Title: Pinball Pivots To Millennial Nostalgia And Gives Sonic A $10,000 Machine Of His Own Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:00:38 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/pinball-pivots-to-millennial-nostalgia-and-gives-sonic-a-10000-machine-of-his-own-2000709102 The first Sonic pinball machine is pricey but looks totally worth it

Title: Steam’s Latest Viral Multiplayer Game Is A $6 Janky Indie Game That Is Like Prop Hunt, But Good Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:11:34 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/steams-latest-viral-multiplayer-game-is-a-6-janky-indie-game-that-is-like-prop-hunt-but-good-2000709515 Meccha Chameleon is a fun time, but you'll have to put up with some jank

Title: Star Wars: Galactic Racer Looks And Feels Awesome Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:00:49 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/star-wars-galactic-racer-looks-and-feels-awesome-2000709494 Fuse Games has nailed the core fantasy of whipping around sci-fi planets at dizzying speeds

Title: Rhythm Heaven Groove Isn’t Even Out Yet, But I Already Hate The Smarmy Person Throwing Frisbees Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:39:25 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-demo-disc-dog-2000709512 You expect me to count to SEVEN?!

Title: The Pixar Movies, Ranked From Worst To Best (Now With Toy Story 5) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:24:00 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/pixar-best-movies-toy-story-nemo-incredibles-inside-out-1851785148 Let's look back at the last 30 years of Pixar, from Toy Story to its fourth sequel

Title: Monopoly Go x The Simpsons crossover is almost here Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:41:21 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/monopoly-go-the-simpsons-crossover-details Monopoly Go players have been looking forward to a major crossover event for what felt like months, and though most of the details ended up leaking, nothing actually beats official information. Read more

Title: Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.3 will take us deeper into the World in Canvas and make Mortenax Blade playable Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 13:43:44 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/honkai-star-rail-version-4-3-all-details HoYoverse has today delivered full details on the next major update for Honkai: Star Rail. Version 4.3, dubbed The Lethe Below the Living, will be available for all players on June 1. The upcoming update adds a new chapter to the Planarcadia arc, and introduce a new playable character. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 explodes on Steam even before it's officially out Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 11:00:02 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-steam-numbers-big-launch Steam is abuzz this week with a couple of long-anticipated launches, but in Forza Horizon 6’s case, at least, the game isn’t even out for what will be most of its players. The anticipated sequel in the open-world driving game series doesn’t officially launch until May 19, but owners of its most expensive version - the Premium Edition - can play it right now. Read more

Title: Mystic Messenger's most loyal players are getting banned in droves for seemingly playing the game too much Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 10:02:10 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/mystic-messenger-ban-wave-thousands-of-hourglasses-anniversary Mystic Messenger, arguably one of the best dating sims around, has been dormant for about seven years. Despite not receiving new content or any meaningful updates in all that time, the game remains popular with its core fans, many of whom just woke up to some shocking news about their accounts. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 review - The driving game for everyone still can’t seem to escape its car-collecting legacy Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 12:00:03 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-review There is this idea that, for a long-running series to remain as consistently popular as Forza Horizon has been, it needs to diminish itself somewhat with each new entry, gradually losing more and more of its edge in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience. Read more

Title: Lego Iron Man MK4 Bust Gets Prime Day Discount Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:03:14 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/lego-iron-man-mk4-bust-gets-prime-day-discount/ Lego sets can get expensive, but Marvel fans can snag a limited-time deal on the Lego Marvel Iron Man MK4 Bust during Amazon Prime Day 2026. Normally priced at $60, the kit is just $48 as part of the sale, which runs June 23 through June 26. See at Amazon The 436-piece set is based on Tony Stark's suit from Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 and stands around 6.5 inches high when complete. You're not just building the exterior of this Iron Man suit, however. The completed set features retractable shoulder canons, two adjustable flaps on its back, and a posable head. The set also includes a display plate and Iron Man minifigure. According to Lego, the Iron Man MK4 Bust is meant to be a more adult-focused Lego product that can be put on a shelf or used as a centerpiece on a coffee table. Still, kids should get a kick out of the shoulder cannons and rotating head. The set could be a fun way to pass the time until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters later this year--although Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Dr. Doom rather than Iron Man in that movie. The Lego Marvel deal just one of many great deals available on Amazon right now, so make sure you stay looped in on GameSpot's coverage of the best Prime Day deals on other Lego sets, video games, PC hardware, and more. Amazon Prime Day 2026 (June 23-26) Video games, Blu-rays, Lego, and tech for the lowest prices of 2026. See at Amazon Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Grab Apple AirPods 4 For Only $69 Before This Black Friday Deal Sells Out Grab 4K Blu-Rays For Under $13: Inception, The Shining, Blade Runner, And More Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collector's Box Set Is Only $35 Right Now Dozens Of Lego Sets Get Massive Price Cuts For Target Circle Week The Skyrim Library 3-Book Box Set Is Only $44 For Big Deal Days Walmart Deals: Save Big On Gaming Gear, Lego, TVs, Cool Toys, And More Get Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet For 45% Off Before It's Gone For Good PlayStation Studios PS5 Games On Sale For Up To $50 Off This Week Death Stranding 2 Gets First Major Discount Ahead Of Prime Big Deal Days Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Links (4)

Title: Unhinged – Official Reveal Trailer Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/unhinged-official-reveal-trailer/ From the developers of both Oxenfree games and The Afterparty, Night School Studios' Unhinged is a horror romp you can stream entirely through Netflix.

Title: You Can Play Oxenfree’s Devs New Game Unhinged In 30 Minutes, And It Rules Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-can-play-oxenfrees-devs-new-game-unhinged-in-30-minutes-and-it-rules/ Unhinged is not the sort of game I'd expect from Oxenfree and The Afterparty developer Night School Studios. Unhinged is, well, unhinged for the studio. Unlike the two Oxenfree games and Afterparty (three games that are spooky, yes, but are anchored by whimsy and endearing characters), Unhinged is a whiteknuckle stress fest, packed with Tobe Hooper Texas Chainsaw Massacre-level gore and scares.  To say as little as possible, it is disturbing. But, boy, it's a romp too! And yet, despite the jarring contrast to its previous more lighthearted (but still spooky) games, Unhinged still features Night School Studios' strongest trait: the emotional bond between its characters. I played through the entirety of Unhinged in about 30 minutes, which is exactly how it's meant to be played. And that's one of the things that makes it so cool. Streamed entirely through Netflix, Unhinged is a fully 3D in-engine experience where you use your real-world phone like an actual phone in-game to shine your flashlight, receive as well as make calls, and read texts in real-time, all while hiding from an unhinged killer. It's a horror thriller joyride that was designed and intended to be played in a single sitting, as if watching a short horror film that you're controlling.  Sean Krankel, head of Night School Studios, told me that creating an experience that leaned into that one-time viewing (or, playing, in this case) was intentional.  "We believe that there are a lot of people out there who love horror films and TV shows, but who do not necessarily want to learn how to combine herbs and resource manage ammo clips," Krankel said. "So how can we find something that’s super approachable mechanically?" The answer: your smartphone, something anyone, gamer or non-gamer, can grasp. The game's conception, however, didn't start with the smartphone connection, but instead the use of a flashlight. It was the flashlight that eventually led to the team's next epiphany.  "How do we not make [your smartphone] just feel like a glorified, bad D-pad?" Krankel said. "How do we make it feel like this could only function with this controller? And we’re like, well, let’s just go all-in with a phone." In the game's tight and punchy 30-minute experience, Night School Studios managed to make me gasp, wince, laugh, and--most impressively--fully understand the friendships between its small cast of characters. You play as Eva, a young woman alone in her apartment during a hurricane that knocks out the power. Your real-world phone mimics Eva's, where you can scroll through her texts and receive calls from her best friend Claire, who lives in the adjacent apartment building; her window looks directly into Eva's. However, Eva is unaware that someone else is in the apartment with her, and Claire gets to watch from afar while on the phone with Eva. Think Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, but in reverse. It's pure suspense fuel, and it is so damn cool. Considering the game's length, it is difficult to say anything more about its events, as it is best experienced on your own--and then again watching a friend play for the first time. And then again with you and your friend watching another friend play it. The game merits all these repeat viewings, as there are branching paths and the potential for Eva to die in several gruesome ways. I wouldn't know, however, as I made it through to end credits on my first try. The relationship between Eva and Claire, as well as between Eva and some of her neighbors, isn't established by laying on mounds of exposition, but rather through the environment and the few texts you can read in her phone. It's in that confined timeframe in which the game is played that Unhinged uses every trick it's got, from photos and notes placed in the environment, to nuanced dialogue between Eva and Claire that tells a deeper story about their friendship. The game starts fast, but picking it up and understanding it is very intuitive, and that's due to the integration of your own phone acting as the controller and the main storytelling device. Claire's voice comes from your phone speakers, while Eva's comes from the TV; your phone screen becomes a simplified version of a phone UI, with text messages to read, calls to make, and an icon to turn the flashlight on and off. With motion controls, moving your phone around moves the flashlight on-screen, allowing you to look freely around the in-game room in real time.  While you don't have full control of Eva's movement as navigation is done using point-and-click mechanics, pointing the flashlight towards hotspots allows Eva to turn around or progress forward. While this level of interactivity isn't new, it still felt very novel when I remembered I was playing a game streaming on Netflix, using my phone. It felt like an experience that I can only have this way, and wouldn't have the same effect if I had been playing with a traditional controller or mouse and keyboard. It's also just a cool case study in observing how someone interacts with their phone when under pressure. You can choose to reject incoming calls, or make them. There are some well-timed calls I declined. But funny enough, I never once thought of calling 911 (which you can do).  Unhinged creates an incredible sense of stress when trying to survive and engage with what's happening on your TV screen, while also navigating incoming notifications and calls on your phone. I've felt anxiety in horror games while trying to carefully use the last few bullets I have, or just barely making it home free after running from a monster, but I can't point to an experience quite like this, where I was the participant trying to silence a phone call as a killer stood just on the other side of the wall. When I was told I was going to play a new game streamed through Netflix, I ignorantly thought of Black Mirror's Bandersnatch or the Escape The Undertaker, both of which were episodes of the TV show that operated like choose-your-own-adventures, often with binary do-this-or-that choices. Unhinged is in a league of its own, though, bringing real-time video game fidelity to the streaming platform in ways that I'm sure will pave the way for new and inventive methods to experiment with short-form game experiences. You can play Unhinged for yourself on June 30 when the game goes live on Netflix. Maybe you'll actually try to call 911 ... unlike me.

Title: The Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Collector’s Edition Is Just $70 Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:32:20 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-metal-gear-solid-%ce%b4-snake-eater-collectors-edition-is-just-70/ Prime Day 2026 is officially here, and it's discounting a long list of popular video games, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which is now just $25 (was $50). That matches its all-time low price from the 2025 holiday season. The deal applies to both PS5 and Xbox Series X. If you're a long-time fan of Snake, there's an even better price cut on the Collector's Edition (though this is limited to PS5), which has dropped the bundle to its lowest price ever of just $70.83 (was $200). These deals will only stick around until Prime Day ends on June 26 (assuming they don't sell out first). Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - Tactical Edition $25 (was $50) Along with the base game, the Tactical Edition of Snake Eater includes the Sneaking DLC Pack. This features various in-game cosmetics, like face paints and outfits, to help you crawl through the jungle undetected. Here's a look at the full lineup: Uniform: Battle Dress Uniform: Sneaking Suit Uniform: Crocodile Suit​ Uniform: Naked (Woodland)​ Uniform: Naked (Ammunition Belt) Uniform: Gold Face: Glasses Face: Sunglasses Equipment: Kerotan Mask Equipment: GA-KO Mask See at Amazon Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - Collector's Edition $70.83 (was $200) The Collector's Edition might actually be the better deal of the two, as it's reaching a new all-time low price for Prime Day. It's been discounted plenty of times in the past, but its average price still typically hovers around $165. Along with the base game, you'll get: Miniature terrarium inspired by the opening scene of Virtuous Mission Halo jump patch Fox patch Snake's ID card lanyard Metal game case Collector's box See at Amazon Our Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review gave it a 9/10, noting its stunning visuals and smart gameplay tweaks that modernize the classic adventure.   "Video games are the only medium that I think are capable of making that first-time-again fantasy a reality–or as close to one as we’re going to get," wrote critic Tamoor Hussain. "Time puts distance between us and the emotionally significant moments we cherish, but it also brings us closer to exciting technologies that can make the old feel new. In the right hands, those technologies can create opportunities to stoke those profound emotions again, even if it’s just a little. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater does exactly that." Looking for more great deals? Head over to our Prime Day Hub, where you'll find the best savings on games, gear, Blu-rays, and dozens of other products. Remember--you'll need to be a Prime member to cash in on the offers, and the event runs until June 26. Amazon Prime Day 2026 (June 23-26) Video games, Blu-rays, Lego, and tech for the lowest prices of 2026. See at Amazon More Deals And Preorders The Lego Piranha Plant Set Is Down to Its Lowest Price Ahead Of Prime Day Amazon’s Got A Great Early Prime Day Deal On The Middle-Earth 6-Film Collection Magic: The Gathering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s Draft Night Kit Is Discounted Ahead of Prime Day Samsung 990 Pro SSD Gets Rare Discount Ahead Of Prime Day The First Official KPop Demon Hunters Lego Set Launches Soon

Title: Hideo Kojima Says Every Publisher Told Him His Idea For OD Was “Crazy” Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:26:04 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hideo-kojima-says-every-publisher-told-him-his-idea-for-od-was-crazy/ Game developer Hideo Kojima has shared new details about one of his upcoming games, the horror title OD that he's making in partnership with Xbox. In addition to calling it "a new game system," he said it includes a feature for people who might get too scared by it. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Kojima said his aim with the game was to "do something new" and "do something different." He said he first came up with the concept for OD when he was making the original Death Stranding years ago. "I can't reveal much detail, but it's something that no one has ever seen before. A new game system," he said. A new image has been released as well. https://twitter.com/KojiPro2015_EN/status/2069283202657824878 Kojima went on to say he pitched OD to "many people," including "the big companies" and "the up-and-coming companies." Every company he pitched to told him the same thing. "They said that I'm crazy, and that they really don't understande the concept--that they will not be able to do it," he said. The game was greenlit at Xbox under the leadership of former Xbox boss Phil Spencer. Asha Sharma is now Xbox CEO, and she called OD a "deeply moving game," going on to say it "represents another kind of game." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7LCmySghGM OD will be a scary game, and that's plainly obvious from seeing the trailer, and it will be a single-player game. Kojima said the aim is to make the game "as scary as possible," but he's also come up with a system for scaredy cats. "For those that might stop playing when it gets too scary, I have thought of a system that will allow them to keep going. I can't say much more, because it'll give too much of a hint on the system, and I could get in trouble for saying too much," he said. Sharma also went on to say that OD is an example of how Xbox has "not reached the boundary of games" just yet. She said one of her goals as Xbox CEO is to make sure Xbox is a platform that is "sufficiently open" to developers of all types, so that "the next Kojima" could potentially have success on Xbox. OD features celebrity actors, including Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and the late Udo Kier. In addition to OD, Kojima is making the espionage game Phsyint for Sony.

Title: Netflix reveals Fool Night, a new sci-fi anime from rival anime studios Sunrise and Shaft Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:43:07 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/one-of-2026s-most-intriguing-anime-comes-from-an-unlikely-studio-team-up/ Strategic collaborations aren’t novel in the anime industry. Major studios, from MAPPA to Madhouse, often rely on extensive outsourcing to get projects across the finish line, including tasks like digital painting, in-between frames, and background art. These are normally the most specialized, labor-intensive tasks that would slow down production, though full episodes can sometimes be outsourced, which is called gurosu uke (グロス請け) in the anime industry.

Title: Blue Eye Samurai season 2 new footage takes Mizu to London Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:35:31 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/blue-eye-samurai-season-2-annecy-teaser/ It's been over two years since Blue Eye Samuraifirst arrived on Netflix, combining stunning animation with visceral violence to become a runaway hit. We've been waiting for season 2 ever since. A brief teaser released last summer announcing the start of production featured a flashback showing our protagonist, Mizu (Maya Erskine), leading a peasant rebellion. Now, we've gotten our best look yet at Blue Eye Samurai season 2.

Title: The 5 weirdest Steam Next Fest demos you can still play Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:31:20 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/steam-next-fest-june-2026-weirdest-demos/ Last year, there were over 21,000 games released on Steam. So far this year, there have been more than 11,000, so it's likely 2026 will end with even more in total. A lot of them are, let's face it, a bit naff. Others are excellent and worth your time, including some of the best Steam Next Fest demos, but they don't push the boat out.

Title: Pokémon Go regional exclusive Pokémon list in 2026 Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:31:20 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-go-guide/22547721/regional-list-exclusive-countries-areas/ Regional exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon Go are creatures you can only find in certain parts of the world. Finding these Pokémon means physically traveling to those spots in the real world (or making international friends and trading with them). In this Pokémon Go regional Pokémon guide, we’ve listed where to find each of these regional exclusive Pokémon.

Title: Amazon Prime Day 2026: The best gaming deals, from Resident Evil to Final Fantasy Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:22:28 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/best-gaming-deals-amazon-prime-day-sale/ Amazon holds several sales events throughout the year, and one of its biggest is its Prime Day sale, which is currently running through June 26. Hundreds of items are discounted across categories, and gamers are going to want to check out the best prices on accessories and deeply discounted games. Here are some of the best offers available.

Title: Sync and Stream: GeForce NOW Connects to Members’ Game Libraries Across Devices Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:00:32 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-game-stores/ Play favorite titles from popular game libraries, keep progress synced and jump back into gaming sessions on virtually any device. That’s the power of GeForce NOW cloud gaming. From providing access to members’ favorite game libraries to offering some of the season’s best membership pricing, GeForce NOW is making it easier than ever to get more from the cloud this summer. Plus, check out the seven new games arriving in the GeForce NOW library this week. Hit Play Across Top Game Stores That’s a whole lotta ways to play. Whether it’s blockbuster franchises, competitive shooters, sprawling role-playing games (RPGs) or indie gems, GeForce NOW supports thousands of games from leading PC game stores, making it easy to bring existing game libraries to the cloud. Connect supported game store accounts and stream titles with GeForce RTX power. Games that include cloud-save functionality help keep progress intact across devices. Start a game on one screen, pick up where playtime left off on another and spend less time managing installs and storage space. Jump into fan favorites like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt streaming through GOG. These sci-fi and fantasy favorites support cloud saves, making it easy to continue where play left off. GOG single sign-on and game library syncing — coming this summer — will make that process even smoother. Explore ancient mysteries in the Assassin’s Creed franchise or team up for tactical action in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege through Ubisoft+, delivering iconic worlds and competitive experiences to the cloud.  Whether joining massive, all-in combat in Battlefield 6 or shaping the fate of Thedas with compelling companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the EA app offers action-packed experiences and beloved RPGs. Find them in the GeForce NOW app by simply searching and filtering by store. Choose the Screen, Keep the Adventure Gaming doesn’t always happen at a desk — community members are sharing how GeForce NOW lets them play across their favorite devices. GeForce NOW Ambassador and cloud gaming creator Anytime Anywhere Gaming recently showcased Dead as Disco — a PC title without a native mobile version — running on an iPhone through the cloud. As he put it: “One of the coolest benefits of GeForce NOW is I can take the same copy of the game I own on Steam and carry it to my iPhone … it’s super awesome being able to play a game on a multitude of devices without having to buy it again.” That flexibility extends beyond mobile. One GeForce NOW member on Reddit shared being “blown away” by the experience of playing on Mac through the cloud, highlighting how GeForce RTX-powered gaming can be enjoyed across devices, no upgrades required. Whether via phone on the go, on a MacBook between work meetings or on a TV in the living room, GeForce NOW helps make PC gaming accessible across nearly every screen. Upgrade and Unlock More This Summer Summer lovin’, havin’ a sale. For a limited time, annual memberships are available at the best prices of the year: $35 off a 12-month Performance membership $70 off a 12-month Ultimate membership Performance memberships deliver high-quality cloud gaming across devices, while Ultimate unlocks GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud with up to 5K resolution, up to 120 frames per second and advanced technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex. Pair these special prices with thousands of supported games across top PC game stores. Plus, with GeForce NOW, spend less time downloading, upgrading hardware and managing storage — and more time gaming. New on the Cloud  In addition, members can look for the following: Embers of the Uncrowned Demo (New release on Steam, available June 13) Pro Cycling Manager 26 (New release on Steam, available June 15) Aphelion (Steam) Citizen Sleeper (Epic Game Store, free from June 18-25) Megastore Simulator (Steam) OPERATOR (Steam) Super Meat Boy 3D (Xbox, available on Game Pass) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Save Big and Play Bigger: GeForce NOW Summer Sale Brings Major Membership Savings Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:17 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-summer-sale-2026/ The GeForce NOW summer sale kicked off today with limited-time savings of up to $70 off a 12-month membership, making now the perfect time to upgrade to get the best of the cloud and see just how far Ultimate gaming can go. PC gamers are driven by one thing: the love of the game. But getting there can be complicated — setups take space, hardware takes planning and downloads take time. GeForce NOW removes the barriers and delivers instant access to games, high-performance GeForce RTX power in the cloud and the ability to play across nearly any device — all with one membership. Regular upgrades and new features continue to expand the experience, building the value of that membership over time.  Plus, GeForce NOW is always delivering new games — including epic adventures across Tyria. Guild Wars 3 is coming to GeForce NOW, bringing its next-generation massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) experience to the cloud at launch. While awaiting its arrival, the journey begins today with Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars Reforged, along with limited-time exclusive rewards. Instantly Elevate Every Device PC gaming demands more from players than ever. Bigger game files and more frequent updates can turn the urge to play into a long list of to-dos. GeForce NOW streamlines that experience. Installs, patches and updates are handled in the cloud, so games are ready to launch in just a click. Time that would’ve been spent waiting on progress bars can go back into playtime, making it easier to fit gaming into quick breaks on busy days. High-performance NVIDIA GPUs in the cloud means access to always-ready GeForce RTX performance without having to purchase new hardware. Members can tap into powerful servers that meet rising game requirements and keep pace with today’s games. And memberships continue to improve with platform upgrades — like the free Ultimate upgrade to the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture — extending their value, as well as the life of gamers’ devices, over time. All of the gaming. Laptops, phones, tablets and TVs — devices most gamers have at home and already use for school, work and everyday life — can all act as gaming screens. Streaming means not having to worry about hard drive space for installs and updates, or needing the latest devices.  Level up playing on Linux. These benefits are reinforced by continuous quality-of-life improvements like smoother sign-ins, new platforms — like Linux and Amazon Fire TV — and refinements that make it faster and easier to get into a gaming session. Together, these benefits make GeForce NOW the easiest way to enjoy PC gaming both instantly and over time, while keeping the focus on what matters most to gamers: getting into the game. The Biggest Gaming Upgrade, the Best Price of the Year Sale-ing into summer with huge savings. For a limited time this summer, GeForce NOW memberships are available at some of the year’s best pricing — with major savings on 12-month memberships: $35 off a 12-month Performance membership $70 off a 12-month Ultimate membership The Performance membership delivers smooth, high-quality cloud gaming across devices, with streaming up to 1080p at 60 frames per second (fps) and access to RTX-powered servers for supported games. The Ultimate membership steps things up with RTX 4080‑ or 5080‑class performance in the cloud, supporting up to 4K and beyond on ultrawide displays, up to 120 fps, and advanced features like ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex for a more responsive, visually rich experience. These limited-time discounts won’t last long — beat the heat and jump into GeForce NOW.  A New Legend Rises One of the best things about the cloud is that every week, new games become available to stream — including new AAA games at launch and the latest content and rewards.  The land of Orr awaits. Guild Wars 3 marks the next adventure in Tyria — an action-adventure MMORPG where fluid combat, deep character building and a living world of magic and mystery shape every journey. Alliances are forged, spirits awaken and every step forward leaves a lasting mark on an untamed frontier. Be among the first to raise the banner. Gamers can add Guild Wars 3 to their wishlist today and stay up to date on every reveal as it marches toward launch. While the next chapter in Tyria prepares to unfold, its legacy is ready to be played today. Return to adventure in Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars Reforged, and unlock exclusive in-game rewards for a limited time — available for GeForce NOW Premium members today through Saturday, July 11, and free to all members beginning Friday, June 12. Be on the lookout for an email with codes to redeem.  In Guild Wars 2, the “Masterpiece Emote Tome” turns every victory into a moment of flair — a chef’s kiss to triumph. Start playing by applying the code through an ArenaNet account or during account creation, then log in to access the emote. In Guild Wars Reforged, the “Vision of Lyssa” costume brings elegance and illusion to life and includes an account upgrade. Inspired by the twin goddess, this striking ensemble can be worn over any armor. Redeem by adding the code in game, then visit a Costume Maker NPC to claim the reward. But Wait, There’s More Duet Night Abyss from Hero Games makes a splash on GeForce NOW, plunging players into a submerged world where survival is shared. Control a synchronized duo tethered by fragile oxygen lines, navigate glowing reefs, drowned ruins and shadowy chasms where every move demands trust and timing. The game’s moody visuals and tense, cooperative focus give each dive the feel of a playable deep-sea thriller. GeForce NOW is kicking off a new Community Corner for the summer, spotlighting stories and creations from members across the globe. This week, a community story takes the spotlight as a Linux gamer on Reddit shares how GFN has helped them with accessibility gaming, saving storage space on massive titles and minimizing upgrades. In addition, members can look for the following: NBA THE RUN (New release on Steam, available on June 9) Witchspire (New release on Steam, available on June 10) SpaceCraft (New release on Steam, available on June 11) Duet Night Abyss (Launcher) DOOM Eternal (Epic Games Store) The Elder Scrolls Online (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Farever (Steam) World of Tanks: HEAT (Wargaming) Finally, Pro Cycling Manager 26 is now scheduled to launch on Monday, June 15, and Denshattack! is now expected to launch on Wednesday, July 15.  What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: NVIDIA, KRAFTON, NC and Reigning ‘League of Legends’ Champions T1 Celebrate RTX Spark at Korea’s PC Bangs Date: Sun, 07 Jun 2026 07:00:15 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/krafton-nc-t1-korea-gaming-pc-bang-rtx-spark/ At GTC Taipei at COMPUTEX last week, NVIDIA unveiled RTX Spark, the superchip that reinvents Windows PCs for the era of personal AI agents. On the heels of this announcement, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang headed to South Korea, where he introduced RTX Spark to the nation’s passionate gaming community. Leading game developers — including Korea’s KRAFTON and NC — are already working to bring their titles to RTX Spark-powered systems.  Designed for local AI, creating and gaming, RTX Spark brings together 30 years of NVIDIA innovation to slim Windows laptops with all-day battery life and small, ultraefficient desktop PCs.  With the superchip, gamers can play AAA games at 1440p resolution and over 100 frames per second with NVIDIA ray tracing, DLSS and Reflex technologies. In addition, RTX Spark supports all NVIDIA RTX technologies, including the recently announced DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction, which features a second-generation transformer model for realistic image quality.  RTX Spark Ignites Korea’s Gaming Community Korea has played a major role in spearheading esports and driving the boom in PC bangs, or internet and gaming cafes. With longstanding collaborations rooted in the country, NVIDIA in October celebrated 25 years of GeForce in Korea with a free festival for gamers, highlighting the rich gaming ecosystem that has been built over decades.    On Friday, Huang headed to T1 Base Camp — a PC bang owned by T1, one of Korea’s top esports teams. There, he met with T1’s reigning League of Legends World Champion team, including six-time World Champion Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok to unveil RTX Spark.  NVIDIA and Riot Games — developer of League of Legends — are collaborating to bring the title as well as VALORANT to RTX Spark, expanding gamers’ access to high-performance gaming on slim laptops.  To mark the occasion, T1 Base Camp attendees had the chance to win RTX Spark laptops, League of Legends and T1 merch signed by Huang and Faker, as well as GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs.  Surprising PC-Bang Gamers  Later, Huang headed to Seoul’s Gangnam district, where he surprised PC-bang gamers with a first look at RTX Spark with KRAFTON and NC.  At the first stop, Optimum Zone PC, Huang and KRAFTON Chairman Byung-gyu Chang showcased PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and Subnautica 2 on RTX Spark to a captivated crowd of gamers.  Gamers then got the surprise chance to play with the unreleased PUBG Ally, a co-playable character built with NVIDIA ACE technologies on RTX Spark laptops. PUBG Ally resulted from AI research and development at KRAFTON and NVIDIA, part of an initiative to create next-generation game characters that act like teammates and enable more meaningful, immersive engagements with players. Next, Huang stopped at another PC bang, Portal PC, where he showcased NC’s CINDER CITY and AION 2 on RTX Spark, with support from Taekjin Kim, co-CEO of NC.  NC and NVIDIA began working together in the early 2000s on the Lineage franchise and have since collaborated to integrate RTX technology into many of NC’s flagship games, including Lineage 2, AION, Blade & Soul, AION 2 and CINDER CITY.  Gamers at Portal PC were given the chance to play a demo of NC’s highly anticipated open-world massively multiplayer online tactical shooter CINDER CITY on GeForce RTX-powered PCs.   CINDER CITY will support the DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation and Super Resolution features at launch. Plus, gamers will be able to experience the title on slim RTX Spark laptops and compact desktops when the game is released later this year.  In addition to KRAFTON, NC, and Riot Games, 100+ Windows software providers and game developers are embracing RTX Spark. These partners include NetEase, Remedy Entertainment and XBOX.  Learn more about RTX Spark and its launch partners.

Title: Forecast: Fun Ahead — 18 Games Join in June to Stream on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:00:27 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-june-2026-games-list/ June’s forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming. GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies ready for the spotlight. Members can dive into fresh worlds, squad up in new playlists and discover “just one more run” favorites — all streaming from the cloud, no downloads or upgrades required.  Eighteen games are coming this month, starting with the 10 games arriving this week with the highly requested Neverness to Everness.  A World Beyond City limits end where reality bends. Step into a surreal, supernatural open world in NTE: Neverness to Everness from Hota Studio. Reality bends, streets twist into impossible angles and the uncanny waits around every corner. Play as an anomaly hunter drawn into a strange metropolis alive with anomalies, cosmic oddities and dreamlike encounters. Explore the city’s districts at street level or from impossible heights, uncovering secrets, side stories and hidden paths woven through the tangled skyline. Combat and exploration blend together as players move between quiet, eerie spaces and sudden bursts of action.  Every alleyway and rooftop hides something strange and new, from bizarre characters to otherworldly phenomena that reshape the environment in unexpected ways. Streaming with GeForce NOW lets the game’s distinctive art direction and atmospheric lighting shine, keeping the city’s moody glow, deep shadows and supernatural effects crisp and sharp.  Whether wandering its streets on a big screen or checking in from a laptop, NTE: Neverness to Everness stays fluid and immersive — powered by the cloud. June Games Juicing Up the Cloud A legend returns. Return to the Valley of Mines in Gothic 1 Remake, a faithful rebuild of the original experience that expands the world with more detailed questlines, additional nonplayer character routines and reactions, new traversal abilities and a fully modernized combat system. Step into the role of the Nameless Hero and explore a dangerous prison colony filled with rival factions, ancient magic, deadly creatures and choices that shape the journey ahead.  Whether revisiting a classic or discovering it for the first time, GeForce NOW makes it easy to jump into the adventure instantly across nearly any device, no downloads required. Check out what all is available this week: Jurassic World Evolution 3 (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass) Fatekeeper (New release on Steam, available June 2) House Flipper Remastered Collection (New release on Steam, available June 4) Pro Cycling Manager 26 (New release on Steam, available June 4) GOALS (New release on Steam, available June 4) Gothic 1 Remake (New release on Steam, available June 5) NTE: Neverness to Everness (Launcher) The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Epic Games Store) XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Steam) And look forward to the games coming throughout the month: STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions (New release on Steam, June 11) SpaceCraft (New release on Steam, June 11) Denshattack! (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, June 17) The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (New release on Steam, June 18) Dark Scrolls (New release on Steam, June 22) Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains (New release on Steam and Ubisoft, June 30) Farever (Steam) FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (Steam)  More From May In addition to the 16 games announced last month, 18 more joined the GeForce NOW library: Alchemy Factory (Steam) Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes (Steam) Blades of Fire (Steam) BeamNG.drive (Epic Games Store) Directive 8020 (Steam) Disco Elysium (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure (Epic Games Store) Ostranauts (Steam) Planet Coaster 2 (Epic Games Store) PowerWash Simulator 2 (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Resident Evil Requiem Demo (Steam) Romestead (Steam) SPLITGATE: Arena Reloaded (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Subnautica 2 (Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Sunderfolk (Epic Games Store) TerraTech Legion (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II (Steam) World of Tanks: HEAT (Steam) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know X or in the comments below.

Title: The Name’s Gaming … Cloud Gaming: ‘007 First Light’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:37 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-007-first-light-launch/ License to stream, shaken and stirred. GeForce NOW is dialing up the espionage with the launch of 007 First Light, letting members slip into James Bond’s reimagined origin story from almost any device — no tux or preloads required.  For a limited time, the game is included with the purchase of a 12‑month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership, letting members lock in Bond’s next mission and a year of top-tier cloud gaming in one shot. And for those stepping into the role, the look comes with it. Daring Elite Outfit, a signature look capturing the spirit of a rising agent, is now available for Ultimate members — equal parts discipline, ambition and edge. And catch Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem demo in the cloud — catch an early portion of the game and discover its two sides: terrifying survival horror with Grace Ashcroft, and pulse-pounding action with Leon S. Kennedy This GFN Thursday also brings eight new games to the cloud, expanding the library with even more ways to play across genres. Mission Assigned First light, first mission. The mission begins before the legend. 007 First Light puts players in the shoes of James Bond at the dawn of his career, when instincts are sharp, rules are flexible and every decision shapes the agent he’s destined to become. This is a Bond who’s still earning his “00” — unpolished, dangerous and learning when to trust a plan and when to improvise under fire. A cinematic spy thriller unfolds with high-stakes infiltration, tense encounters and stylish set pieces. One moment brings thrills working undercover at an opulent event — the next, white‑knuckle chases and close‑quarters confrontations where timing and composure are everything. Approaches to each mission — quiet and calculated, bold and aggressive, or something in between — define Bond’s path and the allies and enemies that cross it. Stream it all with GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU power in the cloud, with up to 5K high dynamic range and cinematic-quality streaming for Ultimate members. Experience Bond’s origin story in razor-sharp detail across devices — no high-end PC required. Keep It Daring Tailored. Tactical. Dangerously sharp. Looks speak first. A new 007 First Light reward drops today on GeForce NOW, delivering Ultimate members a refined,  unmistakably bold way to step into the world of espionage. The Daring Elite Outfit blends calculated precision with effortless style — the kind that turns heads before the mission even begins. Sleek, confident and just a little dangerous, it’s built for agents who understand that presence is a part of the playbook. All rewards are available starting now through Saturday, June 27, or while supplies last. To claim, log in to a GeForce NOW account, head to the rewards section in the account portal and redeem. Keep It Heated Time to get heated. Armored battles get hero-driven in Wargaming’s free-to-play, player vs. player vehicle shooter, World of Tanks: HEAT, now streaming on GeForce NOW. World of Tanks: HEAT is the franchise’s first hero-driven tank action game, where powerful Agents and their experimental machines shape every fight. Fast-paced 5v5 and 10v10 matches erupt into high-velocity brawls as hero-enhanced tanks trade explosive bursts, clutch escapes and momentum-shifting abilities. Each Agent brings a unique tool kit and vehicle lineup, layering team roles and synergy on top of sharp aim and smart positioning. It’s classic steel-on-steel combat with a hero-shooter twist, now available in the cloud. The next match is always just a quick deployment away on GeForce NOW. Keep It Playing Community stories take the spotlight this week as an Ultimate member on Reddit shares a heartfelt note about what GeForce NOW means to daily gaming. In addition, members can look for the following: Romestead (New release on Steam, May 26) World of Tanks: HEAT (New release on Steam, May 26) 007 First Light (New release on Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on the Microsoft store, May 26) Starminer (New release on Steam, May 27) Resident Evil Requiem Demo (New release on Steam, May 27) Alchemy Factory (Steam) BeamNG.drive (Epic Games Store) Ostranauts (Steam) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. nvidia geforce now delivers such flawless performance, it is possible to exert dominance upon the squad ‘w/ absolute precision & @ ease' ♡ more about @nvidiagfn @ https://t.co/pFHAv1zXRS https://t.co/q67SOJNpbO #nvidiapartner #geforcenow pic.twitter.com/NsiK3FIX6v — airie (@airiesummer) May 22, 2026

Title: Meet Yoshie: Revealing Denshattack!’s first boss battle Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:15:34 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/23/meet-yoshie-revealing-denshattacks-first-boss-battle/ Hi everyone! On behalf of our studio Undercoders, and ahead of the game’s launch on July 15, we’re thrilled to give you an exclusive in-depth look at the first boss of Denshattack! Denshattack! is a frenetic trick-based action game where you kickflip, ollie, and grind… as a train! Set in a colorful dystopian version of Japan, you must rack up points, complete objectives, and race rivals to become the best Denshattacker of all time. We took inspiration from some of our favorite extreme-sports series, such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and SSX, and combined them with the energy of classic arcade hits and the fascinating Y2K, colorful, cel-shaded aesthetics seen in games like Jet Set Radio or Auto Modellista. Play Video Denshattack!’s world is built around outsiders Denshattack! takes place in a future version of Japan where a climate catastrophe has left the rich untouchable inside their air-purifying domes, while everyone else is forced to survive in the undomed wastelands. A rebellious movement known as Denshattack has reclaimed the abandoned legacy railroad tracks, using them to fight for recognition in underground duels of speed, tricks, and technique. Emi, a young but skilled ramen delivery girl, discovers Denshattack when she crosses paths with a journalist and sets off on an intense journey of discovery, growth, and challenge. From the southern lands of Kyushu to the freezing north of Hokkaido, she will need to make her way across Japan, crossing the ruins of the once-powerful railway network, meeting outcasts, learning new techniques, improving her skills, and battling local gang leaders. Gang Bosses: an epic train showdown! When designing the game, the team had a clear vision for the story arcs: just like in a classic shonen anime, each chapter had to end with a catharsis that felt impressive, creating a challenge to put all the newly learned mechanics to the test. In Denshattack!, each of Japan’s regions is controlled by a gang of outlaws led by a powerful fighter. Each gang has its own visual identity, personality, fashion, and musical character, directly inspired by Japan’s suburban culture. These leaders each have their own motives, signature moves and secret techniques to provide the perfect base for a meaningful boss battle. But how do you create a boss fight with trains? Going on rails may sound like a big limitation, but when your train can defy gravity to jump, wallride, trick, or grind, it can also dodge punches, parry projectiles, stomp on a shield, or launch itself against a mecha with a force of fifty tons! Train-to-train (or train-to-giant-machine) combat turns out to be pretty interesting. And when combined with a cast of unique characters, local folklore, and Japan’s endless source of pop culture influences and aesthetics, it opens up a lot of opportunities to create original boss fights. Kogals Unite! Meet Yoshie from the Dashing Queens Yoshie is an influencer from Fukuoka whose popularity became so powerful that the government branded her a threat. In reality, they simply fear her influence. Her visual design and bubbly personality clearly embody gyaru, a Japanese subculture that challenges traditional Japanese beauty standards by centering glamour, volume, and confidence. You can see this in her hair, makeup, clothing, accessories, and, of course, her train. But most of all, you can see it in her transformation sequence. Reminiscent of classic Sentai shows or anime such as Sailor Moon, Yoshie’s train joins forces with her soldiers and morphs into a huge magical girl-esque mecha. The gyaru elements extend here too, with bows, stars, and hearts galore. Every boss fight follows a classic structure of different phases, where players need to identify patterns, avoid damage, and look for openings to perform counter-attacks. In this fight, Emi first uses tricks and combos to access the main battle, then performs quick rail changes to avoid the punches and uses grinds and ground pounds to deliver blows to the mecha. All these techniques are introduced throughout the first chapter and then put to the test during the fight. The level’s music reflects Yoshie too: her battle theme is a collaboration between composer Sean Bialo, leading Vocaloid producer Yunosuke, and pop singer (and real-life gyaru idol) Alice Peralta. Onto the next station! Our publisher, Fireshine Games, loved the duel against Yoshie when we first presented it, but raised an interesting question: if this is the first boss fight and you’re already battling a giant mecha… where do we go from here? The only possible answer was: up and beyond! Boss fights have been one of the most fun and interesting design challenges we’ve encountered while creating Denshattack!. We’ve been working hard to create set pieces that feel intense, challenging, original, surprising, and, above all, memorable. We can’t wait for you to play them! Denshattack! launches on PS5 on July 15.

Title: Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 544: Vesper Underground Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:37:29 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/19/official-playstation-podcast-episode-544-vesper-underground/ Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Sid, Tim, and I are back this week to discuss some new details on upcoming games. But since it’s a quieter week, we take the opportunity  to dive into the team’s latest gaming adventures and triumphs, including 007 First Light, Mina The Hollower, and Overwatch. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Dead or Alive 6 Last Round | PS5 Abyssus | PS5 Assassin’s Creed Shadows update — The final update for the latest Assassin’s game is now live. Test your skills in the Animus-bending endgame content. These new challenges remix the game in fantastical ways and will require a steady hand and top-tier builds. The Planet Crafter coming to PS5 —  Survive and thrive on July 21 in this cozy co-op survival game that alleviates the pressure and lets players enjoy terraforming and creating a life on a deserted planet. Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok —  See what you can expect from the massive expansion coming to the PS5 on July 9. Get the inner workings of the updated battle system featuring dynamic character synergy power-ups, summon system, and more in our hands-on report. The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Title: Share of the Week: Saros Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:10 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/19/share-of-the-week-saros/ Last week, we sent you to Carcosa to try out the newly released Saros Photo Mode using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: MdeavorVP shares Arjun dashing to the side thwippip shares Arjun atop a ruined landscape on Carcosa dougsvest shares Arjun sending a red blast to an enemy   l2.focus shares Arjun standing in front of The Constant y2que shares Arjun posed with his weapons vp_louie shares an onslaught of blue enemy orbs Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Saros – Arjun DevrajSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 24, 2026  Next week, share portraits of Arjun as he explores the corrupted world of Saros. Use #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Title: Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok hands-on report, demo available today Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/18/granblue-fantasy-relink-endless-ragnarok-hands-on-report-demo-available-today/ Set to touch down on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on Thursday, July 9, Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok is a massive new expansion built to significantly evolve the high-flying action RPG that first captivated players in 2024. At a recent press event, we had the chance to experience the new additions coming to Endless Ragnarok firsthand through an exclusive developer presentation and an early hands-on gameplay session. For newcomer captains eager to take to the skies, a playable demo of the main Granblue Fantasy: Relink title is now available on PlayStation Store. Dynamic character synergy power-up the evolved battle System Endless Ragnarok injects a wealth of new content into the experience, introducing an all-new story arc, new playable characters, the game-changing Summon battle mechanic, a punishing new quest difficulty, the Master Trait progression tree, and a dedicated single-player endgame mode called the Conflux. The expansion adds six fan-favorite faces to the playable roster: Gallanza, Maglielle, Beatrix, Eustace, Fraux, and Fediel. In addition to these allies, players will square off against formidable new skybound threats, including iconic bosses like Beelzebub and The World. The new Summon system unleashes fresh tactical depth and spectacle The crown jewel of Endless Ragnarok’s new mechanics is undoubtedly the Summon system. By equipping summons, earned as you progress through the narrative, you can call upon various characters during battle and take control of them. Because your character gains complete invincibility while a summon is active, this mechanic works beautifully not just as a devastating offensive push, but as a clutch counter against a boss’s most lethal attacks. With a diverse lineup of summons offering specialized roles in offense, crowd control, and support, your tactical options have never been broader. The visual spectacle reaches a fever pitch with the introduction of Primal Burst. When your party performs a full chain of Skybound Arts under specific conditions, Lyria will unleash a powerful follow-up attack through a summon. Battles heat up under the punishing new Chaos difficulty For our hands-on session, we booted up a save file positioned right at the opening act of the Endless Ragnarok storyline. The moment the curtain rises on this new chapter, the quest counter unlocks its highest, most unforgiving difficulty rank: Chaos. In a terrifying show of force, even the very first quest—which functions as a tutorial for the expansion’s mechanics—plunges you straight into Chaos-level danger. Quests in this tier feature merciless new adversaries, like the apocalyptic beasts ragnalia, and bosses will aggressively utilize a terrifying, unique ability known as EX Burst. When a boss enemy’s body radiates a distinct purple aura, it is your cue that an EX Burst is imminent. Facing these catastrophic attacks for the first time brings an incredible amount of tension. However, reading the telegraphs, discovering the counter-strategies, and perfectly timing your dodge windows to turn a crisis into an opening is exactly where Relink’s combat system shines. Veterans who have completely mastered the original game and crave high-stakes encounters will absolutely live for this thrill. Conquer the Sky Realm by mastering your Summons During our demo run, we had the opportunity to take the primal beasts Furycane and Managarmr out for a spin. While Furycane requires a massive chunk of the summon gauge to activate, its rapid-fire slashes and tracking tornado combos are devastatingly potent. Closing the gap with a rushing strike before immediately transitioning into a flawless, high-damage combo feels incredibly smooth, and its massive scale on the screen delivers the pure, larger-than-life thrill of a premier summon battle. Managarmr, by contrast, moves with a heavier, more deliberate pace, but it proves immensely dependable by automatically burying the field in a ferocious blizzard just as its summon duration expires. Because this attack inflicts the Glaciate status effect, it freezes enemies dead in their tracks, giving you a perfect window for crowd control. It is a fantastic example of how summons can be used for deep, defensive strategy rather than just raw firepower. Crucially, equipping summons does more than just let you call for backup; they also bestow a variety of passive traits and skill effects upon your captain. Once players begin amassing a vast collection of these summons later in the game, theorycrafting the ultimate combination of passive stats and active summon timings is bound to become an absolute obsession. Plus, those precious invincibility frames during a summon act as a vital lifeline when your back is against the wall. Hands-on impressions of the brand-new roster We also took the time to test out two of the highly anticipated new playable characters: Gallanza and Beatrix. Gallanza is a textbook powerhouse who commands the field with a massive spear-axe. While his animations swing on the heavier side, his raw attack radius is exceptionally wide, making it immensely satisfying to shatter enemy defenses with a rhythmic succession of heavy-hitting strikes. Beatrix, on the other hand, is a highly technical fighter who forces you to actively cycle through shifting offensive, defensive, and recovery self-buffs mid-combat. While she demands constant situational awareness and fast decision-making from the player, her potential to dynamically adapt to any role in a party makes her an incredibly rewarding character to master. The solo-exclusive ultimate endgame: the Conflux We closed out our session with the Conflux, a brand-new piece of content tailored specifically for solo play. In this mode, players fight their way through sequential zones, checking off specialized objectives mapped to each area. Upon successfully clearing a zone’s objective, you are prompted to choose one of three temporary perks that remain active strictly for the remainder of that specific run. The gameplay loop centers on methodically conquering rooms, stacking powerful buffs, and testing your limits as you plunge deeper into the abyss. According to the development team, the Conflux was designed for players who prefer to avoid multiplayer matchmaking, allowing them to efficiently earn rare materials and high-tier equipment solo. The objectives that appear and the perks offered change randomly with every run, creating a highly replayable loop. Combining rogue-lite randomness with single-player-focused progression feels like a promising and fresh way to experience the game. Our brief journey with this expansion left us deeply impressed by its newfound mechanical depth—from the tactical layers introduced by the Summon system to the addictive loop of the Conflux. 

Title: The VFX tech behind Saros: from NGP to Graphite Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:21 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/17/the-vfx-tech-behind-saros-from-ngp-to-graphite/ Five years ago, we wrote about how the visual effects in Returnal came to life, including the real-time voxeliser that dissolved Phrike into volumetric fog. If you haven’t read it, that post is a good companion to this one. This is how that story continues. With Saros, we didn’t just extend what we’d built for Returnal. We stepped back, looked at thirty years of accumulated engine development, and rebuilt it as a unified framework: Graphite. What we had, and why we changed it Our proprietary particle engine, NGP (Next-Gen Particles), started as a prototype for Resogun in 2013 and grew with every game since, all the way to Returnal. By SAROS, NGP was mature, but it was also a product of twelve years of incremental decisions, each one made in the context of a specific, isolated game. Then something else changed: us. Joining PlayStation Studios meant delivering experiences at the level our players expect, and our tools, and the names we’d given them, no longer matched the studio we were becoming. Enter Graphite. It brings GPU simulation, rendering, tooling, and DCC integration under one architecture, built directly for PlayStation hardware. NGP didn’t disappear, it became part of Graphite, evolved and more capable than ever. Every Housemarque game has a visual identity players recognise immediately. Graphite is what makes that possible. And what it actually does, frame by frame, is best explained by the incredible people who built it: Housemarque Graphics Architect Sharman Jagadeesan and Senior Graphics Programmer Konsta Toivanen will walk you through the volumetric fog in Saros: how it evolved from Returnal, and the two systems we built to make Carcosa’s atmosphere feel alive. Risto Jankkila (VFX Architect) will explain how we extended Graphite with data from Houdini, including a full breakdown of the player spawn sequence. Volumetric fog Fog in games is often an afterthought, something that fills empty space and hides draw distances. In Saros, we wanted it to be a living part of the world, reacting to everything happening in it. In Returnal, our volumetric fog was already reactive, but too low frequency, and heavy temporal filtering kept it from showing fine detail. For Saros we built two complementary solutions: low frequency fog for ambient atmosphere, and high frequency fog for the character effects seen in special story rooms in Carcosa. Low frequency fog We took Unreal Engine’s froxel fog, a frustum-aligned voxel grid, as a starting point and rebuilt significant parts of it to meet our vision. The first challenge was temporal stability. The hysteresis coefficient controls how much of the previous frame’s data the fog holds onto: Unreal’s default of 90% keeps the image stable but makes the fog sluggish on fast-moving cameras and lights. We pushed it down to 50%, using blue noise jitter and depth clamping to keep the resulting aliasing under control. Saros also needed fog that could represent everything from low density ambient mist to high density ground fog. To render these faithfully we used: A dual Henyey-Greenstein phase function, modelling how light scatters forward and backward through the fog depending on viewing angle. A coloured absorption coefficient, determining how much light is absorbed as it travels through a medium, for a far wider range of colours than traditional monochromatic solutions. A self shadowing system that aggregates incoming light sources into a dominant shadowing direction and ray-marches toward it. A physically based sky lighting integral, for accurate distant lighting without sacrificing performance. Together these gave Carcosa’s atmosphere a grounded, physical quality. Finally, the low frequency fog is fully interactive. Advection from our player-following fluid simulation feeds directly into the density hysteresis step, making every player movement, projectile, explosion, and enemy readable in the fog in real time. High frequency fog For the high-frequency fog we built a custom ray marcher. To keep performance in check while preserving fidelity, we cluster the scatter data into 8x8x8 voxel groups before marching, drawing only the clusters that contain data, with a user-defined threshold keeping their number in check. While marching, empty regions between clusters get skipped, letting the marcher take larger steps where it can. For lighting, we evaluated a light volume per scatter volume, containing irradiance from all light sources, with pre-marched self-shadowing for every light voxel. We exposed parameters for albedo, absorbance, density, and shadowing, letting artists balance visuals against performance for each volume. The two fog systems are then merged: we sample the low frequency fog’s scatter data during the high frequency march, and feed results back so both stay consistent with each other. Use cases We used the high frequency volumetric fog in a few scenarios. One use case was in the Prologue in the form of a smoky skull with cables attached to it. Another use case was with what we call Mirages. In four of our biomes there are specific narrative rooms where Arjun is faced with smoke creatures. 1/2Now showing slide 1 of 2Show all View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Fog skull at the beginning of the Prologue View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Four story rooms with Mirages Reactivity is key to all the VFX we make, and these effects were no exception. Since impact data doesn’t need high resolution, we store it in a separate, low resolution volume, which for the skull also holds its low frequency velocity field. The videos below show that volume on the left, and combined with the skull on the right. Impacts are evaluated as a Signed Distance Field that closes back up over time, while velocity is shown in colour, you can see both the impact holes and the turbulence they create. 1/2Now showing slide 1 of 2Show all Here’s the final skull effect without the cables and other secondaries and in a different environment. The mirage effect is similar to the skull effect. The difference is that there are so called mirage “scenes” that rotate. We also used our real-time skeletal mesh voxelizer to bring existing meshes into the scenes. The video below shows a sweep between the voxelized result and the final result with advecting data from the previous frame. Here’s the final effect with rotating two mirage scenes in a test environment. For reactivity, we used the same method described for the skull effect. Extending Graphite with data from Houdini In addition to improving the rendering quality of our volumetric effects we wanted to introduce new ways for our artists to author them. Previously, volumetric effects were created by writing per-voxel expressions for density emission, combined with fluid simulations driving the advection (the directional movement) of the density field. Because this grid-and-voxel approach is the industry standard for film VFX, it was our natural first step as well. From Returnal days: voxelising Phrike into a grid for density emission During Returnal’s development, we realized we needed tighter control over exactly where density is generated. Per-voxel logic let us emit density on nearby surfaces or voxelised meshes, but anything more complex came with severe runtime overhead. Emitting density from just a character’s arm, rather than their whole voxelised body, was very difficult to do efficiently in real time. Also from Returnal: full body density emission from the voxelised mesh To solve this, we turned to particles to drive volumetric density emission. Graphite’s fully programmable particle system gave us a solid foundation for tightly controlled volumes, resulting in two new tools: An Offline Houdini Data Pipeline: lets artists pre-compute complex, high-fidelity data in Houdini that would be too expensive to generate at runtime. A Runtime Point Cloud Rasterizer: a high-performance component that takes simulated points and rasterizes them directly into a volume in real time. Together, these freed us from stateless per-voxel expressions and rigid fluid simulations. Particles can now precisely follow a character’s animated mesh, giving artists full control over an effect’s behavior and lifecycle. In practice, an artist imports an animated Saros character into Houdini and uses its tools to compute starting positions and attributes for an effect. That baked data feeds into the game engine, where real-time simulation takes over. In the video below, points generated in Houdini closely match the in-game character, and custom runtime logic detaches them from the enemy on bullet impact, so initial positions come from Houdini, but the behavior reacts dynamically to the player in real time. Creating point data in Houdini Using point data from Houdini in engine Since artists can export any kind of data from Houdini to Graphite, it’s easy to go beyond static particles attached to characters. Below, particles flow across the surface of an animated mesh: the surface was unfolded in Houdini into a 2D simulation space, then exported and mapped back onto the animated mesh in real time. Particle flow on Arjun’s body on the left. In the middle we extract an ISO surface from the particles. On the right we have volumetric fog emitted from the particle flow. A prime in-game example of this technology in action is the player spawn sequence in Saros. This complex effect is built in multiple layers, starting offline in Houdini, where we generate splines directly onto the player’s skeletal mesh. When exporting these splines into Graphite, we treat each control point along the spline as an individual particle. Simulating particle positions in Houdini. These are only used as target positions in the engine and the growth motion will be re-simulated dynamically during runtime. At runtime, our programmable particle system controls how these elements behave over time. At first, the splines drift freely in space, then gradually guide back toward their target positions on the character mesh. We wanted the player to look like they’re physically reforming from a pool of shifting “goo.” Marching Cubes gave us that viscous, solid-surface look, and controlling it with particles let us build a sequence where the player forms from separate strands into a character. Marching cubes constructed from particle splines Much like the splines that generated the goo surface, we can also emit volumetric density as well. In the spawn sequence we placed a number of particle splines near the player location and spawn volumetric fog from them to simulate rising steam or smoke.  Volumetric fog emitted from particle splines As a final touch, we added spark particles that collide with the player character, using a signed distance field computed from the player’s collision capsules. The programmable particle system again gave us flexibility here: the player attracts particles, but once they get too close, the player mesh repels them, helping sell the look of emerging from hot, lava-like liquid. Particles colliding with player capsule SDFs Here’s everything combined. Every element is simulated at runtime, at 60 fps on base PS5, with no baked simulation assets. This lets us ship multiple spawn animations, each with slight randomization so it looks a little different every time the player wakes up. Final player spawn sequence An ever-evolving development journey Reading through what Risto, Sharman, and Konsta broke down here, the goal for us and our technology has always been the same: every simulation, every effect, every rendering decision exists to make you feel something when you play. Making games means believing in something you can’t yet prove, and the only people who can ever confirm it are the players themselves. Saros players told us, in their own words, that what we built mattered. And that means everything to us. Our games will keep informing the technology we develop for Graphite, always showcasing what PlayStation as a platform can do. We can’t wait to share that future with you.

Title: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's subtle queer characters were all about presenting people "inhabiting this world in an authentic manner" Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:34:07 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/final-fantasy-7-rebirths-subtle-queer-characters-were-all-about-presenting-people-inhabiting-this-world-in-an-authentic-manner I do sometimes shudder at the thought of how big Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth actually is, especially as someone who made a beeline for the main story on my playthrough for the most part. Its size does also allow for a lot of smaller details though, like one background (and I really do mean background) plot that follows the romantic relationship of a lesbian couple across the game's various locales. And according to game director Naoki Hamaguchi, the choice to depict characters like this was all in the name of enhancing realism. Read more

Title: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide gets a free update adding new enemies and an expeditions mode revamp as the Skitarii parachute in via DLC Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:03:29 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/warhammer-40000-darktide-gets-a-free-update-adding-new-enemies-and-an-expeditions-mode-revamp-as-the-skitarii-parachute-in-via-dlc Following in the footsteps of some Hive Scum, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide has been descended upon by another new DLC class - the Skitarii. Alongside the arrival of the the Machine God's elite the game's gotten a fresh patch with some free additions. Read more

Title: Here comes a new launcher for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, annnnd there goes the new launcher after a day of backlash from roaring traders Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:30:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/here-comes-a-new-launcher-for-warhammer-40000-rogue-trader-annnnd-there-goes-the-new-launcher-after-a-day-of-backlash-from-roaring-traders If you blinked for longer than usual between June 22nd and today, June 23rd, you might have missed Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader having a shiny new launcher fitted to it and that new launcher subsequently being taken right back off again. In between those two points was a loud chorus of boos from players keen to not have to deal with yet another launcher. Read more

Title: Star Wars: Galactic Racer let me play podracer ping-pong, though its high-stakes roguelike gauntlet feels more tuned for pace-focused speeder freaks Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/star-wars-galactic-racer-let-me-play-podracer-ping-pong-though-its-high-stakes-roguelike-gauntlet-feels-more-tuned-for-pace-focused-speeder-freaks “You race like a poodoo!” podracer Ben Quadinaros, a large bit of snot whose body is 60% face, yells as we sweep through a turn side-by-side. “Right,” I think as I begin to channel my inner Dale Earnhardt, “you’re going in the wall”. The blatant side-swipe that dashes Ben and his gangly craft against the rocks of the narrow trench also wipes me out. Usually in this sort of situation I’d respawn unrepentant, but Star Wars: Galactic Racer’s geared to force you to consider any carelessness and rue any mistakes. Read more

Title: "It didn't look like things were going to change anytime soon": Valve insist price worries were never behind Steam Machine delays Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:43:12 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/it-didnt-look-like-things-were-going-to-change-anytime-soon-valve-insist-price-worries-were-never-behind-steam-machine-delays The new Steam Machine is pretty neat, but it’s walked a long and painful road to reach yesterday’s launch. A secret work-in-progress at Valve since at least 2023, it would be late 2025 before an initial public showing, and subsequent delays – blamed on industry-wide components shortages and the resultant price gouging – meant it that it when it did open for orders, it would be months later and at considerably greater expense than planned. The volatility and unpredictability of the pricing situation may have conjured up images of a hopeful Valve crew, sat with crossed fingers atop a hoard of finished Steam Machines, ready to launch but holding back until production costs settle back down – allowing for a more enticing street price in turn. This, however, was never the case, as Steam Machine designer Lawrence Yang and engineer Yazan Aldehayyat told me over a video call last week. Read more