about game preservation. This isn't unique to Revelation. Plenty of modern releases ship in this hybrid state. But it does mean the physical copy you put on your shelf isn't a complete, self-contained artifact the way a PS1 disc was. That's a genuine trade-off, and Hamaguchi's quality argument doesn't fully resolve it. For most players buying Revelation at launch, none of this will matter in practice. The download will work, the game will install, and the experience will be exactly what Square Enix intended. The concern is more philosophical than practical right now. If you're jumping into the trilogy fresh or want to sharpen up before Revelation drops, the FF7 Rebirth strategy guides cover everything from combat builds to card game mastery to help you hit the ground running.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ff7-revelation-physical-disc-download-required/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/ff7-revelation-physical-disc-download-required/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:37:36 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Avakin Life Hits 500 Million Downloads]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Lockwood Publishing’s Avakin Life has reached a major milestone, surpassing 500 million lifetime downloads since its launch in 2013. The achievement underscores the platform’s 12-year presence in the mobile gaming and social metaverse space, highlighting a steady, engaged player base. Unlike many mobile titles that experience sharp rises and declines, Avakin Life has maintained consistent growth, demonstrating its ability to retain a global audience over more than a decade. Long-Term Engagement in the Mobile Metaverse Avakin Life currently reports 1.6 million monthly active players , with daily engagement averaging around 220,000 users in 2025. These numbers reflect a strong, socially driven player base that remains active across multiple mobile devices. Players in Avakin Life use the platform for virtual interaction, self-expression, and community building, which distinguishes it from traditional mobile games focused primarily on progression or competition. The scale of social interaction is substantial. Players exchange millions of messages each month, form thousands of new friendships daily, and share virtual gifts at a high frequency. This consistent engagement highlights how Avakin Life functions as a social ecosystem, rather than a conventional game. Community and Player-First Approach Lockwood Publishing attributes much of the platform’s success to its community. CEO Halli Bjornsson noted that reaching 500 million downloads reflects not only the platform’s popularity but also the connections players have formed globally over the past 12 years. Avakin Life emphasizes player feedback, allowing its development team to refine features and ensure the virtual environment remains inclusive and safe for all users. The platform encourages digital self-expression through customizable avatars, virtual environments, and social spaces. This focus on creativity and interaction has been central to the game’s long-term retention strategy, maintaining player interest across multiple content updates and hardware generations. Evolution and Development Over a Decade Since 2013, Avakin Life has evolved from a social experiment into a mature mobile metaverse platform. Continuous updates have expanded the game’s features and in-game experiences, while partnerships and creative collaborations have helped keep content fresh. Lockwood Publishing has also emphasized moderation and safety, ensuring that the growing user base can interact in a positive environment. The milestone of 500 million downloads demonstrates the platform’s ability to adapt to changing trends in mobile gaming while retaining a focus on social interaction and player engagement. Looking forward, Lockwood Publishing aims to continue enhancing community features and providing a space for creative expression for the next generation of players. Make sure to check out our articles about top games to play in 2026: Top Anticipated Games of 2026 Best Nintendo Switch Games for 2026 Best First-Person Shooters for 2026 Best PlayStation Indie Games for 2026 Best Multiplayer Games for 2026 Most Anticipated Games of 2026 Top Game Releases for January 2026 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is Avakin Life? Avakin Life is a mobile social metaverse where players create customizable avatars, interact with other users, and participate in virtual communities. How many downloads has Avakin Life reached? As of 2026, Avakin Life has surpassed 500 million downloads worldwide. How many players are active on Avakin Life? The platform has around 1.6 million monthly active players, with approximately 220,000 daily users. What can players do in Avakin Life? Players can customize avatars, decorate virtual spaces, interact socially, exchange virtual gifts, and build friendships within the community. Is Avakin Life safe for all users? Lockwood Publishing emphasizes moderation and safety features to provide a secure environment for players of all ages. When was Avakin Life launched? The platform debuted in 2013 and has been continuously updated and expanded over the past 12 years. Why has Avakin Life remained popular? Its long-term popularity is attributed to consistent updates, a player-focused approach, social interaction features, and a safe environment for digital self-expression.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/avakin-life-hits-500-million-downloads/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/avakin-life-hits-500-million-downloads/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:37:09 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Subway Surfers Has No Active Codes in September 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Subway Surfers players searching for active promo codes in September 2026 are coming up empty. There are currently zero working codes in the game, and the in-game redemption option that used to sit inside the main menu has been removed entirely by developer SYBO Games . That's the short answer. Here's the longer one. The code system in Subway Surfers had a solid run. At its peak, SYBO was dropping promo codes tied to city-themed world tours, social media milestones, and seasonal events. Codes like BaliSummer handed out 10,000 coins and 10 keys in one shot. LNYLucky7 gave 7,000 coins and 7 keys for Lunar New Year. The HappyHolidays2020 code even unlocked the character Mimi outright, no grinding required. The list of expired codes runs to over 60 entries, which tells you just how active this system once was. What happened to the code system The redemption process shifted off-device at some point. Players can no longer tap through the in-game menu to enter a code. Instead, the only method is visiting the official SYBO redemption page at subwaysurfers.com/redeem on a mobile browser, entering a code in the text field, and tapping CLAIM REWARD to trigger the in-game delivery. important The redemption page only works on mobile. Entering a code on desktop will not transfer the reward to your account. That change alone probably cut down on how many players actually bothered hunting for codes, which may partly explain why SYBO has slowed the cadence of new releases. What most players miss is that the codes themselves never had long expiry windows, so even when active drops happened, missing the announcement by a few days often meant missing the reward entirely. Why a comeback is still plausible Subway Surfers is not a dead game. Far from it. The franchise recently launched a sequel, which means SYBO has active reasons to drive engagement back to the original title and cross-promote between both. Promo codes are one of the cheapest and most effective tools a mobile developer has for exactly that kind of push. The key here is timing. Past codes tended to appear around major milestones: anniversary events, world tour city launches, social media follower counts hitting round numbers. With a sequel now in the mix, any of those triggers could produce a new batch of codes with little warning. For players who want to stay ahead of drops across mobile and other games, our gaming guides hub tracks active codes across a wide range of titles. If you play Roblox titles alongside Subway Surfers, the Parkour Champions codes guide covers free super spins and coins that are worth grabbing while they last. The expired code archive is a useful reference Looking at the full list of expired codes gives a clear picture of what SYBO considers worth rewarding. Coins and keys were the standard payload, with most codes delivering somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 coins alongside a handful of keys. Mystery Boxes appeared occasionally. Full character unlocks were rare and tied to specific promotional moments. The most generous single drop on record appears to be Tonsofkeys , which handed out 100 keys in one go. That kind of reward is an outlier, but it shows SYBO is willing to be generous when the promotional context calls for it. For players who grind other mobile-adjacent titles, the same pattern applies elsewhere. The Unscathed codes guide is a good example of how quickly active codes appear and disappear, and why checking regularly beats waiting for a reminder. The best move right now is to follow SYBO Games directly on their social channels, since that's where past codes were announced first. When the next one drops, the window to claim it will be short.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/subway-surfers-codes-september-2026/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/subway-surfers-codes-september-2026/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:55:50 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Take-Two CFO Sold $282K in Stock, But GTA 6 Fans Can Relax]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[A Take-Two executive sells a chunk of company stock weeks before the biggest game launch in years. Sounds like a story, right? Here's the thing: it really isn't. On September 2, Take-Two CFO Lainie Goldstein sold 1,335 shares of company stock at $217.65 per share, bringing in a total of roughly $282,039. Given that Grand Theft Auto 6 is barreling toward its November 19 launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the timing naturally raised eyebrows. Why would a top executive offload shares right before what could be one of the highest-grossing entertainment releases ever? The answer is buried in a regulatory filing, and it's genuinely boring: this was an automatic sell-to-cover transaction. That means the shares were sold to cover tax withholding obligations, a completely routine process that happens at companies across every industry. There's no signal here about Goldstein's confidence in GTA 6, Take-Two's trajectory, or anything else worth reading into. What Goldstein actually still holds The context makes this even less dramatic. After selling those 1,335 shares, Goldstein still holds 282,039 shares of Take-Two. At current prices, that stake is worth north of $60 million. You don't keep $60 million tied up in a company's stock if you're quietly losing faith in it. Stock analysts at several major financial institutions are projecting Take-Two's share price to climb past $300, which would push the value of Goldstein's remaining holdings considerably higher. The sell-to-cover transaction didn't dent that position in any meaningful way. tip Sell-to-cover transactions are standard practice for executives receiving stock-based compensation. Shares are automatically sold to satisfy the tax bill that comes with vesting, not as a discretionary investment decision. Take-Two's stock has had a rough year Take-Two's share price is currently sitting around $211, which is down more than 16% so far this year and roughly 14% over the past 12 months. A big part of that drop traces back to January, when Google's announcement of new AI tools for game development spooked investors across the sector. Take-Two took a hit and hasn't fully climbed back since. That context matters. The stock is trading lower than it was before the AI news cycle hit, which means Goldstein actually sold at a price below where the stock was earlier in the year. Not exactly the behavior of someone cashing out at a peak before bad news lands. GTA 6 is big, but Take-Two is bigger than one game This is worth keeping in mind as GTA 6 hype builds: even for Take-Two, GTA isn't the whole picture. Outside of major release windows, GTA-related revenue accounts for less than 15% of the company's total income. Take-Two has a broad portfolio spanning sports titles, 2K Games releases, and other Rockstar properties. GTA 6 will absolutely move the needle when it launches, and the company's leadership has publicly stated confidence in exceeding expectations. But a CFO selling a small slice of stock to cover a tax bill isn't a data point in that conversation. If you're planning around the November launch, the GTA 6 pre-order guide has everything you need on platforms, dates, and how to lock in your copy before release day.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/take-two-cfo-stock-sale-gta/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/take-two-cfo-stock-sale-gta/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:52:32 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[AWOL Vision Aetherion Max Review 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[For home cinema enthusiasts, bigger is often better, but achieving a genuinely large screen at home usually means making compromises. Conventional televisions become increasingly expensive as screen sizes increase, while traditional projectors require considerable space between the device and the projection surface. The AWOL Vision Aetherion Max takes a different approach. This flagship 4K ultra-short-throw projector is designed to produce images from 80 to 200 inches while sitting close to the wall or projection screen. It combines a high-output RGB Pure Triple Laser light source with 4K UHD resolution, advanced image processing, extensive HDR support and a collection of gaming-focused features. With 3,300 ISO lumens, 110% Rec.2020 colour coverage, a 0.2:1 throw ratio and support for Dolby Vision Gaming, VRR, ALLM and 1-millisecond-class low latency, the Aetherion Max is positioned as more than a movie projector. It is intended to serve as the centre of a complete large-screen entertainment setup. Cinema-Scale Projection Without a Long-Throw Setup The defining feature of the Aetherion Max is its ultra-short-throw design. With a 0.2:1 throw ratio , the projector can produce a screen size of between 80 and 200 inches while remaining positioned close to the projection surface. That makes it considerably easier to integrate into a living room than a conventional long-throw projector, which typically needs to be mounted further away or positioned behind the seating area. AWOL Vision recommends the Aetherion Max for screen sizes between 150 and 200 inches, where its high brightness and large-format capabilities can be put to particularly good use. A 200-inch projected image is substantially larger than even today's biggest mainstream televisions. The result is a setup that can provide a more traditional cinema feel without requiring a dedicated projection room. The trade-off, as with any ultra-short-throw projector, is that the projection surface becomes particularly important. At these sizes, a suitable screen can help preserve image uniformity and maximise the capabilities of the projector. RGB Pure Triple Laser Delivers a Strong Colour Specification The Aetherion Max uses an RGB Pure Triple Laser light source rather than a conventional lamp or more basic LED projection system. AWOL Vision rates the projector at 3,300 ISO lumens , giving it the brightness required to produce a large image without the picture becoming overly compromised by ambient light. This is particularly useful for living-room environments where completely dark conditions are not always practical. Colour reproduction is another major focus. The projector is rated for 110% Rec.2020 colour coverage , putting it firmly into premium home cinema territory on paper. For movies, HDR games and streaming content, wide colour coverage can help the projector reproduce more of the colours contained within compatible content. The RGB laser architecture also gives the Aetherion Max a specification advantage over many more conventional projector designs. The 3,300-lumen output is especially relevant when the projector is used at the larger end of its supported range. Producing a convincing 150- or 200-inch image requires substantially more light than projecting a smaller picture, so the combination of brightness and triple-laser technology makes sense for the Aetherion Max's intended use. PixelLock Technology Targets Ultra-Short-Throw Image Precision Brightness and colour are only part of the equation for an ultra-short-throw projector. Maintaining sharpness across a very large image can be challenging, particularly around the edges. AWOL Vision addresses this with its PixelLock technology , which combines the projector's optical design and image processing to improve image precision across the projected frame. The Aetherion Max also introduces a new optical engine and sapphire glass lens with specialised coatings. These components are designed to help preserve fine detail while reducing issues such as edge softness and colour fringing. This is an important area for a projector designed to operate at up to 200 inches. A small amount of softness that might be difficult to notice on a smaller projected image can become much more obvious when the image is expanded across an entire wall or large screen. The Aetherion Max's approach therefore focuses not simply on creating a huge picture, but on maintaining the level of detail expected from a premium 4K projector. NoirScene System II Improves Dark-Scene Performance High brightness is useful for large-screen projection, but contrast and black-level performance remain important for movies and games. The Aetherion Max uses NoirScene System II , combining a seven-level IRIS mechanism with AWOL Vision's EBL black-level technology. The company rates the projector for up to 6,000:1 native contrast with IRIS and up to 60,000:1 viewing contrast . On paper, this should allow the projector to provide greater separation between bright and dark areas of the image. That can be particularly valuable in films with low-light scenes, as well as games where shadow detail and darker environments play an important role in atmosphere and visibility. It is worth noting that manufacturer contrast figures should not be treated as equivalent to independently measured real-world contrast. Projector performance can vary significantly depending on measurement methodology, room conditions and image settings. Nevertheless, the inclusion of a physical IRIS system and dedicated black-level processing demonstrates that AWOL Vision is addressing one of the traditional weaknesses of projection rather than focusing solely on brightness. Extensive HDR and Cinema Support The Aetherion Max supports a wide range of HDR standards, including Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision Gaming, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG . It also includes Dynamic Tone Mapping , which is designed to manage HDR content by balancing highlights and darker areas of the image. For compatible films and television content, Dolby Vision support is particularly useful. Rather than relying exclusively on a fixed HDR presentation, Dolby Vision can use dynamic metadata to help compatible displays adjust the presentation of content on a scene-by-scene basis. The projector also supports IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode . Filmmaker Mode is particularly welcome for users who want a presentation closer to the original creative intent of compatible content, avoiding some of the processing and motion effects that can make films look less cinematic. With the combination of Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dynamic Tone Mapping, IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode, the Aetherion Max is well equipped for a wide range of modern home cinema content. Aetherion Max Is Also Designed for Gaming The Aetherion Max is not limited to movies and television. AWOL Vision has equipped the projector with VRR and ALLM , alongside 1-millisecond-class low-latency gaming . Low latency is particularly important for competitive games where controller input needs to translate to on-screen action quickly. Large-screen gaming can otherwise be undermined by the additional processing latency associated with some projectors and televisions. VRR can also help synchronise the display's refresh behaviour with compatible gaming hardware, reducing tearing and helping provide smoother gameplay. The inclusion of Dolby Vision Gaming further reinforces the Aetherion Max's gaming credentials. Three HDMI 2.1 ports provide connectivity for modern consoles and gaming PCs, while DisplayPort gives PC users another option. This combination makes the Aetherion Max an interesting proposition for players who want a genuinely massive gaming display. Playing a console game on a 150- or 200-inch screen is a very different experience from using a conventional television, and the projector's gaming features are designed to ensure that the scale does not come at the expense of responsiveness. Google TV and Extensive Connectivity The Aetherion Max is powered by a Google TV-based smart platform , with a flagship 4K UHD MT9655 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. That gives the projector considerably more room for applications and local data than a basic projector interface. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 , while wired networking is handled through Gigabit Ethernet. The connectivity package is similarly comprehensive: Three HDMI 2.1 ports DisplayPort USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 AirPlay 2 Chromecast Miracast The projector can also integrate with Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa , making it easier to incorporate into an existing smart-home environment. For a premium home cinema system, this level of connectivity is useful because the projector can effectively act as the central display rather than simply functioning as an output device for an external media player. 3D Support and Anti-RBE Technology The Aetherion Max also supports 3D content , giving owners another way to make use of its large projected image. AWOL Vision has included its Anti-RBE technology , which is designed to reduce the visible rainbow effect that some viewers can experience with projection technologies. According to AWOL Vision, the system can reduce visible rainbow-effect distractions by up to 99.99%. The projector also incorporates TÜV-certified Harmful Light Reduction technology, which is intended to make viewing more comfortable. These features will not necessarily be equally important to every buyer, but they add to the Aetherion Max's broader focus on long viewing sessions. Practical Design for a Premium Home Cinema Despite its technical specifications, the Aetherion Max has been designed with relatively straightforward home installation in mind. The motorised dust-proof lens cover is a useful inclusion for a projector intended to remain in a living room or entertainment space. Protecting the optical system when the projector is not being used can help keep dust away from the lens. The Dark Gunmetal finish also gives the projector a more premium appearance than the utilitarian designs commonly associated with budget projection equipment. However, buyers should remember that an ultra-short-throw projector is still more demanding to install correctly than a television. The projector and screen need to be carefully aligned, and the quality and flatness of the projection surface can have a significant effect on the final image. For users considering a 150- or 200-inch installation, this is particularly important. A projector capable of producing a huge image deserves a suitable screen rather than simply being placed against any available wall. Verdict The AWOL Vision Aetherion Max is an ambitious flagship ultra-short-throw projector that combines cinema-scale projection with specifications designed to appeal to both movie enthusiasts and gamers. Its strongest feature is the overall package. The 3,300 ISO-lumen RGB Pure Triple Laser light source , 110% Rec.2020 colour coverage , 4K UHD resolution and PixelLock image technology establish a strong foundation for large-format home cinema. The NoirScene System II, seven-level IRIS and EBL technology then address contrast and black-level performance. Its gaming credentials are equally notable. HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Gaming and 1-millisecond-class low latency make it considerably more versatile than a projector designed purely for films. The Google TV platform, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, DisplayPort, three HDMI 2.1 ports and smart-home integration complete what is an unusually comprehensive feature set. There are, however, some important considerations. At an MSRP of $4,499 , the Aetherion Max sits firmly in the premium projector market. Its manufacturer-reported contrast figures should also be viewed in context rather than treated as a substitute for independent measurements. Buyers should additionally budget for an appropriate ultra-short-throw screen if they want to get the most from a 150- to 200-inch installation. At its current $4,099 promotional price in the US , the proposition becomes more attractive, representing a $400 reduction from MSRP. The UK price is listed at £3,199 . Ultimately, the Aetherion Max is aimed at users who want something beyond a conventional television. Its combination of huge screen sizes, RGB triple-laser projection, extensive HDR support and serious gaming features makes it a compelling choice for a premium home entertainment setup. For those with the space and budget to accommodate a flagship ultra-short-throw projector, the AWOL Vision Aetherion Max presents a strong all-in-one option for 4K home cinema, large-screen gaming and everyday entertainment . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. You can learn more here.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/awol-vision-aetherion-max-review-2026/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/awol-vision-aetherion-max-review-2026/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:48:04 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Arzopa Z1RC 16-inch QHD Portable Monitor Review 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Arzopa Z1RC is a 16-inch portable monitor designed for users who want more screen space without carrying a conventional desktop display. With a 2560×1600 WQXGA resolution, 16:10 IPS panel, USB-C connectivity, and Mini HDMI input, it offers a practical combination of image quality and portability. At around $109, the Z1RC also sits in an appealing part of the portable monitor market. It is considerably more affordable than many premium portable displays while offering a higher resolution than the basic 1080p panels found on many entry-level models. Although its 60Hz refresh rate makes it less suited to serious gaming, the Z1RC is a strong option for productivity, secondary-screen use, content consumption, and more casual gaming. Design and Build Quality The Arzopa Z1RC has a straightforward design that prioritises portability. Its 16-inch display uses a clean bezel-framed chassis with a matte screen finish, making it well suited to working in different environments where reflections can otherwise become distracting. The 16:10 aspect ratio is particularly useful for productivity. Compared with a conventional 16:9 portable monitor, the extra vertical space provides more room for documents, web pages, spreadsheets, timelines, and other applications. A built-in adjustable kickstand is positioned on the rear of the monitor. It allows the display to be positioned at different viewing angles without requiring a separate stand, which helps keep a portable workstation simple. The design is not trying to compete with premium desktop monitors in terms of materials or features, but that is understandable given the Z1RC's price. Instead, it provides the essentials in a relatively compact package. 2560×1600 QHD Display The Z1RC's biggest advantage is its 2560×1600 resolution. The WQXGA panel provides noticeably more workspace than a 1920×1080 portable monitor, while the 16-inch size gives the display enough physical space to make good use of that additional resolution. Text and interface elements benefit particularly from the increased pixel density. For office work, browsing, writing, programming, and editing, the sharper presentation makes the Z1RC feel closer to a desktop productivity display than many portable monitors. The IPS panel also provides the viewing characteristics expected from this type of display, making it suitable for sharing the screen or using it away from a perfectly straight viewing position. One particularly positive aspect of the display is its image accuracy. Despite the monitor being supplied without factory calibration, testing found the image to be surprisingly accurate. That makes the Z1RC more versatile than its price might initially suggest. The matte finish is another practical choice. It reduces reflections and helps maintain visibility in environments where lighting conditions are not completely controlled. Connectivity Arzopa has equipped the Z1RC with a useful selection of inputs for a portable display. There are two USB-C ports, with USB-C being the most convenient connection for compatible laptops and other devices. When the host device can provide both power and DisplayPort video over USB-C, the Z1RC can be operated with a single cable. That is one of the main advantages of USB-C portable monitors. It reduces cable clutter and makes it considerably faster to add a second display when working away from a desk. The second USB-C port can be used with a dedicated power adapter when the connected device cannot provide sufficient power. This gives users additional flexibility rather than forcing the monitor to depend entirely on the host device. There is also a Mini HDMI input. This is useful for devices that do not support USB-C video output, including many laptops and gaming consoles. The main drawback is the use of Mini HDMI rather than full-size HDMI. Users will need to make sure they have a suitable Mini HDMI cable or adapter when connecting certain devices. Fortunately, Arzopa includes an HDMI-to-Mini-HDMI cable in the box. Portable Monitor for Gaming The Z1RC can certainly be used as a gaming monitor, particularly with a laptop, handheld gaming device, or console that supports its inputs. The 2560×1600 resolution provides a sharp image, while the larger 16-inch display is considerably more comfortable than many small laptop screens. However, gaming is not the monitor's primary focus. The 60Hz maximum refresh rate is the clearest limitation for gamers. Competitive PC players and anyone accustomed to 120Hz, 144Hz, or higher refresh rates will find the Z1RC less responsive than a dedicated gaming monitor. That does not make it unsuitable for gaming. For single-player games, strategy titles, RPGs, indie games, and general console or laptop gaming, 60Hz remains perfectly usable. The higher resolution can also provide a more detailed image when the connected hardware is powerful enough to drive it. The monitor therefore makes more sense as a portable productivity display that can also handle gaming than as a dedicated portable esports monitor. Productivity and Multitasking This is where the Arzopa Z1RC makes the strongest case for itself. The 16:10 2560×1600 panel provides a useful amount of vertical workspace, making it well suited to documents, spreadsheets, web browsers, coding environments, and other applications where additional screen real estate is valuable. A laptop user can place email, reference material, communications, or a browser window on the Z1RC while keeping the primary application on the laptop's built-in display. For remote workers, students, developers, writers, and anyone who regularly works away from a permanent desk, this can make a significant difference to productivity. The portable form factor also means the monitor can be packed away when it is no longer needed. That flexibility is one of the main reasons to consider a portable monitor over purchasing a second traditional desktop display. Controls and OSD The Z1RC uses a simple physical control system. A dedicated button provides access to the on-screen display, where users can adjust settings such as brightness, contrast, input selection, and colour presets. The monitor also has dedicated controls for brightness and volume. The dedicated brightness and volume controls are particularly welcome. These are settings that users frequently need to change, and having them readily accessible avoids navigating through the full OSD every time. The single-button OSD approach is less convenient for more extensive configuration. Navigating multiple settings through a basic physical control requires more button presses than the joystick controls found on many desktop monitors. For a portable display at this price, however, the system is functional rather than problematic. What's in the Box? Arzopa includes the essential cables required to get the monitor running with a range of devices. The package includes: Arzopa Z1RC 16-inch portable monitor USB-C to USB-C cable USB-A to USB-C cable HDMI to Mini HDMI cable The USB-C to USB-C cable can carry display and/or power depending on the connected device, while the USB-A to USB-C cable provides an option for powering the monitor from older USB-A power adapters. Including the Mini HDMI cable is also useful because it means users do not immediately need to purchase another cable simply to connect a conventional HDMI source. Value for Money At around $109 at the time of testing, the Arzopa Z1RC offers a compelling balance between specifications and price. Portable monitors are available for less, but many cheaper models compromise with 1080p resolution or less useful aspect ratios. The Z1RC's 2560×1600 panel gives it a clear advantage for productivity, while USB-C and Mini HDMI connectivity make it flexible enough for different setups. The absence of factory calibration is worth keeping in mind for anyone purchasing a display specifically for professional colour-critical work. Similarly, the 60Hz refresh rate means gamers looking for a high-refresh portable gaming monitor should consider alternatives. For general productivity and entertainment, however, those limitations are relatively easy to accept at this price. Verdict The Arzopa Z1RC 16-inch QHD Portable Monitor is a well-balanced portable display that delivers considerably more than its affordable price might suggest. Its 2560×1600 resolution, 16:10 IPS panel, matte finish, adjustable kickstand, and versatile USB-C and Mini HDMI connectivity make it particularly well suited to productivity and mobile workstation setups. The surprisingly accurate image quality is another strength, especially considering that the display does not ship with factory calibration. Gaming is possible and the high resolution makes games look sharp, but the 60Hz refresh rate prevents the Z1RC from being a serious alternative to high-refresh gaming monitors. For users who primarily want a portable QHD monitor for work, multitasking, travel, content consumption, and occasional gaming , the Z1RC is an easy recommendation. At roughly $109, it provides an excellent combination of resolution, flexibility, and value without adding unnecessary complexity. Pros Sharp 2560×1600 WQXGA resolution Useful 16:10 aspect ratio for productivity Surprisingly accurate image quality Two USB-C ports Mini HDMI input Adjustable integrated kickstand Matte display finish Dedicated brightness and volume controls Includes the necessary connection cables Strong value at around $109 Cons 60Hz refresh rate limits its appeal for competitive gaming Mini HDMI requires a suitable cable or adapter OSD navigation is relatively basic No factory calibration for colour-critical workflows Rating: 4.5/5 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. You can learn more here.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/arzopa-z1rc-16-inch-qhd-portable-monitor-review-2026/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/arzopa-z1rc-16-inch-qhd-portable-monitor-review-2026/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:44:27 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Call of Duty MW4 Xbox-exclusive gun skin explained]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Activision just announced something genuinely weird for Modern Warfare 4: a pre-order gun skin that looks completely different depending on which platform you're playing on, and only Xbox players can see the special version. The skin in question is the Inner Circuit blueprint , an M4 variant bundled with Modern Warfare 4 pre-orders across all platforms. On PC, PlayStation, and Switch 2, it shows up as a standard grey weapon. Pre-order on Xbox, though, and the same blueprint transforms into a green translucent M4 styled after the original Xbox console's iconic plastic casing, complete with an Xbox logo and "Xbox 25" branding stamped on the magazine. The catch? If that Xbox player hops into a match with friends on PC or PlayStation, those players will just see a grey gun. The anniversary skin is invisible to anyone not on Xbox. Here's the thing: this is tied directly to the Xbox 25th anniversary, and it's clearly Microsoft and Activision working together to give Xbox hardware a moment in the spotlight. The franchise has a long history of platform-specific deals. For years, Sony had a lock on double XP weekends for PlayStation players, and Xbox used to get map packs early back in the Call of Duty 2 era. Platform exclusivity in CoD is nothing new. A cosmetic only half the lobby can appreciate What makes this particular move unusual isn't the exclusivity itself, it's the invisibility. Most platform-exclusive cosmetics work because the player wearing them gets to show off. The whole point of a flashy gun blueprint is that other players notice it in a killcam or during a match. With the Xbox 25th Anniversary Inner Circuit, that social loop is broken. A PC player watching a killcam replay will see a plain grey M4, with no idea the person who just downed them is rocking a limited anniversary skin. Activision addressed the functional side of this directly, confirming that "both versions use the same attachments and perform identically in-game." So there's no gameplay advantage here, just a visual one that roughly half the playerbase can't perceive. tip The Inner Circuit blueprint is available to anyone who pre-orders Modern Warfare 4 on any platform. The Xbox 25th Anniversary version of the skin is only visible to players on Xbox hardware. The logic behind a skin nobody else can see From a pure marketing standpoint, this is a clever way to make Xbox pre-orders feel more premium without locking out other platforms entirely. Everyone gets the blueprint. Xbox players just get a more interesting-looking one. The key here is that Microsoft has been pushing hard to remind players that Xbox hardware still matters, especially as Game Pass and cross-platform availability have blurred the lines between console and PC gaming. A 25th anniversary cosmetic tied to the original console's design language is exactly the kind of nostalgia play that resonates with long-time Xbox fans. The execution, though, is a bit odd. Platform-specific incentives have traditionally worked because they're visible to the whole lobby, creating a status signal. Remember when certain PlayStation-exclusive operator skins stood out in Modern Warfare lobbies? Everyone could see them. That visibility was the point. The Inner Circuit Xbox skin skips that entirely, making it a personal keepsake more than a flex. Whether Infinity Ward and Activision lean into more of these platform-differentiated cosmetics going forward will be worth watching as Modern Warfare 4 approaches its full launch. For now, you'll want to check out the Call of Duty 2 guides if you're brushing up on CoD history ahead of the new release, or browse the broader gaming guides for more franchise coverage as MW4 gets closer.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/call-of-duty-mw4-xbox-exclusive/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/call-of-duty-mw4-xbox-exclusive/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:37:44 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Nintendo veteran says Miyamoto's puppet obsession shaped Ocarina of Time remake]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["Mr. Miyamoto's love of puppet shows really comes through here." That's the take from Takaya Imamura , the artist who spent 32 years at Nintendo designing some of the most recognizable characters in gaming history. The man behind Star Fox's anthropomorphic crew and the haunting aesthetic of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has weighed in on the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake's divisive new look, and his read on it is more interesting than most of the discourse surrounding it. The puppet theater connection most fans missed Imamura posted his reaction to the remake's new Link model on social media, and rather than simply praising or criticizing the design, he connected it to something deeper in Shigeru Miyamoto's creative DNA. Specifically, Miyamoto's well-documented love of Japanese puppet theater, known as ningyogeki . Here's the thing: this isn't a random observation from someone on the outside. Imamura worked directly alongside Miyamoto for over three decades. He knows how the man thinks creatively, and his suggestion that the remake's character designs carry the spirit of marionettes carries real weight. The connection becomes hard to ignore once you see the side-by-side comparisons that have been circulating online. The new Link's proportions, the slightly exaggerated joint articulation in his limbs, and the way his face sits on his head all read differently once you frame them through the lens of marionette construction. Puppet figures are built to be expressive from a distance, with simplified but deliberate facial geometry. That description fits the remake's art treatment almost perfectly. From Star Fox puppets to Hyrule marionettes Miyamoto's puppetry influence isn't new information. The original Star Fox was famously marketed using physical puppets built to represent the game's characters, and Imamura was central to that project. Those designs had the rounded, slightly artificial quality of muppet-style figures. The new Ocarina of Time remake takes that same sensibility somewhere different. Where Star Fox puppets leaned cartoonish and soft, the remake's aesthetic feels closer to traditional Japanese marionette theater: more formal, slightly uncanny, with a crafted quality that sits at an intentional distance from realism. Nintendo itself confirmed the remake is not aiming for realistic graphics, which lines up exactly with what Imamura is describing. tip Miyamoto's interest in puppet theater has influenced Nintendo's visual direction across multiple franchises, most visibly in Star Fox and now in the Ocarina of Time remake's character designs. The backlash to the remake's look has been loud, particularly around Young Link's face. But Imamura's framing recontextualizes the criticism. This isn't a studio that missed the mark on realism. It's a deliberate artistic choice rooted in decades of creative philosophy from the man who built the Zelda franchise. What Imamura actually thinks of the remake Beyond the art direction analysis, Imamura is simply looking forward to playing it. He mentioned that his last time through the game was the 3DS version, and he praised the remake's color palette and lighting. "As expected!" he added, which reads as genuine enthusiasm rather than polite deflection. That detail matters. Imamura isn't just commenting as a design critic. He's a fan of this game who worked in the same creative environment where it was born, and his excitement about returning to it carries a different kind of credibility than most takes on the remake's visuals. The key here is that the art style debate around the Ocarina of Time remake has mostly been happening without this context. Fans comparing it to other modern Zelda games, or to realistic remakes from other studios, were measuring it against the wrong reference points entirely. Measured against Japanese puppet theater, the design language starts to make a lot more sense. For anyone wanting to revisit the original before the remake drops, the full strategy guides collection for Ocarina of Time covers everything from dungeon walkthroughs to collectible locations. And if you're building out your knowledge across other titles in the meantime, the broader gaming guides hub has you covered.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/miyamoto-puppet-shows-ocarina-time-remake/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/miyamoto-puppet-shows-ocarina-time-remake/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:35:55 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[FF7 Revelation's Parachuting System Drew Inspiration From Fortnite]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The director of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation has confirmed that the game's parachuting system was partly shaped by watching how players in Fortnite respond to dropping from the sky. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi made the comments in a recent interview, offering one of the clearest looks yet at how the third entry in Square Enix's remake trilogy is being designed. Where the parachuting idea came from Hamaguchi explained that the concept of the party parachuting down from the Highwind came up early in development. The Highwind, the iconic airship from the original Final Fantasy VII, is set to play a major role in Revelation, and the team needed a way to handle transitions from the airship to the open world below. The problem was practical. Bringing the Highwind down to land in a high-fidelity open world creates real geographical headaches. The terrain doesn't always cooperate, and forcing a landing sequence every time players want to touch down would get old fast. So the team looked at how other games handle the sky-to-ground transition. Hamaguchi pointed specifically to Fortnite , noting that modern players are already comfortable with the idea of characters freefalling and gliding to the ground. That familiarity, built up over years of battle royale gaming, made parachuting feel like a natural fit rather than something players would need to learn from scratch. A battle royale mechanic in a JRPG Here's the thing: it's actually a smart observation. Fortnite's Battle Bus drop system has been a core part of the game since 2017, and titles like Warzone , Apex Legends , and PUBG all use similar mechanics. Millions of players have spent years jumping out of flying vehicles and steering themselves toward a landing spot. That's a lot of accumulated muscle memory. Hamaguchi's read is that Square Enix can take advantage of that. Instead of building a mechanic players need to figure out, they're borrowing a visual language the audience already speaks. The parachute drop becomes a fun moment of agency rather than a confusing interruption. The release date for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set for April 8, 2027 , giving the team time to polish how the system actually feels in practice. Whether the parachuting translates well from a battle royale context into a story-driven RPG is something players will get to judge for themselves. tip Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is the third and final part of Square Enix's FF7 remake trilogy. The series began with Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020 and continued with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in 2024. What this means for how Revelation plays The Highwind has always been one of the most requested features in the remake series. In the original game, getting access to the airship opened up the world in a way nothing else did. Rebirth expanded the open world concept significantly across its regions, and Revelation appears to be taking that further by letting players approach the map from above. The parachuting system suggests the world map in Revelation will function differently from Rebirth's region-by-region structure. Dropping from the Highwind implies a more unified world that players can approach from any angle, which would be a significant shift in how the trilogy handles exploration. For players who want to get ahead on the combat side before Revelation arrives, the FF7 Rebirth best builds for every character guide is worth revisiting. Revelation will almost certainly build on the combat systems established in Rebirth, so understanding how each character's kit works now is useful prep. The full Final Fantasy VII Rebirth strategy guides collection covers everything from weapon abilities to synergy skills if you want to go deeper.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ff7-revelation-parachuting-inspired-fortnite/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/ff7-revelation-parachuting-inspired-fortnite/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:32:56 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Persona 6 Gets a Blink-and-Miss-It Switch 2 Nod at Nintendo Direct]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you blinked during the September Nintendo Direct, you missed the entire Persona 6 moment. No new trailer. No gameplay. No character reveals. Just the same dark, cryptic logo that Atlus first dropped earlier this summer, now displayed on a Switch 2 handheld screen for a few seconds before the show moved on. That was it. That was the announcement. What the Direct actually showed (and didn't) The Persona 6 segment landed near the tail end of the September 2026 Nintendo Direct, following a more substantial reveal for Persona 4 Revival , which got a proper gameplay trailer and a confirmed release date of May 20, 2027 on Switch 2. That date puts it several months behind the remake's launch on other platforms, but at least fans of that game have something concrete to hold onto. Persona 6 got none of that. The teaser recycled the same dark, fractured imagery from the original announcement, including a flash of broken text that appears to spell out "Who are you?" The only new element was seeing it framed on the Switch 2's handheld screen. Atlus confirmed the platform, and that was the full extent of the information shared. For a game this anticipated, the brevity was striking. Here's the thing: Sega and Atlus have always played their Persona reveals close to the chest. Persona 5 was first teased in 2013 with almost no content, followed by a cinematic teaser in 2014, and actual gameplay didn't surface until 2015. That two-year drip pattern suggests Persona 6 could still be a significant distance from launch, which would explain why Atlus isn't ready to show more. The Steam leak that changed the conversation The timing of the Direct reveal got more complicated because, on the exact same day, a major Steam database leak surfaced achievement data for Persona 6 , alongside other high-profile upcoming titles including Kingdom Hearts 4 and Fable . The achievements revealed story details that Atlus has deliberately kept under wraps, giving fans a look at narrative beats the studio clearly wasn't ready to share publicly. important The Steam achievement leak contains significant story spoilers for Persona 6. If you're going in clean, you'll want to avoid digging through that data. What's notable here is the contrast. Atlus said almost nothing at the Direct, then a third-party leak handed the internet a stack of story details within hours. The key question now is whether that forces Atlus and Sega to accelerate their marketing timeline. Sitting on a slow-burn reveal strategy becomes harder when the internet already has achievement names floating around. Where this leaves fans waiting on Persona 6 Right now, the confirmed platforms for Persona 6 are Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. That's a broad multiplatform launch, which is consistent with where the Persona series has moved since Persona 5 Royal expanded beyond PlayStation. No release window has been officially announced. The Persona 5 precedent is worth keeping in mind. That game's reveal-to-release span was long, and Atlus leaned hard into atmosphere and mystery before showing anything substantive. If Persona 6 follows a similar path, the current phase of cryptic logos and vague teasers might have months to run. Fans who want to stay unspoiled will need to be deliberate about avoiding the leaked achievement data. For players who want to fill the wait with something from a similar genre of atmospheric, story-driven adventure games , there's no shortage of options worth working through before Persona 6 eventually shows its hand. The next major opportunity for Atlus to say something more is likely a dedicated showcase or a future Direct. Until then, that green logo and a handful of leaked achievements are all there is to go on. Check back for updates as Atlus's marketing strategy either holds firm or shifts under the pressure of what's already out there.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/persona-6-switch-2-nintendo-direct/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/persona-6-switch-2-nintendo-direct/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:32:11 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Meccha Chameleon hits Nintendo Switch 2 today after 20M Steam sales]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Twenty million copies in about two months. That number alone tells you everything about how MECCHA CHAMELEON has taken the PC gaming world by surprise. The indie hide-and-seek game from developer Lemelion launched on Steam and almost immediately became one of the year's most talked-about releases. Now, as announced during today's Nintendo Direct, it's landing on Nintendo Switch 2 before the day is out. From Steam sensation to Nintendo's newest party game The trajectory here is hard to ignore. MECCHA CHAMELEON hit 10 million copies in just 16 days after launch, then crossed 15 million in under 30 days. The 20 million milestone followed a couple of months in. For context, that pace puts it in the same conversation as some of the most viral social co-op games ever released, games like Among Us and Lethal Company that spread through streaming communities faster than any marketing budget could manufacture. The Switch 2 announcement dropped without much warning during the September 9 Nintendo Direct, and the same-day release window makes it clear Lemelion and Nintendo wanted to keep the momentum going rather than let hype cool off with a long wait. What the game actually is If you missed it on Steam, here's the lowdown. MECCHA CHAMELEON is a competitive hide-and-seek game built around a painting mechanic. The hiding team physically paints their characters to match the colors and patterns of the environment, then poses to mimic walls, furniture, or decorations. The seeking team, called the "It" team, hunts for anything that looks even slightly off. The win condition keeps matches tense: the It team wins by finding every hider before time expires, but if even one hider survives the round, the hiding team claims victory. That single-survivor rule creates some genuinely memorable moments, where a player with a mediocre paint job somehow survives on sheer confidence alone. The creative element is what separated it from the prop-hunt games that came before it. Rather than simply picking a pre-set disguise, players actively paint their characters, which means skill, creativity, and a little chaos all factor into every match. tip MECCHA CHAMELEON is currently priced at around $6.70 on Steam. Switch 2 pricing has not been confirmed yet, but expect it to land in a similar budget-friendly range. The malware incident and what it means for Switch 2 The Steam run was not entirely smooth. User-created maps distributed through Steam Workshop were found to contain malware, and the game's official Discord server was compromised around the same time. Lemelion addressed the issue relatively quickly, but it was a rough patch for a game that had otherwise been riding an almost entirely positive wave. The Switch 2 version sidesteps the Steam Workshop ecosystem entirely, which should keep that particular problem off the table for console players. Nintendo's more controlled platform environment means the kind of third-party map distribution that caused the issue on PC simply does not apply here. Why this Switch 2 port makes sense right now MECCHA CHAMELEON fits the Switch 2's social gaming identity almost perfectly. It is a party game at heart, built for groups, loud reactions, and the kind of moments that get clipped and shared. The low price point also mirrors the strategy that made Among Us and REPO accessible enough to spread organically. The key here is timing. Viral social games have a shelf life, and Lemelion is clearly aware of that. Expanding to Switch 2 while the Steam community is still active keeps the player base from fragmenting and gives the game a second wave of attention at a point where the initial buzz could otherwise start fading. If you are new to the game and want to hit the ground running, the MECCHA CHAMELEON beginner's guide covers the paint system, pose tricks, and Seeker strategies before your first match. For players who want to go deeper on the hiding side, the full MECCHA CHAMELEON strategy guides collection has you covered on everything from map-specific hiding spots to advanced camouflage techniques.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/meccha-chameleon-nintendo-switch-2-launch/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/meccha-chameleon-nintendo-switch-2-launch/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:29:20 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[PlayStation tried to cancel Physint, now Xbox is publishing it]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["In mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the Physint project," Hideo Kojima wrote on X. "Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner." Here's the lowdown: one of the most anticipated stealth action games in years just changed hands in the most dramatic way possible. Physint , IIN , Kojima Productions' return to the tactical espionage action genre he defined with Metal Gear Solid, was a PlayStation exclusive from its 2024 reveal right up until Sony tried to kill it entirely. How a PlayStation exclusive became an Xbox title The timeline here is pretty remarkable. PlayStation Studios sent Kojima Productions a cancellation notice in mid-June. Rather than accept it, Kojima spent the following three months in active negotiations with potential partners across multiple industries. The outcome: a new publishing deal with Xbox , the very platform that already houses his other in-development project, OD. Kojima's full statement makes clear this wasn't a quiet business pivot. He described Physint as "an important project both to me personally and to Kojima Productions" and confirmed that development is ongoing under the new arrangement. The key here is that Kojima Productions retained enough independence to shop the project rather than watch it disappear into a corporate filing cabinet. Xbox boss Asha Sharma confirmed the deal with characteristic brevity: "Physint and OD! Proud to build both with Hideo Kojima in Japan. A big moment for Xbox." A separate Xbox press release noted the relationship will extend beyond games, with film and TV collaborations also in the pipeline. That tracks with what Kojima has said about Physint itself: despite being marketed as a "tactical espionage action game," he has described the project as "both a game and a movie at the same time." Sony's response and the Decima question PlayStation's official statement landed the same day and tried to frame the split as mutual and amicable. "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on its project Physint," the PlayStation X account posted, adding that the "relationship remains strong after three decades of industry-leading, genre-defining creative cooperation." What most players miss in that statement is what it doesn't address: Sony sent a cancellation notice first. Kojima had to go find another publisher. That's not a mutual decision, whatever the PR framing suggests. There's also a technical wrinkle worth watching. Physint was reportedly being built using the Decima Engine , the same technology behind Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn. Decima is owned by Guerrilla Games , a Sony first-party studio. Whether that engine relationship survives the publisher switch is unclear, and Kojima Productions hasn't addressed it publicly yet. What this means for the game itself Physint doesn't have a release date. As of last year, Kojima suggested the project was still several years out, with a window of up to six years from that point. The three-month gap while Kojima sought a new partner presumably didn't help that timeline, though Kojima's statement insists development has continued moving forward. The game's positioning as both a stealth action title and a cinematic experience puts it in genuinely unusual territory. Kojima has been consistent about this dual identity, and Xbox appears to have signed on with full awareness of what that means. The deal also puts two major Kojima Productions projects under the Xbox umbrella simultaneously, alongside OD, the horror collaboration that has already survived its own internal Microsoft turbulence. important The Decima Engine situation remains unresolved. If Physint needs to switch engines mid-development, that's a significant technical undertaking that could affect the timeline considerably. For anyone tracking the broader console war dynamics, this is a genuinely surprising reversal. PlayStation had Kojima's stealth game locked up as an exclusive, then walked away from it. Xbox picked it up. The console war factions do know how to keep things interesting. Keep an eye on any updates from Kojima Productions regarding the engine situation and development timeline. For more gaming coverage and gaming guides across the biggest titles, GAMES.GG has you covered as this story develops.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/playstation-cancelled-physint-xbox-publishing/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/playstation-cancelled-physint-xbox-publishing/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:04:30 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[NBA The Run's Wave One Brings Five 2000s Legends on September 29]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[September 29 is shaping up to be a big day for street basketball fans. Play By Play Studios has confirmed the full roster of legends arriving in NBA THE RUN as part of the Wave One update, and the five names on that list are about as good as it gets for anyone who grew up watching the Association in the early 2000s. The five players headlining Wave One Allen Iverson (76ers), Vince Carter (Raptors), Kevin Garnett (Timberwolves), Tracy McGrady (Magic), and Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks) are all confirmed for the September 29 drop. That is a genuinely impressive first wave. Iverson and McGrady were two of the most electrifying scorers of that era, Vince Carter was doing things above the rim that people still argue about, KG brought an intensity to every possession that translated perfectly to street ball, and Dirk's footwork was unlike anything the game had seen. Here's the thing about this lineup: Play By Play Studios could have gone safe with recognizable names that don't carry much weight with actual basketball fans. They didn't. Every player on this list was either an MVP, a Finals champion, or a player who defined how the position was played during that era. How to unlock them and what it costs Each legend can be unlocked for 5,000 CRED , which is the in-game currency you earn through regular play. All five can also be purchased together for $9.99 if you'd rather skip the grind. That's a reasonable ask for five players of this caliber, and the earn-through-play option means free-to-play players aren't completely locked out. tip The 5,000 CRED cost applies per player individually. Buying all five through the $9.99 bundle is the faster route if you want the full Wave One roster on day one. If you want to know how each legend fits into the game's existing roster before the update lands, the NBA The Run Street Legends guide breaks down Zone Abilities, strengths, and how each character plays. What else is dropping with Wave One The legends are only part of the story. Wave One is described as the biggest update NBA The Run has received since its June launch, and the patch notes aren't even out yet. What's already confirmed includes a new New York City court, Drive Cam and Drive Cam flip camera options, a practice mode, new dunk animations, new ball control moves, driving layups, and new rulesets. Practice mode alone is something players have been waiting on. Getting reps in before taking things online is basic functionality, and its arrival alongside a roster expansion makes sense timing-wise. The new NYC court adds to the existing street court variety, and the camera options give players more control over how the game feels moment to moment. Full patch notes will be published before September 29. A single-player campaign mode is also confirmed as a future addition, though no release window has been given for that yet. NBA The Run is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you're still getting up to speed on the game's systems before Wave One arrives, the NBA The Run guides collection covers everything from character unlocks to Zone Abilities.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/nba-the-run-2000s-legends-dlc/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/nba-the-run-2000s-legends-dlc/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:03:45 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia's PIF Eyes EA and Savvy Games Merger]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The $55 billion deal to take Electronic Arts private only closed about five weeks ago, and already Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is thinking bigger. PIF executives are reportedly weighing a full merger between EA and Savvy Games Group , the fund's gaming investment and publishing arm, in a move that would consolidate some of the most recognizable titles in gaming under one corporate roof. Madden NFL, EA FC, and Pokemon Go all sitting inside the same entity as Savvy's portfolio. That is the scale of what is being discussed. What the PIF actually wants here The logic behind combining EA and Savvy is straightforward: the PIF currently holds two major gaming assets operating independently, and there is an obvious argument for running them as one. The reported goal is to give Saudi Arabia a single vehicle for making acquisitions, developing games, and building out intellectual property across the industry. Right now, Savvy and EA exist as separate operations under the same ultimate owner. A merger would change that, though the exact structure, whether EA absorbs Savvy, Savvy absorbs EA, or something new gets built around both, has not been decided. No final decisions have been made at this point. The Moonton deal has to close first There is a hard prerequisite before any merger talks can move forward. Savvy is currently in the process of completing a $6 billion acquisition of Moonton , the Chinese mobile gaming company behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. That deal needs to land before PIF executives will seriously move on combining EA and Savvy. Moonton brings significant mobile gaming scale into the picture. If you are building what amounts to a global gaming conglomerate, having one of the most-played mobile MOBAs in Southeast Asia in the portfolio changes the math on what a combined entity could actually look like. important Both EA and the PIF declined to comment on the reported merger discussions, so everything at this stage is unconfirmed and subject to change. The debt question hanging over EA Here's the thing that matters most to players right now. The $55 billion buyout that took EA private came loaded with roughly $20 billion in added debt. People familiar with the situation have raised concerns that large-scale layoffs and potential studio closures could follow as the new ownership group looks to service that debt load. A merger with Savvy does not automatically make that debt problem disappear. What it potentially does is create a larger, more coordinated operation with more IP to monetize, more development pipelines to consolidate, and more leverage in platform negotiations. Whether that helps EA's studios or puts more pressure on them depends entirely on how the combined entity chooses to operate. For players invested in EA's sports titles, that uncertainty is real. If you are currently playing EA FC 26 and want to stay ahead of what matters in the game itself, the EA FC 26 deeper simulation guide breaks down Career Mode changes that are worth knowing regardless of what happens at the corporate level. Regulatory hurdles are real Any merger of this scale would require regulatory approval across multiple jurisdictions. EA operates globally, with major markets in North America, Europe, and Asia. Combining it with a Saudi state-backed entity that is simultaneously acquiring Chinese mobile gaming assets is exactly the kind of deal that attracts antitrust scrutiny. The PIF's broader gaming strategy has already drawn attention from regulators in various markets, and a full EA-Savvy combination would be a significantly larger and more complex transaction than anything the fund has attempted before. What this means for EA's games going forward For the players, the near-term picture is unchanged. EA FC 27 is still on track, Madden is still releasing on its usual cycle, and nothing about a potential merger would affect games already in development. The longer-term question is whether a combined entity prioritizes the kind of game development EA has historically done or shifts resources toward the higher-margin mobile and live-service space that Moonton represents. If you are planning your EA FC 27 purchase and trying to figure out which edition makes sense, the EA FC 27 Ultimate Edition vs Ultimate Plus breakdown is worth a read before you commit. And for players already deep in FC 26, the meta formations and custom tactics guide covers what is actually working in the current meta, corporate drama aside. The PIF's ambitions in gaming have been clear for years. This would be the move that turns those ambitions into something genuinely difficult for the rest of the industry to compete with.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/saudi-pif-ea-savvy-games-merger/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/saudi-pif-ea-savvy-games-merger/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:02:38 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Lil Wayne Fortnite Icon Series: Outfits, Emotes, Jam Tracks & Icon Cup]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Lil Wayne is joining the Fortnite Icon Series on Saturday, September 12, bringing a collection of themed Outfits, Emotes, Back Blings, Pickaxes, and Jam Tracks to Epic Games' battle royale. The rapper, who is currently touring in support of his latest album, Tha Carter VI , will be available in the Fortnite Item Shop from September 12 at 8 PM ET through September 21 . The collaboration includes two Lil Wayne Outfits, several cosmetic items inspired by his music and career, and three Jam Tracks featuring some of his best-known songs. Lil Wayne Fortnite Outfits The Lil Wayne Icon Series collaboration includes two Outfits: Lil Wayne and Weezy . The Lil Wayne Outfit features gold graffiti effects that glow and pulse to the beat. The Outfit also includes toggleable sunglasses, giving players the option to change the look. The Weezy Outfit is based on Wayne's signature style and includes an ember reactive style. Players can also toggle the tank top, hat, and sunglasses. Both Outfits are designed around Wayne's music and visual style, with reactive elements that respond to gameplay and music. Lil Wayne Back Blings, Pickaxe, and Glider The collaboration also introduces several accessories based on Lil Wayne and Young Money. The Milli Bricks Back Bling features a stack of gold bricks arranged in the shape of the Young Money logo. The Weezy Board Back Bling , meanwhile, is a flaming skateboard. The Weezy Boardbreaker Pickaxe expands on the skateboard theme. It is a dual-wield broken skateboard Pickaxe that ignites when players hit a weak point. The Young Money Stage Glider brings a concert-style presentation to matches. Pyrotechnics activate when the Glider is deployed, while stage lights follow the player as they descend. Lil Wayne Fortnite Emotes and Jam Tracks Two new Emotes are included in the Icon Series release. The Lollipop Emote features choreography from the "Lollipop" music video and includes Las Vegas-inspired lighting. The 6 Foot 7 Foot Emote features dance moves performed by Lil Wayne. Three Jam Tracks will also arrive in Fortnite: "Lollipop" "A Milli" "6 Foot 7 Foot" The tracks give players another way to use Lil Wayne's music within Fortnite's music-focused features. Fortnite Weezy Icon Cup Players will also have an opportunity to earn Lil Wayne-themed cosmetics before they arrive in the Item Shop through the Weezy Icon Cup . The competition takes place on Saturday, September 12 , with players able to compete in either Solo Battle Royale or Solo Zero Build . Top-performing players in each region will receive the Weezy Outfit and Weezy Board Back Bling before those items become available in the Item Shop. Every player who participates in the tournament will also receive the YM Emoticon . Regional start times for the Weezy Icon Cup can be found in Fortnite's Compete tab. Lil Wayne's arrival continues Fortnite's Icon Series collaborations with major figures from music and entertainment, adding another artist-focused collection to the game's expanding range of crossover cosmetics and content.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/lil-wayne-fortnite-icon-series-outfits-emotes-jam-tracks-and-icon-cup/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/lil-wayne-fortnite-icon-series-outfits-emotes-jam-tracks-and-icon-cup/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:57:07 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline Out Now on PC, PS5 & Xbox]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Developed by Italian independent studio ONE O ONE GAMES and published by Spanish independent publisher Entalto Publishing, the first-person psychological mystery thriller reinterprets Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy as a surreal and introspective adventure. The game launched on September 11, 2026, and is available on PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG, alongside PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is priced at €19.50 / $19.99, with a 10% launch discount available during its first two weeks. A demo is also available on Steam, giving players an opportunity to experience the game's atmosphere, puzzles, and its two interconnected realities before purchasing the full game. A Psychological Interpretation of Dante’s Inferno The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline follows Gabriele Alighieri, a descendant of Dante Alighieri who has spent his life attempting to escape his family's history. According to the game's premise, every 33 years the barrier separating the human world from Hell begins to weaken. Gabriele must return to his ancestral home and perform an ancient ritual intended to keep the gates of Hell sealed. The journey draws heavily from The Divine Comedy , although the game takes a psychological approach to Dante's depiction of Hell rather than focusing on traditional depictions of demons and combat. "When most people think of Dante or Dante's Inferno, they imagine something very concrete: monsters, demons, action," Creative Director Emanuele Miccianza said. "But when I read the Divine Comedy, I didn't see an action story; I saw a person going through an inner journey. That became our central idea: Hell is internal." This concept forms the basis of Gabriele's journey, with the game using its environments, puzzles, and narrative to explore fear, guilt, trauma, and suppressed memories. Two Realities Define Gabriele’s Journey The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline is built around two interconnected environments: the Villa and the Dive. The Villa is presented as an Italian manor filled with the history of the Alighieri family. Its quiet and melancholic interiors represent the physical world and the historical burden carried by Gabriele's family. The Dive takes a very different approach. It is a distorted reflection of infernal depths and represents Gabriele's internal psychological state. Narrative and Creative Director Emanuele Miccianza and Art Director Giorgio Falconi previously discussed the contrast between the two locations in the game's development diary series. The Villa represents the physical body, while the Dive represents the soul and Gabriele's psychological struggle. The visual design of the Dive reinforces this distinction. Its sterile, blinding white exterior conceals an underlying red associated with rage and guilt. The contrast between order and chaos is intended to leave players questioning where Gabriele's experiences are actually taking place. Solving Esoteric Puzzles Players must collect lost magical pages from The Divine Comedy and reunite them to perform the Infernal Seal ritual. The ritual is only one part of the game's mystery, however. The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline also features esoteric riddles that require players to examine their surroundings and interpret clues connected to the game's narrative and Dante-inspired themes. Exploration is another key part of the experience. Hidden collectibles and diary pages provide additional information about the Alighieri bloodline and Gabriele's fragmented memories. These discoveries gradually reveal the history of the family and the consequences associated with the ritual, giving players additional context for Gabriele's psychological journey. Fear of Being Understood The game's horror focuses less on conventional threats and more on psychological unease. "We decided what kind of terror we wanted to portray: not the fear of dying, but the fear of being seen," Game Director Gaia Righelli said. "Because sometimes the most terrifying thing is someone or something that understands you completely." This approach places Gabriele's fears and memories at the centre of the experience. Rather than relying primarily on combat or conventional horror encounters, the game uses its environments, narrative mysteries, and surreal imagery to create tension. The result is intended to offer a modern interpretation of Dante's work, with Hell functioning as a representation of internal conflict as much as an external location. The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline Platforms and Languages The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline is available now on: PC via Steam PC via Epic Games Store PC via GOG PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S The game supports 11 languages, with English and Italian voice acting. Supported text languages include Spanish for Spain and Latin America, Portuguese, English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. The Steam demo is available for players who want to try the game before purchasing the full release. Developed by ONE O ONE GAMES and published by Entalto Publishing, The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline offers a first-person mystery adventure built around Dante's literary legacy, psychological horror, environmental exploration, and puzzle solving.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/the-alighieri-circle-dantes-bloodline-out-now-on-pc-ps-5-and-xbox/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/the-alighieri-circle-dantes-bloodline-out-now-on-pc-ps-5-and-xbox/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:32:09 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Subway Surfers Adds bbno$ Character in Buenos Aires Update]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Subway Surfers is adding Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter bbno$ as a playable character as part of its next major update. Developer SYBO announced the collaboration on September 10, with the bbno$ character becoming available through the Subway Showdown game mode from September 14 through October 4, 2026 . The update will also see Subway Surfers return to Buenos Aires, Argentina , as part of the game's World Tour event. Players will be able to run through the city's streets and landmarks alongside a group of art-focused surfers. bbno$ Joins Subway Surfers The addition of bbno$ continues Subway Surfers' series of collaborations with real-world musicians and celebrities. The artist joins a roster that has previously included performers such as Demi Lovato and J Balvin. bbno$ will be available as a new character during the limited-time Subway Showdown event. The collaboration arrives as the artist completes his 2026 festival appearances and Internet Explorer Tour, which supports his 2025 self-titled album. The Canadian artist first gained widespread attention with the 2019 viral track "Lalala," created with producer Y2K. He later found further success with "Edamame," featuring Rich Brian. According to SYBO, bbno$ has surpassed one billion Spotify streams across his music. His recent releases include "burger," "why am i like this," and "diamonds are forever." SYBO CEO Mathias Gredal Nørvig said the collaboration is intended to connect the game's long-running relationship with art and digital culture with bbno$'s internet-driven career. Subway Surfers Returns to Buenos Aires The World Tour event will take Subway Surfers back to Buenos Aires from September 14 to October 4 . The event will feature colorful city streets and recognizable cityscapes, with the update placing an emphasis on art and creativity. Players will also have access to several new pieces of content during the event. The update introduces Santi Grafito , the latest Mega character. Additional seasonal characters, outfits, boards, and player profile items will also be available. The Buenos Aires event therefore serves as more than a location change, with the new character and cosmetics forming part of a broader content update for the endless runner. New Subway Surfers Collections Feature One of the more substantial additions arriving with the update is the new Collections feature. Launching on September 14, Collections will allow players to track the Subway Surfers content they have accumulated throughout nearly 15 years of updates. The feature will assign players a collection score based on the total amount of content they have unlocked. Players can earn cosmetic rewards based on their collection progress, including tiered profile frames. The feature gives longtime Subway Surfers players a way to keep track of characters, boards, outfits, and other items collected throughout the game's history. Free Moon Board Arrives for Mid-Autumn Festival Subway Surfers will also mark the Mid-Autumn Festival with a limited-time reward. From September 21 through September 27 , players will be able to claim the Moon Board for free in-game. The seasonal reward will be available during the festival period, giving players another board to add to their collection. Subway Surfers Continues Its Long-Running Updates Subway Surfers launched in 2012 and has continued to receive regular updates and World Tour events for more than a decade. SYBO says the game has surpassed 4.5 billion lifetime downloads and has more than 150 million monthly players . The studio has also expanded the franchise with titles including Subway Surfers City, Subway Surfers+, Subway Surfers Tag, and Blades of Brim. The bbno$ collaboration and Buenos Aires World Tour event will arrive on September 14, with the new Collections system launching on the same day. Subway Surfers is free to download on iOS, Android, and other supported platforms, with in-app purchases available.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/subway-surfers-adds-bbno-character-in-buenos-aires-update/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/subway-surfers-adds-bbno-character-in-buenos-aires-update/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:17:35 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[LEGO Astro Bot GWP Set Leaks Ahead of PS1 Set Launch]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you were already excited about the upcoming LEGO PlayStation 1 set, here is one more reason to have it on your radar. A gift-with-purchase LEGO Astro Bot set has leaked online, giving fans their first proper look at the bonus that will ship alongside the PS1 set when it arrives in December 2026. What the leak actually shows The leak comes from BrickTapNews on X, who posted images of the set's packaging directly. This is not a render or a rumor, the box art is out there, and it tells us quite a bit about what to expect. The set clocks in at 276 pieces and measures 12 cm (roughly 4.5 inches) wide and 20 cm tall. That puts it in solid display territory, not a tiny keychain freebie. Astro Bot is posed on a stand that spells out his name, which is a nice touch for anyone planning to put this on a shelf next to the PS1 set itself. The design detail that stands out most is the dual eye options. The set includes two face configurations: standard circular eyes and semicircular eyes, letting you swap expressions and make the model look more animated. It is a small thing, but it shows LEGO put real thought into capturing what makes Astro Bot's character readable at a glance. The foot beam attachments are the other highlight. They replicate the gliding mechanic from the game, where Astro Bot uses jets from his feet to hover and maneuver. Getting that detail into a physical set at this scale is genuinely impressive. The PlayStation 1 set connection Earlier this month during a State of Play event, Sony and LEGO announced the PlayStation 1 LEGO set , slated for December 2026. The set features a near 1:1 scale replica of the original PS1 console, complete with iconic dioramas built into the design. That announcement already generated significant buzz on its own. The Astro Bot GWP set will not be sold separately. It is a free bonus tied to purchases of the PS1 set while supplies last, which means if you are planning to pick up the PS1 set anyway, you should get in early to make sure the bonus is still available. important The LEGO Astro Bot set will only be available as a gift with purchase alongside the PlayStation 1 LEGO set, while supplies last. It will not be sold on its own. This kind of bonus is increasingly common in LEGO's gaming collaborations. The brand has been leaning into video game tie-ins hard lately, with drops spanning everything from LEGO Fortnite Ninjago Twitch Drops to the upcoming LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight pre-order bonuses . What this means for collectors Here's the thing with GWP sets: they have a way of becoming the most sought-after pieces in a collection precisely because they were never sold at retail. The scarcity is built in from day one. A 276-piece Astro Bot model with swappable expressions and game-accurate details is not a throwaway bonus. It is the kind of set that ends up going for multiples of its implied value on the secondary market once the PS1 set sells through. For anyone who was on the fence about the PS1 set, this leak probably tips the scales. December is not far off, and pre-order windows for sets like this tend to fill up fast once official pricing and availability drop. More LEGO gaming news and gaming guides will be added as the PS1 set's release approaches, so keep an eye out for official confirmation on pricing and where to order.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/lego-astro-bot-gwp-set-leak/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/lego-astro-bot-gwp-set-leak/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:28:17 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[GTA 6 Extended Look Drives 100K New Netflix Subscribers]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The numbers are in, and they're hard to argue with. Grand Theft Auto 6 's 27-minute Extended Look, which aired exclusively on Netflix on August 27 before hitting YouTube, didn't just break viewing records. It brought a wave of brand-new subscribers to the streaming platform in a single six-hour window. Analysis firm Ampere Analysis tracked the sign-up surge and found Netflix added over 100,000 new subscribers in the US on that day alone. That's not a Netflix-wide record, but context matters here: only the final episode of Stranger Things and the Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey MMA fight pulled more sign-ups this year. A video game preview beat nearly everything else Netflix put out in 2026. What the numbers actually tell us The raw sign-up figure is impressive on its own, but the reactivation data is arguably more interesting. Ampere found that more than 5% of US Netflix members who hadn't opened the app in the previous 30 days came back specifically for the GTA 6 Extended Look. Ampere noted that reactivation rate was higher than any series or movie on the platform during the same measured period. Separate data from Sensor Tower showed Netflix's mobile app usage jumped nearly 50% in the United States on August 27, with web traffic up 125%. That's not background noise. That's a platform-wide traffic event driven entirely by a gaming preview. The Extended Look itself pulled over 31 million views and topped the most-watched video charts in 87 of 93 countries Netflix tracked. For a 27-minute piece of marketing content, that's a remarkable reach. Why Netflix wanted this deal in the first place Here's the thing: Netflix doesn't own a single major gaming franchise, and its earlier ambitions to compete in AAA game development have largely gone quiet. So the strategy has shifted. Instead of building games, Netflix is positioning itself as the place where gaming culture happens, even if the actual game launches elsewhere. Ampere senior research analyst Katie Holt put it plainly: "Netflix may not be able to compete directly with the biggest AAA game franchises, but it can vie for the attention around them. Trailers, reveals, and adaptations give Netflix a way into gaming culture without owning the games themselves." Senior research manager Louise Wooldridge added that the six-hour exclusive window demonstrated real pulling power, describing it as a way for Netflix to compete with YouTube for gamer attention while also bringing lapsed viewers back to the platform. For Rockstar , the arrangement isn't just about distribution. Wooldridge noted the partnership opens GTA 6 up to audiences beyond the franchise's traditional core, which is a meaningful consideration for a game that's been in development for years and carries enormous commercial expectations. What this means for gaming and streaming going forward This isn't the first time a gaming event has moved the needle for a streaming platform, but the scale here is notable. The GTA franchise has a fanbase that spans decades and platforms, and the anticipation around GTA 6 has been building since Rockstar confirmed it was in development. That kind of cultural gravity is difficult to manufacture. The success of the Netflix exclusive window will almost certainly prompt other streaming platforms to chase similar arrangements. Whether that means more game reveals, developer documentaries, or behind-the-scenes content, the model has now proven it works at scale. For players still waiting on launch day, the Extended Look confirmed a lot of what fans had been speculating about for years. If you're still sorting out how to lock in your copy, the GTA 6 pre-order guide covers everything you need to know about platforms, editions, and how to buy before launch.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-6-extended-look-netflix-signups/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-6-extended-look-netflix-signups/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:25:54 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gears of War: E-Day May Have Xbox's First Platinum Achievement]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Xbox has been building toward a PlayStation-style Platinum achievement for a while now, and Gears of War: E-Day might be the game that actually kicks it off. The full achievement list for The Coalition's upcoming prequel dropped via Xbox Wire this week, and buried in that list is something worth paying attention to. The achievement that gives away the plan The list includes an achievement called The Lucky Ones Died on E-Day . Its description marks it as earned by collecting every other achievement in the game, and it awards zero Gamerscore. That combination, a catch-all completion reward with no point value attached, maps almost exactly to how PlayStation handles its Platinum trophies. Here's the thing: Xbox head Asha Sharma confirmed earlier this year that the platform was actively developing a Platinum equivalent for Xbox achievements. The feature hasn't launched yet, but when it does, games would presumably need an achievement already structured this way to support it. E-Day has that structure in place right now. Whether that's intentional design ahead of the feature rollout, or a holdover from the period when E-Day was expected to release on PlayStation 5, is genuinely unclear. There was widespread expectation that the game would follow Gears of War: Reloaded onto Sony's platform, before Microsoft pulled back from that approach. A trophy-ready achievement structure would make sense if a PS5 version was ever seriously considered. What 'Dead Serious' actually requires For anyone planning to chase that completion achievement, the hardest unlock in the list tells you everything about the commitment involved. Dead Serious , the game's toughest challenge, requires completing the story on Insane difficulty at 100%, accumulating 25,000 kills in versus mode, reaching the maximum profile level, and maxing out all four classes. Previous Gears titles had a similarly named achievement called Seriously, so the tradition continues. That's not a casual weekend unlock. The 25,000 versus kills alone will take most players hundreds of hours, which means The Lucky Ones Died on E-Day is going to sit unclaimed for a long time for the majority of players who attempt it. tip E-Day's achievement list was published via Xbox Wire on September 9, 2026, ahead of the game's October 6 release on PC and Xbox Series X/S. The game will also be available through Xbox Game Pass at launch. The 'first' question has a catch Whether E-Day actually ends up being the first Xbox game with a Platinum-equivalent achievement depends on timing. Several other Xbox titles are releasing before October 6, and most of them haven't had their achievement lists published yet. Any of those games could include a similar structure, and if the Platinum feature goes live before E-Day ships, another title might technically claim the first spot. What most players miss in this conversation is that the Platinum-style achievement isn't entirely new territory on Xbox. A handful of games have previously included achievements for completing all others, but those existed without any official platform-level recognition or distinct reward tier. The difference now is that Xbox is building a formal system around it, which would retroactively or prospectively turn these catch-all achievements into something that actually means something on your profile. The timing of that feature launch relative to E-Day's October 6 release is the key here. If Xbox rolls out the Platinum system before the game ships, E-Day could launch as the first title where the feature is live and functional from day one. Getting ready for October 6 E-Day is shaping up as one of Xbox's biggest releases before the year closes out. If you want to get ahead of the achievement grind, the Gears of War: E-Day beta guide covering dates, times, and what to expect is a solid starting point for understanding what the game asks of you before launch. There are also beta rewards to unlock before the game releases , so time spent in the beta isn't just practice, it carries over.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gears-of-war-e-day-xbox/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gears-of-war-e-day-xbox/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:31:24 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Why GTA 6 Avoids Topical Real-World Stories]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[GTA has always been at its best when it holds a mirror up to society and laughs. But with Grand Theft Auto 6 arriving November 19, Rockstar is being deliberate about which real-world moments make the cut and which ones get left on the cutting room floor. Why 11 years of development changes everything The reason is straightforward, and Rob Nelson , co-head of Rockstar North, spelled it out plainly in a recent interview with French publication Trois Couleurs. GTA 6 has been in active development since 2015. The bulk of the team only shifted focus to it after Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped in 2018. That's a long time for the world to change around you. Here's the thing: when a story takes years to write, cast, shoot, and implement, anything ripped from today's headlines runs a real risk of feeling ancient by launch day. A political scandal that dominated every news cycle in 2021 might land with a collective "wait, what was that again?" in late 2026. important Nelson's comments confirm GTA 6 has been in continuous development for over 11 years, making it one of the longest single-title production cycles in mainstream gaming history. Nelson put it directly: "By the time we write it and cast it and shoot it, and implement it, whatever it is, it could be gone, it could change, it could be dated. And so we're always trying to think about whether something will stand the test of time." Satire isn't going anywhere, just the shelf-life problem This isn't Rockstar abandoning social commentary. GTA 4's Niko Bellic was a meditation on the American Dream's hollow promises. GTA 5 skewered social media culture, celebrity worship, and financial corruption with a precision that still reads clearly today. Those themes aged well because they targeted behaviors and systems, not specific news cycles. What most players miss is the distinction Nelson is drawing. He isn't saying GTA 6 will be apolitical or toothless. The quote makes clear the team is still actively hunting for things to satirize. "There will always be things to satirize; there are always ridiculous situations and behaviors that we can find, but we just have to be careful about what we pick." The key here is longevity. A joke about a specific viral moment from 2019 needs a footnote by now. A joke about humanity's relationship with surveillance technology, or influencer culture, or institutional corruption? That one writes itself in any year. What this means for the game players actually get For anyone worried this signals a safer, blander GTA, that reading probably misses the point. Rockstar's track record suggests the opposite: by filtering out the topical noise, the satire that does make it into the final game will be the stuff the writers genuinely believed had staying power. GTA 6 launches exclusively on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, with a PC version following later. If you want to know what else is confirmed before launch, the GTA 6 guide collection covers everything from multiplayer details to character customization. Nelson's comments also quietly confirm the game's scope. A production that started in 2015 and pulled in the full team after 2018 isn't a normal game. The careful curation of its themes is probably the least surprising thing about it. Players picking it up in November will be experiencing something built across a stretch of time longer than most console generations.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-6-rockstar-real-world-events/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-6-rockstar-real-world-events/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:30:11 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Witcher: Legacy Is a Massive TTRPG Coming in 2027]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you have been waiting for something to fill the gap between The Witcher 3's Songs of the Past DLC and The Witcher IV in 2028, The Witcher: Legacy might be exactly what you need. The catch? Depending on how deep you want to go, it could cost you somewhere in the range of $500. What exactly is The Witcher: Legacy The Witcher: Legacy is a tabletop RPG built for one to four players, with sessions averaging just under three hours. It is not a quick card game or a light dungeon crawl. The main story runs close to 50 hours, and the developers say uncovering everything in the game takes over 100 hours. There is also an endgame mode that opens up a dynamic sandbox, effectively giving players an unlimited content loop once the main campaign wraps. The project was funded through Gamefound and has raised an impressive $15 million from more than 32,000 backers. Late pledges are still open, so you can still get in on the pre-order alongside the existing backer pool. The game also ships with a companion narration app that provides professional voiceover for free, which is a nice touch for immersion without adding to the cost. The price range is genuinely wild Here's the thing: the entry point is not cheap, and the top end is almost absurd. The Core Pledge (Standard Version) comes in at roughly $120, giving you the base game. That is already a significant spend for a tabletop product, but it is in line with what premium TTRPGs typically ask. Then there is the Shaded edition, marketed as the "I Want It All" version. It runs close to $500 and includes: A full stack of ready-to-paint miniatures Hundreds of cards and tokens All available expansions A premium quality base set An artbook and a journal Exclusive collector's items Additional books and unique gameplay elements That is a serious commitment, but looking at what is included, it is hard to call it a bad deal if you are already deep into the Witcher universe and want the definitive physical collection. important The late pledge window is still open on Gamefound, but availability for certain editions may be limited as the project moves toward its summer 2027 production timeline. Timing and the bigger Witcher picture The summer 2027 release date places The Witcher: Legacy in an interesting spot on the timeline. The Witcher 3's Songs of the Past DLC is already out, and The Witcher IV is not expected until 2028. Legacy sits right in between, giving fans of the universe something substantial to engage with during that wait. For fans of adventure games who want a slower, more deliberate experience than a video game allows, a 100-hour TTRPG set in the Witcher world is a genuinely compelling proposition. The translation support across multiple languages also suggests the team is targeting a broad international audience, not just the core English-speaking TTRPG crowd. If you are on the fence about backing, the free narration app and the sheer content volume of even the base edition make it worth a serious look before the late pledge window closes. Check out the Witcher IV guide collection to stay sharp on the wider universe while Legacy makes its way to your table.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/witcher-legacy-ttrpg-2027/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/witcher-legacy-ttrpg-2027/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:26:15 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Steam Now Demands a Credit Card for Age Verification in Australia]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Valve has rolled out a new age verification requirement on Steam that's causing serious frustration across Australia. To buy or access 18+ rated games on the platform, Australian players now need a valid Australian credit card on their account. No credit card, no access. That's it. What the new rule actually says When an Australian player tries to purchase or access an 18+ rated game without a verified credit card, Steam displays this message: important "Valve is required by the Age-Restricted Material App Distribution Services Code to verify that you are 18 or older before accessing mature content. If you wish to do so, please add a valid Australian credit card to your account and afterwards update the Mature Content Preferences." The policy exists because of new Australian legislation called the Age-Restricted Material App Distribution Services Code . If Valve doesn't comply, it faces fines running into the tens of millions of dollars. From a pure business standpoint, the company had little choice. The logic behind using a credit card as the verification method is fairly straightforward. In Australia, you must be at least 18 years old to obtain a credit card, so the card itself acts as proof of age. No government ID upload, no third-party verification service, just a credit card or nothing. The part that's making players furious Here's the thing: plenty of adults don't own a credit card. Some prefer debit cards. Some have made a deliberate financial decision to avoid credit entirely. Some are in situations where getting approved for a credit card isn't straightforward. The new system treats all of them the same as a 15-year-old trying to sneak past a content wall. What's made this even worse is that the block doesn't just apply to new purchases. Players who already own 18+ rated games in their libraries can't access them either if they haven't verified their age through a credit card. That means someone with a 20-year-old Steam account and a library full of mature titles is suddenly locked out of games they paid for, through no fault of their own. The reaction online has been predictably sharp. One Australian player pointed out the absurdity of being locked out of games on an account over 15 years old because they have no desire to own a credit card. Another noted the frustration of being treated as incapable of making adult decisions, especially given Australia's already restrictive games classification history. Workarounds exist, but none are great There are ways around the block. Buying game keys through third-party reseller sites sidesteps the Steam storefront entirely, meaning the age verification prompt never appears. The key still activates on Steam normally. But that's not a real fix. It pushes players toward less regulated markets, potentially voids some purchase protections, and does nothing for the games already sitting in a library. For players who just want to boot up something they already own, a third-party key isn't a solution at all. Valve hasn't announced any alternative verification methods or plans to expand the system beyond credit cards. Whether Australian players with debit cards, PayPal accounts, or prepaid cards will ever get a path to verification remains an open question. Australia has a history of contentious relationships between its classification board and the games industry, and this latest friction point fits that pattern. The legislation driving this change is real and the fines are significant, but the implementation has left a single point of failure for a large chunk of the player base. For everything else happening on PC right now, including how to sort out the DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC not loading on Steam or checking what's coming up in the WARDOGS closed beta playtest .]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/steam-australia-age-verification-credit-card/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/steam-australia-age-verification-credit-card/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:24:29 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[NEOGEO AES+ Launch Pushed to September 2027 Over Supply Crunch]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[PLAION REPLAI has confirmed the NEOGEO AES+ will no longer launch in November 2026. The new worldwide release date is September 16, 2027 , a delay of roughly ten months from the previously planned holiday window. The delay affects the entire range, including the Standard Edition, Anniversary Edition, and the limited Ultimate Edition. All 10 announced launch titles , Metal Slug and The King of Fighters 2002 among them, are pushed to the same date. Pre-orders placed through retailers or the PLAION REPLAI store remain secure, and the company says no action is required from existing customers. Why a holiday launch became a 2027 problem Here's the thing: the demand itself is what broke the timeline. PLAION REPLAI says the response to the NEOGEO AES+ announcement earlier this year far exceeded even its most optimistic internal projections, forcing the company to rethink the scale of its launch entirely. The specific bottleneck is memory chips. Unprecedented worldwide demand for DRAM, driven heavily by investment in AI infrastructure, has created industry-wide supply constraints that hit the NEOGEO AES+ at exactly the wrong moment. Rather than ship a limited run in November and leave the majority of pre-order customers waiting in a queue with no clear timeline, PLAION REPLAI chose to take the full ten months to secure enough components for a substantially larger worldwide release. Ben Jones , Commercial Director at PLAION REPLAI , addressed the decision directly: "We explored every option to maintain our original timetable. In the end, we concluded that launching with severely constrained availability would not be fair to our community. The truth is that demand far exceeded even our most optimistic expectations." The extra time is also being used to expand manufacturing capacity beyond what was originally planned, not just for launch stock but to support the platform over the long term. important Customers who pre-ordered directly through PLAION REPLAI had their payment taken upfront. Amazon pre-orders typically charge at shipping, so the experience varies depending on where you placed your order. No cancellation is required if you want to keep your spot. What the delay actually means for pre-order customers The short version: nothing changes on your end, and you get more stuff for waiting. Every console from the launch production run will include a Founding Supporter Bonus . Standard and Anniversary Edition buyers receive a free NEOGEO AES+ Gamepad . Ultimate Edition customers, who already get the complete 10-game launch lineup bundled in, receive a 30% discount voucher redeemable against any NEOGEO AES+ game on the PLAION REPLAI website. That voucher can be saved for a future release or used to grab an extra copy of a launch title. The Founding Supporter Bonus only applies to launch production run units. Future manufacturing runs will not include it. Pricing stays locked at the announced figures. PLAION REPLAI has explicitly committed to no price increases despite ongoing pressure on global component costs, which is not a trivial promise given where the memory chip market is sitting right now. Edition Founding Supporter Bonus Pre-Order Status Standard Edition Free NEOGEO AES+ Gamepad Secure, priority queue Anniversary Edition Free NEOGEO AES+ Gamepad Secure, priority queue Ultimate Edition 30% discount voucher for any AES+ game Secure, limited allocation A bigger software roadmap is part of the plan The delay is not purely defensive. PLAION REPLAI is using the extra runway to expand what the platform launches with. The 10 titles already announced remain confirmed, but the company says it is now in active discussions with other licensors to bring additional games to the platform beyond the original software roadmap. What most players miss in the official statement is the implication that the original 30-game post-launch plan may grow considerably. Community speculation points toward a potential 20-title launch lineup and a long-term catalogue well above 60 games, though PLAION REPLAI has not confirmed specific numbers beyond the existing 10. Tokyo Game Show 2026 will be the next major public touchpoint for the hardware. Attendees will be able to go hands-on with the system, and the company plans a broader communications campaign heading into the 2027 launch window. The retro community's reaction is mixed, but measured A ten-month delay on a product people have already paid for is always going to sting. Community reaction has ranged from genuine disappointment to cautious optimism, with a few players noting that the extra time could mean a meaningfully better launch library. The NEOGEO AES+ is built around modern versions of the original hardware chips rather than an FPGA emulation approach, which makes it a different proposition from something like an Analogue console. Original NEOGEO AES cartridges for titles like Metal Slug routinely sell for several hundred dollars each on the secondary market, so the physical game releases alongside this hardware carry real collector weight. Some pre-order holders have flagged concerns about having funds tied up for the better part of a year, which is a fair point. The Founding Supporter Bonus is PLAION REPLAI 's way of acknowledging that, though a free gamepad is a modest gesture against a ten-month wait.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/neogeo-aes-plus-delayed-september-2027/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/neogeo-aes-plus-delayed-september-2027/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:22:04 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sonic PICO PARK Locks in November 12 Release Date on Switch]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Sega and developer Tecopark spent months building hype for this one, and now it has a concrete date to point at. Sonic PICO PARK lands on November 12 across Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series hardware, and Steam. The announcement came out of a September Nintendo Direct , confirming what many Switch owners had been hoping for since the crossover was first revealed. What Sonic brings to the PICO PARK formula Here's the thing: PICO PARK already works because it forces players to actually communicate and cooperate. Adding Sonic the Hedgehog and friends to that framework is a genuinely interesting design choice, not just a cosmetic swap. Every playable character gets access to Sonic's Spin Dash , and stages are built around classic Sonic elements like rings, loops, and springs woven into the cooperative puzzle structure. The goal stays simple on paper: get everyone to the goal plate on the right side of each stage. The execution, as anyone who has played PICO PARK knows, is anything but. The roster pulls from Sega's main Sonic lineup. Knuckles , Amy , and Tails are all confirmed playable alongside Sonic himself, so there's some variety in who you bring to a session. Eight players, one goal, full crossplay Sonic PICO PARK supports 2 to 8 players, both locally and online. Crossplay is included, and the game allows up to 7 local players to join an online session from a single PC. That last detail is worth flagging for anyone who wants to run a couch co-op session while still filling out a full 8-player lobby with remote friends. tip Sonic PICO PARK will be published on the Nintendo eShop by Sega. The game covers all content regardless of player count, so smaller groups aren't locked out of any stages. This is part of Sonic's broader 35th anniversary push. The Sonic Team has been open about taking cues from the indie space for this one, and Tecopark's approach to cooperative design clearly made an impression. The playable media demos that ran at Summer Game Fest earlier this year generated solid buzz, so the November date gives that momentum somewhere to land. A crowded November that still has room November 12 puts Sonic PICO PARK one week ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6's November 19 release, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest single-game launches in years. The key here is that GTA 6 isn't coming to Nintendo hardware, so for Switch and Switch 2 owners, the competition looks very different. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is also targeting November on Nintendo platforms, making the month genuinely stacked for Nintendo players specifically. For fans of adventure games and co-op puzzle titles, Sonic PICO PARK sits in a comfortable lane. It's not trying to compete with a massive open-world release. It's targeting the group-play crowd that wants something to run with friends on launch day.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/sonic-pico-park-november-release-date/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/sonic-pico-park-november-release-date/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:20:43 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Blizzard Workers Ratify Union Contract Covering 1,900 Employees]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nearly 1,900 Blizzard Entertainment workers ratified their first company-wide union contract with the Communications Workers of America on September 9, 2026, closing out two years of negotiations that covered teams across World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Hearthstone, and more. The deal is the largest coordinated union win at a single video game publisher to date. What the contract actually covers Eight bargaining units are folded into this agreement: World of Warcraft, Quality Assurance, Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch, Diablo, Platform & Technology, and Story and Franchise Development. That last two matter more than they might seem. Shared services teams like Platform & Technology sit underneath every game Blizzard ships, so pulling them into the same contract as flagship franchise teams creates real interdependence that gives the union structural weight it simply would not have with shop-by-shop deals. The breadth here is what separates this from earlier game-industry union wins. Most organizing in this space started and stayed with QA testers, the role most exposed to short contracts and sudden cuts. This contract folds QA into the same agreement that covers the developers building World of Warcraft expansions and Overwatch seasons, placing both groups under identical protections. The four pillars workers secured Here's the thing: the headlines will focus on the worker count, but the actual terms are what will matter to people inside the industry watching this play out. Layoff protections and recall rights are the headline provision. Laid-off union employees retain the right to be recalled into open positions across any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date their layoff is announced. That window applies company-wide, not just to the specific team a worker was cut from. Combined with an extra four weeks of severance on top of whatever tenure-based formula already applied, regardless of how long someone had been at the company, it creates a genuine two-part safety net that didn't exist before. AI guardrails are the newest territory for any game-industry labor contract. The exact contract language hasn't been made public, but the agreement requires Blizzard to consult with unions before introducing AI technology that affects working conditions. QA testers and narrative staff, two groups named in this contract, sit closest to the tasks AI tools are already being pitched to automate: bug triage, playtesting scripts, dialogue drafts. Getting even a general guardrail clause into a ratified contract gives workers a formal mechanism to push back before automation is used to justify future cuts. Remote and hybrid work protections are now written into a binding contract rather than left to shift whenever leadership changes its return-to-office stance. Remote workers can stay remote. Existing hybrid schedules are protected. For a studio that has seen significant turnover tied to office policy uncertainty over the past few years, that's a meaningful stabilizer. Salary floors and raises round out the package. Some workers will see raises as high as 34%, with new minimum salary thresholds now established across covered roles. important The 14-month recall right applies across all Blizzard bargaining units, not just the team a worker was laid off from. That cross-unit scope is what makes it genuinely different from standard recall clauses. How two years of bargaining got here This contract doesn't exist without a chain of organizing wins stretching back to 2022. QA testers at Raven Software formed the Game Workers Alliance with CWA after a five-week strike, winning union representation with roughly 86% support. It took Raven's unit close to three years to land its first contract. Blizzard's unit, covering a workforce many times larger, beat that timeline. The other piece that made this possible was Microsoft's 2022 labor neutrality agreement with CWA, signed while the Activision Blizzard acquisition was still in regulatory review. That agreement committed Microsoft to stay neutral if employees at acquired studios expressed interest in organizing, removing the standard corporate playbook of contesting elections and delaying votes. Without that commitment, two years of bargaining almost certainly becomes five. CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. framed the win in terms of the broader Xbox portfolio, saying CWA members at Blizzard are leading the way for all Xbox studios, showing what can be achieved when video game workers have a strong voice in shaping their studios for the better. The timing wasn't accidental either. The ratification landed just after Labor Day and days before BlizzCon opens in Anaheim, putting the news directly in front of the convention's news cycle. Management walks into BlizzCon without an active labor dispute overhead. The union gets maximum visibility for a win two years in the making. What this means for the rest of the industry Every publisher without a union now has a specific, ratified contract sitting in public view as a reference point. The AI guardrail language in particular gives future organizing campaigns a concrete demand to bring to the table instead of a vague ask for job security. Recruiters at competing studios may also start feeling pressure to match Blizzard's recall rights and severance terms to stay competitive for senior QA and production talent who now know exactly what's achievable. For Microsoft , a smooth ratification at this scale is a business win as much as a labor story. Extra severance weeks, wider recall rights, and hybrid work guarantees carry real budget implications, but the retention upside is real too. Blizzard's live-service games, particularly World of Warcraft and Overwatch, run on institutional knowledge that takes years to rebuild after a layoff wave scatters a team. Locking in longer job tenure through contract terms may end up saving more in onboarding costs than the severance provisions cost upfront. What most players miss is how directly this affects the games themselves. The people building World of Warcraft expansions, running QA on Overwatch balance patches, and writing Diablo narrative now have contractual job stability they didn't have last week. That stability tends to show up in product quality over time, even if it's invisible in any single patch note. Speaking of which, if you're playing WoW Midnight right now, our WoW Midnight leveling guide covers the fastest routes to level 90 for the teams these workers are actively building. The real test of the AI guardrails and recall rights comes the next time Blizzard restructures a team or leans on automation for a QA pass. Contract ratification is the start of enforcement, not the end of the story. CWA and Blizzard's unionized workforce will be watching closely for how management applies the recall window in practice, especially if any project cancellations or team reductions follow BlizzCon announcements. Other Microsoft gaming studios still bargaining their first contracts will be watching just as closely, using Blizzard's severance and recall terms as a floor to build from rather than a ceiling to aim for. For more context on what's happening across the gaming world right now, check out our full gaming guides hub for coverage across Blizzard's active titles and beyond.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/blizzard-workers-union-contract-1900-employees/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/blizzard-workers-union-contract-1900-employees/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:11:42 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apple's iPhone Duo Is a Mobile Gaming Dream, But It Comes at a Price]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Apple just dropped its first foldable phone, and mobile gamers are paying close attention. The iPhone Duo has been getting hands-on time with early users this week, and the footage circulating online makes one thing immediately clear: this hardware is genuinely impressive for gaming. The price, though, is a different conversation entirely. What the Duo actually does for gaming The clip that has everyone talking shows Zenless Zone Zero being played across three distinct perspectives on a single device. The user starts in standard horizontal orientation, opens the fold for a wider, larger view, then shifts to vertical. All three transitions look smooth, and the screen quality makes the whole thing look genuinely good. Here's the thing: the ability to switch display modes mid-session without closing the game is something no current iPhone can do. The 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display when fully unfolded gives you real estate that sits between a phone and a tablet, which is a meaningful upgrade for games built around detailed UIs or wide field-of-view combat. The hardware backing that screen is no slouch either. The Duo runs on Apple's A20 Pro chip , a six-core CPU paired with a seven-core GPU and a 16-core neural engine. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is also on board, which sounds like overkill for a phone until you remember that mobile games have been quietly getting more demanding every year. Battery life is rated at up to 44 hours of playback, which should handle even the longest gaming sessions without panic. important The 44-hour battery figure is Apple's playback estimate under specific conditions. Real-world gaming sessions with high brightness and sustained GPU load will draw that number down faster. The price that makes most people stop reading The entry point for the iPhone Duo is $1,999 for the 256 GB model. That is already more than most gaming PCs that people are actually buying. If you want the top configuration with 2 TB of storage, the price climbs to $3,199 . That $3,199 figure puts it in contention for the most expensive consumer smartphone ever released. For context, you could buy a PlayStation 5, a high-end gaming monitor, and still have money left over for a year of online subscriptions. The Duo is not positioned as a mass-market device, and Apple clearly knows it. What most players miss in these hardware conversations is that the price ceiling rarely reflects the experience most people will actually have. The $1,999 base model still has the same A20 Pro chip and the same display. The storage difference matters if you're downloading a lot of games locally, but for the average mobile gamer running a handful of titles, the jump to $3,199 is hard to justify on gaming value alone. Who this actually makes sense for The Duo is not going to replace anyone's gaming PC or console setup. What it does offer is a genuinely new way to play mobile games, specifically the kind of games that benefit from flexible screen real estate. Titles with complex inventories, strategy games, or anything that currently feels cramped on a standard phone screen could play meaningfully differently on unfolded hardware. Geoff Keighley shared footage of the device on September 9, and the clip spread quickly because the perspective-switching felt novel rather than gimmicky. That reaction from the gaming community is worth noting. The Duo is getting attention from people who do not typically care about phone launches. For players who spend serious time on mobile titles like Zenless Zone Zero, Genshin Impact, or any of the more demanding battle royale ports, the hardware ceiling on the Duo is high enough that it should not be a bottleneck for the next several years. That has real value if you are already spending heavily on mobile gaming and want the best possible experience. If the Duo drops to a more accessible price point in future generations, or if competitors push foldable hardware into a lower bracket, the gaming case for this form factor will only get stronger. For now, it is a look at where mobile gaming hardware can go, wrapped in a price tag that most players will watch from a distance. Check out our gaming guides for tips on getting the most out of whatever platform you are currently playing on.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/apple-iphone-duo-mobile-gaming-price/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/apple-iphone-duo-mobile-gaming-price/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:09:40 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[WARDOGS Console Release Confirmed for PS5 and Xbox in 2028]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[WARDOGS is heading to consoles. BULKHEAD has confirmed that its 100-player tactical FPS will launch on PS5 and Xbox in 2028, with both platforms now open for wishlists. The announcement landed today alongside the game's Steam Early Access launch, giving PC players first access while console players get a concrete target window. What BULKHEAD is actually building here Here's the thing: WARDOGS is not trying to be another battle royale or a free-to-play live service shooter. The pitch is 100 players split across three rival teams fighting over a control zone, set in the derelict industrial mountains of Eastern Europe on a destructible battlefield. Tactical gunplay, vehicles, construction, and destruction all feed into a money economy that rewards team play. Local voice chat runs across all three teams simultaneously, meaning you can hear enemies as well as allies, which creates the kind of unpredictable moments that have already generated a significant volume of clips and streams during closed beta testing. The game pulled hundreds of thousands of concurrent players during early playtests. That number matters because it happened before the game was even purchasable, driven almost entirely by creators and streamers who got access and ran with it. The organic momentum here is real. The pricing model that will raise eyebrows Early Access launched today at $39.99 . No microtransactions during the Early Access window. That's the full commitment from BULKHEAD, and it's a deliberate stance against the free-to-play with paid cosmetics model that dominates the genre right now. The catch is that $39.99 is described as a lower price than what BULKHEAD intends to charge at the full 1.0 release. So the price goes up at launch, not down. For players who want in early, the value case is clear. For anyone waiting for consoles in 2028, expect to pay more. BULKHEAD CEO Joe Brammer addressed the state of the game directly: WARDOGS is ambitious, rough around the edges, and still has a long way to go, but that is exactly what Early Access should be. We're putting the game in players' hands, listening to what they tell us and taking the risks needed to turn it into something that can last. More than anything, we want people to get online, talk to each other, and have the kind of fun in an FPS that we grew up having. That's a refreshingly honest framing. No promises of a finished product, just a clear statement of intent. The team has also previously confirmed there will be no cosmetic microtransactions sold during Early Access, including no paid camo options. What the console window actually means The 2028 target for PS5 and Xbox lines up with what would be a reasonable timeline for a game entering Early Access today. BULKHEAD has not committed to a specific 1.0 date yet, but the console release is described as following the full launch, meaning PC players are getting a substantial head start on both progression and the evolving meta. For console players, the path forward right now is simple: wishlist on the Xbox Store or PlayStation Store and wait. The good news is that the game will not be an afterthought port. BULKHEAD framed the console release as a planned destination from the start, not a later addition. What most players miss in announcements like this is what the Early Access period means for the eventual console build. Two years of PC player feedback, balance changes, and map updates will shape the version that PS5 and Xbox players receive. That can go either way. The game could arrive polished and content-rich, or it could arrive with two years of accumulated complexity that new players have to catch up on. important The 1.0 release date has not been announced. The 2028 console launch is tied to the full release window, not a specific date. The early access release timing and how to jump in The Steam Early Access launch went live today at 4 PM UTC. For the exact unlock times and how to avoid any launch day friction, the WARDOGS Early Access release date guide has everything you need. The closed beta that ran ahead of today's launch gave thousands of players a first look at the game's systems, and the reception was strong enough that BULKHEAD felt confident moving forward with the Early Access release on this timeline. If you missed the beta window, PC access starts now.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/wardogs-console-release-2028-confirmed/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/wardogs-console-release-2028-confirmed/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:05:21 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kirby and the World Beyond Confirmed for Switch 2 in Spring 2027]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nintendo dropped a big one during its September 9 Direct: Kirby and the World Beyond is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2027. If you have been waiting for the pink puffball to get a proper next-generation outing, the wait now has an official end point. The reveal arrived alongside nine other confirmed Switch 2 titles in a single Direct broadcast, but Kirby and the World Beyond stood out for one specific reason: Nintendo is taking the series fully into 3D. The official framing from Nintendo describes it as a 3D adventure where players explore expansive worlds using Kirby's signature copy abilities, a meaningful structural shift for a franchise that has spent most of its life in side-scrolling territory. From Forgotten World to a world beyond The last time Kirby made a serious push into three-dimensional space was Kirby and the Forgotten Land , which launched on the original Nintendo Switch in March 2022 and became one of the console's best-selling first-party titles. That game proved the formula worked: Kirby's copy ability mechanics translated well into a semi-open 3D format, and players responded. Kirby and the World Beyond appears to build directly on that foundation, pushing the concept further with what Nintendo calls "expansive worlds" rather than the more contained stage-based structure Forgotten Land used. Here's the thing: Nintendo has not used the term "open world" anywhere in its official materials. The language stays at "expansive" and "freely explorable," which leaves the exact structure open. Whether that means large interconnected hubs or something closer to a true open world will likely stay unclear until a dedicated trailer arrives. tip Nintendo typically converts seasonal release windows to exact dates roughly 60 to 90 days before launch, so a firm Kirby date is most likely to surface in a winter or early spring Direct. A Switch 2 exclusive, full stop Kirby and the World Beyond is confirmed as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. No original Switch version has been announced, and Nintendo's official materials make no mention of cross-generation support. That positions it alongside Metroid Ravenous (January 28, 2027) as one of two major first-party franchise entries Nintendo used this Direct to anchor its Switch 2 lineup through the first half of next year. The key here is what that exclusivity signals. Nintendo leaned hard on enhanced ports and backward-compatible titles during Switch 2's launch window, and a Direct built around two brand-new hardware-exclusive entries suggests the company's internal teams have fully shifted their development focus to the new console. For anyone still holding off on a Switch 2 upgrade, a new Kirby and a new Metroid arriving within months of each other is exactly the kind of software argument Nintendo historically uses to push fence-sitters toward a purchase. The broader September Direct slate Kirby and the World Beyond did not arrive alone. The September 9 broadcast confirmed 10 Switch 2 titles in total, filling out the release calendar from November 2026 through spring 2027. Here's the full confirmed lineup from that Direct: Game Release Window Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy November 12, 2026 Monster Hunter Wilds December 4, 2026 Metroid Ravenous January 28, 2027 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition February 25, 2027 Final Fantasy VII Revelation April 8, 2027 Persona 4 Revival May 20, 2027 Kirby and the World Beyond Spring 2027 Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Not yet dated Persona 6 Not yet dated Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Not yet dated What most players miss looking at that table is how deliberately staggered it is. Nintendo has essentially pre-booked a major Switch 2 release every four to six weeks from November through May, with Kirby slotting into the spring window after Persona 4 Revival. That cadence is designed to keep the platform's momentum going without cannibalizing individual releases by bunching them together. What this means for Kirby fans heading into 2027 Kirby and the Forgotten Land proved the franchise had genuine legs in three dimensions. World Beyond now has to build on that without the novelty factor of being the first time Kirby went 3D. That's actually a harder creative challenge than the original pivot, and it's the question Nintendo will need to answer with gameplay footage before spring arrives. For players who want to get familiar with the series' recent direction while waiting, the Kirby Air Riders page has everything you need on the franchise's latest multiplayer entry. You'll want to check out the beginner strategies guide if you're jumping in fresh, and the full character unlock guide covers all 21 playable characters with stat breakdowns to help you find your preferred playstyle before World Beyond arrives.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/kirby-world-beyond-switch-2-spring/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/kirby-world-beyond-switch-2-spring/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:46:30 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The 2013 Promise Valve Never Kept]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[For thirteen years, the Arms Deal page on Counter-Strike.net has carried a promise Valve still has not fulfilled. In 2013, the company said players would eventually be able to submit both their own weapon designs and custom knife models for possible use in Counter-Strike. The weapon-design part arrived just four months later and grew into a system where community artists can have their work added to the game and receive a share of the revenue. Custom knife models, however, never followed. The central question is why Valve delivered one part of the plan almost immediately while, thirteen years later, there is still no public sign that the other is coming. The Promise Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was only a year old when Valve released the Arms Deal update on August 14, 2013. The update introduced cases with cosmetic items, StatTrak kill counters, and five knife models: Bayonet, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Karambit, and M9 Bayonet. Each was available in thirteen original variants, including Vanilla. Valve stated its plans directly on the Arms Deal page, writing, “In the near future, you’ll be able to upload your own weapon finishes and custom knife models through the CS Workshop.” Players were already submitting maps through the Workshop, and Valve had a process for reviewing community work before adding selected content to its games. Team Fortress 2 had also already demonstrated that player-made items could become official game content while generating income for their creators. Extending the same approach to knife models therefore appeared to be a logical next step. Yet while weapon finishes quickly became part of Counter-Strike's content pipeline, custom knife models remained absent. What Actually Shipped Community Designs Became Part of the Game On December 18, 2013, just four months after Arms Deal, Valve released the Winter Offensive Case and described it as the first case made with community-created weapon designs. Artists could submit their work for possible selection by Valve, with creators receiving a share of the revenue when their designs were added to the game. Over the following years, hundreds of player-made weapon designs were selected for Counter-Strike, and for some artists, creating skins developed into a professional source of income. The system worked because community artwork could be applied to an existing weapon model while leaving the weapon itself unchanged. This allowed Valve to introduce a regular stream of new cosmetic content without requiring every accepted submission to include a completely new weapon. Valve now accepts community submissions for maps, weapon designs, stickers, and charms. Knives Stayed Under Valve Control Knife models never became part of the community submission system. Community submissions are not accepted for gloves either. From the original 2013 lineup to the Kukri Knife added through the Kilowatt Case in February 2024, every one of the roughly 20 CS2 knives was created without a community model submission. The color and pattern designs used on these knives were also created outside the community submission system, including the original sets and later Chroma and Gamma series. The distinction is visible in the game's item descriptions. Community-made weapon designs credit their artists, while knife items list no community creator and remain Valve-produced content. How Valve Pays Community Creators Valve's existing community system also provides a financial incentive for artists. When Valve selects a community submission, payment depends on how the item is distributed. For direct sales, the creator receives 25% of adjusted gross revenue after refunds, chargebacks, discounts, and applicable taxes have been deducted. If multiple artists worked on the same item, they divide that share according to an agreed split. Items distributed through cases use a different royalty system because players are paying to open a case containing several possible rewards rather than purchasing one specific design. Valve determines the royalty allocation for this format. Since December 2025, some CS2 submissions can instead receive fixed payments, including $35,000 for a weapon design and $6,000 for a sticker or charm. That system has made community-created Counter-Strike content an established part of the game's economy, making the continued absence of community knife models more noticeable. Thirteen Years of Asking Players continued asking Valve to accept community-made knife models more than a decade after the original Arms Deal announcement. In November 2025, a Steam guide collected dozens of custom knife designs and directly asked Valve to open knife model submissions for CS2, pointing to the potential for creator income and a wider selection of knife designs. Custom knife models already appear in mods for other games, including Garry's Mod, demonstrating that artists and modders have been creating alternative knife shapes outside Valve's official system for years. CS2 community servers have also used plugins such as !ws and !knife to give players cosmetic items they do not own. These plugins only imitate access to existing items, however, rather than adding community-created knife models to Counter-Strike. Valve's server rules do not allow this, and violations can lead to the removal of Game Server Login Tokens used to operate public servers. The result is an unusual situation: the community has spent years creating alternative knife designs, while Valve's original promise remains visible on the Arms Deal page. The Scarcity Theory, and Why October 2025 Complicated It Why Scarcity Seemed Like the Main Explanation For years, one of the most common assumptions was that Valve did not accept community knife models because it wanted to keep the number of knives limited. Knives are among the rarest cosmetic items in Counter-Strike, and Valve decides when a new model is introduced. For most of the game's history, newly created knife items entered the economy primarily through paid case openings, where the result is random and knives occupy the rarest reward tier. Valve also controlled which knife models appeared in cases and when new models were introduced. Limiting the number of models and the routes through which new knives entered circulation helped maintain scarcity and supported high prices. Under this theory, accepting community-made knife models could give Valve more potential models to release and could potentially increase the supply of knives. It was a plausible explanation, but it was never confirmed by Valve. The October 2025 Update Added Another Way to Get Knives On October 22-23, 2025, Valve expanded the Trade Up Contract, an in-game exchange system that allows players to turn several items into one item of a higher rarity. Five regular Covert weapon skins, the highest standard rarity, could now be exchanged for a regular knife or pair of gloves from a collection represented among the input items. Five StatTrak Covert weapon skins could similarly be exchanged for a StatTrak knife from a represented collection. For the first time, the Trade Up Contract could create new knife items and introduce them into circulation without requiring a case opening. The change had an immediate impact on the Counter-Strike economy. Knife and glove prices fell sharply, while cheaper Covert skins increased in demand as players purchased them for use in Trade Up Contracts. The update weakened the scarcity argument. Limited supply may still be part of the explanation for Valve's approach to knives, but it is no longer enough on its own to explain why community knife models remain unavailable. Other Explanations Are Still Only Hypotheses Valve has never publicly explained why community knife submissions were never added. Several possible explanations remain, but none has been confirmed. Technical A weapon finish uses an existing 3D model. A new knife requires its own model, rigging, hitboxes, sounds, and animations. That makes knife submissions substantially more complicated than weapon skins. Inspect animations are also an important part of how players interact with knife cosmetics, making animation quality particularly important for this category. Valve would therefore need a system capable of handling much more than artwork submissions. Legal Some Counter-Strike knife shapes resemble products made by real-world manufacturers. Community submissions could therefore require additional copyright and trademark checks before a model could be accepted. Valve has already faced a copyright dispute involving the community-created M4A4 Howl weapon design and replaced its original artwork in 2014. That history could make Valve more cautious about opening submissions for entirely new weapon models. Design Valve may simply prefer to maintain control over knife shapes, animations, colors, and patterns. Keeping knife development internal means Valve can determine exactly how each new model looks, moves, and interacts with its cosmetic finishes. This level of control could be particularly important for one of Counter-Strike's most recognizable and valuable item categories. Again, however, Valve has never publicly identified this as the reason. What It Would Actually Take Opening knife submissions would require Valve to create tools for full 3D models and animations, establish a separate review process for intellectual property concerns, and determine how model creators would be compensated if their work entered the game. That is a more complicated system than the one currently used for weapon finishes, stickers, and other community content. None of this explains why Valve originally promised the feature in 2013 and then delivered only half of it. The company had already established the Counter-Strike Workshop and demonstrated that community-created cosmetics could become a significant part of the game's economy. Yet thirteen years later, there is still no public indication that custom knife models are being prepared for CS2. Until Valve builds that process, the original Arms Deal page remains unchanged. Thirteen years after the promise was made, the phrase “in the near future” still describes a feature Counter-Strike players have never received. It may be one of the longest “near futures” in Counter-Strike history.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/the-2013-promise-valve-never-kept/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/the-2013-promise-valve-never-kept/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:21:53 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 Review 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 takes a different approach to external storage by combining traditional SATA drives with modern NVMe SSDs in a single eight-bay enclosure. Rather than forcing users to choose between the capacity of hard drives and the performance of SSDs, the D8 Hybrid 2 is designed to provide both. With four SATA bays and four M.2 NVMe slots, the enclosure can accommodate up to 152TB of raw storage when configured with four 30TB HDDs and four 8TB NVMe SSDs. It also uses USB 3.2 Gen 2 with 10Gbps bandwidth , allowing the faster NVMe storage to reach read speeds of up to 1,020MB/s under the right configuration. The result is a storage enclosure aimed at users who have outgrown conventional external drives but do not necessarily need to invest in a dedicated NAS. It has applications across video editing, photography, backups, media libraries, workstation storage and NAS expansion. A Hybrid Approach That Makes Sense The biggest advantage of the TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is its hybrid storage architecture. Four SATA bays support 3.5-inch HDDs as well as 2.5-inch SATA HDDs and SSDs, while four additional slots accommodate M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSDs. This allows the enclosure to be configured around two very different storage requirements. NVMe SSDs can handle active projects and frequently accessed files where speed matters most. HDDs, meanwhile, provide significantly more capacity at a lower cost per terabyte, making them well suited to backups, archives, media collections and other less frequently accessed data. TerraMaster refers to this approach as hot and cold data tiering. In practical terms, users can keep current projects on the NVMe portion of the enclosure while moving completed work and large archives to HDD storage. That flexibility is particularly useful for creators. A video editor, for example, could use NVMe storage for current 4K or 8K projects while keeping a much larger library of completed footage on hard drives without requiring two separate external storage systems. The maximum advertised capacity of 152TB is also substantial. That figure requires four 30TB HDDs and four 8TB NVMe SSDs, so it represents maximum raw capacity rather than the amount of usable storage available after formatting or any RAID configuration. 10Gbps USB Connectivity The D8 Hybrid 2 is equipped with a USB Type-C connection supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 at up to 10Gbps . TerraMaster rates the enclosure for read speeds of up to 1,020MB/s with a single NVMe SSD , while four HDDs in an appropriate configuration can reach speeds approaching 980MB/s according to the manufacturer. Those figures put the D8 Hybrid 2 well beyond the performance of conventional USB hard-drive enclosures. Large files, project folders and media libraries can be moved considerably faster, while applications working directly from fast NVMe storage can benefit from the additional bandwidth. The USB-C interface also makes the enclosure practical for modern desktop and laptop setups. TerraMaster states that it is compatible with USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.0 connections, as well as Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 systems. However, the 10Gbps connection is worth keeping in perspective. The enclosure is capable of impressive throughput for a USB DAS, but it does not provide the bandwidth of a dedicated Thunderbolt 4/5 storage enclosure or a faster multi-gigabit network storage solution. The advertised 1,020MB/s figure should therefore be viewed as a best-case maximum rather than an expected speed across every drive configuration and workload. That is not a major weakness, though. For a device focused on combining large-capacity HDD storage with high-speed NVMe storage, 10Gbps USB provides a sensible balance between performance, compatibility and cost. Designed for Creators The D8 Hybrid 2's combination of capacity and speed makes it particularly well suited to creative workloads. Video editors can keep active projects on NVMe storage while using the HDD bays for raw footage and finished projects. Photographers can use the larger hard drives for image archives while retaining faster SSD storage for current Lightroom, Photoshop or other editing workflows. The enclosure also makes sense for users working with large game libraries, media collections, surveillance footage and other datasets where storage requirements can quickly exceed the capacity of conventional external SSDs. The ability to combine both types of storage without buying separate enclosures is arguably the product's strongest selling point. Tool-Free Installation TerraMaster has also put considerable attention into the physical installation process. The four SATA bays use Push-Lock tool-free drive trays , allowing compatible HDDs and SSDs to be installed without requiring a screwdriver. The M.2 NVMe drives can also be installed quickly using the side-mounted access mechanism and hand-tightened screws. For a device that is likely to be populated with multiple drives, this is a welcome design decision. Storage upgrades should not require complicated disassembly, and the D8 Hybrid 2 is designed around the idea that drives can be installed and replaced with relatively little effort. The enclosure itself measures 222 x 179 x 154mm and weighs around 1.9kg without drives, making it reasonably compact considering that it houses eight separate storage devices. Cooling and Noise Eight drives can generate considerable heat, particularly when several NVMe SSDs and mechanical hard drives are operating simultaneously. TerraMaster has therefore equipped the D8 Hybrid 2 with a temperature-controlled 120mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan. The fan is rated for more than 50,000 hours of operation, while the manufacturer's specifications list a noise level of around 21dB(A) . The temperature-controlled approach is preferable to running a fan at a constant high speed. The enclosure can increase cooling when required while avoiding unnecessary fan noise during lighter workloads. Actual noise will naturally depend on the drives installed. Four mechanical hard drives can produce considerably more acoustic noise than the enclosure's fan, so the quoted figure should not be interpreted as the total noise level of a fully populated system under load. TerraMaster Power Management Another new feature is TerraMaster's TPM, or TerraMaster Power Management technology. The system is designed to improve energy efficiency, drive response times and operational safety while managing power consumption during different workloads. The D8 Hybrid 2 also includes a one-touch power mode switch that allows users to move between Power Save Mode and Active Mode. This is useful for an enclosure intended to remain connected for extended periods. Storage does not always need to be operating at full performance, particularly when the device is being used primarily for archival data or backups. The manufacturer's specifications also list HDD sleep functionality, further supporting the enclosure's role as an always-connected storage device. NAS Expansion The D8 Hybrid 2 becomes even more interesting when used alongside a NAS. Rather than operating exclusively as direct-attached storage for a PC or Mac, it can be connected to compatible NAS hardware to expand available storage. TerraMaster specifically lists compatibility with its TOS 5 and TOS 6 systems, as well as platforms including Windows Server, Linux, Proxmox, TrueNAS and Unraid . This gives the enclosure considerably more flexibility than a standard external hard-drive enclosure. For users whose existing NAS is running short on capacity, the D8 Hybrid 2 provides another route to expansion without immediately replacing the NAS itself. TerraMaster also states that its NAS ecosystem can use the attached drives for storage pools, RAID configurations and snapshots. That makes the D8 Hybrid 2 particularly appealing to enthusiasts and small businesses that want to build storage gradually. Broad Operating System Compatibility The D8 Hybrid 2 is designed to work across Windows, macOS and Linux without requiring dedicated drivers. It supports a broad range of file systems, including NTFS, APFS, EXT4, FAT32 and exFAT , making it suitable for environments where files need to move between different operating systems. Backup functionality is also covered. Windows users can use TerraMaster's TPC Backupper software for incremental and differential backups, while Mac users can use Apple's built-in Time Machine functionality. This cross-platform approach is one of the enclosure's more practical strengths. It means the D8 Hybrid 2 does not have to be locked to a single workstation or operating system. What Could Be Better? Despite its impressive feature set, the D8 Hybrid 2 is not perfect. The biggest consideration is that this remains a DAS rather than a standalone NAS . It does not provide the networking functionality of a dedicated NAS by itself. Users looking for remote access, built-in network services, applications and a full NAS operating environment will still need a NAS system or another host device. The 10Gbps USB connection is also fast but represents the ceiling for communication between the enclosure and its host. The NVMe drives inside the enclosure may be capable of considerably higher speeds individually, but those speeds cannot be fully exploited over a 10Gbps USB connection. The maximum 152TB capacity also needs context. Achieving it requires expensive high-capacity drives, and users configuring RAID will have less usable capacity than the headline figure suggests. Finally, prospective buyers need to factor the cost of the drives into the overall investment. At around £299.99 for the diskless enclosure , the hardware itself is competitively positioned for an eight-bay hybrid system, but populating all eight bays can quickly become a significant expense. Verdict The TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is a highly versatile storage enclosure that solves a problem many power users eventually encounter: needing both the speed of NVMe and the capacity of hard drives without maintaining multiple separate storage devices. Its combination of four SATA bays, four M.2 NVMe slots, 10Gbps USB connectivity and up to 152TB of raw capacity gives it a compelling range of potential uses. The tool-free installation, intelligent cooling, power management and broad operating system support further improve its practicality. For video editors, photographers, content creators, enthusiasts and professionals managing large datasets, the hybrid architecture is the standout feature. It provides a straightforward way to separate frequently accessed data from long-term storage while keeping everything within one enclosure. The D8 Hybrid 2 is not a replacement for a full NAS, and users expecting multi-gigabit networking or workstation-class Thunderbolt storage performance should look elsewhere. For everyone else, however, it strikes a strong balance between capacity, speed, flexibility and ease of use. At £299.99 for the diskless enclosure , the TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is a strong option for anyone looking to build a high-capacity external storage system around both HDDs and NVMe SSDs. Its hybrid design gives it a level of flexibility that conventional multi-bay DAS enclosures simply cannot match. Rating: 9/10 Pros Four SATA bays plus four M.2 NVMe slots Up to 152TB raw capacity 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity Up to 1,020MB/s advertised NVMe read performance Tool-free HDD and SSD installation Hot and cold data storage approach Broad Windows, macOS and Linux compatibility Useful NAS expansion capabilities Intelligent temperature-controlled cooling Power-saving features and drive sleep support Cons 10Gbps USB limits maximum NVMe performance Does not operate as a standalone NAS 152TB figure represents raw maximum capacity RAID configurations can reduce usable capacity Populating all eight bays can become expensive]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/terramaster-d8-hybrid-2-review-2026/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/terramaster-d8-hybrid-2-review-2026/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:08:44 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 Launches With 152TB Hybrid Storage]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[TerraMaster has launched the D8 Hybrid 2, an eight-bay storage enclosure designed to combine high-speed NVMe storage with large-capacity HDD and SSD storage. The new model supports four SATA drives alongside four M.2 NVMe SSDs, with a maximum combined capacity of up to 152TB depending on the installed drives. The D8 Hybrid 2 is designed for users managing large media libraries, backups, video editing projects and other workflows that require both fast access and substantial storage capacity. It connects through USB 3.2 Gen 2, providing up to 10Gbps bandwidth. The TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is available now for £299.99 in the UK and $299.99 in the US. The US version is currently listed at $239.99 with a 20% coupon. Hybrid HDD and NVMe Storage The enclosure's main feature is its hybrid storage architecture. Four SATA HDDs or SSDs can be installed alongside four M.2 NVMe SSDs, allowing users to separate high-performance workloads from larger archive storage. With four 30TB HDDs and four 8TB NVMe SSDs, the D8 Hybrid 2 can reach a total capacity of 152TB. The enclosure also supports independent operation of its eight drives and third-party RAID software. TerraMaster positions the system for hot and cold data tiering. Frequently accessed files can be stored on the NVMe SSDs for faster access, while less frequently used data can be kept on HDDs where larger capacities are available at a lower cost per terabyte. Up to 1020MB/s Transfer Speeds USB 3.2 Gen 2 provides the D8 Hybrid 2 with 10Gbps bandwidth. TerraMaster reports read speeds of up to 1020MB/s when using a single NVMe SSD. Four HDDs can reportedly reach speeds of up to 980MB/s depending on the RAID configuration. The company says these transfer rates can help reduce loading and file-transfer times when working with large projects, including 4K and 8K video. TerraMaster gives the example of a 5GB HD movie being transferred in around five seconds under suitable conditions. Power Management and Cooling The D8 Hybrid 2 introduces TerraMaster Power Management (TPM), a proprietary power-management system intended to improve energy efficiency while maintaining stable performance. The system is designed to balance power consumption during operation while providing faster drive wake-up times. Cooling is handled by a temperature-controlled FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) fan rated for more than 50,000 hours of operation. The redesigned enclosure also improves internal airflow to help manage temperatures during heavier workloads. Users can switch between Power Save Mode and Active Mode using the enclosure's one-touch power mode switch. Tool-Free Drive Installation The D8 Hybrid 2 uses TerraMaster's Push-Lock drive trays for installing HDDs and SATA SSDs without additional tools. The four M.2 NVMe SSDs can also be installed using the enclosure's side sliding cover and hand-tightened screws. The chassis has been redesigned with a front-mounted power button, while the USB Type-C connection supports the included Type-C to Type-C cable. NAS and Multi-System Support The D8 Hybrid 2 is designed to operate as a direct-attached storage device without requiring additional drivers. It supports macOS, Windows and Linux, alongside a range of file systems including NTFS, APFS, EXT4, FAT32 and exFAT. The enclosure can connect directly to computers, servers, TVs, set-top boxes and Thunderbolt devices. TerraMaster also lists compatibility with USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2 and USB 4.0, as well as Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5. For Windows users, the included TPC Backupper software supports incremental and differential backups. Mac users can use Apple's Time Machine functionality for system and data backups. The D8 Hybrid 2 can also be used as a storage expansion enclosure for NAS systems. It is compatible with TerraMaster's TOS 5 and TOS 6 operating systems and can recognise configurations containing four HDDs and four SSDs for storage pools, RAID configurations and snapshots. Additional support is listed for Windows Server, Linux, Proxmox, TrueNAS and Unraid, giving the enclosure applications across home, studio, professional and prosumer storage environments. TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 Specifications Drive bays: 4 x SATA HDD/SSD + 4 x M.2 NVMe SSD Maximum capacity: Up to 152TB Maximum configuration: 4 x 30TB HDD + 4 x 8TB NVMe SSD Interface: USB Type-C Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 2, up to 10Gbps Maximum reported NVMe read speed: Up to 1020MB/s Maximum reported HDD speed: Up to 980MB/s depending on RAID configuration Data management: Hot and cold data tiering Cooling: Temperature-controlled FDB fan Operating systems: macOS, Windows and Linux File systems: NTFS, APFS, EXT4, FAT32 and exFAT Backup: TPC Backupper and Time Machine NAS support: TerraMaster TOS 5/6, Windows Server, Linux, Proxmox, TrueNAS and Unraid Installation: Tool-free HDD/SSD trays and quick-fit M.2 installation Thunderbolt support: Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 Price: £299.99 in the UK / $299.99 in the US The TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2 is aimed at users who need an expandable storage system that combines the capacity of traditional hard drives with the performance of NVMe SSDs. Its eight-drive configuration, 10Gbps USB connectivity and NAS expansion support make it suitable for media storage, backups, creative workloads and multi-system storage setups.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/terramaster-d8-hybrid-2-launches-with-152tb-hybrid-storage/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/terramaster-d8-hybrid-2-launches-with-152tb-hybrid-storage/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:39:52 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Infinity: HexaDome Tactics Launches on PC September 10]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Blindspot Games has announced that Infinity: HexaDome Tactics , a 1v1 turn-based tactical arena game set in the Infinity universe, will launch on PC via Steam on September 10. The studio is also running its final pre-launch playtest ahead of release. The final playtest runs from August 11 to August 18 and gives players access to eight playable characters, the first act of the PvE campaign, competitive PvP, and the new Haqqislam arena. Set within a futuristic combat spectacle, Infinity: HexaDome Tactics focuses on small-team tactical battles played across a hexagonal arena. Matches are designed around more than simply eliminating the opposing team, with players also required to capture zones, complete sponsor objectives, interact with the crowd, and make effective use of their available action points. Tactical Turn-Based Combat Infinity: HexaDome Tactics uses a turn-based combat system where positioning and planning are central to each match. Players can use cover, traps, surveillance, attacks, and tactical cards to control the arena and create opportunities for their team. The game's action-point system is designed to reward careful planning, with players encouraged to anticipate an opponent's movements and chain actions together at important moments. Victory can depend on controlling objectives rather than simply dealing the most damage. This gives players several ways to approach each match and makes positioning around capture zones an important part of the strategy. 12 Playable Champions The full release will feature 12 champions, each with different roles, abilities, attacks, and potential team synergies. The launch roster includes: Maximus Gata 8Ball Hexxer Wild Bill Major Lunah Miyamoto Mushashi Hannibal Laxmee Valkyrie Senor Massacre Parvati The roster includes melee fighters, ranged characters, supports, controllers, and specialists. Players can combine different champions to create lineups suited to their preferred approach to combat. Three Arena Maps Infinity: HexaDome Tactics will launch with three arena environments: the Training Arena, PanOceania, and Haqqislam. The arenas are inspired by factions from the wider Infinity universe and incorporate environmental elements into the tactical gameplay. The Training Arena and Haqqislam arenas will support two different match configurations, including versions with three or seven capture zones. The three-zone format is intended to create more dynamic matches, while the seven-zone configuration gives players additional objectives to manage and places greater emphasis on strategic positioning. The Haqqislam arena is the newest addition to the game and is available during the final playtest. Its seven capture zones provide a larger number of objectives for players to contest during a match. PvP and Story Campaign The game will feature both competitive PvP and a single-player campaign. PvP will include ranked and friendly matches, allowing players to test their team compositions and strategies against other players. Ranked matches will also give players the opportunity to progress through the game's competitive rankings. The PvE campaign will introduce players to the Infinity universe, its champions, and the tournament environment surrounding the HexaDome. The campaign is planned across four acts, with each act containing multiple chapters and narrative cutscenes. Players can also collect trophies through battles to unlock additional story details and other content. The final pre-launch playtest provides access to the first act of the campaign alongside competitive PvP. Based on the Infinity Universe Infinity: HexaDome Tactics is the first PC game set in the Infinity universe. The game adapts the setting of the tabletop franchise into a digital tactical experience while retaining its focus on small teams and competitive combat. The Infinity universe has more than 20 years of history, and HexaDome Tactics places its champions within a futuristic sporting spectacle where teams compete under constant pressure to score points and complete objectives. The compact hexagonal arenas are intended to keep encounters focused while giving players several tactical options during each turn. Infinity: HexaDome Tactics Release Date Infinity: HexaDome Tactics will launch on PC via Steam on September 10 . Blindspot Games is an independent Montreal-based studio founded by industry veterans. The 15-person team has experience working on tactical and multiplayer games and is developing HexaDome Tactics as its digital interpretation of the Infinity franchise. The final playtest provides players with an opportunity to experience a selection of the game's characters, campaign, PvP, and the new Haqqislam arena before the full PC release.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/infinity-hexa-dome-tactics-launches-on-pc-september-10/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/infinity-hexa-dome-tactics-launches-on-pc-september-10/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:28:44 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rebels of the Solar Speedway: Turn-Based Combat Racer Announced]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Spanish-Brazilian independent developer RetroReactor has announced Rebels of the Solar Speedway , a turn-based combat racing roguelike inspired by Hot Wheels and set across a dystopian version of the solar system. The game is scheduled to launch on PC via Steam in 2027, with a closed beta expected to begin in the coming weeks. Players interested in the beta can join the game's Discord community, while review codes are also available through the developer. A Racing Revolution in Space Rebels of the Solar Speedway takes place after humanity has expanded across the solar system. Earth is controlled by the Church of the Holy Circuit, a techno-religious regime that uses surveillance and fear to maintain its authority. Meanwhile, three MegaCorps - Ares Defense, Helios Genera, and Ceres Sustenance - control much of the galaxy's industry and resources. The Outer Rim Independence Collective has spent years fighting against Earth's ruling powers. However, the resistance needs a way to bring its cause into the public eye. That opportunity comes through the Solar Speedway's Battle Races. The races are presented as entertainment for the masses and are secretly supported by the MegaCorps, but the resistance intends to use the competition to challenge corporate champions, damage their businesses, and encourage a wider uprising. Players take on the role of mission control rather than directly piloting a single vehicle. The game provides a full view of each track, allowing players to manage a team of racers and make strategic decisions during each race. Turn-Based Combat Racing The core gameplay combines racing with turn-based combat. Each turn is divided into an Action Phase and a Resolution Phase. During the Action Phase, players determine how their cars will move and which systems they will use. Positioning is an important part of the system, as movement can be used to avoid incoming attacks while also placing vehicles within range of their own weapons. Attacks are then resolved during the Resolution Phase, beginning with the racer in last place and moving toward first place. This system means that players need to consider not only their own actions but also how other racers may respond. The game features multiple weapons and car systems, with positioning, weapon range, strength, and ripple effects all contributing to the outcome of a race. Cars, Weapons and Team Management Between races, players will manage their team and available resources. Cars can be repaired, while ammunition and movement systems can be replenished before the next event. The game includes more than 15 cars, each with different statistics and systems. More than 30 weapons can be equipped, while over 90 weapon modules provide additional ways to modify how those weapons operate. These modules can improve existing weapons or significantly change their functionality, giving players different approaches to combat and racing. The long-term objective is to build a team capable of reaching the legendary Solar Speedway Race. The Stock Market Affects the Races One of the more unusual systems in Rebels of the Solar Speedway is its stock market. The MegaCorps and Cyber Church have financial interests in the racing circuit, meaning events on the tracks can influence their stock values. Players can damage a corporation's position by eliminating its champions, while using a corporation's weapons can potentially benefit it instead. The stock system also functions as an in-game economy. Item values are linked to stock evaluations, meaning changes in the market can affect the resources available to the player's team. This creates an additional layer of strategy outside the races, as players must consider how their decisions affect both their opponents and the wider economy. Playing Both Sides The MegaCorps can also attempt to recruit the player's team. Players can accept these opportunities and use the corporations' interests to their advantage, but pushing the double game too far can have consequences. The Outer Rim Independence Collective can also turn against the player, creating a risk-reward system around the relationships between the different factions. This gives the campaign another strategic layer beyond simply winning races, with players required to manage their position between the corporations and the resistance. Roguelite Progression Rebels of the Solar Speedway uses roguelite progression, with new content becoming available as players advance through their runs. The game features more than 10 unlockable player teams and over 30 different enemy teams. Each player team can change how a run is approached, while different cars, weapons, and modules provide further combinations. The campaign includes 18 tracks divided across three cups, alongside random events and a galaxy map that takes players from Earth toward the Solar Speedway. According to RetroReactor, the current planned content includes: More than 10 unlockable player teams More than 30 enemy teams More than 15 cars with different stats and systems More than 30 weapons More than 90 weapon modules 18 tracks across three cups Random events A galaxy map spanning Earth to the Solar Speedway Rebels of the Solar Speedway is currently planned for PC via Steam in 2027. The closed beta is expected to begin in the coming weeks, giving interested players an opportunity to participate ahead of launch. RetroReactor Games was founded by Danilo Barbosa in 2015, originally in Brazil before relocating to Spain. The studio's previous work includes Two Strikes , which follows its focus on combining retro game influences, cinematic presentation, and arcade-style gameplay.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/rebels-of-the-solar-speedway-turn-based-combat-racer-announced/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/rebels-of-the-solar-speedway-turn-based-combat-racer-announced/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:18:55 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dystopicon Launches on Steam With a Dystopian TV-Watching Job]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Spanish independent studio Palitroque has released Dystopicon , a satirical dystopian time-management life sim, on Steam. The game is set in a retro-futuristic society where robots have replaced humans in the workplace, leaving citizens to find other ways to earn a living. Dystopicon is priced at €7.99/$7.99 and is available with a 15% launch discount during its first two weeks. In Dystopicon, players take the role of a Class-2 citizen who receives a government-provided home and an unusual new occupation: watching television. The character earns a salary by staying in front of the screen, with that money then used to purchase services needed to survive and remain entertained. The game uses this unusual premise to explore a controlled society in which following the rules is not necessarily the only way forward. Players can choose to become loyal citizens or challenge the system, with their decisions affecting how the story develops. A Dystopian Life Sim Built Around Time Management Dystopicon begins with the player living in a room supplied by the government as a Second-Class Citizen. From there, the story progresses through six scenarios, including a secret scenario, with each introducing new mechanics, situations and information about the game's dystopian world. Players can attempt to improve their status and become a Party Citizen, while other choices can lead them toward a re-education camp. The changing circumstances are designed to encourage different approaches as the player learns more about the society surrounding them. The central question is whether players can discover what exists beyond the four walls of their government-provided home. The game also includes a Challenge Mode, which removes some of the distractions found in the main story. Its objective is straightforward: players must save enough money to leave their room. Without the daily news and other story elements, the mode focuses more directly on managing resources and reaching the goal. 14 Possible Endings Player decisions can lead to 14 different endings in Dystopicon. The game allows players to follow the rules or rebel against the system, with different choices producing different outcomes. Players can become state bureaucrats, attempt to manipulate the system through hacking, or become involved in more serious acts of rebellion. Following government instructions can produce a different path from attempting to deceive or undermine the system. The game also leaves room for less predictable outcomes, including the possibility of winning the lottery. The multiple endings give players a reason to revisit the scenarios and experiment with different decisions and strategies. From an Itch.io Prototype to a Steam Release Dystopicon began in 2018 as a small project created by Juan Felipe Molina. The original prototype was released on Itch.io and was built using third-party assets from the Unity Asset Store. Over roughly 12 months, Molina expanded the game's story and gameplay systems while testing different ideas. The prototype eventually reached around 12,000 downloads and received positive feedback from players. However, Molina did not initially have the time to develop the project professionally. That changed in November 2025, when he left his job to focus on preparing Dystopicon for a commercial release on Steam. The game's central concept was influenced by classic dystopian fiction, particularly the work of science-fiction author Philip K. Dick. Molina has cited Ubik as an influence, pointing to its depiction of characters having to pay to use everyday household devices. That idea contributed to Dystopicon's economy, while the developer's interest in television and social media helped shape its main gameplay mechanic. Instead of simply consuming media, the game's protagonist is paid for doing so. The original prototype eventually developed into a 28-day gameplay loop in which players had to survive by watching television and reading daily government reports. The game's development also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when large numbers of people were confined to their homes and spent more time using screens. According to Molina, the circumstances provided an unexpected parallel to some of the ideas already present in Dystopicon. A New Visual Identity While the game's core mechanics and story had already been tested through the prototype, Molina felt the original 3D models lacked personality. Xenia Almela was subsequently brought on as the game's 3D artist and helped establish the visual identity of the final version. Mario Alba, a 2D artist who had previously created comics for the original project, also returned to produce additional artwork for the commercial release. The result is the version of Dystopicon now available on Steam, combining its time-management systems with a retro-futuristic setting and satirical take on life under an increasingly automated society. Dystopicon is now available on Steam for €7.99/$7.99, with a 15% discount available during its first two weeks. Review codes are also available for media and content creators.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/dystopicon-launches-on-steam-with-a-dystopian-tv-watching-job/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/dystopicon-launches-on-steam-with-a-dystopian-tv-watching-job/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:16:22 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Orc Incremental Is Out Now on Steam]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Independent developer Nice Ride and publisher Playsaurus have announced that Orc Incremental , an incremental auto-battler with RPG elements, is now available on Steam. The game launched on September 8, 2026, priced at $7.99/€7.99, with a 15% launch discount. Orc Incremental focuses on building and expanding an orc warband through automated battles, strategic formations, card drafting, spells, and permanent progression. Players begin with a small force and gradually develop it into a larger army capable of taking on increasingly difficult enemies. The game combines incremental progression with auto-battler mechanics. While battles take place automatically, players are responsible for deciding which units and totems to draft, how the army is arranged, and when to use abilities and spells. These decisions become increasingly important as enemies scale and progression slows. Build an Orc Warband Orc Incremental allows players to build an army from a single grunt into a larger warband made up of different units, roles, rarities, and synergies. New units and totems are acquired through card drafting, with each selection influencing the direction of a run. Formations can be adjusted to make better use of individual unit abilities, while spells such as Blizzard and Fireball provide additional options during battles. The goal is to develop a composition capable of overcoming progression walls and defeating milestone bosses. When a run reaches its limits, players can activate Dark Rebirth . This resets the current run in exchange for permanent bonuses and additional unlocks, allowing future armies to progress further. The rebirth system forms the foundation of the game's long-term progression loop. Orc Incremental also includes offline progression, allowing resources to accumulate while players are away from the game. New Content in the 1.0 Release The full 1.0 release introduces several new units, enemies, bosses, progression systems, and quality-of-life improvements. Four new allied units have been added: the Assassin , Troll , Warg Raider , and Juggernaut . The Assassin focuses on stealth and critical damage, while the Troll serves as a durable tank capable of reflecting damage. The Warg Raider specializes in area damage and can pull vulnerable enemies from safer positions, while the Juggernaut functions as an explosive siege unit. Chieftains have also been reworked. They now participate directly in battles as battlefield units and feature nine different bloodlines, each with its own signature abilities. These abilities can be activated with the right mouse button. Chieftains also have a Martyrdom passive that activates when the chieftain is sacrificed. The Blight Tree has been expanded and redesigned into a branching progression system containing 250 upgrade nodes. This gives players additional ways to specialize and improve their armies between runs. The enemy roster has also been expanded with Cryomancers, Paladins, and Griffons. Three new legendary bosses have been added as further tests of army composition and progression. Five new totems expand the available card and totem builds, introducing additional unit synergies and strategies. The 1.0 update also includes improvements to Trials, balance, progression, usability, and general game polish. A Faux-Retro Pixel Art Style According to Nice Ride's Art and Programming developer Velasco, one of the more difficult aspects of development was creating the game's visual style. The team drew inspiration from games of the 1990s, many of which used traditionally drawn sprites that were later scanned and retouched. For Orc Incremental, Nice Ride instead created its artwork entirely in pixel art at a relatively high resolution of 960×540. The developers described the result as a faux-retro aesthetic that would not have been technically typical of the era that inspired it. The additional art requirements contributed to development taking longer than originally planned, with Playsaurus providing artists to help the team complete the game's assets. Orc Incremental Features The game's main features include: Building and scaling an orc army from a single grunt into a full warband Drafting units and totems with different rarities, roles, and synergies Creating formations and optimizing army compositions Using active spells including Blizzard and Fireball Resetting runs through Dark Rebirth for permanent progression bonuses Unlocking new units, challenges, and Chieftain options Progressing through offline resource accumulation Fighting milestone bosses and legendary enemies Experimenting with different card, unit, and totem combinations Orc Incremental is Nice Ride's debut title. The studio is a remote collective of three developers from different European countries, with a focus on single-player games featuring 2D artwork. The game is published by Playsaurus, a California-based developer and publisher known for its work in the incremental and idle-games space, including Clicker Heroes , Mr.Mine , Sixty Four , and the PC and console versions of Cookie Clicker . Orc Incremental is now available on Steam for $7.99/€7.99, with a 15% launch discount.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/orc-incremental-is-out-now-on-steam/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/orc-incremental-is-out-now-on-steam/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:10:50 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Red Cathedral Digital Edition Will Be Free on Steam for 12 Days]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The digital edition of the acclaimed board game The Red Cathedral will be available to play for free on Steam for 12 days ahead of its full release this fall. Publisher and developer Devir announced that the The Red Cathedral: Digital Edition free play period will run from August 25 through September 6, 2026 . The promotion will give PC players an opportunity to try the digital adaptation before its full launch on Steam and mobile devices. The game is based on the board game of the same name, which has sold more than 100,000 physical copies . The digital edition will support one to four players , with cross-play planned between PC and mobile versions. The Red Cathedral Brings Resource Management to PC and Mobile The Red Cathedral is a strategy board game centred on the construction of a cathedral. Players compete to build different sections of the structure while managing resources and gaining prestige. Players first claim sections of the cathedral before collecting the materials required to construct and decorate them. The game also requires players to account for the influence of the clergy and the city's various guilds while attempting to gain the favour of the Tsar. Once construction is complete, the player with the most prestige wins. The digital edition retains the core mechanics of the physical game while adapting them for PC and mobile platforms. Devir describes the game as easy to learn while offering considerable strategic depth and replayability. The original board game has received several awards and nominations, including a nomination for the 2021 Tric Trac d'Or and a finalist position for Best Strategy Game at the 2021 Board Game Quest Awards. It has also maintained strong user ratings on board game platforms, with Devir highlighting its rondel-based resource management system. Solo and Multiplayer Modes Included The Red Cathedral: Digital Edition will support several ways to play. Players can compete against friends locally or online, challenge random opponents, or play alone against AI-controlled opponents. The solo mode includes three AI difficulty levels , giving players different challenges depending on their experience with the game. Cross-platform multiplayer will also allow players on supported platforms to compete with one another. The full release is planned for PC, Android, and iOS , with cross-play compatibility. A step-by-step tutorial is also included to introduce new players to the game's mechanics. The Red Cathedral Digital Edition Features The digital adaptation will include: The original game designed by Shei and Isra Strategic resource management and construction mechanics Adapted and expanded artwork based on the physical board game Three AI difficulty levels A detailed tutorial Solo play Local and online multiplayer Cross-platform multiplayer Support for one to four players Replayable strategic gameplay The free Steam period will run from August 25 to September 6 , after which players will have to wait for the game's full release later in the fall. Devir has also invited media and other interested parties to request game codes ahead of the promotion. Available next action: Create a downloadable DOCX file here in this chat containing the editable prose above.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/the-red-cathedral-digital-edition-will-be-free-on-steam-for-12-days/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:07:24 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon Is Out Now on PC]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[French indie developer Ars Goetia and publisher Dear Villagers have announced that HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is now available on PC via Steam. The dark fantasy tactical RPG and dungeon crawler launched on August 4, 2026, priced at €19.99/$19.99/£17.99. The game is also available with a 15% launch discount during its first week . A new launch trailer was released alongside the launch. HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is the follow-up to HellSlave and expands on the original game's dark fantasy setting with a larger world, additional character customization, new abilities, and an updated combat system. A World Caught Between Demons and the Heavens HellSlave II takes place in a world that has been devastated by thousands of years of conflict between six demon lords. Their endless war has left the world in ruins, while the heavens have responded by unleashing the Archon of Judgment. The Archon is an unstoppable force intended to destroy the remaining world and put an end to the demonic conflict. Players are tasked with surviving this conflict while attempting to save what remains of humanity. The game's setting has been designed around a hand-drawn dark fantasy art style, with players exploring a demon-infested world filled with ruined settlements, dungeons, sanctuaries, and other locations. Six Classes and Expanded Character Customization Players can choose from six different classes when creating their character. The available options are designed to support different approaches to combat, ranging from spectral assassins to plague-focused mages. HellSlave II also introduces new Demonic Powers , which are obtained through corruption from the Demon Lords. These powers provide additional skills and give players more options when developing their characters. Character progression is built around flexible talent trees, allowing players to combine skills and Demonic Powers to create different builds. The system is designed to encourage experimentation and adaptation as players progress through the game. Turn-Based Combat With Time-Based Mechanics Combat remains one of the central systems in HellSlave II, with the sequel retaining the series' turn-based approach while introducing improvements and new mechanics. Although battles are turn-based, time continues to play an important role in combat. Each action takes time, creating an additional consideration when deciding whether to attack aggressively, defend, or take another action. This system requires players to balance aggression with survival, particularly when facing groups of demons and stronger enemies. Explore the Demon World Outside of combat, HellSlave II features a top-down overworld that players can explore while completing quests and uncovering the game's lore. The world contains dungeons, ruined villages, sanctuaries, and other locations where players can find loot, complete objectives, and discover secrets connected to the Demon World. The sequel was developed using feedback from players of the original HellSlave. Solo developer Baptiste Miny said that the new game was designed to provide a larger and more developed experience while responding to feedback from the first title. “I’m thrilled to offer a new HellSlave experience with a deeper, bigger and better designed game.” According to Miny, player feedback played an important role in shaping HellSlave II and its approach to expanding the series. HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon Release Details HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is available now on PC via Steam . Genre: RPG, Roguelite, Indie, Dungeon Crawler Platform: PC Release Date: August 4, 2026 Price: €19.99 / $19.99 / £17.99 Launch Discount: 15% during the first week The game is developed by Ars Goetia , a solo studio founded by Baptiste Miny, and published by Dear Villagers . Ars Goetia previously developed Blind Prophet – Blood of the Apostle and HellSlave , with the studio's games known for their hand-drawn art direction and dark fantasy settings. HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is now available for players looking for a tactical RPG that combines dungeon crawling, turn-based combat, character customization, and a hand-drawn dark fantasy world.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/hellslave-ii-judgment-of-the-archon-is-out-now-on-pc/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/hellslave-ii-judgment-of-the-archon-is-out-now-on-pc/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:02:09 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marvel Rivals Season 10.5 Skips the New Hero Entirely]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Season 10.5 of Marvel Rivals is breaking the pattern players have come to expect, and not in a way that will thrill everyone. NetEase has confirmed that the second half of Season 10 will not introduce a new hero or a new map. No character reveal, no teaser countdown, no roster shakeup. Just two new game modes. How the season split used to work Since launch, Marvel Rivals has run on a predictable two-hero-per-season rhythm. Season starts, first hero drops at launch, second hero arrives at the midpoint. Players could set their watch to it. That structure gave the game a steady drip of fresh content and kept the meta moving every few weeks. Season 10, titled Butcher's Blasphemy , was supposed to follow the same formula. The first half delivers Gorr the God Butcher , a Duelist who wields the All-Black, the Necrosword, alongside a new Domination map called God Quarry arriving September 24. That part is still on track. The second half is where things change. What Season 10.5 actually brings instead NetEase revealed in their latest developer diary that Season 10.5 will skip the usual mid-season hero entirely. The team is redirecting that development bandwidth toward Path to Doomsday , the studio's ongoing multi-season event arc. Specifically, phases 3 and 4 of that event are the focus, and they come with two new game modes drawing directly from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame . The studio hasn't detailed exactly what those modes look like mechanically yet, but the thematic framing is clear. These aren't minor additions. NetEase is treating them as a significant enough content push to justify the missing hero slot. important NetEase explicitly confirmed that a one-hero season is not the new standard. Season 11 will return to the regular two-hero release schedule. That reassurance matters. The concern with any deviation from an established content cadence is whether it signals a slowdown or a permanent change in direction. NetEase is drawing a clear line here: this is a one-time trade-off to deliver a bigger event, not a cost-cutting measure dressed up as a feature. The trade-off players are weighing Here's the thing: two new game modes is genuinely not nothing. If the Infinity War and Endgame inspirations translate into something with actual mechanical depth, Season 10.5 could end up being more interesting to play than a season that just added another hero to a roster already 40+ characters deep. What most players miss in these situations is that hero additions and game mode additions hit differently. A new hero changes who you play. A new mode changes how you play. Depending on where you are with the current roster, the latter might actually matter more right now. The risk, of course, is that the modes land flat. If they feel like limited-time filler rather than something with staying power, the missing hero will feel like a much bigger absence. NetEase is betting that the Path to Doomsday payoff justifies the swap. What to expect before Season 10.5 arrives Season 10 itself kicks off September 11, 2026, with Gorr and the God Quarry map following on September 24. If you want the full breakdown of confirmed start times, rank reset details, and what to finish before the season flips, the Marvel Rivals Season 10 release date guide has everything in one place. Season 11 is when the two-hero cadence returns, so if the single-hero season feels thin to you, that's the next milestone worth watching. For now, the Path to Doomsday modes are the story, and how well they land will define whether Season 10.5 is remembered as a smart pivot or a missed opportunity. Keep an eye on the Marvel Rivals guides hub for updates as more details on those modes surface.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-5-no/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-5-no/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:40:36 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marvel Rivals Season 10 Battle Pass Skins Revealed]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[NetEase has dropped the official battle pass trailer for Marvel Rivals Season 10, and the community is losing it. The season, called The Godbomb , launches September 11 and brings Gorr the God Butcher into the roster as the game's 54th playable character. The battle pass reveal came alongside a sweeping image of all ten cosmetics hitting the pass, and honestly, it lives up to the hype. Ten skins, zero filler The Godbomb battle pass packs 10 skins total, all wrapped in a celestial, god-tier aesthetic that fits the Gorr theme perfectly. The confirmed characters getting cosmetics include Captain America , White Fox , The Punisher , Doctor Strange , and Loki . That classic Punisher look in particular has fans excited, since it leans into the character's roots rather than any reimagined cosmic angle. Here's the thing: the quality bar for these skins looks noticeably high. NetEase has been steadily escalating the production value on battle pass cosmetics since launch, and Season 10 appears to be the peak of that trend so far. The lore setup is doing heavy lifting NetEase posted the season's narrative framing alongside the reveal, and it sets the stakes clearly: tip "Deep within the God Quarry, a shadow falls over every deity in the Chronoverse. Gorr the God Butcher has brought the Faith-Harvesting Engine to this cosmic graveyard outside space and time, seeking to detonate the ultimate weapon and extinguish every god across reality. The countdown to detonation has begun!" That framing ties directly into why the battle pass is named The Godbomb. It's the weapon Gorr intends to use, and the cosmetics reflect that divine-destruction theme throughout. The Loki skin is worth flagging specifically. Gorr's introduction trailer implied the trickster god had been thoroughly destroyed, which left some fans questioning whether Loki would even have a role in Season 10 content. A dedicated battle pass skin suggests he survives the narrative, or at least exists in a timeline where he does. What this means for the season Season 10 kicks off in two days, so the timing of this reveal is clearly designed to push last-minute battle pass purchases. If you want context on how the pass compares to what came before, the Marvel Rivals Season 9 battle pass breakdown covers every skin and reward from the Faith Harvesting Engine pass, which is a useful reference point for what to expect in terms of value and unlock pacing. The Godbomb's roster of characters spans Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists, which means most playstyles will find at least one skin worth chasing. White Fox getting a slot is a nice touch given her relatively recent addition to the game. For a full picture of everything dropping in the season beyond the battle pass, including the new map, balance changes, and event schedule, the Marvel Rivals Season 9 roadmap guide gives a solid breakdown of how NetEase has structured recent seasonal content, which follows a similar pattern heading into Season 10. Season 10 goes live September 11. The battle pass will be available from day one.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-battle-pass/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-battle-pass/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:56:09 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for September 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Sony has confirmed the full PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog lineup for September 2026, and the headliner is exactly what wrestling fans have been waiting for. WWE 2K26 lands in the catalog as the biggest addition this month, bringing over 400 playable wrestlers including The Rock , John Cena , Triple H , and Rhea Ripley alongside Legends of the Attitude Era content. For anyone who has been sitting on the fence about picking it up, this is the easiest possible entry point. All 10 titles go live on September 15 for PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium subscribers. Here's the complete breakdown. The full list of what's coming The Game Catalog additions cover a genuinely varied mix of genres, which is more than can be said for some recent months. Game catalog titles (PS Plus Extra and Premium) Game Platform WWE 2K26 PS5 RuneScape: Dragonwilds PS5 Ball x Pit PS5 Date Everything! PS5 Slitterhead PS5, PS4 Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound PS5, PS4 Dungeons of Hinterberg PS5, PS4 Sniper Elite: Resistance PS5, PS4 Classics catalog titles (PS Plus Premium only) Game Platform Mega Man X Command Mission PS5, PS4 Metro Redux PS4 tip The Classics Catalog titles are exclusive to PS Plus Premium subscribers. PS Plus Extra members get the Game Catalog additions only. What's actually worth your time WWE 2K26 is the obvious draw, but a few other titles here deserve attention. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is the 2D side-scrolling entry in the series that launched earlier this year to solid reception from action game fans. If you missed it at launch, the catalog is a great way to catch up. RuneScape: Dragonwilds is the survival crafting spin-off set in the RuneScape universe, which has been building a steady audience since its early access phase. Getting it through the catalog removes the cost barrier entirely. Dungeons of Hinterberg is the one that might fly under the radar for most subscribers. It's a dungeon-crawling RPG with a social sim layer that drew comparisons to Persona-style structure. Worth a look if that style of game appeals to you. For Premium subscribers, Metro Redux in the Classics Catalog is a two-for-one deal covering both Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux. If you have never played the series, this is a legitimate classic package worth installing. Storage and timing With 10 titles dropping on September 15, it's worth thinking about storage before that date arrives. Games like WWE 2K26 and Metro Redux are not small installs. If you're already managing space on a packed PS5, planning ahead matters. PS5 storage management has been a recurring headache for subscribers who pile up catalog titles. If you're also tracking upcoming first-party releases, check out our Saros file size and pre-load date guide to plan your storage before September gets busy. Speaking of upcoming PS5 releases worth preparing for, the Pragmata preload and file size details are also live if you're juggling multiple big installs this month. September's catalog is a genuine step up from a few recent months that leaned heavily on smaller indie titles with one big name attached. WWE 2K26 alone justifies the month for sports game fans, and the combination of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound , RuneScape: Dragonwilds , and Dungeons of Hinterberg gives the rest of the library real depth. For a full look at what's available across PS5 right now, the GAMES.GG game reviews hub is a good place to check before you commit your download queue.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/playstation-plus-game-catalog-september-2026/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:46:57 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Valheim 1.0 Update Goes Live After Five Years in Early Access]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Five years of Early Access came to an end today when Iron Gate Studio pushed Valheim 1.0 live at 6 AM PDT on September 9, 2026. The studio described the update as containing more than two biomes' worth of new content , and based on the Steam numbers alone, players clearly agree it was worth the wait. Steam peaked at 116,000 concurrent players in the 24 hours following launch. The day before? Around 26,000. That kind of jump doesn't happen for a routine patch. It happens when a game earns it. What five years of Early Access actually built Valheim entered Early Access on February 2, 2021, and the 1.0 release completes the game's full biome progression. The Deep North sits at the top of the map, filling out the northernmost stretch that players have been sailing toward since the Meadows. Iron Gate calls it a massive, snow-covered region of dense frozen forests and abandoned villages where the ghosts of former inhabitants still wander. Two dungeon types anchor the exploration loop. The Winding Tunnels open through large village houses, while the Gates of Mörkhalla sit inside fortress structures and require a key to enter. New enemies include Gammeltrolls, the Elaking, Eyeless Ones, and the Shapeless Pulp. Tamable Seals and rideable Moose round out the wildlife, because of course they do. The new metal tier is Bloodgold , smelted from Petrified Tissue, and Timberwood covers the wood tier. A full Nord-tier weapon set covers every class. Traversal gets two new tools: a Grappling Hook carried over from the Mistlands and a Shovel for clearing deep snow drifts. Getting to the biome requires a longship and Ember Charges to break the ice sheets along the shore, so preparation matters before you head north. The full scope of what dropped today Here's the thing , the Deep North is just the headline. The actual content list is enormous. 40+ new weapons , including new bombs and ammunition types 4 new armor sets , plus capes, trinkets, and tools 10+ new creatures and 20 new food items 80+ new buildable pieces and fresh crafting mechanics New achievements, locations, music, and in-game events Alongside all of that, Iron Gate ran a major optimization pass. The Unity engine received an upgrade, the menu got a full overhaul, a Magica cloth system was added, draw distance now has a dedicated graphics setting, enemy spawn chances were rebalanced, and all hair and beard styles are available from character creation. important Existing saves carry over to 1.0, but Iron Gate recommends starting a fresh world for the Deep North. The new achievement system only tracks kills and events from the moment 1.0 is installed, so anything done on an old save won't count retroactively. New platforms and crossplay on day one The 1.0 release isn't just a content drop. PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 both launched with the game today, joining PC (Steam, Linux, Mac), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Game Pass. Full crossplay is confirmed across every platform, so PC players can share worlds with console friends. The update itself weighs around 4.3 GB , which is modest given the volume of content. Mod support continues post-launch, though players should note that BepInEx mods and crossplay cannot run on the same server simultaneously. Console clients can't install those mods, so keep modded servers Steam-only. What this launch actually signals A lot of Early Access games reach 1.0 with a quiet patch and a version number change. Valheim's approach is the opposite. Iron Gate spent five years building out every biome, and the final one landed as a full content release rather than a formality. The player count reaction confirms what the patch notes suggest: this is a completed game, not a graduation ceremony. For players returning after a long break or jumping in for the first time, the Valheim guides collection covers everything from biome progression to boss prep. There's a lot to navigate before you reach the Deep North, and having the full progression mapped out will save you significant time getting there.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/valheim-1-0-update/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:43:21 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kirby and the World Beyond Announced at Nintendo Direct]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nintendo saved its biggest surprise for last at the September 2026 Nintendo Direct, closing the show with the reveal of Kirby and the World Beyond , a brand-new 3D adventure coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2027. The announcement caught a lot of people off guard. Going into the Direct, speculation was running hot about a new Smash Bros. or a Nintendogs revival. Instead, everyone's favorite pink puffball got the closer slot, which Nintendo typically reserves for its biggest guns. What the reveal trailer actually showed The trailer opens exactly how you'd expect a Kirby game to: colorful 3D environments, platforming, copy abilities, enemies getting inhaled. Standard stuff. Then it takes a sharp left turn. Kirby tosses a boss so hard it punches a hole through the sky itself. That crack in the world expands, and through it sits an entirely new realm waiting to be explored. The "World Beyond" in the title isn't just a name; it's literally where the game goes. Kirby then absorbs a massive crystal sword that channels the energy of his entire world, triggering a new transformation that lets him tear through the biggest obstacles in his path. He uses it to split open that hole in the sky and cross over. Nintendo's official description frames it as an open experience: "Freely explore an expansive world and put Kirby's Copy Abilities to creative use as you uncover what awaits in Kirby and the World Beyond." The key phrase there is "freely explore." This looks like it could be Kirby's most open game yet, pushing further than the semi-open structure of its immediate predecessor. important Nintendo has confirmed spring 2027 as the release window, but specific gameplay details, modes, and additional copy abilities beyond what the trailer showed have not been revealed yet. How this fits into the Kirby timeline The last mainline Kirby game was Kirby and the Forgotten Land , which launched on the original Nintendo Switch in early 2022. That game made a big deal of Kirby's first proper 3D adventure, moving away from the series' traditional side-scrolling format. It sold well and landed with fans who had been waiting years for the franchise to make that leap. Since then, the Kirby releases have been spinoffs and remasters. Kirby Air Riders arrived in 2025 as a follow-up to the cult-classic racing game (you can check out Kirby Air Riders for more on that one), and 2023 brought Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe. Good games, but not new mainline entries. Kirby and the World Beyond is the first original mainline installment in roughly five years. The timing is also notable: HAL Laboratory and Nintendo confirmed that spring 2027 lines up with the Kirby franchise's 35th anniversary. Nintendo's Yoshiaki Koizumi acknowledged the milestone during the Direct and promised more details will come later. The community reaction is already a lot Within minutes of the trailer dropping, Kirby fans had already landed on a comparison that's going to stick: the premise looks a lot like Jim Carrey's 1998 film The Truman Show . A character living inside a contained world who eventually breaks through its boundaries and discovers something bigger on the other side. The memes arrived fast. Beyond the jokes, the genuine enthusiasm for this announcement is hard to miss. Kirby and the Forgotten Land proved the franchise could carry a full 3D adventure game, and players have been waiting to see where HAL Laboratory would take that formula next. The crystal sword transformation and the concept of a second, unknown world to explore are already generating serious discussion about what copy abilities might return, what the new realm looks like, and how open "open" actually means. Here's the thing: Nintendo gave almost nothing away beyond the trailer. No release date beyond "spring 2027," no details on modes or multiplayer, no word on whether the co-op from Forgotten Land returns. That's either intentional restraint or the game is still far enough out that there isn't much else to show yet. What to expect between now and launch Spring 2027 gives Nintendo roughly six to eight months of runway before release, which means a proper deep-dive reveal is likely coming sometime in early 2027. If you want to get ahead of the curve on Kirby's mechanics and history before then, the Kirby Air Riders beginner strategies guide is a solid place to brush up on how the franchise handles ability-based gameplay. The 35th anniversary angle also suggests Nintendo may have additional Kirby-related announcements planned around the same window. Koizumi's comment about sharing more details "in the future" was deliberately vague, but it leaves the door open for anniversary content beyond just this one game. For now, the trailer is all there is. Keep an eye on Nintendo's official channels as the spring 2027 window approaches, and check out the full Kirby Air Riders guides collection to stay sharp on the franchise while the wait begins.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/kirby-world-beyond-nintendo-switch-2/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:29:03 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mario Kart World Free Update Adds Classic SNES Courses]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you picked up Mario Kart World at Switch 2 launch and felt the track list was getting a little familiar, today's free update has you covered. Nintendo announced during the September 9 Direct that 10 classic courses from Super Mario Kart are now available in the game, dropping the same day as the announcement with zero waiting required. This is the kind of surprise Nintendo pulls off best: no paid season pass teaser, no vague "coming soon" trailer. Just a Direct announcement followed immediately by the update going live. What the SNES courses actually bring to VS Race The 10 returning tracks slot into VS Race mode, which is where most players spend time outside of Knockout Tour. These aren't just reskins either. The classic courses bring back old-school question mark panels on the ground instead of the floating item boxes that have been standard in Mario Kart since the N64 era. Tracks like Choco Island , Ghost Valley , and Mario Circuit are among the returning courses, and their layouts will look familiar to anyone who has spent time in the open world of Mario Kart World, since the terrain from these tracks has been visible in the game since launch. The difference now is that they're actually playable in VS Race. Here's the thing: Nintendo quietly built these environments into the game at launch without giving players access to them as proper race tracks. Getting them turned on via a free update is a smart way to add content without building entirely new assets from scratch. tip The classic SNES courses use ground-level question mark panels for items instead of the floating boxes found on modern tracks, giving them a distinctly retro feel even in the Switch 2 presentation. Two new Knockout Tour routes join the roster Knockout Tour is Mario Kart World's signature mode, and it's getting two additional rally routes as part of the same update. The mode tasks players with surviving elimination across a series of connected courses, and more routes means more variety in how those gauntlets play out. The new routes drop after the Direct concludes, so they should be available to download now. Knockout Tour has been the mode that keeps competitive players coming back, and adding fresh routes extends its lifespan without requiring any new characters or mechanics. Two new routes might not sound massive, but in a mode built around repetition and mastery, the variety matters. Free update, not the paid DLC people expected Before the Direct, a fair number of players were expecting Nintendo to announce paid DLC for Mario Kart World, following the pattern set by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass. That's not what happened here. This is a completely free update, which is genuinely good news for anyone who bought the game at launch. The flip side is that paid DLC still hasn't been announced. Given that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received years of post-launch support, there's a reasonable expectation that Mario Kart World will eventually get a paid expansion, but nothing has been confirmed. If it's coming, it likely won't arrive until sometime next year at the earliest. What most players miss in situations like this is that free content drops often precede paid announcements. Nintendo may be building goodwill before asking for money. Or this is simply Nintendo maintaining a live game. Either way, 10 free tracks is a win. The bigger picture for Mario Kart World post-launch Mario Kart World launched in June 2025 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and it arrived with open-world exploration as its headline feature. The game has seen a handful of updates since launch, and this SNES course drop lands the same week that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received its own free Switch 2 upgrade, adding eight-player split-screen and visual improvements. Nintendo is clearly investing in both games simultaneously rather than letting the older title fade out. The timing is interesting. Two Mario Kart games getting meaningful free updates in the same week signals that Nintendo sees value in keeping both audiences engaged on Switch 2. For players who want to dig deeper into Mario Kart mechanics ahead of tackling the new content, the gaming guides hub has resources covering racing strategy across the series. The new courses are live now, so there's no reason to wait.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/mario-kart-world-free-snes-courses/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/mario-kart-world-free-snes-courses/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:54:20 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Metroid Ravenous Confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you've been waiting for the next 2D Metroid since finishing Metroid Dread , the wait now has an end date. Nintendo dropped a full reveal trailer for Metroid Ravenous during the September 9 Nintendo Direct, confirming it as the next side-scrolling Samus adventure and locking in a release date of January 28, 2027 , exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement caps off years of fan speculation. A 2D follow-up to Dread had been rumored well before Metroid Prime 4 even shipped, and a Brazilian ratings board leak earlier this year put the name Ravenous on everyone's radar. Now it's real, it has a trailer, and it's arriving in just over four months. What the trailer actually tells us The Ravenous reveal trailer doesn't hide its connection to Dread. Samus appears in armor that looks nearly identical to the fully-upgraded suit she earned at the end of that game, all alien-green and chitinous. The setting drops her into a deep subterranean superstructure, labyrinthian in layout, where she works through one-on-one confrontations with enemies and larger boss encounters. Here's the thing that immediately stood out: the EMMI robots that made Dread so tense are gone, replaced by a group of hooded, robotic-looking aliens who seem to be filling that same predatory role. They drop Samus into this underground environment deliberately, which suggests the story is picking up threads from where Dread left off rather than starting fresh. Samus also talks. A lot, by her standards. She narrated portions of the Ravenous trailer in full sentences, which is a significant departure from her usual silence. She spoke briefly in Dread's final sequence in the Chozo language, but extended narration hasn't happened since Metroid Other M. Whether that signals a bigger storytelling shift for the series or just a trailer-specific choice, it's impossible to ignore. Dread's shadow looms large over Ravenous Metroid Dread launched in October 2021 and sold 3 million copies, making it the best-selling entry in the franchise's history at that point. That's the bar Ravenous is being measured against, and the trailer suggests Nintendo and developer MercurySteam (presumed, given their work on Dread) understand exactly what made that game work. The tense one-on-one combat, the claustrophobic underground environments, the sense that Samus is genuinely outmatched early on and has to claw her way back to full power. All of it reads as deliberate continuity rather than a soft reboot. If you played through Dread and wanted more of that exact feeling, Ravenous looks like it's built for you. important Metroid Ravenous is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. There is no announced version for original Switch hardware. Nintendo also confirmed that a Metroid Ravenous Special Edition and a new amiibo lineup will launch alongside the game on January 28, 2027. No pricing details have been confirmed yet for either. Five years is a long time to wait From Dread's October 2021 launch to Ravenous' January 2027 release, that's over five years between mainline 2D Metroid games. For context, the gap between Metroid Fusion and Dread was nearly two decades. Five years feels almost generous by series standards, but it's still a long stretch for fans who wanted that next chapter immediately after Dread's credits rolled. The January window is interesting too. Nintendo is clearly confident in Ravenous as a standalone system seller for Switch 2 in the early part of 2027. Launching in late January avoids the holiday rush while still capitalizing on new console momentum. What most players miss in the lead-up to a new Metroid is just how much the previous game sets the tone. Dread's control scheme, its EMMI mechanics, and its tight map design all defined expectations. Brushing up on Dread's systems and story before January is worth your time. The Metroid Dread guide collection at GAMES.GG covers everything from boss strategies to ability unlock order if you need a refresher before Ravenous arrives. January 2027 is closer than it feels Metroid Ravenous has a date, a trailer, and a clear narrative throughline connecting it to Dread. Nintendo's September 9 Direct gave fans exactly what they'd been asking for, and the early 2027 window means the wait is genuinely short by Metroid standards. The trailer is out now and worth watching multiple times. There's a lot packed into it. In the meantime, our full gaming guides hub has everything you need to stay sharp across Nintendo's current lineup while the countdown to January runs.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/metroid-ravenous-confirmed-2d-metroid/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/metroid-ravenous-confirmed-2d-metroid/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:52:28 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Meccha Chameleon Is Now on Nintendo Switch 2]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[MECCHA CHAMELEON just pulled off a classic hide-and-seek move on the entire gaming community. Solo developer lemorion_1224 dropped the news during the September 2026 Nintendo Direct that the viral PC hit is making its console debut on Nintendo Switch 2, and the kicker? It launched the same day as the announcement. From Steam sensation to Switch 2 surprise For anyone who missed the MECCHA CHAMELEON wave earlier this year, here's the short version: it's an online hide-and-seek game where players paint themselves to blend into maps while seekers hunt them down with shotguns. The concept sounds absurd. The execution is genuinely brilliant. At its peak on Steam, over 340,000 players were in-game simultaneously, which is a number that puts most big-budget multiplayer titles to shame. The game has since inspired copycat modes in both Roblox and Fortnite, but the original still holds its audience. Sales estimates put it ahead of every other game released in the first half of this year, including titles from much larger studios with far bigger budgets. All of that happened while the game was locked to a single platform. PC only. No console ports in sight. Until today. What the Switch 2 version actually brings The port isn't just a straight conversion. A few details make it worth paying attention to beyond the novelty of playing on console for the first time. Crossplay with PC is confirmed, so the Switch 2 player base plugs directly into the existing community rather than starting from scratch Joy-Con mouse mode support is included, which matters a lot here. MECCHA CHAMELEON was built around mouse and keyboard controls, so having a physical mouse option on Switch 2 should keep the feel close to the PC version A launch week discount is live on the Nintendo eShop right now, making this a good entry point if you've been sitting on the fence important There's currently no confirmation of ports for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. Nintendo Switch 2 is the only console version announced so far. The Joy-Con mouse mode angle is the one to watch. MECCHA CHAMELEON's painting mechanic is fast and precise, and it was designed with a mouse in mind. Whether the Joy-Con implementation feels natural or clunky will go a long way toward determining how well the game translates. The crossplay confirmation at least means Switch 2 players won't be stuck in half-empty lobbies while they wait for the port to find its footing. A natural fit for Nintendo's hardware The Switch 2 is probably the one console where MECCHA CHAMELEON makes the most sense. The game is family-friendly, chaotic in the best way, and built around a concept that works in short sessions. That plays directly into how people actually use Nintendo hardware, both docked at home and handheld on the go. The one thing PC players still have over the Switch 2 version is mod support. The Steam community has produced custom maps that extend the game's life considerably, and that's not something the Switch 2 port will have access to. If you're deep into the modded side of things, Steam remains the place to be. For everyone else, or anyone who just wants to rope in friends and family who don't game on PC, the Switch 2 version looks like a solid option. If you're new to the game and want to get up to speed fast, the MECCHA CHAMELEON tips and tricks guide covers paint tool usage, pose tricks, and seeker strategies that apply whether you're playing on PC or Switch 2. What this means for the game's future This is MECCHA CHAMELEON's first console port, and the way it landed, as a same-day shadow drop during a Nintendo Direct, suggests lemorion_1224 and Nintendo put real effort into making the announcement land with impact. A quiet eShop listing this is not. The bigger question is whether this opens the door to PS5 and Xbox ports down the line. Right now there's no word either way, but the commercial case for expanding further seems obvious given the game's sales trajectory. A console debut that performs well on Switch 2 would make that conversation much easier. For players jumping in fresh on Switch 2, you'll want to know how private rooms and multiplayer setup work before diving in. The MECCHA CHAMELEON multiplayer guide walks through setting up private games, inviting friends, and getting the most out of the crossplay system now that two platforms are in the mix.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/meccha-chameleon-nintendo-switch-2-release/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:47:35 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass Part 2 Details Revealed at Nintendo Direct]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you're playing Pokémon Pokopia and wondering what comes after the Bubbly Basin DLC, today's Nintendo Direct dropped a meaningful batch of new information about Part 2 of the Expansion Pass. No release date was confirmed, but there's enough here to get a clear picture of where the game is headed next. What Part 2 is actually focused on Here's the thing: Part 2 is not bringing a new zone. That was already confirmed before today, but the Nintendo Direct made it clear that the zone content is being saved for Part 3. Instead, Part 2 is built around customization and new Pokémon additions, which is a different kind of content drop than what players got in Bubbly Basin. That's not necessarily a downgrade. Customization has been one of the more requested features in the community since launch, and the trailer showed off exactly the kind of cosmetic options players have been asking for. New accessories for Ditto and your Pokémon The trailer confirmed sunglasses, bow ties, and ribbons as incoming customization items. What makes this more interesting than a standard cosmetic update is that these accessories can be equipped to both the playable Ditto character and the other Pokémon living in your towns. That's a meaningful distinction. Dressing up your whole town's population rather than just your own character opens up a lot more creative expression in how players build and present their spaces. No word yet on how these items are obtained, whether through crafting, exploration, or some other mechanic tied to the new content. Three new Pokémon confirmed, and probably more The trailer explicitly revealed Doduo , Skitty , and Braixen as new additions coming in Part 2. The key here is how Pokopia's Pokédex system works: the game typically includes full evolutionary lines rather than isolated Pokémon. That means Dodrio , Delcatty , Fennekin , and Delphox are all but confirmed to join the roster as well, even if they weren't shown directly. That's potentially seven Pokémon added in a single content wave, which is a solid haul for players focused on completing their Pokédex or building out specific habitat setups. tip Pokopia's Pokédex structure means revealed Pokémon almost always come with their full evolutionary lines. Doduo, Skitty, and Braixen likely represent three complete lines rather than three standalone additions. The habitat question nobody has answered yet One thing that remains genuinely unclear is how Part 2's Pokémon will be locked behind the paid expansion. Bubbly Basin introduced a new zone with its own mechanics and habitats, which made the paywall fairly straightforward. Without a new zone, Part 2 will need a different approach, possibly new habitat types built around items introduced specifically in this expansion wave. The developers haven't addressed this yet, and it's worth watching when more details arrive. What to expect next The Nintendo Direct didn't lock in a release window beyond "later in 2026." More announcements are expected, with a concrete date being the obvious next piece of information the community is waiting on. If you want the full picture of what the Expansion Pass contains across all three parts, the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass price and content guide breaks down exactly what you're paying for. And for a look at every Pokémon confirmed so far across the DLC waves, the complete Bubbly Basin Pokémon guide covers what's in Part 1 and what's been teased for Parts 2 and 3.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/pokemon-pokopia-expansion-pass-part-2/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/pokemon-pokopia-expansion-pass-part-2/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:44:59 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Last Caretaker Heading to Xbox Game Pass at 1.0 Launch]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Last Caretaker is heading to Xbox Game Pass when it exits early access. Developer Channel37 confirmed at Gamescom 2026 that the survival game will hit version 1.0 in Spring 2027 and land on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox platforms on day one. The game has been in early access since November 2025, and the numbers tell you people are sticking around. Channel37 has sold over 400,000 copies, and players average almost 50 hours exploring the game's flooded world. That's a strong foundation heading into a full release. What the 1.0 launch actually means Here's the thing: 1.0 isn't the finish line. Channel37 co-founder and creative director Antti Ilvessuo put it plainly: "Early Access is giving us something more valuable than a fixed list of features to finish. It is giving us hundreds of thousands of people living inside the game and showing us what matters. Spring is 1.0, but it's not where we put the tools down; rather, it's the next chapter." The team has committed to continuing development past launch, with new content, systems, locations, stories, fixes, and unspecified surprises still planned. So Game Pass subscribers who pick it up day one won't be walking into an abandoned product. The road to Spring 2027 The roadmap Channel37 presented at Gamescom is packed. The next major stop is Update 6.0 , codenamed "The Future," targeting PC in early October 2026. Beyond that, the roadmap lists several more updates before 1.0, each promising new systems, locations, progression changes, and story developments. The final three updates on the roadmap have coded names that the team is leaving fans to decipher. tip Update 6.0 is planned for PC first in early October 2026, with Xbox platforms coming alongside the 1.0 launch in Spring 2027. The game itself puts players in control of an android stranded at the end of the world, navigating a planet swallowed by rising oceans. The few remaining fragments of civilization are yours to find, survive, and build on. Seven significant updates have already expanded that world since early access launched, and the team shows no signs of slowing down. What Game Pass means for the player count Getting onto Xbox Game Pass at launch is a real shot at a much wider audience. The Last Caretaker is the kind of game that benefits from word of mouth, and Game Pass subscribers tend to try things they'd never buy outright. For a survival game sitting at 400,000 sales after roughly nine months in early access, that exposure could push it into a very different conversation. If you want a head start before the 1.0 release, the game is already available on PC via Steam. The guide collection for The Last Caretaker has everything you need to get up to speed before the full launch, and you can find broader gaming guides on GAMES.GG if you're jumping into something new alongside it.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/last-caretaker-xbox-game-pass-launch/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/last-caretaker-xbox-game-pass-launch/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:42:53 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[EA FC 27 Platinum Trophy Requires Paying for a Premium Pass]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The full Trophy and Achievement list for EA Sports FC 27 dropped ahead of launch, and one entry is already generating serious heat. Buried in the list is an Achievement and Trophy called "All Aboard the Premium Track," which asks players to fully complete and unlock every level in the Premium Pass. Not the free pass. The paid one. What the trophy actually demands The requirement is straightforward on paper: complete a Premium Pass in its entirety. The problem is that the Premium Pass is a paid product, and the standard edition of the game includes exactly zero of them. Here's how pass access breaks down across the three editions: Edition Premium Passes Included Standard Edition 0 Ultimate Edition 1 Ultimate Plus Edition 5 If you buy the base game and want that trophy, you're going to need to either grind for in-game currency or spend real money. Based on FC 26 pricing, a single Premium Pass cost 1,000 FIFA Points or 500,000 Ultimate Team Coins. Half a million Coins is an enormous ask for most players who aren't regularly flipping expensive cards on the transfer market. important The Premium Pass is time-limited. If the season ends before you finish it, you'll need to buy another pass to try again. Missing the window doesn't just delay the trophy, it costs you more currency. Why this feels different from standard grind requirements Trophies and Achievements have always included grindy tasks. Play 100 matches, score from distance 50 times, win a Division title. Those things take time, but they're free. Tying a completion requirement to a monetized product is a different category of ask entirely. The key here is that EA isn't just making completionists work harder. They're making them spend more, or at minimum spend smarter. Players who miss a pass window, or who start the game on Standard Edition and later want 100%, face a recurring cost problem rather than a time problem. There's also a longer-term issue worth flagging: once EA FC 27's servers eventually wind down, this trophy becomes permanently unobtainable. That's not unique to this specific achievement, but it does mean the clock is always ticking from the moment you boot the game. The edition math for completionists For players who already planned to buy the Ultimate Plus Edition, this isn't a problem. Five Premium Passes across a single game cycle is more than enough runway to finish at least one. But the Ultimate Plus Edition costs $150 , making it the most expensive version of the game EA has ever released. The calculus for completionists buying the Standard Edition gets uncomfortable fast. If the FC 27 Premium Pass holds the same pricing as last year, grinding 500,000 Coins without paying cash takes serious time investment. And that's assuming you complete the pass before it expires. Miss it, and you're back to square one. For players weighing their options before purchase, there's a full breakdown of what separates each edition in our EA FC 27 Ultimate Edition vs Ultimate Plus buying guide . tip If you're planning to go for 100% completion, factor the Premium Pass cost into your edition decision before launch. Upgrading after the fact won't retroactively grant you passes you already missed. The broader pattern this fits into EA has been threading paid content into its progression systems for years, but tying a trophy directly to that content is a more explicit version of that push than usual. Most battle pass structures reward players for engaging with optional content. This one rewards players for paying for optional content, with a permanent mark on their profile as the prize. What most players miss is that this isn't just about the trophy itself. It's about what the trophy signals: that EA considers Premium Pass completion a natural part of the FC 27 experience, normal enough to be a completionist checkbox. That framing matters. EA FC 27 launches in early access on September 18, with full release the following week. If you're planning to go for the Platinum or full Achievement score, it's worth sorting your edition and pass strategy before the first season kicks off. The EA FC 27 editions guide breaks down every version's price and included bonuses so you can make that call with the full picture in front of you.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ea-fc-27-platinum-trophy-requires-paying-premium-pass/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:41:23 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ubisoft Now Part of Xbox Disc-to-Digital Program]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Yesterday, several outlets ran stories calling out Ubisoft for being absent from Xbox's Disc-to-Digital program , with players seeing "not supported" messages when inserting Ubisoft discs during the alpha test. About 18 hours later, that story aged pretty quickly. Ubisoft games are now live in the program for Xbox Insider testers in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings. Titles like Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 4, Trials Fusion (with season pass), the Assassin's Creed Ezio Collection, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and more are all converting successfully. The turnaround was fast enough that the original "Ubisoft opts out" headlines barely had time to circulate. What the disc-to-digital program actually does Here's the thing: the program is still in Alpha testing, so the initial roster of supported games was never going to represent the final state of things. Microsoft has been clear that the rollout is ongoing, and publishers need to work through licensing agreements before their titles go live. That's not a quick process for any large organization. When a compatible disc is inserted into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X, the program attaches a digital license to your account. From that point you can download, stream via cloud, and access Xbox Play Anywhere support, all without needing the disc in the drive. You can also share that license with another player through console sharing. The disc itself doesn't become worthless either. If you sell or give it away, the next person can claim the digital license from your account. Cloud saves carry over too, so re-acquiring a title digitally later on picks up right where you left off. tip The disc-to-digital program is currently exclusive to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings. Broader availability has not been announced yet. Why the Ubisoft narrative caught fire so fast Ubisoft has a complicated history with game preservation. The shutdown of The Crew and the broader conversation around digital ownership of games the publisher has delisted made the "Ubisoft won't support disc-to-digital" story feel plausible. Gamers who had been burned before were quick to assume the worst. The key here is that absence from an alpha program isn't the same as opting out permanently. Publishers working through contract details before committing is standard practice. The anger was understandable given the context, but it was premature. For Ubisoft fans, this is genuinely good news. If you've been holding onto physical copies of Assassin's Creed titles, check out our guide on whether Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has early access to stay up to date on what Ubisoft has confirmed for that release. Publishers still waiting in the queue Not everyone is live yet. At the time of writing, Bandai Namco , SEGA , and Square Enix are among the publishers whose titles are still not working in the program. That list is expected to shrink over time. Given how aggressively Square Enix has backed Xbox initiatives like Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming in the past, their absence reads more like paperwork than reluctance. The program already has well over 1,000 games in its supported list and that number has been climbing since the alpha launched. The broader context matters too. With PlayStation publicly committed to phasing out physical discs entirely by 2028, Xbox's approach of bridging physical and digital ownership looks increasingly distinct. Whether the next-gen Xbox Helix continues that commitment will be worth watching closely. For now, Ubisoft's fast addition is a sign that the program is moving, not stalling. Keep an eye on the full supported games list as more publishers clear their licensing hurdles. If you want to stay on top of all things Xbox and beyond, the gaming guides at GAMES.GG cover the latest across platforms.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ubisoft-joins-xbox-disc-to-digital/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:39:31 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley Launch Nova Games Foundation]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you've ever wanted to make your own game but had no idea how to fund it, the Nova Games Foundation is exactly the kind of thing that could change your trajectory. Mark Cerny , lead architect of the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and Geoff Keighley , host of The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest, announced today that they've jointly launched the Nova Games Foundation , an independent nonprofit that will hand out $100,000 grants to 20 young game designers every single year. This is not a publisher deal. Nova takes no equity, no ownership stake, and no cut of anything you make. It's straight-up philanthropy from two of the most recognizable names in the industry. What the foundation actually offers Every Nova fellow receives a baseline grant of $100,000. That alone puts the program's minimum annual spend at $2 million across all 20 recipients. Here's the thing though: for roughly a quarter of those fellows, the funding can go significantly higher. Projects that hit development milestones can qualify for up to an additional $500,000, meaning a single fellow could receive as much as $600,000 in total support. The money comes paired with mentorship from established game industry figures. Keighley said dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time. Josef Fares , founder of Hazelight Studios and the director behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction, is already involved through both a donation and a commitment to mentor future fellows. Fares said the program gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their ideas and bring their own visions to life. Cerny and Keighley have each made multi-million-dollar personal donations to establish the foundation. Keighley was direct about the intent: "Nova is philanthropy: we aren't taking equity or looking to recoup the grants." important Nova fellows retain full ownership of their games. The foundation will offer publisher introductions if requested, but takes no financial stake in any project it funds. The universities involved and when you can apply Nova's first cohort will draw from class of 2026 and 2027 students at 13 affiliated game design programs across 8 countries. The confirmed universities include New York University and the University of Southern California in the US, Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. The full list of participating institutions is still to come. Applications open in December 2026. The first group of Nova fellows will be announced in March 2027. Nova has brought on John Maconga as executive director and Ashley Corrigan , former director of the Game Developers Conference, as head of grants. That's a meaningful hire. Corrigan spent years running GDC, which means she understands exactly what emerging developers need and where the gaps in support typically are. Why Cerny and Keighley built this The foundation didn't come from a business meeting. Cerny and Keighley have been meeting for dinner several times a year in Los Angeles for roughly a decade, and their conversations kept circling back to the same question: what could they actually do for the next generation of game directors? Cerny put it plainly: "I'm nearing the end of my career. I'm not done yet, but paying it forward, in the best way possible, is very much on my mind these days." Keighley drew inspiration from established fellowship models like the Rhodes Scholarship and the MacArthur Foundation grants. He pointed to Jenova Chen , the USC graduate who went on to direct Flower and Journey at thatgamecompany, as the kind of creative path Nova hopes to encourage more of. The foundation's stated focus is games with "artistic, literary and societal value," and it's specifically looking for creators capable of leading a small team through a full development cycle, not just strong concepts on paper. What most players miss when they see news like this is just how rare no-strings funding actually is in game development. Most external money comes with publisher control, equity stakes, or platform exclusivity attached. Nova offers none of that baggage. Building something that outlasts its founders Both Cerny and Keighley are explicit that Nova isn't meant to be a two-person operation forever. The goal is a broader endowment backed by individuals and companies across the games industry, with Cerny estimating that process could take 10 to 20 years to fully develop. The key here is that they're not waiting for that endowment to start making an impact. The first applications open in December, and the inaugural class gets named in March 2027. If you're a game design student at one of the 13 affiliated programs, or you know someone who is, this is worth watching closely. For players, the longer-term payoff is more interesting: Nova is explicitly trying to produce the next generation of directors with the creative freedom to make games on their own terms, without a publisher shaping the vision from day one. For more on games worth paying attention to from independent developers, check out our gaming guides covering everything from city-builders to strategy titles. And if you're already building in Nova Roma while you wait for the next big indie announcement, our Nova Roma city-building guide has everything you need to keep your settlement running.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/cerny-keighley-nova-games-foundation/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/cerny-keighley-nova-games-foundation/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[GTA 6 Lets Jason and Lucia Break Up But Stay Criminal Partners]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Grand Theft Auto 6 keeps revealing layers that nobody expected from a GTA game. Fresh out of a preview session with Rockstar North's head of development Rob Nelson , it's now confirmed that Jason and Lucia can actually break up, splitting their romantic relationship while keeping their criminal partnership fully intact. The romance is optional, the crime is not Here's the thing: Rockstar has been building toward this for a while. Earlier previews established that the romance between Jason and Lucia isn't a fixed story beat. Players have to actively maintain it. Now we know what happens if you don't, or if you just decide you'd rather keep things strictly professional. The two split up romantically but continue working together as partners in crime throughout the rest of the story. That's a genuinely interesting design choice. Most games that feature dual protagonists in a relationship either lock you into that dynamic or make the breakup a dramatic story moment you can't avoid. GTA 6 is letting players decide the texture of the relationship without blowing up the plot. What the preview session actually revealed Rob Nelson answered the breakup question directly during a longer gameplay session attended by Italian gaming content creator MikeShowSha . The details were subsequently translated and summarized on Reddit by user El_Pintor64 , and they go well beyond just the relationship mechanic. A few other confirmed details from the same session: Jason and Lucia have off-screen routines that play out independently Story choices will have consequences that surface later in the game NPC accessories can be picked up and equipped by the player Both characters will show visible physical injuries from tasers and falls Players can choose whether to tell their partner about certain events or hide information, with both options carrying consequences That last point is where it gets interesting. Rockstar specifically compared the information-sharing dynamic to real-life couple situations. Tell your partner immediately and face immediate fallout. Hide it, and risk a much bigger blowup later if they find out. The game is tracking relationship health in ways that feel closer to an RPG than a traditional GTA entry. important Rockstar has confirmed the romantic relationship is entirely optional and won't lock players out of major story content. The criminal partnership between Jason and Lucia continues regardless of relationship status. Toxic relationships are on the table too Breaking up isn't the only alternative to a healthy romance. Players can also maintain a toxic relationship between the two characters, which adds another layer to the dynamic. This isn't just a binary choice between "good relationship" or "no relationship." The spectrum apparently includes dysfunction, which tracks with Rockstar's history of writing morally complicated characters. The key here is that none of this derails the central story. Rockstar has been careful to frame all of this as player expression rather than player gatekeeping. You're not locked out of content for choosing the wrong relationship path. More than just a relationship system Zooming out, these details paint a picture of a GTA entry that's paying attention to systemic depth in ways the series hasn't before. Visible injuries, independent NPC routines, consequence-delayed story choices, and a relationship system with genuine branching all point to a game that wants player decisions to feel like they actually matter. Whether all of this holds up in the final release is the real question. Systems like these sound compelling in preview sessions and can sometimes flatten out in practice. But the fact that Rob Nelson is fielding specific questions about relationship mechanics and answering them with concrete detail suggests this isn't surface-level feature marketing. For players planning their GTA 6 experience, it's worth checking out the confirmed hairstyles guide for Jason and Lucia to see how character customization ties into the dual-protagonist setup. And if you want a full rundown of what's in each version of the game before launch, the GTA 6 editions and pre-order bonuses guide has everything you need to make a decision.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-6-jason-lucia-break-up/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-6-jason-lucia-break-up/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:58:10 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Battlefield REDSEC Adds Rapid Royale Mode and Proximity Chat]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Battlefield Studios has laid out the next major phase for Battlefield REDSEC, and the roadmap covers a lot of ground. Proximity Chat arrives in just days, a faster battle royale variant is coming in Season 5, and the competitive circuit is being rebuilt with serious prize money attached. For a game that launched in the shadow of Battlefield 2042 and spent months finding its footing, this is a meaningful push. Proximity Chat lands September 15 The most immediately relevant piece of news: Proximity Chat goes live in Battlefield REDSEC's Battle Royale mode on September 15, 2026 . It lets players hear enemy squads in their vicinity, which opens up the kind of unscripted moments that make battle royale games genuinely memorable. Tense standoffs, accidental alliances, trash talk mid-gunfight. The feature has been a staple request from the community, and it's finally here. Battlefield Studios is treating this as a first iteration. The team wants feedback on audio range, clarity, moderation tools, and how the feature affects match flow before considering a wider rollout to other modes. That's a sensible approach, though it does mean proximity chat stays limited to Battle Royale for now. tip Proximity Chat launches exclusively in Battle Royale on September 15. Battlefield Studios is collecting player feedback on range, clarity, and moderation before expanding it to other modes. What Rapid Royale actually changes Season 5 brings Rapid Royale , a new mode built on REDSEC's existing Battle Royale foundation but tuned for speed. The play space is smaller, the circle moves faster, and the player count is reduced. The direct result is shorter matches and far more frequent squad encounters. Less time looting empty buildings, more time in actual fights. Here's the thing: the standard Battle Royale formula has a pacing problem that turns off players who want constant action. Rapid Royale is a direct answer to that. It doesn't replace the existing mode, it runs alongside it, giving players a choice between the longer strategic experience and something closer to a condensed, high-intensity sprint. Season 5 runs from December 4, 2026 to January 16, 2027 . A competitive circuit with real money behind it The esports side of REDSEC is getting a full rebuild, and the numbers are significant. Here's how the schedule breaks down: Event Dates Prize Pool Season 4 Cash Cups Sept 19 – Oct 10, 2026 $150,000 (split across APAC, EMEA, Americas) Open Series Oct 24 – Nov 21, 2026 TBC Elite Series Dec 4, 2026 – Jan 16, 2027 $1,338,000 global The Season 4 Cash Cups run weekly across three regions, with $50,000 per region on the line each week. Four days after Proximity Chat drops, squads can start competing for that money. The Open Series runs across three two-day events, each starting with up to 384 teams per region competing in 24-team Battle Royale lobbies. The top 12 teams from each round advance. It's the qualifying path into the Elite Series for new competitors. The Elite Series is where the big money sits. A $1,338,000 global prize pool, with $446,000 allocated to each of APAC, EMEA, and the Americas. Returning teams from the original Elite Series join squads who earn their spots through the Open Series. The prior Elite Series was delayed and essentially shelved for months, which did real damage to the game's competitive reputation. This reinstatement, with prize pools larger than the original, is a direct attempt to rebuild that credibility. important The Elite Series carries a $1,338,000 global prize pool, with $446,000 per region. Teams can qualify through the Open Series running October 24 to November 21. What this means for REDSEC going forward Proximity Chat and Rapid Royale solve two different problems. The chat feature makes matches more unpredictable and social in ways that no amount of map design can replicate. The new mode gives impatient players a legitimate reason to keep queuing. Neither addition is a complete fix for every criticism the game has faced, but both address things that players have been asking for since launch. The competitive calendar is the bigger signal. Rebuilding the Elite Series with over $1.3 million in prizes, after the tournament program collapsed earlier this year, requires a real commitment from Battlefield Studios . If the player counts hold up through the Cash Cups and Open Series, the Elite Series in December could put REDSEC back on the esports map. For players who want to get ahead of the competitive meta or sharpen up before the Cash Cups start on September 19, the Battlefield 2042 strategy guides cover the core mechanics that carry over into REDSEC. Broader tips across multiple titles are available in the gaming guides hub if you want to expand your preparation beyond the Battlefield ecosystem.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/battlefield-redsec-rapid-royale-proximity-chat/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/battlefield-redsec-rapid-royale-proximity-chat/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:51:33 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rebel Wolves Confirms Next Dawnwalker Game Is in Development]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The ink on The Blood of Dawnwalker is barely dry and Rebel Wolves is already moving. The studio's debut RPG games sold over 1 million copies within its opening weekend, and rather than pause to celebrate, the team has publicly confirmed it's building what comes next in the Dawnwalker universe. The LinkedIn post that confirmed everything Jakub Szamalek , narrative director at Rebel Wolves, posted on LinkedIn this week with a job listing that doubles as a franchise announcement. The studio is looking for a Lead Writer to join the narrative team, and the framing left zero ambiguity about the project's scope. Here's what Szamalek wrote: "The Blood of Dawnwalker released to critical acclaim and sold over one million copies in the opening weekend. But! We're not resting on our laurels , no, siree! We're already thinking about what comes next. And so! Drum roll please! I'm looking for a Lead Writer to help me and the narrative team craft the next chapter in the Dawnwalker saga." The job listing itself, posted on Polish job board Skillshot, adds some texture to what the next game might look like. The ideal candidate needs the "ability to create interactive, non-linear stories and dialogues" and "familiarity with the history and folklore of Central and Eastern Europe." That second requirement is telling. It suggests the sequel won't be abandoning the Carpathian Mountains setting entirely, though Rebel Wolves has previously stated the franchise will "span centuries, continents, and cultures across the globe." What the ending of the first game already told us Here's the thing: the sequel was never really a surprise. The Blood of Dawnwalker ends with a modern-day cutscene showing protagonist Coen of Laslea still alive and fighting a powerful vampiric enemy, centuries after the events of the first game. Rebel Wolves actually released this footage as a trailer before launch, so it's not a spoiler so much as a deliberate setup for exactly the kind of multi-timeline saga the studio has been describing since before the first game shipped. The bigger question is what form the next entry takes. The job listing's emphasis on non-linear storytelling and Central and Eastern European folklore points toward a game that stays rooted in the same cultural and narrative DNA, even if the timeline or geography shifts. Whether it follows a "The X of Dawnwalker" naming convention or something else entirely is still unknown. tip The Lead Writer role is being hired via Skillshot, a Polish job board. The listing signals early pre-production, meaning a release date for the sequel is likely years away. Why this pace matters for the studio Rebel Wolves is a relatively young studio, founded by former CD Projekt Red veterans including creative director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz . Launching a debut title to critical acclaim and million-plus sales in a single weekend is the kind of result that gives a studio both the confidence and the resources to move fast on a follow-up. Still hiring a Lead Writer means the project is genuinely early. Szamalek is explicit that the team is "already thinking" rather than deep in production, which tracks with the stage of hiring. What matters is that the sequel is a confirmed priority, not a vague future possibility. If you're still working through the first game, check out our guide on how long it takes to beat The Blood of Dawnwalker to plan your playthrough before more Dawnwalker news starts dropping.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/rebel-wolves-next-dawnwalker-game/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/rebel-wolves-next-dawnwalker-game/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:50:25 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Forza Horizon 6 PS5 Release Reportedly Delayed to 2027]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Forza Horizon 6 launched on Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19, and a PS5 release was publicly floated as coming later this year. Now, a new claim from a well-connected industry journalist contradicts that timeline, stating that Microsoft is planning to push the PS5 version into early 2027 instead. The delay, if accurate, isn't framed as a technical problem or a platform dispute. The reasoning points to timing: Playground Games reportedly wants to line up the PS5 launch with the game's first expansion, giving Sony players a more complete package on day one rather than a base game that Xbox owners have already had for months. Why the timing matters for PS5 players Here's the thing: this isn't just a minor scheduling shuffle. PS5 players who were counting on a 2026 release are now looking at a wait that could stretch past the 12-month mark from the Xbox launch. That's a long time to avoid spoilers, car meta discussions, and Barn Find locations. The predecessor, Forza Horizon 5, made the jump to PS5 and performed well on Sony's platform, which made the expectation of a similar turnaround for Forza Horizon 6 feel reasonable. Delaying that release by even a few months changes the calculus for players who have been holding off on buying an Xbox or gaming PC specifically to wait for a PS5 version. The expansion angle is actually a smart move on paper. Launching alongside new content gives PS5 players a reason to jump in immediately rather than feeling like they're playing catch-up on a game the rest of the world has already finished. But it does mean waiting longer. important No official announcement has been made by Microsoft or Playground Games. This is based on an unconfirmed claim, so treat the 2027 timeline as likely but not locked in. Tokyo Game Show is the next logical moment Xbox has a confirmed presence at the Tokyo Game Show this month, which made it a natural venue for a PS5 release date announcement. If the delay claim is accurate, that announcement isn't coming at TGS. Or if it does, it'll be to confirm the 2027 window rather than a 2026 one. What most players miss in situations like this is that the absence of an announcement is itself information. If Xbox shows up at Tokyo Game Show and says nothing about the PS5 version, that silence will speak pretty loudly. Forza Horizon 6 takes the series to Japan for the first time, a setting that feels especially fitting for a Tokyo showcase. Check out the Forza Horizon 6 what to expect guide for a full breakdown of the Japan map, fog of war mechanic, Car Meets, and everything else the game brings to the table. What this means right now For Xbox and PC players, nothing changes. The game is out, it's been well-received, and the content roadmap continues. For PS5 players, the practical advice is to stop planning around a 2026 release date and start thinking about early 2027 as the realistic target. The key here is that "early 2027" still leaves a wide window. That could mean January, or it could mean March. No specific month has been attached to the claim, so pinning down an exact date isn't possible yet. For everything confirmed about the game so far, including edition pricing, exact launch times, and early access details, the Forza Horizon 6 release date and start times guide has all the specifics in one place.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/forza-horizon-6-ps5-delay-2027/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/forza-horizon-6-ps5-delay-2027/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:49:37 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[GTA 6 NPC System Gets New Details]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[A preview event for Grand Theft Auto 6 has produced a wave of new NPC details, and the specifics are more interesting than the usual "NPCs feel alive" marketing talk. Content creator MikeShowSha attended the session alongside Rob Nelson from Rockstar Games, and the details coming out of that conversation paint a picture of a world that actually pushes back. What NPCs will actually do when you pull out a weapon The most immediately noticeable change is how NPCs respond to visible firearms. Some will back away or show fear. Others will actually attempt to disarm players who are openly carrying weapons in public. There is already footage of this in the extended gameplay look, where an NPC approaches Lucia during a robbery. This is a meaningful shift from the binary GTA 5 NPC logic where pedestrians either panicked and ran or stood frozen. The new system reacts to proximity, weapon visibility, and player behavior in real time. Civilians will also notice when something feels off. They can comment on strange behavior and react to eavesdropping. The world is not waiting passively for you to do something. The hat and glasses moment that changes how you think about escapes During Mike's session , a fight with two NPCs ended with one of them dropping their hat and glasses on the ground. Jason could walk over, pick them up, and put them on. That is it. No menu, no shop, just grab what fell and wear it. The practical implication here is real. Changing your appearance mid-chase by grabbing something off a knocked-out NPC is exactly the kind of emergent moment that makes open-world games feel less like systems and more like places. It also fits naturally with the confirmed hairstyle and appearance customization options for Jason and Lucia that Rockstar has been building out. tip The accessory pickup system was observed in an active preview session, not a scripted demo. Rockstar confirmed the dynamic car crash behavior was also entirely unscripted. The out-of-breath cop is not a gimmick This one is getting attention for good reason. During the preview, a heavier police officer chased Jason on foot. Jason outran him. When Mike looked back, the officer was bent over, exhausted, and visibly struggling to breathe. Rockstar has built distinct physical stamina traits into different officer body types. A fit cop and a heavier cop will not perform the same during a foot pursuit. That is not a cosmetic detail. It changes how you think about which direction to run and whether a chase is actually dangerous. The car crashes work on a similar principle. Rob Nelson shot at police vehicles during the session, and each one responded differently every time. No two crashes played out the same. Rockstar also recreated a crash from the trailer during the session, and it matched without being scripted. Robberies that branch based on what you threaten Two robbery scenarios from the session are worth noting. In the first, threatening a cashier during a normal shop robbery caused them to reveal there was a safe in the back room. Players then had to decide: take the cash already in hand or go deeper for a bigger score. The second was stranger. Two masked women got trapped mid-robbery at a jewelry shop and asked Jason and Lucia for help. Players could assist them and walk away with the jewelry. Rockstar mentioned they had not seen that particular event trigger during their own internal testing for months. That is the detail that lands hardest. A development team that has been running the game continuously for years still encounters events they have not seen recently. The world is generating situations faster than anyone can catalogue them. NPCs dress for the neighborhood Smaller but still worth noting: NPC clothing changes based on location. Mike spotted people in sportswear near gyms and normal casual clothing in Jason's neighborhood. It is the kind of detail that sounds minor until you realize how much it affects whether a crowd feels like a real place or a repeated asset. GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. If you want to lock in your copy before then, the GTA 6 pre-order guide has everything you need on platforms, pricing, and editions.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-6-npc-system-gets-new-details/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-6-npc-system-gets-new-details/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:07:42 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kingdom Hearts 4 Worlds Leaked via Steam Achievements]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Square Enix has only officially announced one world for Kingdom Hearts IV so far: a Coco-inspired Land of the Dead. That changed today, and not because of a trailer. A large-scale Steam API error pushed private achievement data for dozens of unreleased games into public view, and Kingdom Hearts 4 was among the biggest casualties. The achievement database Exophase, which pulls data from Steam's backend API, suddenly found itself hosting achievement lists for games that were never supposed to be visible. The site's owner explained on a ResetEra thread that this appeared to be an error on Valve's end rather than a deliberate breach, noting that games without even a public name started appearing with full achievement sets over the course of about an hour. Every world the leak points to The Kingdom Hearts 4 achievement names paint a fairly clear picture of what Square Enix has been building. Here's the full list pulled from the leaked data: World Name Likely Source Material Land of the Dead Coco (Pixar) Galaxy Far, Far Away Star Wars Savanna Central Zootopia Toy Box Toy Story Haunted Mansion Haunted Mansion Imagineer Planet Disney Parks Monochrome Origins Classic Mickey Mouse cartoons (likely) Quadratum Kingdom Hearts (original) Scala ad Caelum Kingdom Hearts (original) That's 9 distinct worlds visible in the achievement data, with Coco already confirmed making the total count at least 10 areas in the game. The Star Wars world is the headline The Star Wars connection is the one fans will talk about most. Achievement names like "Desert Do-Gooder" and "May the Light Be with You" tie directly to the Galaxy Far, Far Away world, and players had already been speculating about a Star Wars crossover since the first Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer dropped. The leaked achievement names essentially close that debate. Here's the thing: Star Wars has been a Disney property since 2012, and Kingdom Hearts has always treated the Disney catalog as fair game. A desert-based Star Wars world fits the series' pattern of picking one recognizable location from each franchise and building a contained story around it. Tatooine or Jakku seem like the most likely inspirations given the "Desert Do-Gooder" achievement name. important Achievement data pulled from an API can change before a game ships. World names, titles, and even the worlds themselves could be altered or cut before Kingdom Hearts 4 releases in 2027. Treat this as a strong indicator, not a final roster. Familiar worlds returning alongside new ones Two worlds on the list are Kingdom Hearts-original locations. Quadratum is the Shibuya-inspired setting introduced in Kingdom Hearts 3's epilogue and heavily featured in the Kingdom Hearts 4 reveal trailer. Scala ad Caelum appeared as a late-game location in Kingdom Hearts 3, so its return suggests it still has story relevance in the new entry. The Toy Box world is interesting because Toy Story already appeared in Kingdom Hearts 3. Returning to the same franchise isn't unheard of in the series, but it would be a departure from the usual approach of cycling through new Disney properties each game. Monochrome Origins is the most mysterious entry. The name suggests something built around the classic black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons, which would be a genuinely creative direction. Imagineer Planet reads as a nod to Disney's theme park division, which would also be a first for the series. What Square Enix has actually said Kingdom Hearts 4 co-director Tai Yasue and series creator Tetsuya Nomura stated at D23 2026 that the game is a "100% thing" for its late 2027 launch window, pushing back on any delay speculation. The game is targeting PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Square Enix has not commented on the leaked achievement data. Given that this appears to stem from a Valve-side API error rather than a deliberate leak, the studio is in an awkward position: the data is already public, but officially acknowledging it would amount to confirming spoilers the company clearly wasn't ready to share. The broader leak context Kingdom Hearts 4 wasn't the only game caught up in this. The same API error surfaced achievement data for Persona 6, an unannounced Steam port of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, an unannounced Telltale Games Walking Dead collection, and several other titles. The scale of the exposure suggests Valve pushed a configuration change that briefly made private achievement data accessible to any application hitting the API. For an RPG like Kingdom Hearts 4, where world reveals are a major marketing beat, having 9 worlds surface this way is a significant spoiler. Square Enix had been drip-feeding information carefully, with Coco being the only world shown in any official capacity. That strategy is now considerably harder to execute. With the late 2027 launch still over a year away, there's plenty of time for the studio to course-correct its marketing plan. Keep an eye on the Kingdom Hearts IV guides hub as more details surface closer to launch.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/steam-leak-kingdom-hearts-4-worlds/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/steam-leak-kingdom-hearts-4-worlds/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:00:41 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Massive Steam Leak Reveals Unannounced Games and Achievements]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Sometime in the early hours of September 9, 2026, Exophase started doing something it normally never does: indexing games that don't exist yet. The achievement-tracking site, which monitors Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and several other platforms, suddenly began pulling in hundreds of entries for unreleased titles. Some of those titles had never been announced. The cause appears to be a Valve API error that briefly made private achievement data publicly accessible, allowing Exophase to automatically scan and catalogue it. Exophase owner Mike Bendel (known on ResetEra as x3sphere) confirmed the situation directly, stating that games with achievements that should have been private became accessible through the API, and that the site's automated scanning picked them up. Bendel noted the unusual volume of entries appearing with only AppIDs instead of proper names, which is what flagged the issue. Here's the thing: this isn't a targeted hack or a deliberate data dump. It looks like a straightforward infrastructure slip on Valve's end. The consequences, though, are anything but small. What got exposed and why it matters to players The sheer volume of games in the leak is hard to overstate. Dozens of titles appeared, ranging from long-rumored projects to games nobody had any idea were in development. For players, this is the equivalent of someone accidentally leaving the entire Christmas shopping list on the kitchen table. Among the already-announced titles caught in the leak are Gears of War: E-Day , Judas , Control Resonant , Silent Hill: Townfall , Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis , and Horizon Hunters Gathering . For those games, the damage is mostly spoiler-related. Achievement lists often describe story beats, boss encounters, and late-game mechanics in enough detail to ruin surprises. If you're planning a blind playthrough of any of those, you'll want to avoid digging into the Exophase entries. warning Achievement lists for announced games like Judas and Silent Hill: Townfall reportedly contain story spoilers. If you care about going in blind, stay away from Exophase entries for those titles until you've finished them. The unannounced games are where things get genuinely interesting. The full list of titles spotted in the leak includes: Persona 6 (reportedly 48 achievements, with details about locations, activities, and gameplay systems) Kingdom Hearts IV (achievements apparently hint at specific Disney worlds, including what looks like a Star Wars connection) Deus Ex Remaster Minecraft Dungeons 2 Tropico 7 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Metro 2039 Lords of the Fallen II ACE COMBAT 8 Attack on Titan 3 Kena: Scars of Kosmora Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Turok Origins Trine 6: Together in Time Tales of Eternia Remastered Fate/Extra Record Final Fantasy Resonance Mega Man Dual Override Squadron 42 Star Wars Galactic Racers Witchbrook Persona 4 Revival Beyond those, there are entries for projects that remain completely unconfirmed by name, including an unannounced Avengers game, a Sea of Thieves sequel or spin-off, a Balatro follow-up, a new Sonic title, a Slime Rancher game, a Dune game, a new Stellaris project, two unannounced Warhammer games, a Nickelodeon life-sim described as Animal Crossing-adjacent, a Walking Dead collection, a Shrek 2 remaster or related project, and a Twin Peaks game. The games generating the most noise right now Persona 6 is the one everyone is talking about. The game has 48 achievements in the leak, and the descriptions reportedly give away enough about activities, locations, and systems to paint a rough picture of what Atlus has been building. Given that Persona 6 has had no official announcement window, seeing 48 fully written achievements is a significant amount of accidental disclosure. Kingdom Hearts IV is another major one, and it's already spawned its own thread of analysis. The achievement descriptions apparently reference specific Disney worlds, with what looks like a Star Wars world generating particular attention. For a series that has always used Disney IP as its backbone, any hints about which worlds made the cut are exactly the kind of thing Square Enix would have wanted to control the reveal on. The Twin Peaks entry is the strangest item on the list. It currently has only 2 achievements: one that appears to be a test achievement, and one for reaching the Double R Diner. That's thin enough to suggest it could be a very early prototype, a cancelled project, or something entirely unrelated to a full game release. Still, a Twin Peaks game of any kind is the kind of thing that gets people talking. What most players miss in leaks like this is that achievement data appearing in Steam's backend doesn't confirm a release is coming. Games get cancelled after years of development. Placeholder entries get created for projects that never ship. The achievement lists here are real, but the games they belong to exist somewhere on a spectrum from "shipping next year" to "quietly shelved three months ago." How achievement tracking sites fit into this Exophase is a legitimate platform that tracks completions and rare achievements across multiple storefronts. It works by scanning publicly accessible API data, which is exactly what it did here. The site didn't do anything wrong. Valve's API exposed data it shouldn't have, and Exophase's automated systems picked it up before anyone could close the door. This kind of leak is different from a targeted breach or a deliberate insider dump. It's more like a filing cabinet left unlocked in a public hallway. The information wasn't stolen; it was just visible to anyone who walked past. For players who hunt achievements, this also creates an interesting side effect. Guides for games that technically don't exist yet are already being drafted. If you're the type who likes to have a roadmap before a game launches, the data is out there, though the risk of it being incomplete or changed before release is real. For games like Tides of Tomorrow, having a solid achievement guide before you start can make a big difference, and that same logic will apply to any of these leaked titles once they actually ship. Some of the more niche entries in the leak are already getting dedicated breakdowns. Atomic Heart's DLC content, for example, shows how achievement lists can reveal far more than developers intend, right down to collectible counts and missable secrets. The Atomic Heart Blood on Crystal achievements guide is a good example of how quickly that kind of data gets structured into something useful once it's public. What happens next Valve has not issued a public statement about the API exposure. Whether the window has been closed or whether more data is still accessible isn't confirmed. Exophase has the entries indexed, and that information is already spreading across forums, social media, and gaming communities faster than any takedown request could realistically contain. For the studios affected, the situation is frustrating but not necessarily damaging in a permanent way. A leaked achievement list is not a leaked build. Story spoilers are real, but controlled reveals are still possible for the big announcements. Atlus can still do a proper Persona 6 reveal. Square Enix can still build a Kingdom Hearts IV trailer around the Disney world reveals that got exposed here. The more interesting question is what this tells us about Steam's backend security for unannounced projects. Developers trust Valve to keep private data private, and that trust took a hit today. For any studio currently sitting on an unannounced game with Steam achievements already written, this is the kind of incident that prompts a conversation about when to register that data in the first place. If any of the leaked titles end up on your radar, our gaming guides will have full achievement breakdowns ready as soon as those games are officially out.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/steam-leak-unannounced-games-achievements/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/steam-leak-unannounced-games-achievements/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:53:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[FF7 Remake trilogy recap trailer drops at PAX West 2026]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you've been keeping up with the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, this weekend just gave you a reason to sit down and feel every bit of that journey hit at once. Square Enix held a dedicated panel for Final Fantasy VII Revelation at PAX West 2026 this weekend, and tucked inside that nearly hour-long session was something fans didn't see coming: a full trilogy recap trailer, pulling together the story threads from Remake and Rebirth ahead of the final chapter. What the PAX West panel actually covered The panel featured Naoki Hamaguchi , director of Final Fantasy VII Revelation, alongside battle director Teruki Endo . Together they walked through the arc of the entire remake series, touched on what's coming in the finale, and introduced new playable characters while sharing details on FITS , the battle system mechanic that's been generating chatter since Revelation was first announced. The recap trailer itself appears around the 45-minute mark of the full panel recording. It's not a teaser. It's a proper narrative summary of where Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and the rest of the crew have been, designed to set the emotional stakes for Revelation's story. Hamaguchi shared the trailer on social media with a message that landed with a lot of weight for longtime fans: "We premiered a special FFVII Remake series recap trailer at our PAX West panel to celebrate the announcement of the release date. As we count down to the release of the final installment, let's keep the excitement going together." The release date that changes everything The trailer premiere wasn't the only major news out of this panel. April 8, 2027 is now locked in as the global launch date for Final Fantasy VII Revelation across all platforms, including Switch 2. That date was confirmed earlier this week, and the PAX West panel reinforced it with the kind of developer energy that signals the game is deep into its final stretch. For fans who've been playing since Remake launched, that's a meaningful milestone. The trilogy has stretched across years, and having a concrete end date shifts the conversation from "when" to "how does it end." tip Final Fantasy VII Revelation will also offer a Story Expansion Pass at launch, which includes Sephiroth and Turks DLC content for players who want more after the credits roll. Why the recap trailer matters right now Here's the thing: recap trailers for long-running series aren't just fan service. They're practical. The Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy has a genuinely complex narrative with branching timelines and story beats that even dedicated players might need a refresher on before Revelation drops. Square Enix releasing this now, at PAX West with seven months to go before launch, is a deliberate move to bring both longtime fans and newcomers up to speed. The panel format, intimate and developer-led, reinforces that the studio wants to bring players into the story rather than just market at them. What most players miss about this moment The FITS system detail from the panel deserves more attention than it's getting. Battle director Teruki Endo being on stage specifically to discuss it signals that the combat in Revelation is going to feel distinct from both Remake and Rebirth. The series has evolved its battle mechanics with each entry, and Revelation appears to be pushing that further rather than settling for a familiar formula. New playable characters were also teased during the panel. No full reveals yet, but the implication is that Revelation's roster extends beyond the core party players have spent two games with. The key here is that Square Enix isn't just wrapping up a story. They're trying to deliver a finale that justifies the trilogy format, and the PAX West panel felt like the starting gun on that final push. For everything you'll want to know before Revelation launches, the Final Fantasy VII Revelation guide collection is the place to start building your prep now.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ff7-remake-trilogy-recap-trailer-pax/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/ff7-remake-trilogy-recap-trailer-pax/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:31:14 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[GTA Cheat Codes and Why They Still Matter for GTA 6]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[R2, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. If your fingers just twitched reading that, you already know exactly what this is about. Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming, and with every new trailer drop and gameplay reveal, a very specific question keeps surfacing in the community: will Rockstar bring back proper cheat codes? It sounds like a small ask. It isn't. What cheat codes actually were (and weren't) The moral panic crowd had it backwards. GTA cheat codes in the PS2 era weren't about skipping the game or cheating in any meaningful competitive sense. They were a toolkit for turning a living open world into a personal physics lab. Spawn a tank. Set every pedestrian against each other. Unlock the full weapons arsenal before the first mission. Each code was essentially a variable in an ongoing experiment. Here's the thing: the players who spent hours running five-star wanted level survival runs with a full loadout often understood Rockstar's world-building more deeply than those who followed the story beat by beat. They knew how NPC drivers reacted to explosions. They understood traffic flow patterns. They had mapped the exact escalation curve of police response. That knowledge came from repetition and experimentation, not cutscenes. The all-weapons code for GTA 3 (and its equivalents across Vice City and San Andreas) became so muscle-memorized that players could input them without looking at the controller. That's not shallow engagement. That's the kind of retention you get when a system is genuinely worth exploring. Why Rockstar's worlds reward breaking The reason cheat codes worked so well in GTA specifically comes down to what makes Rockstar's open worlds different from almost everyone else's. Vice City doesn't feel like a theme park with scripted ride sequences. It feels like an ant farm. Drivers have opinions. Pedestrians have reactions. The city operates on systems that keep running whether you're paying attention or not. When you fire a rocket into a traffic jam you've spent ten minutes engineering, the result is never exactly what you expect. That unpredictability is the point. Cheat codes removed the grind between experiments and let players run more of them, faster. The sandbox became genuinely scientific. Compare that to something like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which has one of the most impressive physics and crafting systems in recent memory. The tools to truly stress-test it are locked behind hours of resource collection. Players who want to push the Zonai building system to its absolute limits have to earn that access slowly. There's no equivalent of spawning a full parts inventory and just building whatever comes to mind. The experimentation ceiling is real. tip GTA San Andreas had over 80 cheat codes on PS2, covering everything from weapon unlocks and wanted level manipulation to weather changes and full pedestrian behavior overrides. That's a lot of variables to play with. The culture shift that killed built-in cheats Something changed in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Achievements and trophies arrived, and with them came an implicit social contract: cheating invalidates the run. Suddenly, using a built-in cheat code felt like it cost you something. The leaderboard pressure and completionist culture that followed made sandbox experimentation feel like a waste of time rather than the point. Modern developers also ship games under enormous scrutiny. Every bug is a headline, every exploit goes viral. The instinct to lock things down and prevent players from breaking anything became standard practice. PC players can still pull up a console command in an Elder Scrolls game and spawn whatever they want, but that access is increasingly seen as a modder's tool rather than a core feature. The result is that mainstream console players lost something. Not the ability to finish games, but the permission to treat them as playgrounds. Five stars, full chaos, pure fun What the GTA 6 reveal tells us about sandbox potential The 26-minute extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 that Rockstar released recently showed a world that looks more reactive and alive than anything in the series so far. Jason shooting at a helicopter from the back of a moving car is a cool set piece. But what happens if you swap the gun for a rocket launcher? What does the game do with that? Those are the questions that matter most to the generation that grew up with cheat codes. Rockstar has built a reputation on systemic depth, on worlds where the rules interact in ways that produce genuinely surprising outcomes. If GTA 6 continues that tradition, and every indication is that it does, then cheat codes aren't just a nostalgia request. They're the most direct way to let players actually study what Rockstar built. The key here is that breaking a well-designed game teaches you more about it than playing it straight ever could. You'll want to know how the new wanted system escalates. You'll want to see how NPCs in Leonida handle full-scale chaos differently from Liberty City or San Andreas. A proper all-weapons code on day one would let players start running those tests immediately. The case for Rockstar bringing them back Cheat codes in GTA were never really about making the game easier. They were about making it wider. More variables. More chaos. More data. The players who memorized AEZAKMI and BAGUVIX in San Andreas weren't avoiding the game, they were extending it in directions the story mode couldn't reach. GTA 6 is shaping up to be the most technically ambitious open world Rockstar has ever built. Letting players loose in it with a full toolkit, from day one, without grinding for access, would be a genuine gift to the community that has been waiting years for this release. For everything you need to know before launch, including editions, pre-order bonuses, and exclusive content, the GTA 6 strategy guides collection has you covered going into release day.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-cheat-codes-sandbox-generation/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-cheat-codes-sandbox-generation/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:29:25 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Palworld Update 1.0.4 Adds Missions, Fixes Fishing, and Smarter Pals]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Palworld update 1.0.4 is out now, and Pocketpair has packed it with more than just a couple of bug fixes. Two new sub-missions, a meaningful rework of fishing difficulty, smarter Pal behavior in combat, and a handful of production quality-of-life changes make this one worth paying attention to. Two new sub-missions and where to find them The patch drops 2 new sub-missions into the world. The first comes from an NPC stationed at Fisherman's Point , and the second is a direct follow-up to that initial quest. They're not standalone additions thrown in at random; the chain structure suggests Pocketpair is building out the NPC quest ecosystem that arrived with 1.0 rather than letting it sit static. For players who have already cleared the main story content and are hunting reasons to stay out in the world, these side chains are exactly the kind of low-friction content that extends a session without demanding hours of commitment. What changed for fishing Fishing has been a friction point for a portion of the playerbase, and 1.0.4 addresses it directly. The baseline difficulty for casting in bodies of water around the World Tree and in Sunreach has been adjusted downward. Rewards tied to every bait type have also been rebalanced. The most interesting change is the introduction of a sliding scale for fish behavior during minigames. Fish responsiveness during the catch sequence now adjusts based on difficulty settings rather than being a fixed, one-size challenge. That flexibility matters, especially for players who found the previous system punishing without offering a clear path to improvement. tip If you want a full breakdown of every fishing rod recipe and all four bait types, the Palworld fishing rod guide covers everything you need to gear up efficiently. Pals fight smarter now Combat AI for both Pals and base Pals has been updated. The key change: they now prioritize moves that deal the most damage rather than cycling through abilities without much logic. For players managing large skirmishes without wanting to micromanage every Pal action, this is a genuine improvement. Mission-critical Pals and NPCs also no longer fall asleep mid-objective. It sounds like an edge case, but anyone who has had a key NPC go idle at a bad moment knows how much that kind of bug can derail a session. Production facility gets a sensible fix One of the quieter but genuinely useful changes in 1.0.4 involves base production. If you cancel a crafting job at a production facility, the materials now return directly to your inventory instead of disappearing into a void. The only exception is if you're over your weight limit, in which case the overflow drops at your feet rather than being lost. It's the kind of fix that sounds minor until you've lost a stack of resources to a misclick. Small friction removed, session flow improved. Here's the lowdown for players keeping tabs on where Palworld sits post-1.0: the game has been on a steady cadence of incremental improvements since the full launch brought 72 new Pals, a sky island zone, and a reworked story . Each patch since has tightened specific systems rather than overhauling them, which tracks with a live game finding its post-launch rhythm. With update 1.1 already teased by Pocketpair as something the community has been requesting loudly, 1.0.4 reads more like maintenance than a statement. The bigger moves are still ahead. For everything else happening in the game right now, the full Palworld guides collection has you covered on mechanics, progression, and the latest Pal roster.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/palworld-update-1-0-4-missions/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/palworld-update-1-0-4-missions/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:27:06 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[GTA 6 NPCs will react to your guns because GTA 5's rules no longer cut it]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Forget casually strolling through Vice City with a rocket launcher on your shoulder. Grand Theft Auto 6 is changing the rules on how you carry weapons, and Rockstar North's joint boss Rob Nelson has explained exactly why the old approach had to go. The short version: the world Rockstar has built for GTA 6 is simply too believable to let players wave military hardware around without consequence. Nelson put it plainly, saying that in GTA 5 you could pull out a shotgun in front of pedestrians and they would not react at all. His assessment? “We don't feel that works any longer at this resolution with the behavioral sophistication we need from our population now.” How the weapon carry system actually works The new setup has some clear structure to it. Players can carry 2 concealed handguns at all times without triggering any reaction from the world around them. The moment you bring out a long gun, though, it becomes physically visible on your character, either slung across your back or held in hand, and that visibility matters. Carrying a long gun on your back is largely fine. NPCs register it but won't panic. Pull that same weapon into your hand, and people start moving away from you. Police may also step in if you are walking around with a rifle out in public. The key here is that the reaction scales with how aggressively you are presenting the threat, not just whether you are armed. You can carry 2 long guns simultaneously, but there is a catch: one goes on your back and one goes in your off hand. You cannot stash both out of sight. That visible second weapon is a constant signal to the world around protagonists Lucia and Jason that something is up. important Concealed handguns will not trigger NPC reactions, but any long gun held in hand will cause pedestrians to move away and may attract police attention even without an active wanted level. What this means compared to GTA 5 GTA 5 operated on a kind of social contract with the player: the world would ignore your arsenal unless you actively started shooting. You could sprint through a crowded beach with a minigun and nobody batted an eye. That worked fine when the game's pedestrians were relatively simple systems running basic routines. GTA 6's NPCs are a different proposition entirely. The game's hand-crafted population runs over 600,000 animations compared to roughly 55,000 in GTA 5. These are characters built to feel like real people going about real lives, and having them ignore a man walking into a convenience store with an assault rifle in his hands would shatter that illusion immediately. Nelson's "behavioral sophistication" comment is not marketing language. It is a genuine design constraint. The Extended Look footage shown on Netflix made this tangible. Pedestrians visibly clock Lucia and Jason when weapons are drawn, adjusting their behavior before any violence has occurred. That reactivity is baked into the world's baseline, not just triggered by wanted stars. The broader shift in player power This weapon visibility change fits a wider design philosophy Rockstar has been signaling for GTA 6. Players will not be as untouchable as they were in previous entries. The world pushes back. NPCs are described as "more capable of violence" than in past games, and the criminal profile system tracks the severity of your actions over time. For players who want to browse the GTA 6 weapons list and plan their loadouts ahead of launch, the concealment rules will matter more than ever. Choosing what to carry visibly is now a tactical decision, not just an inventory one. With GTA 6 building toward its release, the full picture of how these systems interact is still coming into focus. The GTA 6 guides collection will keep pace with every new mechanic Rockstar reveals as launch approaches.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/gta-6-npc-gun-reactions-explained/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/gta-6-npc-gun-reactions-explained/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:26:31 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[8-Year OSRS Saga Ends as Mod Jed Sentenced for Stealing $400K]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Eight years is a long time to carry the weight of a crime committed inside a video game. For Andrew Lakeman , better known to the Old School RuneScape community as Mod Jed , that weight finally came crashing down in a UK courtroom, with a three-year prison sentence (suspended for two years) marking the formal end of one of gaming's most drawn-out insider theft cases. How a content developer turned dev tools into a personal ATM Lakeman joined Jagex as a content developer for Old School RuneScape in 2015. The job gave him access to the kind of backend tools that most players never see, and he used them in the worst possible way. By accessing other Jagex employees' credentials, Lakeman manipulated OSRS's account moderation and recovery systems to pull gold and items directly out of player inventories, then sold them online for real money. Here's the thing: this wasn't a smash-and-grab. It went on long enough that Jagex initially couldn't tell whether items were disappearing because of a bug or because someone on the inside was systematically looting accounts. The company eventually concluded foul play was the culprit in 2018, and the response was calculated. Jagex quietly reinforced OSRS's security infrastructure without tipping off most of the dev team. Lakeman walked straight into the trap, got caught, and was fired. Police arrested him in 2019. The total haul investigators attributed to Lakeman exceeded $400,000 . A legal saga with more twists than a quest chain What followed Lakeman's arrest was a legal process that dragged on for years and produced some genuinely surprising turns. In 2022, he actually won a minor procedural victory through an unfair dismissal counter-complaint against Jagex, though any financial award was significantly reduced and his request to be reinstated at the company was rejected outright. The more consequential legal development came earlier this year, when Lord Justice Popplewell ruled that Lakeman could be sued for theft over digital assets, specifically RuneScape gold. That ruling was a meaningful moment for the broader question of how courts treat virtual property, and it set the stage for the sentencing that just came down. important The presiding judge's ruling that virtual assets like RuneScape gold qualify as property subject to theft law has implications well beyond this case. It signals that courts are increasingly willing to treat in-game economies as legally real. Detective Constable Andrew McKeane of the Cambridge Constabulary put it plainly in a public statement: "Just because it's virtual, doesn't mean he shouldn't face the full force of the law. Given the rapid growth of online and virtual worlds, the justice system is going to have to keep pace and adapt to these new and emerging crimes." What this means for gamers and the games industry The Mod Jed case is unusual, but the underlying vulnerability it exposed is not. Any live-service game with a real-money economy attached to its in-game currency faces the same risk: a developer with elevated access and bad intentions. What Lakeman did was possible because insider access in game development is broad by necessity, and oversight doesn't always keep pace with opportunity. Jagex's response, quietly patching security and setting a trap rather than alerting the entire team, was smart. It worked. But the eight years it took to reach a courtroom verdict shows how slow legal systems move when virtual property is involved, even when the facts are relatively clear. For the OSRS community specifically, this closes a chapter that began back when many current players were still in school. The game itself has moved on considerably. OSRS is now bigger by subscriber count than the original RuneScape ever was, and Jagex held its largest live event to date with the Deadman All Stars esports tournament in Chicago earlier this year. The Mod Jed saga is done. The game keeps going. If you want to stay sharp on everything happening in Gielinor, the Old School RuneScape strategy guides and broader gaming guides have you covered.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/osrs-mod-jed-sentenced-stealing-player/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/osrs-mod-jed-sentenced-stealing-player/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:25:56 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Blood of Dawnwalker Hits 1 Million Sales in Under 3 Days]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["One million copies sold," Rebel Wolves posted on social media, and the timestamp told the whole story: fewer than 48 hours after launch. The Blood of Dawnwalker launched September 3 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and by September 5 the studio had confirmed worldwide sales crossed the 1 million mark. For a brand new IP from a studio that didn't exist four years ago, that's a genuinely rare opening. A new studio, a very old pedigree Rebel Wolves was founded in 2022 by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz , the director behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The Blood of Dawnwalker is the studio's first release, and the Witcher DNA is hard to miss. Players control Coen , a man who's human during the day and a vampire at night, navigating a dark fantasy open world set in 14th-century Europe built on Unreal Engine 5. The core tension of the game runs on a strict 30-day in-game clock, which shapes every decision around saving Coen's family. Here's the thing: most brand new IPs don't cross a million units in under two days. That kind of day-one velocity typically belongs to established franchises with years of built-up demand. Rebel Wolves is a first-time studio, and The Blood of Dawnwalker had no legacy fanbase to pull from. The numbers suggest the Tomaszkiewicz pedigree carried serious weight with RPG players. Launch momentum vs. launch roughness The million-copy milestone arrived despite some genuine friction at launch. Performance on Steam Deck and Windows handhelds required significant compromises to stay playable, and the game's most downloaded Nexus Mods file reportedly conflicts with core survival mechanics. Neither issue appears to have slowed purchasing momentum in the opening weekend. Rebel Wolves hasn't broken down sales by platform, so the PC-versus-console split remains unknown. The game is also available on GOG, which adds another storefront to the mix beyond the standard Steam and console channels. important If you're playing on a handheld like the Steam Deck or an Ally X, expect to dial back settings considerably. Native handheld performance is a known issue at launch. For players already in, the game is clearly connecting. Community reports of 18-plus hour sessions at 1440p on high-end PC hardware suggest the content is holding attention well past the opening hours. If you're wondering how long it takes to beat The Blood of Dawnwalker from a standard run to full completionist playthrough, the answer varies considerably based on how deep you go. What the numbers actually mean A million copies in under 48 hours puts The Blood of Dawnwalker in rare company for original IPs. The comparison point that keeps coming up is The Witcher 3 itself, which sold 4 million copies in its first two weeks back in 2015. That game had two prior entries building its audience. Dawnwalker had none. The key here is that Rebel Wolves has validated the concept on the first attempt. The studio now has a commercial foundation to build from, and the 30-day clock mechanic gives the game a structural identity that's distinct enough to carry a franchise. Whether post-launch patches address the handheld performance issues and mod conflicts will shape the long-term player count, but the launch window has already delivered. For players jumping in now, check out the full Blood of Dawnwalker strategy guides covering everything from console settings to healing mechanics as you get up to speed with Coen's dual-nature survival loop.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/blood-of-dawnwalker-1-million-sales/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/blood-of-dawnwalker-1-million-sales/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:25:10 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fan-made Lego GTA 6 set looks better than any official kit could]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[A fan-built Lego diorama based on Grand Theft Auto 6 has gone viral, and it's the kind of creation that makes you genuinely annoyed an official version doesn't exist. The build comes from Reddit user hachiroku24 , a creator with a track record of making fan sets that look like they belong on a store shelf. Their GTA 6 diorama features protagonists Lucia and Jason mid-escape on a speedboat, cops left stranded on the shore, palm trees framing the scene, and the GTA 6 logo floating overhead in its signature gradient colors. It's compact, it's specific, and it absolutely nails what makes the franchise tick. Why this diorama works where others would have failed Here's the thing: the easy version of this build would have been a five-star shootout. Minifigures with guns, police cars flipped over, general mayhem. That's the surface-level read of Grand Theft Auto, and it would have made for a forgettable Lego set. Hachiroku24 went a different direction. The speedboat escape is quieter, more cinematic, and captures the exact tone Rockstar has been selling in GTA 6's marketing: sun-soaked Florida heat, the thrill of outrunning the law, and two characters who look like they're having the time of their lives doing it. The logo hovering above the scene, rendered with the correct gradient, completes the picture. It looks like a still from a Rockstar trailer rendered in plastic. The font accuracy alone is worth noting. Getting the GTA 6 logo right in brick form is not a small ask, and the execution here is precise enough that it reads immediately, even in thumbnail form. important Hachiroku24's build is a fan creation and is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or the official Lego Group. No kit instructions have been confirmed as publicly available yet, though the community is already asking. The creator behind the build This isn't hachiroku24's first time pulling off something like this. The same builder previously constructed a Lego Final Fantasy diorama and a Lego Pokemon set that drew the same reaction from communities: disbelief that it wasn't an official product. The GTA 6 build might be the most ambitious of the three, given the brand recognition involved and how precisely the scene captures the game's aesthetic. What most players miss when they see fan builds like this is the intentionality behind every element. Nothing in this diorama is accidental. The palm trees, the water, the positioning of the characters, the logo placement, all of it points to someone who understands both the source material and how Lego's display sets communicate a scene at a glance. The official version that will almost certainly never happen Lego's 18+ display range has expanded significantly over the past few years, taking on properties that would have seemed unlikely a decade ago. But Grand Theft Auto sits in a different category. The franchise's M-rating, its content, and Rockstar's general approach to licensing make an official Lego GTA 6 set about as likely as a Grand Theft Auto animated series for children. That's not a knock on Lego's ambitions. The company has shown it can handle mature-adjacent properties through its Ideas platform, where fan submissions occasionally make it to shelves. But GTA 6 specifically crosses into territory where the brand fit just isn't there, no matter how tastefully a set is designed. The irony is that hachiroku24's build proves the concept works. A display-focused diorama that leans into the visual identity of the game rather than its violence would sit perfectly alongside Lego's existing adult collector sets. The market for it is clearly there. The licensing reality isn't. For everything else about the game itself, the GTA 6 editions guide covering prices, content, and pre-order bonuses breaks down what Rockstar is actually offering when the game launches. And if you want to go deeper on what the $100 Ultimate Edition includes specifically, the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition breakdown covers every exclusive weapon, vehicle, and mission in the package.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/fan-lego-gta-6-set-unofficial/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/fan-lego-gta-6-set-unofficial/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:24:41 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Civ 7 is getting a free Atomic Age update in 2027 bigger than Test of Time]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Firaxis has described the upcoming free update as "even bigger in scope" than May's Test of Time patch. That's a significant claim given Test of Time was the largest single update Civ 7 had received since launch, and it still only nudged the game's Steam rating to 51% positive. Sid Meier's Civilization VII is about to get a lot more explosive. The studio announced Arc of Tomorrow , a free update targeting a 2027 release window that extends the game's timeline from 1950 all the way to 2050, adding a fourth Act and finally bringing nuclear submarines, ICBMs, and Cold War-era diplomacy into the fold. What the current game is missing Here's the thing: Civ 7 at launch already let players drop atom bombs via World War 2-era bombers. But the game's modern age hard-stops at 1950, which means the entire Cold War arms race, nuclear deterrence, and late 20th-century geopolitics simply don't exist. For a series that built its reputation on letting players race from stone tools to space stations, that felt like a conspicuous gap. Test of Time addressed a lot of structural complaints, bringing mechanical reworks and a fresh wave of players back to the game. The problem is that even after that overhaul, the missing late-game content remained a sticking point for players who wanted to see their civilizations survive into the modern era. Arc of Tomorrow: what Firaxis is adding The fourth Act introduced by Arc of Tomorrow covers a full century of history from 1950 to 2050. The headlining addition is expanded nuclear gameplay, which brings new unit types and what Firaxis is calling a "fun twist" on mutually assured destruction. Atomic-era diplomacy options will let players push for nuclear disarmament treaties or escalate warhead production and watch the in-game doomsday clock creep toward midnight. Beyond the bombs, the update introduces a system for transforming settlements into City States and using them as proxies in conflicts, effectively letting players fight Cold War-style shadow wars without direct empire-to-empire confrontation. There's also a resource manufacturing system for materials like enriched uranium, and a "Great Works of Film" mechanic where film crews travel the world scouting locations for cultural gains. important Arc of Tomorrow is confirmed as a free update for all existing Civ 7 players, with no purchase required. The Earthrise expansion arrives alongside it Arc of Tomorrow won't be landing alone. Earthrise , Civ 7's first major paid expansion, is targeting the same 2027 window. The expansion focuses on space exploration, and what makes it interesting is that it doesn't confine the space race to a single end-game era. Players can chart the night sky and name celestial bodies as early as antiquity, launch first orbital missions in the modern age, and eventually build out a full space agency to venture into the solar system. That design choice, threading space exploration across the entire game rather than bolting it onto the final act, is one of the more structurally ambitious things Firaxis has announced for Civ 7 so far. Where Civ 7 stands right now The update announcement dropped alongside the release of update 1.5.0 , which adds improved resource generation and a historically accurate Earth map where factions start at their real-world locations. For players who've been tracking the game's evolution through patches, our Civilization VII update 1.4.1 patch rundown covers what the previous major update changed, including the reworked Governments system. If you want to get up to speed on how those government changes actually play out, the Civ 7 governments explained guide breaks it all down. The base game is currently free to play through September 10, and the full game is 50% off at $35 until September 17. That's a reasonable entry point if you want to see whether Civ 7's age-based structure works for you before Arc of Tomorrow and Earthrise arrive next year. Firaxis has noted that all announced features are still in development and subject to change, so the specifics of the nuclear gameplay twist and the Earthrise space systems could look different by the time 2027 rolls around. What's clear is that the studio is committed to a significantly larger update than anything Civ 7 has seen before, and for a game that's been fighting perception problems since day one, that ambition is probably the right call.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/civ-7-atomic-age-arc-of-tomorrow/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/civ-7-atomic-age-arc-of-tomorrow/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:23:55 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[How to Watch the Nintendo Direct and Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nintendo is giving fans two back-to-back broadcasts this week, and the lineup could not be more loaded. First up is a dedicated The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8 , followed immediately the next morning by the full Nintendo Direct on September 9 . Two days, two broadcasts, and a combined runtime of well over an hour. The Zelda anniversary broadcast comes first The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct kicks things off on September 8 at 7am PT (10am ET, 3pm BST). Nintendo has confirmed a runtime of approximately 30 minutes, which is a focused slot by Direct standards. That tight runtime suggests Nintendo has something specific to say, rather than a sprawling general showcase. Forty years of Hyrule is a milestone worth marking properly, and a dedicated Direct is exactly the kind of treatment the franchise deserves. What to expect is still anyone's guess at this point, but a 30-minute Zelda-only presentation has plenty of room for anniversary announcements, new game reveals, or updates on projects already in the pipeline. The Nintendo Direct follows 24 hours later The broader Nintendo Direct 9.9.2026 lands on September 9 at 7am PT , running approximately 45 minutes. This is the more traditional format: a general showcase covering multiple Switch 2 titles and whatever else Nintendo has been holding back. Here's the thing, a 45-minute Direct is a solid runtime that historically means a mix of release date confirmations, new announcements, and at least one surprise. tip Both broadcasts start at 7am PT on their respective days. Set a reminder now so you do not miss either one. After the September 9 Direct wraps, Nintendo Treehouse: Live | September 2026 takes over immediately. Treehouse: Live sessions go deeper on select titles from the Direct, with extended gameplay walkthroughs that give you a much better read on how games actually play before committing. Where to watch both broadcasts Nintendo is streaming both Directs across its official YouTube channel and the Nintendo website. The Nintendo Today! app also carries live streams for account holders with a compatible smart device, though availability varies by region and data charges may apply. The key here is having your platform of choice ready before 7am PT on each day. YouTube is the most reliable option for most viewers, with no login required and automatic archive access if you miss the live window. What this week means for Zelda fans specifically The franchise turning 40 is not a small thing. The Legend of Zelda series spans decades of releases, from the original 1986 Famicom Disk System launch through to the current generation. A standalone Direct dedicated entirely to the anniversary signals that Nintendo is treating this as a genuine celebration rather than a footnote in a broader showcase. The September 8 broadcast is the one to prioritize if Zelda is your primary focus. The September 9 Direct and Treehouse: Live will round out the full picture for everything else Nintendo has in development. For players who want to catch up on the franchise before the broadcasts, the Zelda guide collection has you covered heading into what could be one of the bigger announcement weeks of the year.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/nintendo-direct-zelda-40th-anniversary-watch/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/nintendo-direct-zelda-40th-anniversary-watch/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:22:07 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Valve Deliberately Leaked Its Own Left 4 Dead 2 Trailer]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Picture the scene: it's October 2009, one month before Left 4 Dead 2 hits shelves, and a three-minute cinematic trailer mysteriously surfaces online. Survivors Coach, Ellis, Nick, and Rochelle carving through zombie hordes with chainsaws and firearms. Gritty, violent, exactly the kind of hype material a sequel needs. Except it wasn't a mistake. Valve put it there. That's the confession former Valve writer Chet Faliszek recently made public in a video on his YouTube channel. The studio intentionally leaked its own trailer because the ESRB had blocked the footage from being officially released. The ESRB said no, so Valve found another way Faliszek was refreshingly blunt about the whole thing. "We leaked our trailer ahead of time because the ESRB wouldn't let us release the trailer," he explained. He didn't spell out exactly what the ratings board objected to in the footage, but given that the trailer features chainsaw dismemberment and general zombie carnage, the content concerns probably weren't hard to guess. The trailer in question is the Zombie Survival Guide cinematic, which surfaced online in October 2009. At the time, nobody publicly connected it to a deliberate Valve release strategy. It just looked like another pre-launch leak. Here's the thing: Valve's move worked. The footage got in front of players, generated buzz, and the game launched to enormous critical and commercial success the following month. Whatever language or content the ESRB flagged, Faliszek noted it ultimately led to some toning down in the official materials. "Yeah, it originally got leaked because we had this with the ESRB, so that's why a lot of the language had to get toned down," he said. Why Faliszek is only talking about it now Faliszek's timing on this confession is pretty self-aware. "I think we can't get in trouble for that now. It was like 20 years ago," he said, with an acknowledgment that tracking down the original leak today is nearly impossible. "It's funny seeing leaked stuff now because, yeah, I don't think you can look for 'leaked Left 4 Dead 2 trailer' because it's just going to be lost." That's a fair point. The gaming industry has seen plenty of leaks over the years, from hacked studio servers to accidental early uploads to a developer saying something they shouldn't have in an interview. Most of those leaks represent genuine security failures. Valve's situation was different: the studio made a calculated call to get its content out through the back door when the front door was locked. tip The Zombie Survival Guide trailer appeared online in October 2009, roughly one month before Left 4 Dead 2 launched on November 17, 2009. What this means for how we read "leaks" Faliszek's admission is a useful reminder that not every leaked trailer or piece of marketing material represents a breach. Studios have long understood that a well-timed leak can generate more organic buzz than a polished press release, and the ESRB situation gave Valve a specific incentive to go that route. Left 4 Dead 2 became one of the most popular cooperative shooters of its era, and the franchise still has an active player base today. For anyone who wants to revisit the campaigns or sharpen their tactics, the Left 4 Dead 2 guides at GAMES.GG cover everything from survivor strategies to special infected behavior. The broader gaming world has plenty of similar stories waiting to surface as developers from that era get more comfortable talking openly about decisions made under pressure. Faliszek's YouTube channel seems like a good place to watch for more of them.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/valve-leaked-left-4-dead-2/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/valve-leaked-left-4-dead-2/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:21:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Riot calls the League of Legends MMO its Grail quest]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nearly six years have passed since Riot Games first announced its League of Legends MMO. There have been no trailers, no gameplay reveals, no release window. Just the occasional comment from leadership reminding fans it still exists. The latest of those comments came at PAX West this week, and while Riot co-founder and co-chairman Marc Merrill clearly believes in the project, the framing he chose might not be the reassurance fans were hoping for. What Merrill actually said at PAX West During a panel with Kinda Funny Games' Greg Miller , Merrill was asked point-blank about a release date. He had nothing to offer on that front. What he did offer was this: "We jokingly call it the Grail internally because we're like, 'fuck it,' you know, many a brave knight are going to die on the Grail quest. But fuck it, it's the Grail, so let's go." He framed the MMO as a "worthy quest," adding that Riot knows what players' "hopes and dreams" are and that success comes down to whether the team can execute. "I think the future's incredibly bright," he concluded. Here's the thing: none of that is a timeline. None of it is a feature list. It is a co-founder describing his own game as a legendary artifact that has historically destroyed everyone who pursues it. The metaphor is either very honest or very poorly chosen, and the internet has opinions. Why fans aren't exactly cheering The reaction online was swift and pointed. The context matters here: just last month, Riot announced that 2XKO , its League of Legends-based fighting game, is ending active development in December after a weak launch in January. Riot's own statement acknowledged they "haven't seen enough players stick with the game" and couldn't find "any viable future" for it. That follows a similar story with Legends of Runeterra . Back in 2024, Riot confirmed the card game had "faced financial challenges since launch, costing significantly more to develop and support than it generates," and gutted the team to focus purely on its PvE mode. Two Runeterra-universe projects scaled back or killed within a couple of years. Now the biggest one of all is being described as a quest where knights die. You can see why the community's trust isn't exactly at an all-time high. important Riot has not announced a release date, development stage, or any gameplay details for the League of Legends MMO as of this article. Responses on social media ranged from blunt to resigned. One user put it plainly: "Didn't you guys just kill the fighting game that was barely released. What confidence are we supposed to have in an MMO?" Another warned: "Hope this time you don't cancel it half a year after release because it doesn't have the playerbase of WoW and FFXIV combined." The signals that suggest Riot hasn't abandoned ship To be fair to Merrill, the MMO has picked up some credible talent. Earlier this year, Riot brought on yet another World of Warcraft veteran to the development team, continuing a pattern of high-profile MMO hires that suggests active work is happening behind closed doors. Merrill himself previously stated that making "the next great MMO" is something Riot is "more committed to than ever." What most players miss in moments like this is that MMO development cycles are genuinely brutal. Projects like this routinely take a decade from concept to launch. The silence isn't necessarily a death knell, and the Grail metaphor, however clumsy, does reflect the scale of what Riot is attempting. Building a full MMO set in Runeterra, competing with World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV, is not a small bet. The problem is Riot's recent track record with ambitious Runeterra-adjacent projects makes it hard to extend that benefit of the doubt. Both 2XKO and Legends of Runeterra were positioned as major expansions of the universe before being quietly walked back. The MMO is a far larger investment, which could mean Riot is more careful this time, or it could mean the fallout if it fails is much worse. Where things stand now There is no release date. There is no public gameplay. There is a co-founder calling it the Grail at a convention panel and a fanbase that has watched two other Riot projects get cut in the past two years. The key here is that Merrill's comments aren't nothing. They confirm the project is still alive, still internally prioritized, and still something leadership talks about with genuine conviction. But conviction and delivery are different things, and right now Riot has only demonstrated one of them on the MMO front. If you want to stay sharp on everything happening in the League of Legends universe while waiting for actual MMO news, the League of Legends guides collection has you covered on what's playable right now.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/riot-lol-mmo-grail-quest-fans/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/riot-lol-mmo-grail-quest-fans/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:19:09 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[PlayStation Reportedly Plotting New Killzone Remake or Remaster]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Sony is reportedly in the early stages of reviving Killzone , the first-person shooter franchise that Guerrilla Games quietly shelved after pivoting to the Horizon series. A new project is said to be in very early production, with People Can Fly (the studio behind Bulletstorm and Outriders) brought in as a co-developer. The big question nobody can answer yet: is this a remake or a remaster? The last time fans got a proper Killzone release was Killzone: Shadow Fall , the PS4 launch title that landed back in 2013. Since then, the franchise has existed only as a T-shirt easter egg in The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered and a Helldivers 2 crossover. For a series that once positioned itself as PlayStation's answer to Halo, that's a long, quiet absence. What People Can Fly's involvement actually tells us Here's the thing: the involvement of People Can Fly is the most telling detail in this whole report. Guerrilla is currently stretched thin across multiple projects, which makes outside co-development almost a necessity rather than a creative choice. The studio has a milestone due for Hunters Gathering (its rebooted Horizon multiplayer spinoff) by the end of this year, and a separate tiny team reportedly grinding away on Horizon 3, which is still years from release. With Guerrilla's bandwidth this limited, People Can Fly handling the heavy lifting on a Killzone remaster or remake makes sense. The Polish studio has the technical pedigree for shooter work, and Sony has leaned on external co-devs for major projects before. tip The original Killzone launched on PlayStation 2 in 2004. If a remake is in the works, that first entry is the most likely candidate given its age and the nostalgia it carries for longtime PlayStation fans. Which Killzone is actually getting the treatment No one has confirmed which entry in the series is being revived. The smart money points to the original 2004 PS2 game, simply because it's the oldest, has the most to gain from a visual and mechanical overhaul, and would serve as a clean entry point for players who never touched the franchise. A remaster of Killzone: Shadow Fall is a different conversation entirely. That game already ran on PS4 hardware and holds up reasonably well visually. A full remake would be a much bigger investment, while a remaster would be a lighter lift. The distinction matters because it signals how serious Sony is about relaunching the IP versus just putting something out to test demand. Guerrilla's own complicated relationship with the franchise Guerrilla's feelings about Killzone have never been a secret. Speaking in 2024, art director Roy Postma was candid about why the studio walked away: "We were done with it as a team. As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette. It was, by choice, the opposite of Killzone." Postma also pointed to Horizon's broader appeal as part of the reasoning, noting that its themes of found family and identity resonate across age groups in a way Killzone's darker, more violent world never quite did. That honesty is worth keeping in mind. Guerrilla is not coming back to Killzone out of passion. This looks more like a business decision from PlayStation to keep a dormant IP relevant while the studio's main resources stay pointed at Horizon. Whether that produces something fans actually want remains the real unknown. For players who want to revisit the series while the news develops, the Killzone: Shadow Fall guide collection is a solid place to get reacquainted with what made the PS4 entry tick. Broader gaming guides are also available if you're catching up on other titles in the meantime. The next concrete signal will likely come from Guerrilla's internal milestone schedule. If Hunters Gathering clears its December checkpoint, expect the Killzone project to move from "very early stages" to something more tangible in the months that follow.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/playstation-reviving-killzone-remake-remaster/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/playstation-reviving-killzone-remake-remaster/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:18:22 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mega Sharpedo ex Is Dominating Pokemon TCG Pocket Right Now]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Sharpedo line has been lurking in the Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket meta for a while, but the current build pairing Mega Sharpedo ex with Wild Swing Gyarados and Chien-Pao has pushed it to a level that's genuinely hard to counter. The combination of rapid early disruption and a late-game finisher that can swing for 140 damage makes this one of the more complete Water decks in the format right now. Why Sharpedo is finally hitting its stride The appeal of Mega Sharpedo ex has always been its dual function: it disrupts the opponent's setup while simultaneously accelerating your own energy generation. That kind of two-for-one value in a single attack is rare in Pokemon TCG Pocket, and it's why the card kept showing up in experimental builds even when the surrounding support wasn't quite there. What changed is Gyarados from the Wisdom of Sea and Sky set. Its Wild Swing attack does up to 140 damage, which is substantial enough to threaten most meta threats. More importantly, Wild Swing can be used to discard damaged Pokemon from your own field, including a battered Sharpedo that would otherwise hand your opponent an easy prize from a Cyrus play. That kind of board control flexibility is what separates a good deck from a great one. The full deck list Here's the build that's been performing at a high level: Card Count Magikarp (Wisdom of Sea and Sky) 2 Gyarados (Wisdom of Sea and Sky) 2 Carvanha (Ruler of the Skies) 2 Mega Sharpedo ex 2 Chien-Pao 1 Mantyke 2 Poke Ball 1 Copycat 1 Lisia 2 Professor's Research 2 Training Area 1 Wallace 2 Energy type: Water only The deck runs 20 cards total, which is standard for Pokemon TCG Pocket. The single Chien-Pao slot might look light, but it functions more as a pressure piece than a primary attacker here. How the early game actually plays out The opening priority is getting Carvanha and Magikarp onto the field as fast as possible. Lisia does the heavy lifting here, letting you search out both simultaneously and bench them in the same turn. From there, Wallace and your draw supporters push you toward evolution before your opponent can establish a counter-position. Sharpedo comes out first as your early aggressor. The key here is that its attack does two things at once: it hits the opponent's board while building your own Water energy pipeline. That tempo advantage compounds quickly, especially against slower Stage 2 decks that need three or four turns to get going. Once Gyarados is ready, the deck shifts gears. Wild Swing becomes your primary damage tool, and the discard mechanic becomes a defensive option when Sharpedo has taken too much damage to stay on the field safely. important Electric decks are a hard counter to this build. Gyarados and Sharpedo both carry the Water-type weakness to Lightning, so you'll want to scout the meta before queuing into ranked with this list. What this deck does well and where it falls short The strengths are real. The early game disruption is among the best in the current Water archetype, Chien-Pao remains one of the stronger single-prize attackers in the format, and the energy generation across the board means you're rarely starved for resources. The weaknesses are also specific. Gyarados can realistically only fire off Wild Swing twice at maximum before the match ends or the board state shifts, so you need Sharpedo to do enough work in the early turns to justify the two-card line. Electric decks are common enough in the current meta that you'll run into them regularly, and the matchup is genuinely difficult. Pro tip: Mantyke is the flex slot that most players overlook. It provides early bench presence and keeps your opponent guessing about your win condition, which buys Sharpedo extra turns to build energy. If you're exploring the broader Pokemon universe beyond card games, Pokémon Pokopia has been turning heads with its building-focused take on the franchise. For players who want to dig deeper into Sharpedo specifically, the guide on finding the Sharpedo Submarine Kit is worth bookmarking. The full Pokémon Pokopia guides collection covers everything from early progression to co-op setups if you're looking to branch out.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/mega-sharpedo-ex-pokemon-tcg-pocket/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/mega-sharpedo-ex-pokemon-tcg-pocket/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:17:48 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Anime Fighting Simulator codes for September 2026: Shards and Boosts]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Free rewards are live in Anime Fighting Simulator right now, and the current batch covers everything from Tensei Shards to Stat Boosts and Training Speed Boosts . If you have been grinding levels without redeeming codes, you have been leaving free progression on the table. For players looking to speed up their progress across other multiplayer games on Roblox and beyond, codes like these are one of the fastest ways to close the gap on more experienced players without spending hours on repetitive training loops. What the active codes actually give you There are currently 2 working codes in Anime Fighting Simulator . Here is exactly what each one delivers: Code Rewards TOURNEYFIX 1x Temporary Server Boost, 4x Stat Boost, 4x Chikara Boost, 2x Tensei Shard Booster TRIPLET 2,000x Tensei Shards, 1,000x Tower Tokens, 2x Shifting Serum, 4x Training Speed Boost, 4x Stat Boost The key here is that TRIPLET is the heavier hitter of the two. A flat 2,000 Tensei Shards plus 1,000 Tower Tokens is a meaningful injection of currency, and the 4x Training Speed Boosts stack nicely with the 4x Stat Boosts if you activate them during an active grind session. TOURNEYFIX is lighter on currency but the Chikara Boosts make it worth redeeming regardless, especially if you are currently working on a Chakra-heavy build. tip Redeem both codes before starting a training session and activate the boosts simultaneously. Stacking Training Speed and Stat Boosts during the same window gets you the most out of both codes at once. How to redeem codes in Anime Fighting Simulator The redemption process is straightforward. Open the game and find the basket icon on the left-hand menu to access the Shop . From there, select the Codes tab at the far end of the top navigation bar, type your code exactly as it appears in the table above, and hit Redeem . Capitalization matters here. Codes like TOURNEYFIX and TRIPLET need to be entered in all caps. A single typo will return an error, so copy-paste when possible. The expired code history tells a story Looking at the expired code list, a clear pattern emerges. Anime Fighting Simulator has consistently dropped codes tied to updates, shutdowns, and milestone events, with rewards ranging from Chikara Shards and Yen Boosts to Trait Rerolls , Fruit Rolls , and Dungeon Keys . Past codes like FLAMEBREATHING handed out 5,000 Chikara alongside 5x Stat Boosts and Training Speed Boosts, which gives a sense of how generous the drops can get around major content updates. The volume of expired codes, more than 30 at this point, also signals that the developer drops new codes at a fairly consistent pace. New codes tend to arrive every few days, particularly around update launches and server maintenance events. What most players miss is that shutdown compensation codes are some of the best in the game. When the servers go down for a patch, codes like SHUTDOWNBOOST and 7.5SHUTDOWN tend to follow quickly. Worth keeping an eye on the official channels after any unplanned downtime. Where to watch for new codes The developer posts new codes primarily through the official Anime Fighting Simulator social channels and the Roblox game page itself. Following those directly is the most reliable way to catch codes before they expire, since some have a shorter lifespan than others. For a broader set of gaming guides covering Roblox experiences and beyond, the guide hub stays updated as new codes and events drop across the most-played titles. New codes for this month are expected as the game continues its current update cycle, so check back regularly to stay ahead. Roblox Resources Check out Roblox Gift Cards on Amazon here . Learn about other popular Roblox experiences: Grow a Garden Plants vs Brainrots Steal a Brainrot 99 Nights in the Forest Endless Horde Blade x Zombies]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/anime-fighting-simulator-codes-september-2026/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/anime-fighting-simulator-codes-september-2026/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:17:07 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Romance Crake In The Blood Of Dawnwalker Explained]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Crake is not the kind of character who opens up easily. He's the leader of the Manumits , a rebel faction fighting to bring down the vrakhiri ruling Vale Sangora, and he carries that weight in every conversation. But if you put in the work across several quests in The Blood of Dawnwalker , the camaraderie between Coen and Crake can turn into something far more personal. Here's the lowdown on exactly what it takes. Getting inside the Manumits first You cannot romance Crake without joining his crew, and the Manumits don't exactly hand out membership cards. The path starts with completing the Firebrand quest right out of the prologue. That leads into Shadows in the Woods , where you first meet Crake alongside his lieutenants Drogos and Sara . The group doesn't trust Coen at this point, so you'll need to grind your Infamy level up to level 4 (Notorious) before the faction's questline properly opens. Once that threshold is hit, the Where Loyalty Lies quest step shifts and you gain access to the Manumits hideout. That's when the real relationship-building begins. The quests that build the bond Three quests form the backbone of Crake's romance arc, and each one requires specific choices to keep things moving in the right direction. What Hunts the Night gives you the first real window into Crake as a person. When Coen and Crake end up hiding together from soldiers, you get a string of dialogue options to draw him out. Asking about Sara, acknowledging his visible distress, and sharing Coen's own grief (referencing Alin if you've completed Home Sweet Home ) all contribute to building genuine rapport. These aren't just flavor moments. They set the emotional foundation for everything that follows. What Moves the Dead picks up after the pair escape from the crypts. Choosing to walk Crake back to the hideout costs 1 Time Segment, but it's worth it. You'll learn his real name is Marat , and inside the hideout you get the chance to bandage his wounds. Selecting "Let me help" here keeps the relationship on track. Then comes Distant Shadows , which can look like a side errand but is non-negotiable for the romance. You tail a man named Ascar through the village, staying out of sight of patrolling soldiers. At the end, Ascar gets confronted. Back at the hideout, you need to be honest with Crake about what you witnessed. He storms off, Drogos tells you where he went, and you commit to going after him. tip Distant Shadows requires stealth throughout. Soldiers who recognize Coen will end the trail early, so stay well clear of their patrol paths and use cover consistently. The romance scene and what it reveals The payoff arrives in A Closer Look , a time-sensitive quest that must be completed within the same in-game cycle. Head to the marked location and work through the conversation carefully: "May I join you then?" "I'm worried about you. What's wrong?" "Please, just tell the truth about Ascar." "Hey, nothing you say can change the way I see you." These choices lead to one of the more quietly affecting moments in the game. Crake reveals that Ascar is his father, and that their estrangement stems from his dad discovering his sexuality. It's a genuinely well-written beat, not melodramatic, just honest. Crake kisses Coen, who gets startled, and then the choice is yours: select [Kiss him back] to complete the romance. Afterward, the conversation continues. Coen can share that his mother may have known he was bisexual, and the two reach a real understanding. From there, Crake opens up about his plan to take down Brencis , setting up his own finale quest arc. Crake alongside the other romance options Crake's arc is more layered than a typical companion romance because it's tied directly to faction progression. You're not just choosing dialogue options in isolation; you're building a whole relationship with the Manumits as an organization. That context makes the eventual payoff feel earned rather than scripted. If you're working through all of Coen's potential relationships, the romance guide for Anca and the Lacra romance walkthrough cover the other major paths in similar detail. Each one has its own quest dependencies and dialogue windows, so tracking them across a single playthrough takes some planning. Keep your controllers ready and check the full The Blood of Dawnwalker guides collection for everything else you'll need across Coen's journey.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/romance-crake-blood-of-dawnwalker/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/romance-crake-blood-of-dawnwalker/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[ElizaCrichtonS]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:16:04 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Loki Removed From Marvel Rivals Modes Before Season 10]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[NetEase has quietly pulled Loki from several Marvel Rivals game modes just days before Season 10 launches, and the God of Mischief is currently unavailable in Quick Play, Arcade, Practice vs AI, and the 18 vs 18 mode. He can still be picked in competitive and social hubs, but his sudden absence from casual modes has not gone unnoticed. No official explanation has been given. But the timing lines up perfectly with what's coming. Gorr the God Butcher is almost certainly the reason Gorr the God Butcher is one of two new heroes widely expected to arrive in Season 10, alongside Nightcrawler . If you've seen Thor: Love & Thunder, you already know the setup: Gorr hunts and kills gods. Loki, being one of the most recognizable Asgardian gods in the roster, disappearing right before Gorr shows up is not a coincidence. Here's the thing: NetEase has done this kind of lore-driven removal before. During the Mystery of Thebes arc in a previous season, Gambit , Psylocke , and Wolverine were killed off by Apocalypse in the story, which translated directly into those characters being temporarily pulled from certain modes. They were later brought back after Jubilee resurrected them. So Loki's absence follows a clear pattern. The key here is that these removals are almost never permanent. They serve as narrative punctuation for whatever story beat NetEase is building toward. Thor and Hela could be next If Gorr's arrival is framed as an active threat to Asgardian gods within the game's fiction, Thor and Hela are obvious candidates to follow Loki out of casual rotation. Both are prominent gods in the roster, and both have direct ties to Gorr's mythology from the comics and the MCU. tip Loki remains fully playable in competitive modes, so ranked players are not affected by the current removal. Whether those two actually get pulled before or after Season 10 drops on September 11 is still unknown. NetEase hasn't made any announcement about additional removals, but the precedent is there. What this means for Season 10's story direction NetEase has been consistent about weaving in-game lore directly into the playable experience rather than keeping it purely in cutscenes or loading screen text. Temporarily disabling characters to reflect story events is one of the more creative ways a live-service game can make its narrative feel consequential without shipping a full single-player campaign. Gorr arriving as a playable character who has, in the fiction, already taken out one of the roster's gods before you even load into a match? That's a strong way to establish him as a serious threat from day one. Season 10 kicks off September 11, 2026. For everything confirmed so far, including the rank reset details and what else is expected to drop, the Marvel Rivals Season 10 release date guide has the full breakdown. If you want to catch up on how the current season set the stage, the Season 9 release date and new heroes guide covers the Age of Apocalypse arc that got things rolling.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/loki-disabled-marvel-rivals-season-10/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/loki-disabled-marvel-rivals-season-10/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:48:11 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[PUBG Mobile 4.6 Update Brings Vampires, New Mode, and Season 32]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[PUBG Mobile just got a lot more gothic. Version 4.6 is live as of September 8 and runs until November 10, 2026, dropping a full vampire-themed takeover alongside Season 32, a returning ocean mode, and collaborations with One-Punch Man, Lincoln, B.Duck, and Alan Walker. There's a lot here. The headline addition is Midnight Hunters, a limited-time mode that turns familiar districts into eerie combat zones where hunters go up against vampires. But the update reaches well beyond that single mode, touching Classic Mode, Arena Mode, World of Wonder, Home Mode, and Metro Royale. If you haven't logged in recently, Version 4.6 gives you plenty of reasons to. Midnight Hunters: what the vampire mode actually looks like Midnight Hunters pits two factions against each other across transformed versions of the map's recognizable locations. Vampire Hunter Guild outposts are scattered across the map, and a mysterious AI character called the Nightkeeper shows up at these spots to offer supplies and rewards if you can challenge him successfully. The PvE enemy roster is the standout part of the mode. Three base enemy types are in play: Bloodwalkers (melee-focused attackers) Nightbat (ranged, sonic-blast attacks) Vampire Elder (mini boss that summons arcane orbs to buff nearby enemies) Elite variants of all three come equipped with protective shields and special finisher animations, so don't expect them to go down easy. Beyond fighting them, you can track down a Golden Bat disguised as a stone statue and defeat it before it escapes for a bounty reward, or crack open Scream Crates for puzzle-based challenges where failure triggers an alarm and broadcasts your location to everyone nearby. Here's the thing that makes Midnight Hunters genuinely different from a standard themed mode: Bloodline Awakening . Eliminated players can return to the match as vampires, switching factions entirely and fighting back with four abilities: Claw Attack, Absorb (health restore), Blood Sense (marks nearby hunters), and Blood Amberfication (brief high-speed damage immunity). Bloodline Awakening runs every Friday through Sunday throughout September. important Bloodline Awakening's Friday-to-Sunday schedule only applies during September. After the season update, availability changes, so make the most of it early. New gear that changes how you move and fight Midnight Hunters introduces three items that affect movement and combat in ways that go beyond cosmetic theming. The Twilight Bat Wings transform you into an energy bat with hover, dash, latch, and sonar abilities. The Silvermoon Chain works as both an attack and a traversal tool, letting you zip across the map or block incoming damage. The Blood Crystal Barrier seals windows to shut down ambush angles. Healing also gets expanded with the Blood Pact, Hunter Bandage, and Scarlet Tonic, giving squads more options to stay in the fight throughout the mode. Classic Mode and Arena Mode changes worth knowing Version 4.6 doesn't just add a themed mode and call it done. Classic Mode on Erangel gets new in-match missions, asking players to recover combat supplies or hack Supply Shops for Shop Tokens. The Supply Shop itself has been redesigned with better filtering and a wider item selection. On the weapon side, the ACE32 and several 7.62mm rifles (AKM, M762, Honey Badger, Mk47, Groza) all receive firing stability improvements. New Channel Buoys near Military Base offer temporary safe zones in the water, and a new Inflatable Boat spawns as a portable four-seater that moves faster the more people are rowing. Parachuting also gets a small quality-of-life tweak: drag the joystick upward to lock into auto-glide. Arena Mode adds a new Ranked season from October 1 to October 29 across four maps: Team Deathmatch - Warehouse, Team Deathmatch - Hangar, Assault - The Ruins, and Domination - Town. The top 1,000 players in each region earn a limited Title when the season closes. Season 32, Metro Royale Chapter 34, and the Halloween push Season 32 launches September 12 with refreshed tier rewards, new Path of Glory progression, and an upgraded Promotion Match system. Metro Royale Chapter 34 leans into the vampire theme with mutated vampire bases appearing at Arctic Base, guarding high-value Scream Crates and Golden Bat Statues. World of Wonder gets a Halloweeks makeover through the Brainrot Royale mode, adding new collectible Brainrot characters, a limited-time Ghost Ship event, and a new event currency. The Ghost Ship fires ghost cannonballs that evolve Brainrot mutants, which is exactly as chaotic as it sounds. Creators building in WOW also get a temporary revenue share boost, with WOW Token earnings jumping from 55% to up to 83% through tiered rates. Home Mode adds the Feast of Shadows event from September 13, a seeker-versus-specter setup where players earn either search points or fright points depending on which side they're on. Collabs and the 4.6 theme song The collaboration calendar for Version 4.6 runs in waves. Lincoln arrives September 10, One-Punch Man hits September 20 with themed events and Home content, and B.Duck joins October 2 with furniture and themed items. Ocean Odyssey returns exclusively on Erangel from September 30, and there are hints of a mysterious giant serpent breaking through the ground on that map, teasing something bigger still to come. Alan Walker's track "FATE" serves as the official Version 4.6 theme song and is available in-game for free until November 10. It fits the dark atmosphere of the update and is a solid get for a seasonal event. tip Alan Walker's "FATE" is free in-game but only until November 10. Grab it before the update window closes. With two months of content packed into a single update window, Version 4.6 is one of PUBG Mobile's more ambitious seasonal drops. The PUBG Mobile guides collection at GAMES.GG has everything you need to stay ahead of the new systems, and if you want free cosmetics to pair with the new content, check out the latest PUBG Mobile redeem codes to see what's currently claimable.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/pubg-mobile-4-6-vampire-update/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/pubg-mobile-4-6-vampire-update/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:45:23 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ocarina of Time Remake Price Accidentally Leaked by Nintendo]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Australian Nintendo eShop had one job. It did not do that job. Hours before Nintendo's Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, the Australian storefront briefly listed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake with a digital price of AU$94.95, giving the internet exactly enough time to screenshot it before Nintendo pulled the listing entirely. What the Australian eShop accidentally told us The listing was only live for roughly an hour before it vanished from the Australian store. That was enough. The AU$94.95 price point aligns directly with Nintendo's current Switch 2 pricing pattern for comparable titles. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, for instance, sits at $59.99 digitally and $69.99 physically in the US, and it carries the same AU$94.95 Australian price tag. That makes the math pretty straightforward: expect $59.99 for the digital version of the Ocarina of Time Remake in the United States. Physical copies will almost certainly land at $69.99, which tracks with how Nintendo has been pricing Switch 2 releases across the board in 2026. That puts the remake below Nintendo's $70 digital tier, which is where the more expansive first-party titles have been sitting. important Nintendo has not officially confirmed US pricing for the Ocarina of Time Remake. The $59.99 figure is based on the AU$94.95 eShop listing and Nintendo's established regional pricing patterns for Switch 2 games. $60 and what it might mean for the remake's scope Here's the thing: the price point is doing more than just telling you what to budget. It's quietly answering one of the biggest questions fans have had since the remake was announced back in June. The question everyone has been debating is whether this is a faithful 1:1 rebuild of the Nintendo 64 original or something closer to a full reimagining in the vein of Final Fantasy VII Remake. When early rumors suggested the game would run on the Breath of the Wild engine, speculation ran wild about a massive structural overhaul of the classic adventure. A $59.99 digital price makes the full-reimagining theory harder to defend. A ground-up reconstruction with an expanded world, new story content, and a completely rebuilt engine would almost certainly command a higher price. At $60, this feels much more like a faithful visual and quality-of-life upgrade than a total reinvention. Insider NateTheHate , who first leaked the remake's existence, has recently been leaning toward the 1:1 interpretation himself. He noted it could still include modern additions like a dedicated jump button, but the core structure of the original N64 game appears to be largely intact. How this compares to Nintendo's Switch 2 pricing so far Title Digital (US) Physical (US) Yoshi and the Mysterious Book $59.99 $69.99 Ocarina of Time Remake (leaked) ~$59.99 ~$69.99 Nintendo Switch 2 premium tier $69.99 $79.99 The remake sitting in the mid-tier bracket rather than the premium one is notable. Nintendo has been reserving that $70 digital price for its biggest, most expansive releases. Slotting Ocarina of Time Remake below that bracket is a deliberate signal, even if Nintendo hasn't said so explicitly. The Direct should answer everything Nintendo's Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct was scheduled for September 8 at 7 AM PT, and the Ocarina of Time Remake was expected to be the centerpiece. Up until the eShop slip, Nintendo had only shown a brief cinematic teaser featuring young Link asleep in bed. Not exactly a wealth of information. The Direct should finally reveal how extensively the game has been rebuilt for Switch 2, what the actual release date looks like, and whether that $59.99 price gets an official confirmation. Even a 1:1 remake with updated visuals, modernized controls, and quality-of-life fixes could still make a strong case for being the definitive way to experience the N64 classic. For everything you need to know about the game ahead of and after the Direct, the Ocarina of Time guide collection has you covered, and you can find more gaming guides across all platforms on GAMES.GG as the full picture comes into focus.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/ocarina-of-time-remake-price-leaked/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/ocarina-of-time-remake-price-leaked/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:44:06 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[FuturLab Holds Layoffs and Cancels In-Development Game]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA["This was not an easy or quick decision to make, but by making difficult decisions early we protect FuturLab in the future." That's FuturLab CEO Kirsty Rigden , confirming that the studio behind PowerWash Simulator 2 has laid off seven employees and scrapped an unannounced project that had been quietly in development for two to three years. A project that never got to launch The canceled game was entirely separate from the PowerWash Simulator series, described by Rigden as a "new non-PowerWash related project" that was still in pre-production. The math simply didn't work out. Rigden stated it "would have cost us more than it was projected to make" and that continuing "wouldn't have been a sensible decision." The project had reportedly been in development since around 2023 or 2024. That's a significant chunk of time and resources for a studio of FuturLab's size to absorb as a write-off. The seven people let go were specifically tied to that canceled project, with their roles not needed for ongoing work on PowerWash Simulator 2. important FuturLab has confirmed it remains "fully committed" to PowerWash Simulator 2, with new updates and DLC content still in active development. How the layoffs were handled, and why it matters Here's the thing: the business decision to cancel a project that doesn't pencil out is defensible. Studios make those calls. What's harder to defend is how the process apparently unfolded internally. Staff working on the canceled project were left without any new work for weeks after the cancellation was announced in late June 2026. Then, in late July 2026, seven employees were quietly removed, with managers and team leads not informed that their direct reports would stop showing up or why. Those affected simply stopped coming to work, with no explanation given to colleagues. At a company-wide meeting in early August 2026, FuturLab COO Chris Mehers addressed the situation, framing it as a restructuring. Staff were then reportedly told not to use the word "redundancy" when discussing what had happened, and the people who had been let go were to be referred to as "the leavers." When asked directly to confirm the redundancies, FuturLab said it was "unable to divulge any further details about a confidential and legally binding process." UK employment law does limit what companies can say publicly, but the combination of silence toward remaining staff, language policing, and a carefully managed public statement paints a picture of a studio that wanted this to pass without much scrutiny. Rigden did express genuine regret in her statement: "These are people who are super talented and many of whom have been with us a long time, and I really really appreciate them." That sentiment reads as sincere. The execution around it is a different story. What this means for PowerWash Simulator 2 For players, the immediate concern is whether this affects the game they're already invested in. The short answer is: not directly. FuturLab has been clear that PowerWash Simulator 2 remains the studio's focus, with the team continuing to ship updates and DLC content on its existing roadmap. The longer-term picture is less certain. FuturLab is now a smaller studio with one active game and a stated goal of "prototyping new ideas for future games." That's a reasonable place to land after a painful restructure, but it's also a more cautious position than a studio actively developing something new alongside its flagship title. If you're playing PowerWash Simulator 2 and want to get the most out of it while the team keeps building, check out the resource gathering guide for tips on maximizing your progress, or the base building guide if you want to sharpen your setup. For a broader look at what's worth playing right now, the gaming guides hub has you covered across genres.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/futurlab-layoffs-cancel-unannounced-game/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/futurlab-layoffs-cancel-unannounced-game/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:42:17 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0 Brings New Raider Project]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you boot up ARC Raiders today, you'll find update 1.45.0 waiting for you, and there's more going on here than a standard bug fix drop. Embark Studios has packed in a new Raider Project, the start of Expedition 5, the Hornet Hunter Set , and a time-sensitive warning about the Cred currency that every active player needs to hear. Ascending the mountain: what the new Raider Project is actually about The new Raider Project is called Ascending the Mountain , and it picks up directly from recent in-game story threads. Phantom ARC signals have been troubling Shani , and those signals point toward a mountain range that sits just outside the current Tube system's reach. Apollo is apparently working on an experimental fix and needs Raiders who can read schematics and stay low-profile. This kicks off the fifth Expedition, making 1.45.0 a meaningful narrative beat rather than just a maintenance patch. Here's the thing: this is also confirmed to be the last Live Update before October 8, though Embark has noted a smaller update is still planned before that date. Spend your Cred now, not later The bigger time-sensitive news is what's happening to Cred . Embark is retiring it entirely as a currency when the Frozen Trail update launches on October 8. Any Cred sitting in your account at that point disappears, full stop. warning Cred expires permanently with the Frozen Trail update on October 8. Spend it with Shani or on remaining Raider Deck rewards before then. Any Cred you haven't used will not carry over to the new system. The replacement is described as a more expansive reward system that will include all existing Raider Deck rewards. Anything you've already claimed stays with you. So the math here is simple: if you have Cred, use it before October 8. Gameplay fixes worth knowing about Beyond the narrative content, 1.45.0 addresses a solid list of gameplay issues. A few stand out: Over-encumbrance now has a severe tier : if you're carrying well above your loadout weight limit, you're locked to walking with sprinting and jumping disabled. This adds real consequences to looting too aggressively. Expedition quest resets are now optional : starting an Expedition no longer automatically resets your quests. You choose at departure whether to reset them, which is a welcome quality-of-life change. Aphelion weapon sway reduced : aiming stability improvements for the Aphelion should make it feel noticeably tighter. If you've been working on gun modifications and upgrades , this is relevant to how the weapon handles now. Matriarch stomp fix : the bug where her stomp could damage players through tall cover or while standing on top of her is patched out. Quick item cycling rebind : you can now separate quick item cycling from the quick-use wheel, or disable cycling entirely, reducing accidental item swaps. On the technical side, the engine upgrade from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7 is notable. That's a significant jump and should contribute to the stability and performance fixes listed alongside it, including a PS5 crash fix and squad matchmaking issues when a squadmate signs out and rejoins. Community rubber ducks made it in On the lighter side, the community-designed rubber ducks are now live in Bird City . Players can display them in their Raider Den . The three winning designers, gekko.rar , im_AshCheeks , and nassguhl , get their creations permanently in the game, which is a genuinely cool outcome for a community design initiative. Known issues to watch for A few problems are still active post-patch: The second part of the Phantom Targets project couldn't be started for some players. Compensation is coming in a future update. Xbox Series S crashes are being worked on. Embark is asking players to report persistent issues. PC players on Windows Update KB5121003 may experience crashes. A workaround exists on the official Discord while a proper fix is in progress. Epic Games Store players may lose keyboard input suddenly. Disabling active overlays or alt-tabbing out and back in can help temporarily. With Frozen Trail confirmed for October 8 and the Cred deadline attached to it, now is the time to catch up on everything the current season has to offer. The ARC Raiders guides hub has everything you need to make the most of what's left before the next major update lands.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/arc-raiders-1450-new-raider-project/</link>
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            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:41:10 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Everything Announced in The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Showcase]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Nintendo just ran a full Direct dedicated to The Legend of Zelda turning 40, and it delivered more than most people expected. The Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake finally got a proper showing, a special-edition console was confirmed, live concerts are coming worldwide, and the live-action film got its official title. Here's everything that came out of today's showcase. Ocarina of Time remake gets a release date and a real look This was the headline. After a controversial first reveal earlier this year that left fans split on the semi-realistic art direction, Nintendo showed Ocarina of Time in full motion today and it's... a lot to process. The visual style leans into a moody, misty fairytale aesthetic that looks unlike any Zelda before it. Think less Breath of the Wild, more dark European storybook. Here's the thing: the new features are genuinely interesting. Link can now jump manually, which is a significant change to how the original played. You can also hum ocarina melodies directly into the Switch 2's microphone rather than inputting them with buttons, and if you happen to own an actual ocarina, that works too. The game is fully voiced, which will take some adjustment for anyone who's played the original dozens of times. It also supports Zelda Notes via the Switch app. The release date is November 5 this year. The special Switch 2 console no one will be able to resist buying Nintendo confirmed a Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 arriving on October 29 . The console features Link-green Joy-Cons and a Triforce-inspired triangular pattern on the hardware. A matching Switch 2 Pro Controller and carry case are also coming as part of the set. Pro tip: if you were already planning to pick up a Switch 2, this bundle exists now and you have to make a decision. Amiibo for the remake, with an actual in-game reason to own them Two new amiibo figures are coming: Young Link and Young Zelda , both based on the remake's art style. They unlock special in-game masks in Ocarina of Time on Switch 2. Nintendo hasn't pinned down an exact release date beyond "later this year" for these. important The amiibo release timing hasn't been confirmed yet, so don't expect them to be available at launch on November 5. A worldwide orchestral tour starting in January Nintendo is sending Zelda's music on the road. A live orchestral concert series kicks off in Tokyo on January 23 before moving through North America starting February 2027 , then on to Europe and Australia. The UK date is set for April 3 in London. What most players miss about these tours is how good they actually are in person. If you've never caught a Nintendo orchestral event live, this is worth looking at. The live-action Zelda film has a title, and it's exactly what you'd expect The upcoming live-action movie is officially called The Legend of Zelda . No subtitle. Shigeru Miyamoto says the reason for that will become clear when the film releases in cinemas on April 30, 2027 . The cast includes Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda, and Sam Neill in one of his final on-screen appearances. No trailer yet. Nintendo is holding that back, which suggests they're confident enough in the film to let curiosity do the work for now. Collector merch: Lego, a Master Sword, and playable ocarinas The physical merchandise lineup is substantial. A 1,750-piece Link and Epona Lego set arrives in spring 2027. Hasbro is releasing an electronic Master Sword at 27 inches long with 15 touch- and motion-activated sounds. Nintendo itself is releasing a playable ocarina at an unspecified future date, and Hori has an electric version coming for anyone who wants the sounds without the breath control. There's also a temporary exhibition at the Nintendo Museum in Japan, running for approximately one year from September 9, featuring a Zelda 40th anniversary series history board and special commemorative entry passes. The second Nintendo Direct of the week is still coming, so today's announcements are only part of the story. If you want to stay across everything Zelda-related as it drops, the The Legend of Zelda guide collection has you covered, and the broader gaming guides hub is worth bookmarking ahead of the Ocarina of Time remake's November launch.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-announcements/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-announcements/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:39:50 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[Marvel Rivals Season 10 Confirms Gorr The God Butcher]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you play Marvel Rivals , clear your schedule for September 11. NetEase just dropped the official Season 10 debut trailer, and it answers at least one question the community has been sitting on for weeks: what happened to Loki, and who is responsible. The answer is Gorr The God Butcher . He is the centerpiece of Season 10, and the trailer makes it very clear he is not here to make friends. What the trailer actually tells us The official description frames Gorr's arrival around a very specific mission. After cutting through the would-be gods of Thebes with All-Black the Necrosword , he sets his sights on Yggsgard. His goal is to assemble the God Bomb and wipe out every divine being in existence. His reasoning, at least as the trailer presents it, is that gods keep mortals trapped in false hope and prayer rather than trusting in themselves. Here's the thing: that is a genuinely compelling angle for a hero or villain kit. A character built around the idea of mortal defiance against divinity has a lot of room for interesting mechanics. Thor and the King of Yggsgard are positioned as the opposition standing between Gorr and his goal. Whether that plays out in a story mode, a seasonal event, or just the lore framing remains to be seen, but the setup is there. Loki's mysterious disappearance from the character selection screen ahead of Season 10 now has its explanation. Gorr got to him first. Season 10 start date confirmed Season 10 launches on September 11, 2026 . That is three days away as of today, which means the wait is genuinely short. NetEase has kept to a fairly consistent seasonal cadence through 2026, and Season 10 appears to be no different. For context on how the season structure has evolved, Season 9 launched in July 2026 under the Age of Apocalypse theme, and the Season 9 hero and release date details show just how much NetEase has been willing to shake up the roster each cycle. Gorr's place in the roster The trailer does not spell out Gorr's role class, but the All-Black the Necrosword and the God Bomb concept suggest a character built around sustained threat and area denial rather than raw burst. That is speculation based on the visual design, though. NetEase has a history of surprising players with kit directions that do not match the character's comic book profile. What the community will be watching closely is whether Gorr launches at the start of Season 10 or arrives mid-season, similar to how The Hood dropped in Season 9.5 rather than at the Season 9 launch. NetEase has used that mid-season structure a few times now to keep momentum going between major patches. The trailer's tone sets expectations The 'Butcher's Blasphemy' trailer leans hard into the mythological stakes. The framing around gods dying, kingdoms falling, and mortal vengeance is a noticeable tonal shift from some of the more comic-book-bright seasons earlier in the game's life. Whether that tone carries into the actual season content or just the marketing is worth watching. NetEase has been consistent about delivering high-production trailers that capture the spirit of each season, and this one does not disappoint on that front. The Necrosword animation alone will have plenty of players counting down the hours. Season 10 is three days out. Keep an eye on the full Marvel Rivals guides collection for hero breakdowns, patch notes analysis, and everything else dropping with the new season.]]></description>
            <link>https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-confirms-gorr-the-god-butcher/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">https://games.gg/news/marvel-rivals-season-10-confirms-gorr-the-god-butcher/</guid>
            <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Larc]]></dc:creator>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 15:51:43 GMT</pubDate>
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