Title: ASUS 34″ Curved Gaming Monitor Falls Back to Its Lowest Price in Weeks to Compete With Samsung Odyssey Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:35:45 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/asus-34-curved-gaming-monitor-falls-back-to-its-lowest-price-in-weeks-to-compete-with-samsung-odyssey-2000660670 The post ASUS 34″ Curved Gaming Monitor Falls Back to Its Lowest Price in Weeks to Compete With Samsung Odyssey appeared first on Kotaku.

Title: This Apple Pencil Alternative Drops 43% to a New Record Low, Compatible With iPad Pro and iPad Mini Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:05:15 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/this-apple-pencil-alternative-drops-43-to-a-new-record-low-compatible-with-ipad-pro-and-ipad-mini-2000664837 The post This Apple Pencil Alternative Drops 43% to a New Record Low, Compatible With iPad Pro and iPad Mini appeared first on Kotaku.

Title: Magneto Is Out Here Spoiling Avengers: Doomsday: ‘I Probably Shouldn’t Have Said That’ Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:02:00 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/ian-mckellen-avengers-doomsday-magneto-spoiler-new-jersey-2000665035 The post Magneto Is Out Here Spoiling <em>Avengers: Doomsday</em>: ‘I Probably Shouldn’t Have Said That’ appeared first on Kotaku.

Title: Devs Behind Steam Game With Over 300,000 Reviews Hit The Panic Button After A Malicious Mod Starts Deleting Fans’ Data Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:53:03 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/people-playground-steam-mod-workshop-virus-2000665028 The post Devs Behind Steam Game With Over 300,000 Reviews Hit The Panic Button After A Malicious Mod Starts Deleting Fans’ Data appeared first on Kotaku.

Title: Anker Clears Out Soundcore Boom 3i Outdoor Speaker at Nearly 50% Off, Even Lower Than Black Friday Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:35:11 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/anker-clears-out-soundcore-boom-3i-outdoor-speaker-at-nearly-50-off-even-lower-than-black-friday-2000664681 The post Anker Clears Out Soundcore Boom 3i Outdoor Speaker at Nearly 50% Off, Even Lower Than Black Friday appeared first on Kotaku.

Title: Starsand Island is a life and farming sim that isn't gacha, and it's out next week Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:59:36 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/starsand-island-early-access-release-date-launch-content Though it may seem like we just had a big life sim release in Heartopia, 2026 actually has more than one highly-anticipated release in that particular subgenre of cozy game. The next big one on the horizon is Starsand Island, the life and farming sim from Seed Sparkle Lab. Read more

Title: Zenelss Zone Zero Version 2.6 has you playing as an event planner and social media manager for an idol group Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:44:02 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/zenless-zone-zero-update-2-6-angels-of-delusion Zenless Zone Zero’s latest Special Program has delivered a tonne of information about the game’s big upcoming update, Version 2.6. This latest addition kicks off celebrations in New Eridu, and it’s dubbed Encore for an Old Dream. Read more

Title: Infinity Nikki ushers in the Year of the Horse with... a deer-themed Version 2.2 Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:34:41 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/infinity-nikki-update-2-2-chinese-new-year-celebrations Infinity Nikki, the free-to-play, open-world dress-up RPG, has delivered yet another big content drop in the form of Chromatic Beings Everbright. The latest update brings the game up to version 2.2, and introduces a new narrative chapter, and gameplay taking place around a festival narrative. Read more

Title: Quantic Dream addresses toxicity, tech bugs and tutorials for Spellcasters Chronicles closed beta 2 - here's how to get a key Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:55:31 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/spellcasters-second-closed-beta-start-end-time Quantic Dream has opened up its upcoming fantasy MOBA for a second closed beta weekend starting from today, January 29, until 9AM UTC on Monday February 2. Read more

Title: Nioh 3’s generous demo is out now, and your progress carries over to the full game Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:53:47 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/nioh-3-free-demo-pc-ps5-save-progress-carry-over Nioh 3 is one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and it’s easily among the biggest releases of February. We’re a few days away from the start of that month, however, but we don’t have to wait until then to actually play Team Ninja’s next major release. Read more

Title: Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined Review - Trimmed Sails, But Not Trimmed Enough Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:14:00 -0800 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dragon-quest-vii-reimagined-review/1900-6418454/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Dragon Quest VII? Why? That was the question when I heard about this remake. Square Enix had successfully made HD-2D ports of Dragon Quest III, and a combined package for I-II. It seemed intent on reviving classic Dragon Quest games, in particular for newcomers who missed them the first time around. I was one of those newcomers, having only dabbled in a handful. But why skip ahead to Dragon Quest VII, by reputation one of the most notoriously off-putting and bloated games in the series? After more than 40 hours, I'm still not quite sure. Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined does a lovely job in presenting the world and spiritual aesthetics of Dragon Quest, and its suite of quality-of-life tools and shortcuts are appreciated for how they speed up the flow of the game. But it can often feel meandering and old-fashioned, in spite of itself.Dragon Quest VII follows a pair of friends--Auster, the son of a humble port town fisherman, and Kiefer, the princely heir to their kingdom. The two are convinced that there's more to the world than their one humble kingdom, but when the adventure begins, there actually isn't. Your island is the only landmass on the map, and the world is isolated and lonely. This is essentially a world in which the villain has already won and wiped out nearly the entire planet. As the adventure unfolds, the two are joined by more companions and begin to find magical tablets that transport them back in time, helping to right some historical wrong or overcome an evil in the past, which then restores that island in the present. This structure sometimes goes to dark places, since each island is a place that was ultimately doomed in the past, often by their own hubris or inability to come to an understanding.On one level, this time-hopping premise carries echoes of Chrono Trigger, another game famous for its Akira Toriyama character designs. You get to see what's gone wrong in the past and fix it, and then discover how your own intervention has manifested itself in the present, where inhabitants of the restored island have been living peacefully for centuries, unaware that they had previously been blinked out of existence. Some of the scenarios even have playful touches subverting expectations about what you'll find after centuries of the new land's culture left to its own devices.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined Video Review Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0800 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/dragon-quest-vii-reimagined-video-review/2300-6466687/ Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined slims down and modernizes a notoriously bloated classic RPG, though its anthology structure still feels overlong. Video Notes: Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined does a lovely job in presenting the world and spiritual aesthetics of Dragon Quest, and its suite of quality-of-life tools and shortcuts are appreciated for how they speed up the flow of the game. But it can often feel meandering and old-fashioned, in spite of itself.

Title: This Jet Fighter Game Is Being Built For Players Who Want To Show Off Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:53:00 -0800 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/this-jet-fighter-game-is-being-built-for-players-who-want-to-show-off/1100-6537818/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f It's a scientific fact that two of the coolest things in life are military fighter jets and the Devil May Cry franchise. So what happens when you smash the two together? You get Delivery Must Complete, a "high-speed Acelike Roguelike with SSStyle" created by Australia-based developer Yoyoyollie. Revealed last year, Delivery Must Complete is what happens when a sidewinder missile locks onto the laws of physics and promptly blows it out of discussion, leaving behind a game where every fight is a spectacle and the sky truly is the limit.The Steam page explains that you really will need to make a delivery via a fighter jet express courier service, but in the middle of an aerial warzone. Fortunately, blimps, dragons, and mechs are no match for an ace pilot who can tear across the sky, powerslide out of harm's way, and parry missiles. Every map is procedurally generated, with weather changes, varying cloud cover, terrain anomalies, and random map events that add variety to each zone. Since revealing the project, Yoyoyollie has been joined by sound designer Jonathan Foe and Project Wingman composer Jose Pavli. Speaking to GameSpot, Yoyoyollie revealed that a wide range of influences had inspired the design of Delivery Must Complete--like Ace Combat, Project Wingman, Devil May Cry, Ultrakill, Afterburner, Sephiria, and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. The game's cel-shaded look was born of Yoyoyollie's desire not to be bogged down by the time-consuming pursuit of realistic graphics, and because the cel-shaded design was refreshingly different.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: Fallout Episode 7 Raised The Stakes For The Finale Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:41:00 -0800 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-episode-7-raised-the-stakes-for-the-finale/1100-6537787/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Fallout Season 2's penultimate entry, Episode 7, puts all the chips are on the table.While Lucy (Ella Purnell) is with Hank (Kyle Maclaclan) in the Vault-Tec executive bunker, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) finally partied up with Maximus (Aaaron Moten) and Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton) in the wake of the chaos at Area 51. Meanwhile, Norm (Moises Arias) discovered that Vault 33 is set to be used for an experiment involving the “Forced Evolutionary Virus” and Overseer Stephanie (Annabel O’Hagan) struggles with her authoritarian rule over Vault 32 while prepping for her wedding to the unwilling Chet (Dave Register). With the odds stacked against all of our main players, can someone take the jackpot, or does the house always win?The episode opens up with a pre-war flashback on the Canadian border. Now a territory of the United States, two prisoners manage to escape an internment camp and run through the woods toward the border. The prisoners are revealed to be Stephanie and her mother, fighting for a better life than the one they have as prisoners in Canada. As they near the border, they’re stopped by a Marine in USMC Power Armor. Hope seems lost for a brief moment, until another prisoner appears, and turns out to be a suicide bomber--killing the Marine in the resulting blast. While Stephanie and her mother manage to get away, her mother is injured from the explosion and, as she dies, motivates Stephanie to make it to the border by any means needed, even if it means killing innocent people. As Stephanie crosses the border into the United States, she’s stopped by a Border Patrol guard and prepares for her first kill.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Title: 50 Video Game Movies In The Works: How Many Of Them Will Actually Come Out? Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 05:55:00 -0800 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/video-game-movies-in-the-works/2900-5059/ Like the seemingly unending comic book movie craze, Hollywood loves to find a type of film that it can turn into the next big cultural touchstone. Over the years, we've seen movies based on video games attempt to reach that level, with varying levels of success. We've seen adaptations of games for decades, but, to be fair, a lot of these were awful adaptations. Many of them missed the point of the source material and were clumsily executed--although we'll always have a soft spot for the 1994 Street Fighter movie--but lately, we've seen some big changes in this genre.The Super Mario Bros. Movie took the world by storm when it was released, earning an obscene amount of cash at the box office, while the Uncharted and both Sonic the Hedgehog movies were also successful. With fresh new IPs to option, dozens of video game movies have been announced over the last couple of years, and while production is moving swiftly on several of them, many more appear to be trapped in the lowest levels of development hell.We're hopeful that we'll see some progress on these long-in-development films, but until Hollywood says otherwise, here's a deep dive into the video game movies that could be showing at your local cinema in the future. If there's not an attached release date or it's not a sequel, though, keep in mind these could also just never be made in the end. 1. Elden RingNot only is an Elden Ring movie officially in development at powerhouse distributor A24, but the project will be written and directed by Alex Garland of Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Civil War fame. Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin--who helped to develop the lore of the Elden Ring video game--is also involved as a producer on the movie project. 2. HelldiversAnnounced at CES 2025, Helldivers is one of two projects currently in development through Sony and its subsidiary, Columbia Pictures. Helldivers is essentially a spiritual successor to Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers film, and is set in a future where humanity worships freedom and the concept of managed democracy. The games have a cheeky sense of humor, and the studio behind them would love to see several A-list celebrities in the movie--provided that they're killed off in hilariously over-the-top scenes.The film project has also found its director in Justin Lin, who helmed several Fast and Furious movies. 3. The Mortuary AssistantOne of the few adaptations on this list not stuck in development hell, production on indie horror game The Mortuary Assistant recently kicked off. Jeremiah Kipp will direct the movie--which stars Gossip Girl and Arrow star Willa Holland in the lead--and the filmmaker envisions this project as a companion piece to the game that will flesh out its lore further. 4. Watch DogsMore than 10 years after it was first announced, filming finally began on Watch Dogs in July, a series of open-world games published by Ubisoft and featuring hacktivist gameplay. Directed by Mathieu Turi (The Deep Dark), the film Tom Blyth and Sophia Wilde. Additional casting details or a release date have yet to be revealed.Principal photography wrapped up in September, and the project is now in its post-production phase. 5. Sonic the Hedgehog 4With Sonic the Hedgehog 3 being massively profitable, another sequel was inevitable. Earlier this year, Paramount has announced that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be racing into theaters on March 19, 2027, but details are being kept under wraps for now. 6. The Super Mario Galaxy MovieThe Super Mario Bros. Movie was a smash-hit at the box office when it first debuted, and naturally, a sequel is on the way. Currently scheduled to arrive in April 2026, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie adapts the classic 2007 Wii game for the big screen and sees multiple cast members from the first Mario movie return. 7. Death StrandingHideo Kojima's Death Stranding takes place in a fascinating universe, one where an extinction-level event has almost wiped out humanity and where being caught out in the rain is a painful death sentence. It's also weird as hell, packed with some very recognizable Hollywood faces, and it has no shortage of material to explore. The feature film adaptation was announced back in 2022, and in December 2023, film and television company A24 officially revealed its partnership with Kojima Productions to bring Death Stranding to life… or Death.Kojima has big plans for this IP, as not only is he involved in the production of the Death Stranding movie, but he's also planning to create a Death Stranding film universe. 8. Untitled Death Stranding Animated MovieNot only is a live-action Death Stranding movie in development, so too is an "adult-targeted" animated movie. This one is still in the early stages of development, but what we do know so far is that Aaron Guzikowski--writer of the 2013 Denis Villeneuve movie Prisoners--will work on the screenplay and it'll be tonally similar to Predator: Killer of Killers and the upcoming John Wick animated prequel. 9. Call of DutyCall of Duty has been one of the biggest video game franchises for decades now, and at long last, that blockbuster action is headed to the big screen. Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on Call of Duty, and the film company says that it's "committed to honoring the brand’s rich narrative and distinctive style" of this adaptation. It's still early days for the project, but Paramount has recruited some of its best writers for the project, including Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. 10. The Legend of ZeldaRelease date: March 26, 2027A live-action Legend of Zelda movie is on the way, and while it's still in an early pre-production phase, the co-production between Nintendo and Sony Pictures is scheduled to arrive on May 7, 2027. The movie has also found its lead actors, as as Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason, and Link will be portrayed by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. 11. Resident EvilAdmittedly, most Resident Evil live-action adaptations have been charmingly bad, while the rest of them have simply been downright terrible. For the next stab at the franchise--currently scheduled to land in cinemas in 2026--Barbarian director Zach Cregger is aiming to deliver something completely different to Paul W.S. Anderson's series of Resident Evil movies, as the filmmaker recently expressed a desire to make something closer to the terrifying tone of the classic games. 12. Another Minecraft MovieScheduled to arrive on July 23, 2027, A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess will return to helm the sequel. 13. Split FictionOne of the best games of the year has only been out for a few months, and Hollywood is already looking to bring it to the big screen. Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney is currently set to star in it, with Jon M. Chu directing. Work has begun on a script, with Deadpool and Wolverine screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick working on it. 14. BioShockNetflix announced a BioShock movie back in 2022, and while the project appears to be in limbo, and The Boys and Novacaine actor Jack Quaid recently said that he would "love" to be in it. Other than that tidbit of dream casting, details on the movie have been locked up tight, but a 2024 report did claim that budget cuts at Netflix had forced the movie project to be "reconfigured" into a smaller and more personal film. 15. Just CauseJust Cause, a series of open-world video games where character development takes a backseat to gloriously over-the-top explosions, is the perfect vehicle for a gratuitously violent popcorn blockbuster with a bloated pyrotechnics budget. It has been a long time since we've heard any news on the project, as in 2017, the film was set to be directed by Brad Peyton and would star Jason Momoa. Peyton eventually dropped out and was replaced by Michael Dowse (Stuber), but since then, there's been nothing but radio silence on this project. 16. Just DanceWhile the heyday of dancing movies is long over, there might still be room for Ubisoft's infectiously fun Just Dance series to shine on the silver screen. The only problem here is that after production company Screen Gems won the motion picture rights to Just Dance all the way in 2019, we've heard next to nothing on the status of this project. 17. Untitled Sonic Universe movieParamount announced a new Sonic-related movie project for release in theaters on December 22, 2028. Details on it have yet to be revealed, but the company is referring to it as a "Sonic Universe" movie. 18. Martha is DeadDon't let the title fool you, because this isn't a Batman prequel movie! Instead, Martha is Dead is a creepy thriller set against the backdrop of Italy during World War 2. As the twin sister of Martha, who was recently discovered drowned and dead in a lake, players had to navigate a tangled web of mystery as the Allied war machine edged closer to home. The game developer, LKA, has teamed up with UK publisher Wired Productions and Swedish film production company Studios Extraordinaires for this film project. 19. Metal Gear SolidKong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts's Metal Gear Solid project has been gestating for close to a decade now, and it looks increasingly likely that it's stuck in development hell. Updates have been few and far between, with the last notable mention of the film being in 2022 when Oscar Isaac--who is attached to play Solid Snake--mentioned that the focus was on finding a good story to do the legendary game justice. 20. Mortal Kombat 2Get ready for round 2! 2021's Mortal Kombat movie generated an impressive $84.4 million at the box office, and for the sequel, the original--and surviving--cast will all be making a comeback. Mortal Kombat 2 once again features Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, and this time, Karl Urban joins them as brash Hollywood A-lister Johnny Cage.The first trailer for the sequel has also been uploaded, showcasing plenty of action as multiple fighters battle for control of the realms. While the movie was originally scheduled for an October 2025 release, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have instead delayed it to May 8, 2026. 21. Pac-ManWe've had Pac-Man cartoon series, a starring role in a Futurama episode, and a villainous turn in an Adam Sandler film, and at long last, Bandai Namco's pellet-chomping hero is ready for top billing. A live-action project based on an original idea from Sonic the Hedgehog movie producer Chuck Williams has been announced, but there have been no further details revealed yet on the potential cast, director, or a release date since the 2022 announcement. 22. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu sequel2019's Detective Pikachu had a great box office run, sleuthing up an impressive $433 million worldwide. A sequel starring the gumshoe electric rat was a safe bet, but several years later, details on the sequel have been hard to come by. A representative for Legendary Entertainment said that the film is still "in active development," but beyond that, details on this movie are scarcer than a shiny Pokemon in the wild. 23. Poppy PlaytimeWe might be looking at a new boom in horror movies starring sadistic mascots after the success of Five Nights at Freddy's, and you can add Poppy Playtime to that list. The original game is set in an abandoned toy factory inhabited by killer collectibles, and for the film adaptation, Studio71 is handling production duties. The studio is well-known for its work on the recent VHS horror movies, making this company a good fit for the unique terror of Poppy Playtime. 24. PortalIt has been a long time since there has been any movement on Portal, Valve's wonderfully challenging game of interdimensional puzzles, but producer JJ Abrams really wants you to know that the film project isn't dead yet. Or at least, it was definitely still being worked on in 2021 when Abrams mentioned that a script was being written. Is the film cake a lie? Only time will tell. 25. RabbidsIt was only a matter of time until the Minions of video games, Rabbids, were optioned for a film deal. Film production company Lionsgate landed the movie rights to Ubisoft's Rabbids in 2019, but like several other video game movie projects, this appears to be another gaming IP stuck in development hell, much to the relief of parents across the world. 26. OutlastAn incredibly terrifying series of first-person survival-horror games, Outlast is coming to the big screen as part of a deal between Lionsgate and developer Red Barrels. Still at an early stage of development, writer JT Perry--who has worked on the stories for the games themselves--will be penning the screenplay. 27. Return to Silent HillThere are some lofty expectations for Return to Silent Hill, as not only is this psychological-horror movie rebooting the film series, but it's also taking a stab at adapting what many fans consider to be the best game in the franchise. Starring Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson, Return to Silent Hill is directed by Christophe Gans. The French film director brought Silent Hill to the big screen in 2006, and filming began in Germany and Eastern Europe in April 2023."Return to Silent Hill is an adaptation created out of deep respect for a true masterpiece of a game, Konami's iconic Silent Hill 2. I hope fans will enjoy and be fulfilled with the experience this new film has to offer," Gans said after it was announced that the distributor behind Terrifier 3, Cineverse, would distribute this film.Return to Silent Hill will debut in theaters on January 23, 2026 28. Saints RowAnother video game movie possibly stuck in development hell, there have been zero updates on the Saints Row project for several years now. At the time, writer Greg Russo said that his script was inspired by The Warriors and Escape from New York, and F. Gary Gray (The Fate of the Furious) was set to direct it. 29. SifuJohn Wick creator Derek Kolstad announced his plans to adapt the hard-hitting action game Sifu to the big screen in 2022, bringing the bone-crunching brutality of this martial arts epic to life. While the story of a martial arts prodigy out for revenge is fairly standard stuff in the genre, Sifu's added twist is that the vengeance-driven protagonist is in possession of a magical talisman that can bring them back to life, but they'll age after each use. Kolstad envisions the film as John Wick meets M. Night Shyamalan's Old, which should make for an interesting action film if it ever gets greenlit. 30. Slime RancherSlime Rancher is one of the most adorable games around--and one of the highest-rated on Steam--as the core pitch of wrangling cute blobs on a distant alien planet makes for some engaging fun. Not much is known about this project yet, but what we do know is that the story of young rancher Beatrix LeBeau is being adapted by Story Kitchen, a production company set up by John Wick writer Derek Kolstad. 31. Space Channel 5One of the defining games of the Sega Dreamcast, Space Channel 5 might sound like an obscure property to revive as a movie, but this wacky game has an equally weird pitch that could put butts in seats. The film version has been described as a mix of comedy and dance, all set to the story of a hapless fast-food worker who is recruited by a freedom reporter from the future to save the world from aliens. How? By using the power of viral dancing to save the day. So basically, TikTok: The Movie. 32. Space InvadersInvaders! From space! New Line Cinema announced in 2019 that the classic Taito arcade game was headed to a movie screen near you, but several years later, it looks like those hostile extraterrestrials might have gotten stuck in a black hole on the way. Mortal Kombat writer Greg Russo was hired to write the script back then, but there's been no word then about the status of this alien invasion project. 33. StrayCurrently in development at Annapur(r)na Animation, Stray is another recent game destined for a silver screen debut in the future. The original game mixed stealth and post-apocalyptic vibes, but with the neat twist of controlling an orange tabby cat looking for a way back home. Along the way, the cat crosses paths with the flying drone B12, an ally who helps the furry creature escape a city of robots and parasites. 34. Street FighterWe've had two live-action Street Fighter movies over the decades, one being so wonderfully awful that it's actually good, and the other one being downright terrible and devoid of any Tuesday memes whatsoever. Is the third time the charm then for this franchise? Talk to Me directors Duo Danny and Michael Philippou were originally attached to this project, but they dropped out, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts.The good news is that production has kicked off properly, and the film features a stacked cast of actors and professional wrestlers. Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns, Noah Centineo, and David Dastmalchian are just some of the actors you can expect to see when the film is eventually released. 35. Streets of RageYet another project with a John Wick link to it, Sega's rough-and-tough Streets of Rage adaptation is once again a film that Derek Kolstad is involved with. An action-packed staple of the '90s, Streets of Rage was successfully revived several years ago for a fourth outing, and a new game in the series is on the way as part of Sega's new initiative to flex some retro muscles. 36. Talking TomIf there's one thing that Hollywood has proven over the years, it's that anything can be a movie--even a collection of mobile apps featuring anthropomorphic animals talking back to you. The jury is still out on whether a good Talking Tom movie is possible, and to make things even weirder, this live-action project from Outfit7 has recruited Assassin's Creed producer Jean-Julien Baronnet to help it make the leap from mobile to big screen. Baronnet is also the producer of the Rabbids Invasion television series, so this looks like a good fit. 37. Bendy and the Ink MachineWhat if Walt Disney ditched Mickey Mouse for blood-curdling horror? You'd have Bendy and the Ink Machine, a delightfully macabre send-up of classic animation full of devious puzzles to solve. With Five Nights at Freddy proving to be a huge hit at the box office, horror games are quickly being optioned by studios and this adaptation will be handled by Radar Pictures, the company behind the Jumanji reboots. Beyond that, not much else is known about the project other than Bendy creator Paul Crawford's pledge to make a "quality" film that honors the source material. 38. Comix ZoneComix Zone, a game for which advertisements were plastered over pretty much every Marvel and DC comic book in 1995, is another retro game property coming to the big screen eventually, maybe. First announced in 2022 and described as a loose adaptation of the game--which was inspired in turn by comic books of the era--the film will follow "a jaded comic book creator and a writer who find themselves sucked into the final issue of his popular series and must fight their way out of the printed pages to stop a supervillain hellbent on destruction”. Written by Mae Catt (Young Justice), the film is also aiming to explore the power of storytelling. 39. Clair Obscura: Expedition 33Before the game's arrival on PC and console, it was announced that a live-action adaptation was in development. While Clair Obscura: Expedition 33 has drawn eyes to its turn-based RPG action thanks to its impressive visuals, the game does have a fascinating plot that revolves around a deadly goddess awakening once a year to cause calamity amongst the surviving humans. "Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away," the official synopsis reads. "Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she'll wake and paint 33. And tomorrow we depart on our final mission--Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again." 40. Horizon Zero DawnSony is looking at a feature film adaptation of one of its biggest IPs, as while Horizon was originally lined up to get a live-action Netflix series, last year it was reported that the project wasn't moving forward due to workplace misconduct allegations surrounding The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman.Set in a post-apocalyptic future where human civilization has reverted back to a primitive state following a cataclysmic robot uprising, the film follows the outcast Aloy as she looks to unite the tribes of humanity to prepare for a massive threat that could wipe out all life on the planet if left unchecked. 41. Duke NukemIs the world ready for Duke Nukem's return? A relic of the video game past--for good and bad reasons--the legendary gunslinger is making his way to theaters in a film project from the producers behind Cobra Kai. This will be an entirely new production when compared to the ill-fated Duke Nukem project that was set to star John Cena, and it was first announced in 2022. Since then, there has been radio silence on the project and it has no names attached to direct, write, or star in it. 42. FirewatchCampo Santo's story-focused and solitary adventure game Firewatch might sound like an odd choice for a film adaptation, but producers Snoot Entertainment are aiming to bring the interactive piece of art to the big screen. No other details, such as casting announcements or tentative release window, have been revealed since the 2020 announcement, but at the time, Camp Santo co-founder Sean Vanaman had nothing but high praise for the project and the people attached to it. 43. Ghost of TsushimaBack in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima arrived to send off the PS4 generation in grand style. A samurai tale with gorgeous visuals and intense action, the game attracted the attention of John Wick director Chad Stahelski and was quickly added to his slate of projects. Don't expect to Ghost of Tsushima on the big screen soon, as the director is currently focused on a Highlander reboot starring Henry Cavill as the legendary swordsman. Stahelski intends to create an "epic" atmosphere of samurai action while also seeing just how far he can "push the color palette" on this project.We also know that Sony is developing a Ghost of Tsushima anime spin-off, with this adaptation being handled by Demon Slayer studio Aniplex. 44. Gravity RushGravity Rush has managed to escape the pull of development hell since it was first announced in 2022, as work steadily continues on it. Anna Mastro (Secret Society of Second Born Royals) is reportedly the director, and at CES 2024, an entire five seconds of footage was seen during Sony's press conference. Unlike the anime-inspired 2012 game, this version of Gravity Rush appears to be taking a more realistic approach as it brings the gravity-defying world of Hekseville to life. 45. Dark DeceptionSurvival-horror game Dark Deception is being adapted for the big screen, with development being led by writers Adrian Speckert and Cory Todd Hughes. The original game is a story-driven first-person horror maze game in which you must run, hide, or die at the hands of mysterious monsters. 46. Rider's RepublicUbisoft's extreme sports live-service game Rider's Republic is also getting a feature film adaptation, and it'll be helmed by Bad Boys: Ride or Die directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Rider's Republic doesn't have much of a story to adapt, but the setting for the game--an extremely sporty festival set in the Alps where players can take part in a wide variety of activities--is being expanded on for this movie project. 47. Dead by DaylightFor anyone yearning for a good ol' slasher horror movie, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for Dead by Daylight. The longrunning multiplayer horror game has long been considered a love letter to cinematic terror, and its feature film adaptation will be produced by Blumhouse and James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious). 48. Days GoneDays Gone was an interesting--but flawed--first-party game when it first launched on PS4 in 2019, and while it didn't reach the same levels of success as Marvel's Spider-Man or Ghost of Tsushima, it might be better suited for the silver screen. A tale of love, bikers, and zombies in a post-apocalyptic world, the script for this adaptation has been written by Sheldon Turner (X-Men: First Class and the Road House remake) and is said to have a modern-day Western feel to it. Sam Heughan (Outlander) is reportedly attached to play the protagonist Deacon St. John. 49. The MediumHorror games make for great movie adaptations--like Silent Hill and Five Nights at Freddy's to name a few--and Bloober Team's 2021 game The Medium is also headed to the big sccreen. This project is currently in development underUntil Dawn writer Gary Dauberman's Coin Operated production company and a search is now on to find a writer and a director. 50. OutRunAn adaptation of Sega's classic racing game series is in development, and while details on it are slim, we do know that Michael Bay is attached to direct. The first game originally debuted in arcades in 1986 and was subsequently ported to Master System, Genesis, Saturn, and PC over the years, with several sequels following in its wake. The last entry in the series was OutRun Online Arcade, which was developed by Sumo Digital and was released in 2009.

Title: Idols of the Neon Dark playtest introduces a K-Pop D&D class focused on teamwork Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:30:17 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/dnd-kpop-playtest-idols-of-the-neon-dark-demon-hunter-class/ Polygon can exclusively reveal the first public playtest for Idols of the Neon Dark, an upcoming neon-fantasy tabletop RPG adventure compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5e (2024) that debuted on Kickstarter in a pre-launch phase back in December. The playtest — available in the updates section of the Kickstarter page — introduces The Idol, a unique class inspired by K-Pop stars who fight evil with weapons, magic, and music. But it also firmly establishes the setting of Lumenica, a neon-soaked cavern-city that glows with the light of a magical crystal.

Title: Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is a must-play JRPG remake Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:00:17 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/dragon-quest-7-reimagined-review/ I’ve always felt protective — perhaps defensive — of the Dragon Quest games, even as someone who withers at the thought of spending dozens of hours to see a role-playing game’s story to completion. Dragon Quest’s cheery atmosphere, nameless heroes, and black-and-white villains resonate with me much more than Square Enix’s other big role-playing game brand.

Title: Stranger Things: Tales from '85's trailer unleashes a mutant Demogorgon Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:01:17 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/stranger-things-tales-from-85-trailer-release-demogorgons/ While the final season of Stranger Thingsrevealed the origins of the Upside Downand the connection between Vecna and the Mind Flayer, it left plenty of questions unanswered about the monsters that plagued Hawkins, Indiana. The first teaser trailer for the animated midquel Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 looks to be further developing the nature of Demogorgons, showing a dangerous organism that mutates into many different forms.

Title: Why Knight of the Seven Kingdoms succeeds where The Mandalorian falls short Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:01:17 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/knight-of-seven-kingdoms-vs-the-mandalorian-grogu/ With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, author George R.R. Martin builds an entire series around one of the most iconic templates from his Game of Thrones series: Arya and The Hound’s lone wolf-and-cub dynamic. The prequel novella The Hedge Knight and its new HBO adaptation follow Ser Dunk the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they stumble through misadventures and wrestle with what it truly means to be a great knight in a corrupt Westeros.

Title: Ex Machina's greatest achievement still gets overlooked Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:16 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/ex-machina-review-now-on-netflix/ As generative AI is currently annoying the crap out of everybody with faulty search engine results and overly “helpful” chatbot assistants, it would be understandable if a movie about AI isn’t the first thing you turn to right now. Yet, Alex Garland’s 2014 science-fiction film Ex Machina, which is about a man testing an artificial intelligence to see if it feels human, is so smart and gripping and well-acted that the movie makes an irresistible addition to Netflix’s library.

Title: GeForce NOW Brings GeForce RTX Gaming to Linux PCs Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:49 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-linux/ Get ready to game — the native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs is now available in beta, letting Linux desktops tap directly into GeForce RTX performance from the cloud. Alongside the expansion comes ten new games, including The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut and The Bard’s Tale Trilogy for a leveled-up gaming weekend. And operators can squad up in Team Jade’s Delta Force when it deploys in the cloud on February 3, bringing high-stakes tactical action to nearly any device with no downloads required. Linux Just Got RTX Gaming on Linux just got a major RTX upgrade. Starting with support for Ubuntu 24.04 and later, the new app delivers a seamless native experience that fits right into Linux desktop workflows. It transforms compatible Linux systems into high-performance GeForce RTX-powered rigs, streaming supported PC titles directly from the cloud at up to 5K resolution  and 120 frames per second, or 1080p at 360 fps. This new desktop-focused app goes beyond the earlier Linux experience that was tuned specifically for Steam Decks, which targeted handheld-friendly resolutions and up to 1200p at 90 fps. The beta Linux app is built for PCs and notebooks, offering an experience similar to the existing GeForce NOW app on Windows and macOS. With GeForce NOW, rendering happens in the cloud, so demanding titles run on a wider range of devices. Experience how RTX technologies — including ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4 and more — bring games to life with RTX 5080 performance from the cloud. Linux PCs and devices join the GeForce NOW native app family that also supports Windows, macOS, Chromebooks, mobile devices, smart TVs and more — unlocking flexible, on-demand gaming anywhere. Download the app today. For more details, check out all knowledge base articles on the GeForce NOW Linux beta app here. A Tale of the Cloud Adventure calls twice with two legendary journeys from inXile entertainment packed with wit, wonder and a few well-placed lute solos. Sing loud, fight hard and out-charm enemies. Get ready to sing, slash and swindle through the wild world of Caith in The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut. This dungeon-crawling role-playing game serves up clever puzzles, tactical turn-based battles and a hearty helping of bardic humor. Whether belting out battle tunes or charming foes into submission, gamers can enjoy an adventure that’s never sounded this good. Relive the songs and chaos that started it all. Plus, step back to where the saga began with The Bard’s Tale Trilogy. This remastered collection revives the classic, old-school dungeon crawling and tongue-in-cheek charm that started it all — now with smoother gameplay and polished visuals. It’s nostalgia wrapped in pure fantasy fun. Hot off the Cloud One mountain, countless close calls. Cairn is a survival-climbing adventure from The Game Bakers that pushes pro climber Aava up the unforgiving face of Mount Kami, a sheer giant that no one has ever managed to summit. Realistic climbing systems, resource management and route-planning turn each wall into a tense, puzzle-like challenge — blending simulation detail with atmospheric storytelling. In addition, members can look for the following: The Midnight Walkers (New release on Steam, Jan. 28, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Cairn (New release on Steam, Jan. 29, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Prototype (New release on Ubisoft Connect, Jan. 29) Prototype 2 (New release on Ubisoft Connect, Jan. 29) Warhammer 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2 (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass, Jan. 29, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Half Sword (New release on Steam, Jan.30, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Vampires: Bloodlord Rising (New release on Steam, Jan. 30, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) The Bard’s Tale Trilogy (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Total War: Three Kingdoms (Epic Games Store) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. Name a food item that gives you… +20 health-2 Dexterity — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) January 28, 2026

Title: Flight Controls Are Cleared for Takeoff on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:00:53 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-flight-controls/ The wait is over, pilots. Flight control support — one of the most community-requested features for GeForce NOW — is live starting today, following its announcement at CES earlier this month. Virtual captains can now bring dedicated flight gear into the cloud and feel every roll, yaw and throttle change with even more precision, starting with the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One. Time is running out on our T.Flight Hotas One MSFS Edition + 1 month of @NVIDIAGFN Ultimate giveaway! How to enter 1. Follow both @TMThrustmaster and @NVIDIAGFN accounts on social2. Repost this and share on your feed 5 winners will be chosen – ends 1/24. pic.twitter.com/B89mGwJoNQ — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) January 19, 2026 Remember to enter the giveaway for a chance to score a T.Flight Hotas One MSFS Edition and one month of a GeForce NOW Ultimate membership — follow Thrustmaster and GeForce NOW, and repost the giveaway post to enter before Saturday, Jan. 24. Also on the horizon, Delta Force from Team Jade (TiMi Studio Group) is coming soon to GeForce NOW, adding another big-name title to the cloud lineup. Get ready for all the action by streaming the four new games in this cloud this week. Pilots Wanted Members can now jump into their favorite flight and space simulation games with a full stick-and-throttle setup streamed right from the cloud. It’s all about dialing in that authentic, hands-on flying experience while keeping latency low and gameplay responsive on GeForce NOW. Full throttle in the cloud. To get right to flying, members can look for a dedicated row in the GeForce NOW app highlighting games that support flight controls, making it simple to spot great titles for putting their new setup through its paces. This initial flight control support rollout is just the beginning, with plans to keep tuning the experience and expand compatibility to more peripherals. Fire up the rig, plug in the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One and get ready to take off — the cloud cockpit is open and ready for flight. Your Next Mission: ‘Delta Force’ Team Jade’s Delta Force is coming soon to the cloud, ready to drop players into high-stakes extraction with an all-out warfare mode where coordination and precision matter just as much as raw firepower. When it launches on GeForce NOW, members will be able to jump into the action instantly from almost any device, taking advantage of high‑performance streaming to stay locked at smooth frame rates even in the most chaotic firefights. Get ready to squad up, Delta Force is inbound soon. On GeForce NOW, every long‑range shot, helicopter insertion and tense objective push can feel crisp and responsive, whether playing on low‑powered laptops, Macs or mobile devices. The cloud makes it easy to squad up, drop in and get straight to the mission without worrying about downloads, patches or local hardware. New in the Cloud A graceful little robot having the worst day in the universe. MIO: Memories in Orbit is a neon-tinged metroidvania about a nimble little robot waking up on a massive, overgrown ark called the Vessel with nothing but fractured memories and a whole lot of trouble coming its way. Dart through low-gravity corridors, chain together elegant wall-runs, glides and grapples, and tangle with rogue machines as the Vessel itself quietly steals the spotlight — moody, decaying and just alive enough to keep a few secrets. In addition, members can look for the following: MIO: Memories in Orbit (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, Jan. 20) Bladesong (New release on Steam, Jan. 22) Rustler (New release on Epic Games Store, free starting Jan. 22) The Gold River Project (New release on Steam, Jan. 23, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. If you could fly to any video game destination, where would it be? — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) January 21, 2026

Title: Survive the Quarantine Zone and More With Devolver Digital Games on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:00:35 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-quarantine-zone/ NVIDIA kicked off the year at CES, where the crowd buzzed about the latest gaming announcements — including the native GeForce NOW app for Linux and Amazon Fire TV sticks, community-requested flight-control support and a stacked AAA lineup for the year. Check out what the creators of the YouTube channels Cloud Gaming Battle and Anytime Anywhere Gaming had to say in their latest videos exploring GeForce NOW at CES: Plus, read what the community said about the upcoming native GeForce NOW app on Linux. The energy continues this GFN Thursday with the launch of Quarantine Zone: The Last Check, Devolver Digital’s most haunting and atmospheric release yet. Check it out along with other top Devolver Digital games on GeForce NOW and nine new games in the cloud this week. Here’s your chance to win a T.Flight Hotas One MSFS Edition + 1 month of @NVIDIAGFN Ultimate. How to enter 1. Follow both @TMThrustmaster and @NVIDIAGFN accounts on social2. Repost this and share on your feed 5 lucky winners will be chosen – good luck! pic.twitter.com/DDxzcGwt8I — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) January 14, 2026 And flight sim fans can soar even higher with a Thrustmaster giveaway, featuring the T.Flight Hotas One MSFS Edition and one month of a GeForce NOW Ultimate membership for free — follow Thrustmaster and GeForce NOW, and repost the giveaway post for a chance to win before Jan. 24. Welcome to the Zone Trust no one, file everything. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check drops into the cloud this week, bringing the eerie isolation and grim decision-making of its Steam debut to any device powered by GeForce NOW. Armed with advanced screening tools and instincts, players are put in charge of a critical checkpoint during a zombie outbreak — where one wrong choice could let the infection slip past the post. Screen survivors, manage scarce resources and hold back the undead. Holding the line is only the beginning — reinforce defenses and keep the camp alive as chaos intensifies with each passing day. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check streams at full GeForce RTX 5080 power for GeForce NOW Ultimate members, bringing razor-sharp visuals and ultrasmooth performance to every tense border crossing. Every document check, difficult decision and late-night shift in the guard booth hits harder with maxed-out settings and buttery frame rates, all without long installs or hardware worries getting in the way of the paranoia. No trip through the Devolver catalog would be complete without revisiting its eclectic, chaotic hits already streaming on GeForce NOW. Check out Cult of the Lamb, Ball x Pit, Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Inscryption and Enter the Gungeon — where every dodge roll matters and every chest hides mayhem. Each of these titles showcases Devolver’s knack for daring design and unforgettable worlds — now all one click away through GeForce NOW. Time to Play Sink into the shadows and steal everything that isn’t nailed down. Styx: Shards of Darkness sneaks back in with a signature goblin grin and a dagger never too far from trouble. Published by Focus Home Interactive, this stealth adventure leans into vertical level design, tight shadows and sarcastic commentary from gaming’s most lovable little assassin. Expect big, open environments to pick apart, a toolkit full of invisibility tricks, traps and clones, and plenty of chances to turn a quiet infiltration into chaotic improv when plans go sideways. In addition, members can look for the following: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (New release on Steam, Jan. 12, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft Connect, now available on Xbox Game Pass) The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon (New release on Steam, Jan. 15) Styx: Shards of Darkness (New release on Epic Games Store, free on Jan. 15) Styx: Master of Shadows (New release on Epic Games Store, free on Jan. 15) Guild Wars: Reforged (Steam) Mon Bazou (Steam) Tavern Keeper (Steam) Waterpark Simulator (Steam) For Game Pass titles on Ubisoft Connect, reference this article on how to log in. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: More Ways to Play, More Games to Love — GeForce NOW Wraps CES With Linux Support, Fire TV App, Flight Stick Controls Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-ces-2026-recap/ NVIDIA is wrapping up a big week at the CES trade show with a set of GeForce NOW announcements that are bringing more ways to play and more games to the cloud. From new native apps for Linux and Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks to hands-on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) support for simulation fans and a new single sign-on option, GeForce NOW is expanding across devices and making it easier to jump straight into gameplay. Topping it off, a new wave of AAA titles — including IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem and Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert — is gearing up to join the GeForce NOW library for high-fidelity, low-latency streaming across the globe. Get ready with the six new games available to stream this week. Leveling Up Where Gamers Play The family of GeForce NOW supported devices is growing. A new native GeForce NOW app is launching in beta for Linux, starting with Ubuntu 24.04 and later. This answers a long-standing request from the gaming community, turning compatible systems into RTX-powered gaming rigs that can stream at up to 5K resolution and 120 frames per second (fps) or 1080p 360 fps. With rendering handled in the cloud, Linux gamers can tap into ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS and other RTX features without needing a local, high-end GPU.​ Things are heating up: GeForce NOW on Fire TV streaming sticks. A new native app for Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks transforms the tiny device into a big-screen cloud gaming endpoint, giving members another way to stream their PC libraries straight to the TV with a gamepad in hand. It builds on existing device support, making it easier for gamers to pick up and play from the couch without a console or gaming PC attached.​ Clearer Skies Ahead  Cleared for takeoff in the cloud. Flight control support has landed in the cloud, letting virtual pilots connect their favorite gear — including industry-leading Thrustmaster and Logitech setups — to custom HOTAS configurations. Whether locking in a full desktop throttle-and-stick rig or fine-tuning a split cockpit arrangement, everything’s ready for takeoff. Paired with the incredible RTX 5080-powered performance available to Ultimate members, plus ultralow-latency streaming and NVIDIA Reflex in supported titles, pilots can now enjoy ultra-precise, hyper-immersive flight experiences straight from the cloud. Soaring over detailed landscapes in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, dogfighting in War Thunder or exploring the stars in Elite Dangerous has never felt smoother. Easier Sign-Ins, Faster Game Time GeForce NOW now supports new games — and more ways to get into them faster. Because remembering passwords is so last season. Battle.net single sign-on recently joined the service, letting members jump straight into supported titles without juggling extra credentials each time. And coming soon early this year, Gaijin.net integration will make takeoff even smoother — one simple sign-on connects more game libraries across devices. Fewer passwords and pop-ups mean more time playing — whether on a desktop, laptop, handheld device or TV. Next Up in the Cloud A new wave of AAA titles is headed to GeForce NOW, bringing spies, survivors and freeswords to the cloud for members to stream across their favorite devices. The games each bring a distinct flavor — from stealthy espionage to nerve-shredding horror and gritty fantasy combat — and they’re all gearing up to join an already-stacked GeForce NOW library when they launch on PC. Earn the number. IO Interactive’s 007 First Light brings a modern James Bond origin story to the cloud when the PC title launches May 27, inviting members to step into the shadows as Bond begins his journey. Experience a balanced mix of stealth and action built around a “breathing” gameplay loop with IOI’s cinematic, set-piece-driven storytelling. Approach encounters through stealth, direct action or creative improvisation, with multiple viable paths to each objective that let players define Bond’s style. Welcome to the Wrenwood Hotel — late checkout is not recommended. Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem continues the legendary survival-horror saga with a new chapter that doubles down on tense exploration, eerie environments and resource-tight combat. Expect dimly lit corridors, unsettling encounters and that classic feeling of weighing every bullet and healing item before moving forward when playing as Grace, and exhilarating, death-defying action when playing as Leon. Everything matters in the cloud. Gaijin Entertainment’s Active Matter, coming this year, is a realistic military shooter where players join dangerous raids for loot or intense player vs. player battles set in a fractured multiverse. Active matter can be harvested from active matter-transformed creatures or seized from other players. Join this never-ending hunt to improve the chances to find the way out of the time loop. Open world, closed casket. Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert is a stunning open-world action adventure set in a war-torn fantasy land, pairing large-scale exploration with cinematic storytelling and hard-hitting, combo-focused combat. One moment is a quiet ride across windswept plains, the next is a chaotic clash against towering foes with mystical power effects lighting up the battlefield. Playing these titles on GeForce NOW means jumping into big-budget experiences with RTX 5080-class performance, high frame rates and advanced graphics features on a wide range of devices, without worrying about downloads, patches or local hardware requirements. Members can pick up the same adventure on a desktop, laptop, handheld device or TV, letting each of these worlds shine wherever and however they choose to play. Hello New Games Welcome back to the plague. The eerie world of Pathologic 3, from Ice-Pick Lodge and tinyBuild, invites players to step once again into a haunting town teetering on the edge of disaster. Time is fleeting, trust is scarce and every conversation feels like a test of loyalty — or survival. With its signature blend of tension, philosophy and dark humor, Pathologic 3 doesn’t just tell a story; it dares players to live through it. In addition, members can look for the following: StarRupture (New release on Steam, Jan. 6) Ancient Farm (New release on Steam, Jan, 87) Pathologic 3 (New release on Steam, Jan. 9) Blood West (Epic Games Store) Paradise Killer (Epic Games Store) Supermarket Simulator (Xbox, available on Game Pass) GeForce RTX 5080-ready game: HITMAN – World of Assassination (Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on Game Pass) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. NOW that's what I call gaming! More games More platforms More devices Experience GeForce RTX-powered PC gaming across more screens than ever. https://t.co/AhcjD6DSEK pic.twitter.com/cuu1Xu3Xe5 — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) January 6, 2026

Title: NVIDIA Brings GeForce RTX Gaming to More Devices With New GeForce NOW Apps for Linux PC and Amazon Fire TV Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:30:51 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-ces-2026/ Announced at the CES trade show running this week in Las Vegas, NVIDIA is bringing more devices, more games and more ways to play to its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service. Powered by GeForce RTX 5080-class performance on the NVIDIA Blackwell RTX platform, GeForce NOW Ultimate continues to raise the bar for PC gamers streaming from the cloud. GeForce RTX 5080-powered servers are live globally for Ultimate members, delivering up to 5K resolution 120 frames-per-second (fps) streaming and up to 360 fps at 1080p with NVIDIA Reflex technology support for ultralow-latency, competitive play. Cinematic-Quality Streaming mode enhances image clarity and text sharpness for visually rich single-player adventures on nearly any screen. New this year, GeForce NOW is expanding that performance to more platforms than ever, headlined by a native Linux PC app and a new app for Amazon Fire TV sticks. Flight-simulation fans are also getting flight controls support, and members everywhere gain faster access to more games thanks to new single sign-on integrations and upcoming AAA titles joining the cloud. Here Come the Platforms Linux PCs and Amazon Fire TV sticks are joining the GeForce NOW native app family, unlocking new ways to play in the cloud across desktops and living rooms. These new apps build on GeForce NOW’s existing support for Windows PCs, macOS, Chromebooks, mobile devices, smart TVs, virtual-reality devices and handhelds, all tapping into the same GeForce RTX 5080-class performance wherever members log in. Turn your Linux PC into an RTX gaming rig. A new native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs, supported with Ubuntu 24.04 and later distributions, answers one of the top requests from the PC gaming community. Linux users can transform their compatible systems into GeForce RTX-powered gaming rigs, streaming supported PC titles from the cloud at up to 5K and 120 fps or 1080p 360 fps. With rendering handled in the cloud, high-end PC gaming is possible on Linux operating systems, breathing new life into older devices. Members can enjoy ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4 and other RTX technologies without needing a local high-performance GPU. The app is designed to bring a seamless, native experience that fits naturally into Linux desktop workflows while giving access to the expansive GeForce NOW library, turning everyday Linux devices into RTX gaming powerhouses. The app is expected to enter a beta release early this year. Game on in the living room. A new native GeForce NOW app for select Amazon Fire TV sticks — starting with the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) — can bring RTX-powered PC gaming to another big screen in the home. Members can stream their compatible PC game libraries directly to Fire TV-connected displays to turn a compact streaming stick into a powerful cloud gaming rig. With support for gamepads and GeForce NOW’s familiar interface, Fire TV users can jump into their favorite supported games without a console or gaming PC attached to the TV. This builds on existing TV support and helps make GeForce NOW the easiest way to bring high-performance PC gaming into the living room. The app is expected to be available in countries where compatible Amazon Fire TV sticks and GeForce NOW are offered and will be launching early this year. Take Flight No fight, just flight in the cloud. GeForce NOW turns more devices into powerful cloud gaming rigs, and CES this year brings another of the community’s most-requested additions. Simulation fans are getting a major upgrade with flight controls support on GeForce NOW. Popular flight sticks and throttle systems from leading brands such as Thrustmaster and Logitech can be used as affixed hands-on throttle-and-stick desktop units or as separately mounted stick-and-throttle setups for custom cockpits. Combined with RTX 5080 performance, ultralow-latency streaming and NVIDIA Reflex in supported titles, flight controls let virtual pilots experience greater precision and deeper immersion in their favorite flight- and space-simulation games — including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Elite Dangerous and War Thunder. Members can build out detailed simulation setups at home while streaming the heavy lifting from the cloud when it launches early this year.. Blockbusters in the Cloud The GeForce NOW catalog includes thousands of supported games from top PC stores like Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox and others, with more joining every week. Backed by RTX 5080-class performance, members can stream everything from competitive shooters to expansive role-playing games with high frame rates, advanced graphics features and low latency.​ New AAA titles such as IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem, Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert, and Gaijin Entertainment’s Active Matter are coming to GeForce NOW when they launch on PC, adding to an already robust lineup of new releases and fan favorites. License to stream. 007 First Light drops players into a modern James Bond origin story filled with stealth, espionage and cinematic action. Resident Evil Requiem continues the iconic survival-horror series with a new protagonist facing terrifying threats in a chilling new setting. Crimson Desert blends open-world exploration, cinematic storytelling and intense combat in a richly detailed fantasy world. Active Matter from Gaijin is a realistic military shooter where players join dangerous raids for loot or intense player vs. player battles set in a fractured multiverse. Members can look forward to seeing these and other upcoming hits arrive on the service, with updates shared regularly on GFN Thursdays. One Login, Many Worlds Just sign in once. The rest is game history. GeForce NOW is also making it faster to jump into gaming with new account and platform integrations. Recent updates introduced Battle.net automatic sign-in, letting members connect their accounts and access supported titles more quickly. That seamless experience is expanding to additional game stores, with Gaijin.net set to soon support automatic sign-in on GeForce NOW early this year. Members will be able to authenticate once and jump into War Thunder and other titles with fewer steps. Learn more about the latest NVIDIA-powered innovations at CES, running through Friday, Jan. 9. See notice regarding software product information.

Title: Players’ Choice: Vote for January 2026’s best new game Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/02/02/players-choice-vote-for-january-2026s-best-new-game/ Can you believe the first month of 2026 is already over? Some notable new releases in January included Arknights: Endfield, BrokenLore: Unfollow, and Cairn. Which game was your favorite?  How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. View Poll

Title: Share of the Week: Speed Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:00:21 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/01/30/share-of-the-week-speed/ Last week, we asked you to speed things up and share your quickest moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s are this week’s highlights: natazz1011 shares a moment zooming towards a planet in No Man’s Sky. ​​ call_me_xavii shares Atsu riding alongside a galloping group of horses in Ghost of Yōtei. KeenEyeVP shares a BMW against a rainbow blur of a street in Gran Turismo 7. FranTGP shares Aloy hooking herself to a flying Sunwing in Horizon Forbidden West. parmindernangla shares a speeding Ford GT in Forza Horizon 5. reins62831 shares a scurrying badger in Red Dead Redemption 2. 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: RusticSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 4, 2026  Next week, we’re slowing things down to enjoy the simple life. Share rustic moments from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Title: Resident Evil Requiem interview: Chainsaws, reinvented zombies, fear balancing, and more Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/01/29/resident-evil-requiem-interview-chainsaws-reinvented-zombies-fear-balancing-and-more/ Resident Evil Requiem, launching on February 27 for PlayStation 5, is the ninth and latest entry in Capcom’s iconic Resident Evil series.  We recently sat down with the game’s director, Koshi Nakanishi, to chat about the latest and most immersive entry in the series yet. Koshi Nakanishi Resident Evil Requiem director, Capcom PlayStation Blog: When did development start, and how was the project greenlit? Development began on a small scale six years ago, but it really took shape in its current form about three years ago. Ethan’s storyline concluded with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and the eighth mainline entry, Resident Evil Village. While both Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village were very well-received, they veered away from the main storyline leading up to Resident Evil 6. So, we decided it was time to steer the story back on track, and that’s how the development of this title started. “Leon’s back in Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and caused his early struggles and losses.” The demo threw us right into the game, so the story felt a little abrupt. Will the final product be accessible for players who haven’t played the earlier entries? The game is designed to be welcoming to complete newcomers who don’t know anything about the Raccoon City Incident or haven’t played any Resident Evil titles before. While series fans will instantly recognize Leon, Grace is a brand-new character who’s never faced a zombie and only knows about the Raccoon City Incident through her mother’s involvement. New players can dive into their first Resident Evil adventure right alongside Grace. This marks Leon’s first mainline return since Resident Evil 6, at which point he was a little over 30 years old. Exploring his character development is one of the central themes of this game. He’s back in Raccoon City – the place where his bioterror nightmare began and caused his early struggles and losses. Throughout the game, players will witness how the battle-hardened Leon feels and what he reflects on after all these years. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Did you explore any new approaches to horror in this game? A big focus for us was reinventing the zombies. Zombies are so ubiquitous in games now that their weaknesses and behaviors have become predictable; for instance they’re typically weak to headshots. However, that familiarity kills the fear and tension. Zombies in this game retain some traces of human intelligence and instincts. Some obsessively repeat bizarre human behaviors, while others pick up weapons dropped by other enemies to attack. We wanted to transform zombies into threats that consistently defy player expectations and keep them on edge. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. “Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it isn’t a continuous, suffocating experience.” Many players found Resident Evil 7 intensely frightening, leading you to dial things back in Resident Evil Village. Where would you place Resident Evil Requiem on the terror scale? Yes, some players found it hard to finish Resident Evil 7, so we toned down the horror a bit in Resident Evil Village. In Resident Evil Requiem, however, Leon’s segments lean more into satisfying action, which allowed us to really push the horror in Grace’s sections. Leon’s parts are still spooky, of course, but I’d say they’re more exhilarating than purely horrifying. Overall, this game may be scarier than Resident Evil Village, but it alternates between tension and relief, so it isn’t a continuous, suffocating experience. The demo took place within a dubious sanatorium. Will the full game open up to more areas? As you’ve seen in trailers, the game eventually takes you to present-day Raccoon City. Resident Evil games often switch up locations as you go, and Resident Evil Requiem does the same. Also, in the demo, Grace and Leon’s sections both took place in the same sanatorium, but their stories branch out to different spots later on. “If you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemies Grace took down stay dead for Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground.” Do one protagonist’s actions impact the other’s? Yes, for example, if you switch from Grace to Leon in the same location, any enemies Grace took down stay dead for Leon, and the same goes for items on the ground. However, it’s tough for Grace – who’s always short on ammo – to wipe out all the enemies. Using Leon to take down enemies that Grace fled from is one of this game’s highlights. With that in mind, it’ll be fun to strategize and maximize efficiency during subsequent playthroughs. Exactly. The more you play, the more you discover how actions in one part affect the other, so it creates a different kind of replay value compared to previous games in the series. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Grace could collect antique coins, whereas Leon found them unnecessary and would not pick any up. Is the upgrade system using antique coins exclusive to Grace? Antique coin upgrades in the sanatorium are exclusive to Grace, so Leon can’t pick any up. There are still traditional upgrades available for Leon, like weapon enhancements and modifications. The demo emphasized Leon’s action-packed gameplay, but as the game progresses, even he will face uphill battles. Properly upgrading Leon will become crucial too. You were able to crouch and evade attacks as Leon in the Resident Evil 4 remake. Can you do that in this game too? Absolutely. Try crouching when an enemy sweeps at you from above. This tactic works for both Leon and Grace, although Grace tends to lean more on survival and items rather than direct combat. “This time, we came up with the ‘chainsaws for everybody’ concept, which was a fresh take that unlocked a lot of creative possibilities.” Were there any specific scenes or moments in the demo that your team put particular effort into? Near the start of Leon’s section, you encounter a chainsaw-revving zombie doctor. Chainsaws are an iconic Resident Evil weapon, and with so many variations across past games, we always challenge ourselves to innovate. This time, we came up with the “chainsaws for everybody” concept, which was a fresh take that unlocked a lot of creative possibilities. For example, if a weaker nurse zombie swings a chainsaw, it’ll slip from her grip and go flying. The team put a lot of care into those kinds of details. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. “We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players were finally able to play comfortably. That inspired us to offer the choice from the start, and our experience working on the DLC made it a pretty smooth integration.” Why did you add the option to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives? Were there any challenges or discoveries that your team encountered during the development of the two viewpoints? As you know, mainline Resident Evil titles were in third-person from Resident Evil 4 through 6, then shifted to first-person in Resident Evil 7 and Village. However, some players struggled playing in first-person. We added third-person support with the Village DLC, and some players were finally able to play comfortably. That inspired us to offer the choice from the start, and our experience working on the DLC made it a pretty smooth integration. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. We recognized that some players found first-person mode too frightening but could still enjoy the game in third-person. That said, seeing Grace panic on-screen caught some players off guard and startled them unexpectedly, which was a nice surprise. In first-person view, you can see Leon’s and Grace’s hands when aiming a gun, and their responses are clearly different. Grace’s hands shake because she’s not used to combat, and the recoil hits her harder, too. We encourage players to try a different perspective in subsequent playthroughs. “Adaptive triggers dynamically adjust trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while gun reloads trigger vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone.” Previous games in the series, such as Resident Evil Village and the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4, were available on both PS5 and PS4. This title, however, is a PS5 exclusive. Did any PS5 features, including the DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, contribute to the game’s performance and immersion? Resident Evil thrives on evoking genuine terror, so we harnessed PS5 features to amplify the horror elements. For example, during a zombie attack, haptic feedback simulates the zombie’s grip and bite on your arm through the controller. Adaptive triggers dynamically adjust trigger resistance depending on the weapon, while gun reloads trigger vibrations and audio from the controller’s microphone. In puzzles requiring players to rotate a box filled with gems, we simulated the clattering of gems through vibrations and controller audio to deepen the game’s realism and immersion. 3D audio’s immersive soundscape is crucial for pushing the boundaries of horror games. What techniques does this game implement to amplify terror through sound design? This game’s ambient sounds are captured across 12 channels, including vertical positioning. Unlike simple mono or stereo IR waveforms, this approach offers far superior spatial reverb, creating an unprecedented sense of presence. Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. Are there any PS5 Pro enhancements? On PS5 Pro, ray tracing can be turned on or off. With it enabled, players can enjoy the game in 4K at 60fps with full ray tracing. Disabled, it supports up to 120fps (averaging 90fps) on high-refresh-rate monitors. We spent a lot of time on optimization.  Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27 for PlayStation 5.

Title: Cairn — 8 advanced climbing tips to make it to the summit Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:02 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/01/29/cairn-8-advanced-climbing-tips-to-make-it-to-the-summit/ To make it to the top of Kami, the mountain at the heart of Cairn, you’ll need to develop skill and intuition for climbing and use all the tools at your disposal. There’s a lot in the game you’ll need to learn through experience, particularly as you reach the more treacherous challenges at higher altitudes. Here are a few tips that’ll help you reach greater heights and see fewer dangerous falls as you make your way to Cairn’s summit. It’s all about planning, patience, and stamina The climbing gym at the start of Cairn is a great way to get some training that will save you on Kami, and it’s worth trying all of its available walls to see what you’ll face ahead. The gym will teach you three things: to plan your route, climb slowly, and conserve your stamina. You can check the wall ahead of you by angling the camera so that your protagonist, Aava, looks straight up, or by pressing L1 to get a zoomed-out view of the whole area. It’s always worth it to check your path so you don’t hit a point where you’re trapped or snagged and forced to climb back down, wasting energy and items. Patience is a virtue in Cairn; you almost always want to climb slowly and carefully, even if you’re on what appears to be an easy stretch of wall. The trick to climbing successfully is picking good handholds and footholds. Aava’s limbs start to shake when one is getting tired, indicating that it’s in a bad position or her weight is distributed poorly. Stay in a position like that too long, and she’ll slip and fall. If you move too fast up the wall, you’re more likely to commit to bad holds without realizing it, only to find that Aava is tiring out and unable to move to a more solid position before falling. Going slow lets you be sure the holds you’re using are safe before moving on. As you go up a wall, you also need to manage Aava’s stamina. When you’re in a solid position, you can hit Triangle to have Aava shake out a tired limb, regaining stamina for the next push. You can tell how much stamina Aava has by the color that flashes when you press Triangle. Green means you’ve recovered well, while yellow indicates caution, showing you that you need a better rest position soon or you’re going to be in trouble. Stamina recovery is essential to avoid falling, so stop frequently for a quick rest. Through it all, pay close attention to Aava’s reactions and what she says. Slowly, regular breathing means she’s doing well through the climb, but when her breathing starts to quicken, it means she’s tiring out and getting worried. You’ll need to find a more natural, comfortable position so she can rest and recover stamina. Drop pitons frequently Pitons are essential, and you’ll want to get into the habit of putting them down at regular intervals on every wall. Clipping into a piton stops you from falling off the mountain, while also acting as a checkpoint so you can quickly return if you should slip. You can also use pitons to rest by hitting X to “off belay,” which fully restores Aava’s stamina. And when you off belay at a piton, you can access items in your backpack, giving you a chance to eat food or refill chalk. You can place a piton by holding Up on the directional pad, but you’ll then have to hit X at the right moment as a slider moves across a bar to complete the placement. It’s essential to practice your piton timing — getting the right timing doesn’t just save you from breaking pitons, it can allow you to place one fast in an emergency when Aava’s about to fall. But don’t wait to hear Aava panicking before you set a piton. Train yourself to place them regularly when things are going well, so you’re not trying to place one in a panic to avoid a fall. You’ll find lots of pitons on Kami, and Climbot can make one piton from two sets of piton scraps, so don’t worry too much about running out or wasting them. They’re essential to a successful climb. All holds aren’t equal Especially when you’re first starting out, you might wonder why Aava keeps getting tired or falling when you’re climbing a wall that seems like it’s full of holds. The answer is that some holds are smaller and tougher to use than others, and it’s not always immediately obvious looking at them that a grip isn’t great. Vertical cracks, for instance, seem like they should be useful for climbs, but they can tire you out quickly. Look for big ledges to stand on and hold with your hands to provide Aava with more comfortable positions where she can rest, and try not to use smaller holds for very long. Listen for Aava to remark about whether you’ve picked a good position to know that she’s comfortable — and restore stamina often. When you climb slowly, you can test each hold before moving to the next to see how Aava handles it, and you’ll be able to tell if you should move Aava back down to a more stable position. You always want to watch for how Aava places her hand or foot, also; you’ll sometimes place a hand or foot on what you think is a grip, only for Aava to flatten that hand or foot against the rock, which means she’s braced but not holding anything. It’s usually a good idea to stop and reset that limb before moving on, because she’ll tire out quickly without a solid grip. Don’t forget chalk Chalk greatly improves your grip and can be essential to get over tough walls. You’ll almost always have chalk available, and it’s almost always a good idea to use it. You can quickly add chalk to your hands by holding Right on the directional pad, making your next 12 handholds extra grippy. Chalk is great for making bad holds a little easier to grip, and even makes it possible to move over rock that doesn’t have good holds so you can reach a better spot, as long as you’re quick about it. You should use chalk often, especially when holds are small or spread out — Climbot creates more whenever you compost trash, so you’ll always have a healthy supply. Manually choose Aava’s limbs for extra control Cairn’s developers suggest you use its automatic system for choosing which limb Aava moves every time you take a new foot- or handhold, but there will be lots of moments when you’ll want to move a foot and the game will suggest you move a hand or vice versa, and moving the wrong limb can sometimes be disastrous. You can choose which limb to move yourself by holding R1 and highlighting it using the right analog stick. Choosing limbs manually is essential when you’re trying to quickly leave a dangerous position to get to a safer one, but it’s also just good practice to make sure you have complete control of Aava and are making exactly the moves you want to. Change your approach depending on the kind of rock you’re climbing Most rock walls are gray and craggy, but you’ll sometimes see smooth, glossy brown rock mixed in across a wall. This rock is more slippery, with holds that are often smaller, and it’s too dense for you to place pitons into it, making it potentially dangerous. Check your route and watch for patches of brown rock so you can either climb around them or plan a smart route over them. Chalk and food boosts are great for dealing with these climbs as well. Be sure to explore Kami was once home to a people called the troglodytes, and while you’ll find very few of them left during your climb, you can still visit their homes, temples, and villages. Making your way into different caves and structures can help you find save points, vital supplies, and special items to make your climb easier. Troglodyte pitons are the greatest prize — they’re indestructible and can burrow into any kind of rock — but you might also find things like upgrades for your chalk bag, recipes for different kinds of food, and lots more. Exploring caves and troglodyte structures can also help you find alternative, often easier or safer routes up the mountain. Ice can be easier to climb, but slower Late in your ascent up Kami, you’ll start to come across ice walls. Aava is ready with ice axes and spikes for her feet, and these are automatically equipped whenever you aim a limb at ice. These walls can be easier to deal with than rock because you can make a handhold or foothold anywhere, but you’ll need to go more slowly and recover stamina more often as you climb, because overall, climbing ice takes more effort. Try to pick cracks in the ice to place your ice axes and shoes. If an axe or shoe bounces off the ice before settling, that’s a bad hold, and you should move it to a better one, because Aava will soon slip. If you’ve got no crack to dig into, you can create one by holding down Square and then releasing it, kicking your foot or slamming your axe into the ice. The effort drains your stamina faster, though, so be sure to take frequent breaks.Making your way to the top of Kami is a tough journey, but it’s also a rewarding one. Take your time and be careful and you’ll keep the climb from going from challenging to frustrating. You can start your ascent today — grab Cairn today at the PlayStation Store.

Title: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined interview: hand-crafted dolls, overhauled UI, nostalgia, and more Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:00:35 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/01/29/dragon-quest-vii-reimagined-interview-hand-crafted-dolls-overhauled-ui-nostalgia-and-more/ Set for release on February 5, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined for PlayStation 5 reinterprets the classic 2000 PlayStation title, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Featuring distinctive 3D diorama visuals with a warm, handcrafted doll-like aesthetic, the remake also introduces new storylines, including one that reunites the hero with his now-adult friend, Kiefer. Over 25 years after the original release, producer Takeshi Ichikawa shares insights on the creative process and the decisions behind reimagining this beloved RPG for a new generation. ​​ Takeshi Ichikawa, Producer, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined  PlayStation Blog: Before we discuss the upcoming Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, let’s take a moment to revisit the original Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, released for the original PlayStation in 2000. The title drew major attention at the time as the first in the series to feature 3D polygons and for offering an adventure that stretched beyond 100 hours. Do you have any special memories of that game? I was a young kid in elementary school back in 2000, so my memories are a little fuzzy, but I do remember playing the original Dragon Quest VII. Funny enough, my first Dragon Quest game wasn’t one of the mainline entries – it was Dragon Quest Monsters Terry’s Wonderland. So when I finally played one of the mainline installments, I was surprised to learn that you actually fight as human characters. Dragon Quest VII is known for its sheer scale, and it takes a while to reach your first battle. Honestly, as a child, I remember getting impatient, wondering when the fighting was going to start. Ultimately, I didn’t finish the game and gave up partway through. However, when I revisited the game later as an adult, I was really struck by how dark and unsettling the game’s world was, and how strangely relevant it felt in this day and age. *Screenshot of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past on the original PlayStation It’s one of the more melancholic works in the series, isn’t it?Yes. In conversations with Yuji Horii, the creator of the series, we often used the word “irrational” to describe the game’s world and its themes.What parts of the game felt irrational to you?Even though the protagonists haven’t done anything particularly wrong, the story keeps drifting into darker territory and shows the raw, ugly sides of human nature. I think that lack of salvation and sense of unfairness made the game feel irrational at times.And that Dragon Quest VII is now being remade as Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Can you tell us how this project first came about?The original game was released in 2000 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025. We felt that its distinctive world and story would resonate even more strongly with players today, which is what led to the start of this project.Why did you choose to develop a full remake from the ground up, rather than a remaster?After 25 years, we wanted to create a game that was enjoyable for both past players and those new to the series. That’s why we went back and reviewed every single element from square one and rebuilt everything for a wider audience.Figuring out where to begin on an epic exceeding 100 hours sounds quite daunting. What was your guiding principle, and what type of experience were you envisioning?Our core concept was “nostalgic yet innovative.” We aimed to preserve Dragon Quest VII’s signature essence and nostalgic charm while adding new touches that we thought were fitting as the series’ latest installment. Development revolved around three key pillars: story, visuals, and combat. What kind of input did Yuji Horii give after he saw your proposal?We pitched to Horii-san the idea of restructuring everything around those three pillars, overhauling the framework of the narrative, and adding new storylines for certain characters to create a deeper emotional connection with the players. He was on board right away.Did Horii-san provide any feedback during development?He gave us input on the UI. Past Dragon Quest games stuck to pop-up window-based interfaces, but we went with tabs for the main menu this time, which was a bold move. Horii-san liked the overall feel but suggested tweaks for specific elements, like the shopping interface. His insights helped us create a more user-friendly UI.You highlighted story, visuals, and combat as the three main pillars. Could you elaborate on the changes your team made to the story?While preserving the original’s distinctive vibe and atmosphere, we refined sections of the story – which can exceed 100+ hours – that felt redundant. We aimed to streamline the overall structure of the narrative so it was easier to follow and get immersed in. Yes, the overall story felt tighter when I played the preview. You mentioned you didn’t just trim the story; you also added new storylines?That’s right. We trimmed or condensed parts that didn’t deeply impact the core narrative while also adding new scenarios. For example, the reunion with an adult Kiefer gives original fans something new to enjoy.Does the adult Kiefer play a big role in the story?Yes, he properly appears as part of a new storyline. I can’t go into details because it’s integral to the story, but I’m excited for players to experience it firsthand.Let’s talk about the graphics – the doll-like visuals really stand out. Why did you choose this style?Akira Toriyama oversaw character designs for the Dragon Quest series, and Dragon Quest VII stood out with its endearing character designs with shorter proportions. We chose a doll-like aesthetic to match that. Given the global popularity of doll-inspired visuals in films and games, we thought this style would suit Dragon Quest VII perfectly. I understand the character creation process was unique, too. You worked with doll artisans to craft wooden dolls by hand, photographed them, and turned the photos into CG models.Yes. Given the doll motif, scanning actual dolls felt like the best method for nailing the texture and creating a distinctive visual style. We commissioned Studio Nova, a Japanese doll studio, to handcraft the dolls of the main characters, then scanned them to capture their unique texture in the game.The velvety texture of Kiefer’s outfit and similar details are very realistic. Are there any visual elements you want players to pay particular attention to?We’ve put a lot of care into each character’s outfit. Kiefer wears a plush royal attire fit for a prince, while the protagonist, a fisherman’s son, wears something humbler, and Maribel, the mayor’s daughter, wears an, elegant fancy dress. The highlights are in the fine details, like the worn, scuffed texture on the protagonist’s leather shoes. You’ll find many hidden details if you pay close attention.The environments and buildings also blend in seamlessly with the doll-like characters. Can you describe the creation process?Once we settled on the doll motif, we styled the towns like dioramas and the buildings like dollhouses to complement the characters. I think the standout is the protagonist’s hometown, Estard Island. We started working on this area first, so we put extra effort into creating Estard. The original lets you spin the camera around to find hidden chests, pots, and barrels. That has been faithfully recreated as well.That’s right. Spinning the camera around for exploration was a key feature in the original, so we made sure to keep it. We hope players spend time investigating every nook and cranny.Let’s talk about the final pillar of the three: combat. What was the thinking behind its redevelopment?The basic idea was to keep regular battles “quick and snappy” while making fights against tougher enemies more “intense and deliberate.” For regular combat, we focused on pacing, such as adding battle speed options and a “Field Attack” feature where you can one-shot weaker enemies as your party levels up. Meanwhile, powerful enemy encounters are key story moments, so we wanted players to spend their time strategizing and taking it slow. Some fights ended up being quite challenging, but we received a stamp of approval from Horii-san after he tested it out, so I believe we’ve achieved a good balance.Tell us about the Vocation system. Special Vocational Perks activate when a character gets “worked up.” How does this new mechanic make combat more dynamic and engaging?Characters “let loose” at optimal moments during battle. It unleashes powerful effects based on your Vocation, and once you can “Moonlight” two Vocations, you can equip two Vocational Perks at the same time. Experimenting with different Vocation combinations is a lot of fun. How does the Moonlighting feature work?As the story progresses and Vocation changes become available, you can choose one preferred Vocation, like warrior or mage. Further into the game, you unlock the ability to “Moonlight” two Vocations. During battles, you can use skills and perks from either Vocation. Character attributes are also combined, which significantly affects your character’s overall capabilities.So, players can mix and match any Vocations they want?Yes. For example, you can combine warrior and martial artist for a powerful attacker, or pair warrior with priest for a balanced fighter. The choice is yours, depending on your playstyle. Once your Beginner Vocations reach maximum proficiency, you’ll unlock Intermediate Vocations that you can also Moonlight. Mastering both warrior and martial artist unlocks the gladiatrix, which can then be paired with either a Beginner Vocation or another Intermediate Vocation.The Buccanham Palace: Battle Arena has been added as an extra feature. What are its key highlights?The Battle Arena is one of the new side contents. With its unique format, it delivers fights unlike the regular battles for a fresh experience. There’s also content designed to test your strength, so players can jump in and test their limits. How is it different from regular battles?Regular battles are fought with a party of up to four members, but in the Battle Arena, you pick one character to fight solo. Players can beat the challenges to earn rewards, and if they finish within a set number of turns, they can win even better prizes. We hope these extra rewards make your journey a bit easier.Speaking of rewards, you can also score valuable items from the Lucky Panel.That’s right. Both the Battle Arena and Lucky Panel can sometimes reward you with powerful items or weapons that you cannot normally pick up at that point in the story. Horii-san often calls this “cheating” (laughs). Of course, it’s not really cheating, and there’s a lot of fun in gaining an advantage that way, so we encourage players to keep trying their luck. Did you take any new approaches to production?We added voice-overs to Dragon Quest VII for the first time. The battles and adventures feel much more immersive, and the story pulls you right in. The voice actors really brought the characters to life.Upon playing myself, the overall pacing felt noticeably smoother while perfectly capturing the original’s unique charm. Striking that balance between nostalgia and modern RPG standards must have been quite challenging.Yes. The Dragon Quest series is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and it’s been loved by so many people for decades. Mindful of our most dedicated long-term fans, we prioritized equilibrium between nostalgia and innovation. We made sure to preserve the classic feel and core narrative, so I think many of the cutscenes will bring back a lot of emotions and memories from their original playthroughs.Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on PS5 on February 5.

Title: "We can't just continue making the map bigger and bigger": Why Bethesda want to expand Fallout 76 inwards, not just outwards Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:18:13 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/we-cant-just-continue-making-the-map-bigger-and-bigger-why-bethesda-want-to-expand-fallout-76-inwards-not-just-outwards Mark’s on holiday today, which means we can’t do our usual thing of workplace-bullying him into writing about Fallout 76 while we sit around in wingback chairs drinking Glenfiddich. But if he were here, he’d surely be thrilled to note this PCGN interview with Bethesda Game Studios creative director Jon Rush, who says he hopes the multiplayer RPG can become "thicker" in 2026. Oh my. Read more

Title: The Last of Us season three "certainly seems" to be the TV show’s last, reckons HBO chief Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:18:44 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-last-of-us-season-three-certainly-seems-to-be-the-tv-shows-last-reckons-hbo-chief HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation is likely ending with its upcoming third season, according to network CEO Casey Bloys. Speaking to Deadline, that boy Bloys used his voice to address the noise that the joys of the Naughty Dog-inspired series would end with season three, saying "It certainly seems that way." Pedro Pascal’s dreams, destroyed. Read more

Title: Ashes Of Creation director quits over decisions he "could not ethically support" as staff report mass layoffs Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ashes-of-creation-director-quits-over-decisions-he-could-not-ethically-support-as-staff-report-mass-layoffs Nine years after securing $3.2 million on Kickstarter and mere weeks after launching into Steam Early Access, MMORPG Ashes Of Creation is in humongous difficulties. The game’s entire leadership team have allegedly quit “in protest” at decisions made by the board of Intrepid Studios, with creative director Steven Sharif accusing board members of “directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out”. Other staff have announced that they've been laid off, with one calling it the end of the studio. Read more

Title: Cities: Skylines 2's UI is getting an "extreme makeover", as new developers Iceflake take the reins Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:30:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/cities-skyline-2s-ui-is-getting-an-extreme-makeover-as-new-developers-iceflake-take-the-reins The new custodians of Cities: Skylines 2 have announced that they’re giving the city builder’s UI an “extreme makeover” in the game’s next patch, while tuning up the day/night lighting, and ensuring that snow actually sticks to the ground. I had an “extreme makeover” once and ended up with ginger hair for several months. Being a redhead didn’t really pan out for me, but I'm cautiously enthusiastic about Skylines 2’s new toolbar. Read more

Title: Nioh 3 is this week's samurai RPG steamroller, but don't forget the mercenary charms of Menace Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/nioh-3-is-this-weeks-samurai-rpg-steamroller-but-dont-forget-the-mercenary-charms-of-menace This week in new PC games: some new PC games. Look, sometimes I have the energy and fortitude to write a 500 word overture about four dimensional tapeworms, and sometimes I look upon the intro as nothing but a hateful chore. I just want to list some games, but internet etiquette requires that I occupy your eyeballs with a proper paragraph or two before we break out the bullet points. Is this enough of a preamble yet? No? How about now? Come ooooon, there’s a tasty new tactics RPG at the bottom of the page. Scroll down, you apes! Read more