Title: 8 Things To Know Before Playing The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/tips-adventures-of-elliot-the-millennium-tales-2000708151 Flitting about Philabieldia

Title: Amazon Ditches Almost Complete Sam Altman Movie After Signing $50 Billion OpenAI Deal Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:31:06 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/amazon-sam-altman-movie-openai-ai-chatgpt-andrew-garfield-2000708507 Luca Guadagnino biopic of the buffoon billionaire seems too hot for Bezos

Title: New Orders For Valve’s Steam Controllers Won’t Arrive Until 2027 Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:32:25 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/steam-controllers-out-of-stock-until-2027-valve-machine-pc-2000708496 If you reserve the device today, you've got at least a six month wait

Title: Fans Are Wearing Diapers And Shitting Themselves To Get Close To Olivia Rodrigo, And She Can Smell It Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:34:08 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/fans-are-wearing-diapers-and-shitting-themselves-to-get-close-to-olivia-rodrigo-and-she-can-smell-it-2000708211 Some people take going to a concert very seriously....

Title: Epic’s Big Plan For Improving Its PC Storefront 8 Years Later Is Copying Steam Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:54:07 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/epics-big-plan-for-improving-its-pc-storefront-8-years-later-is-copying-steam-2000708197 The company isn't giving up on its digital storefront yet

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

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

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

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

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

Title: Steam Next Fest June 2026: 35 Of The Best Demos You Can Play Right Now Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:37:52 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-next-fest-june-2026-25-of-the-best-demos-you-can-play-right-now/ We're spoiled for choice these days when it comes to video games, with hundreds of new titles released each month. What should you play? What's worth a roll of the dice that hopefully won't end with buyer's remorse? Those are questions that Steam Next Fest answers several times a year, and the June Edition of this festival of demos has kicked off. Admittedly, it's impossible to cover every game demo taking part this week, as the June edition of Next Fest has over 4,000 to sample. We’re also not listing any demos that we previously covered in the February 2026 edition of Next Fest, but if you’re curious, you can read up on what you missed through this link. But if you're worried about choice paralysis, fret not, because we've gathered some of our top picks below. Next Fest caters to every taste, from wholesome games to survival-horror, and once it wraps up on June 22, you can look forward to a few more Steam events throughout 2026. If you're also saving your cash for some new games, the Steam Summer Sale will kick off on June 25 and run through July 9. Duskfade https://youtu.be/OipFbsYpSHg Duskfade made a big impact with it when it was first announced, as it looks like the spiritual successor to Jak and Daxter that we've been waiting years for. Featuring a vibrant art direction, the game puts you in the boots of Zirian, a young workshop apprentice on a quest to save his clockpunk world. See on Steam Burn-9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lA-yEeqXW4&pp=ygUGQnVybi050gcJCT4LAYcqIYzv Are you in the mood for a nail-biting story? Then you might want to grab a download of Burn-9, a spy-thriller where you play not as a soldier behind enemy lines, but as a handler who has to keep the mission on the rails. As the Operator, you'll have to deal with the pressure of figuring out what happened to a top-secret Antarctic research facility, commanding an elite strike force of cybernetically-enhanced black-ops super soldiers, and dealing with the top brass who demand results. See on Steam ReStory: Chill Electronic Repair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw5yZeYZJsE&pp=ygUgUmVTdG9yeTogQ2hpbGwgRWxlY3Ryb25pYyBSZXBhaXI%3D If you've ever fancied ditching the grind--for a night--and embarking on a new career as an electronics repair wizard, then ReStory: Chill Electronic Repair might be just the game you've been looking for. Set in mid-2000s Tokyo, you've got your own humble store, Y2K-era devices (including officially licensed Atari consoles), and all the tools you need to keep your customers happy. See on Steam Mistfall Hunters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUq5gbiGFSE&pp=ygUQTWlzdGZhbGwgSHVudGVycw%3D%3D Extraction shooters have become a big hit over the years, but what about an extraction ARPG? Mistfall Hunters answers that question, as you'll need to scavenge, fight, and successfully cheese it--but with swords and sorcery! Set in a bleak world that blends dark fantasy aesthetics with intense action, this third-person PvPvE game will launch on July 30. See on Steam Embers of the Uncrowned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAMYX66vpJ0&pp=0gcJCT8LAYcqIYzv Sticking with the darkest of fantasy, Embers of the Uncrowned looks like it's taking a few pages out of the Diablo ARPG book, but because I'm a shallow individual, it's the jaw-droppingly gorgeous graphics that make me want to play it. Nexon's new game looks like a visual powerhouse, and the crunchy combat also makes the game feel as good as it looks. See on Steam Wind Runners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp1nZ4C0Mxo&pp=ygUUV2luZCBSdW5uZXJzIHRyYWlsZXI%3D There's not enough hand sweat on your controller, but fortunately, Wind Runners is here to rectify that problem. A high-speed bullet-hell dogfighting roguelite, each run sees you step into an aircraft and take on the ruthless technotheist Realm. It's a spiritual successor to those coin-munching shoot-'em-up arcade games of yesteryear, and it features deep gameplay systems to master. See on Steam Dust Front https://youtu.be/J7jTMuHVDu4 Nothing beats leading an army to victory--from the safety of your gaming chair--and Dust Front is all about real-time strategy with a classic flair to its design. Set on a war-ravaged planet, one of the neat twists of the game is that missions are combined with procedural map generation and external rules to keep things dynamic. See on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/2610770/Dust_Front_RTS Bombanana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pKrTO6SOoo&pp=ygURQm9tYmFuYW5hIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Putting a fresh co-op twist on an old adage, Bombanana takes a team of three players to defuse bombs. Each player takes on the role of a specialist monkey, but the twist here is that communication is limited. See no bomb, hear no bomb, speak no bomb! That adds an extra layer of challenge, but if your teamwork is up to scratch, you won't have to worry about scraping simian stains off the wall. See on Steam SlayBlade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZwRI_coGaE&pp=ygUJU2xheUJsYWRl0gcJCT4LAYcqIYzv Essentially a BeyBlade video game in all but name, SlayBlade keeps things simple. You're thrown into the deep end of competitive spinning top battles, and it's the core gameplay behind powering up rotational spins and annihilating the competition that makes SlayBlade so much fun to play. See on Steam Mortal Shell 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI9Zp5NWAbg&pp=ygUOTW9ydGFsIFNoZWxsIDI%3D It might not have been perfect, but the first Mortal Shell was a pretty decent souls-like when it was first released. Can its standalone sequel improve on it? The jury is still out on that one, but this demo for the game should give you a good idea idea of what to expect as Cold Symmetry is promising a game with deeper weapon design, extensive upgrade options, and unrestricted freedom. See on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/2584270/Mortal_Shell_II Onimusha: Way of the Sword https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IzXMyFfPTw Capcom's next big game of 2026, Onimusha: Way of the Sword got a demo during Summer Games Week. It's still worth checking out for its hack-and-slash action, plus it's not limited to PC. See on Steam Valor Mortis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvpxF8upFQM While you're going to have to wait a little longer to play the full version of this first-person souls-like from the studio behind the Ghostrunner games, you can get an idea of what Valor Mortis is about with this demo. As a former soldier of Napoleon's army, you're flung into a European battlefield full of monsters, creatures that'll test your reflexes, weapon skills, and newly acquired magical powers. See on Steam Toem 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttHxdcIOo00&pp=ygUGVG9lbSAy The original Toem is one of our favorite games thanks to its combination of spotting hidden objects, clever use of photography mechanics, and a beautifully designed monochrome world. The sequel looks like it'll be expanding on those ideas ahead of its release in Q3 2026, and this demo will give you a taste of documenting the world's little wonders. See on Steam Lost in Art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk0TBs0eyVY&pp=ygUTTG9zdCBpbiBBcnQgdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D Now that we think about it, an art gallery is the perfect venue for a horror game. While Lost in Art doesn't go full survival-horror, the game does use its location to craft puzzles that require creative thinking, hide sinister threats in the shadows, and wrap the entire experience in an eye-catching art direction. See on Steam Outrange Strike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqLh1SQXZSI&pp=ygUXT3V0cmFuZ2UgU3RyaWtlIHRyYWlsZXI%3D While the next Ace Combat is a few months away, you can still take to the skies--and for free--in this demo for Outrange Strike. An ambitious blend of arcade action and flight-simulator elements, it's all about building specialized aircraft and then using them to keep the skies safe. See on Steam Penguin Colony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pccy5N_tqOk&pp=ygUWUGVuZ3VpbiBDb2xvbnkgdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D I absolutely abhor penguins for the vile, disgusting creatures that they are, which is probably why I'm hoping things end terribly for the malevolent mammal you play as in this faithful re-imagining of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. Developed by Umurangi Generation studio Origame Digital, the game follows the events of the cosmic-horror story, but through the eyes of a penguin. See on Steam The Sinking City 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-pfSpS_J4&pp=ygUaVGhlIFNpbmtpbmcgQ2l0eSAyIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Speaking of Lovecraftian vibes, don't forget to check out The Sinking City 2 demo either! Frogwares is dialing up the survival-horror aspects of the sequel, and this demo will show you how the studio is focusing on deliberate dread, devious puzzles, and resource-lean gameplay. See on Steam Hack 95 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx0GivgdZlk&pp=ygUPSGFjayA5NSB0cmFpbGVy We all know how modern operating systems kind of suck nowadays, which is why a game like Hack 95 might catch your eye. Inspired by a golden era of operating systems, Hack 95 is a card-based computer-hacking experience where you're tasked with taking down evil organizations. Also, an incontinent virtual pug is there to help you. See on Steam The Old Flesh of Nuraga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q3iWNdLhao&pp=ygUfVGhlIE9sZCBGbGVzaCBvZiBOdXJhZ2EgdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D Dipping back into the pool of thrills and chills, The Old Flesh of Nuraga is a first-person psychological-horror game with an eye-catching art direction. Set in the sands of a creepy desert, players will search the area for strange treasures and keep an eye on their digital grandfather as he descends into madness--which sadly, isn't the '80s British ska band. See on Steam Pulsebreaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZjzd_IWDys&pp=ygUUUHVsc2VicmVha2VyIHRyYWlsZXI%3D We really are living in a golden age for horror games, aren't we? Pulsebreaker describes itself as a classic PS1-inspired survival-horror--and it certainly looks the part--but with a few modern ideas thrown into the mix. It's a blend of old-school exploration, puzzle-solving, and resource management, while the Focus Meter gameplay mechanic is designed to reward precision and composure when you're pressured by hordes of monsters. See on Steam Maximum Thunderness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZ9J8GowH0&pp=ygUbTWF4aW11bSBUaHVuZGVybmVzcyB0cmFpbGVy For something more wholesome, you can grab a demo for Maximum Thunderness next. A roguelike sidescrolling co-op action game, you'll get to respond with extreme force to the minor crimes of the sinister SKULL organization in this retro-inspired romp. See on Steam Cozy Game Restoration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOUOkaVoM30&pp=ygUdQ296eSBHYW1lIFJlc3RvcmF0aW9uIHRyYWlsZXI%3D And now for something completely different in Cozy Game Restoration. If you've ever found an old game cartridge and cleaned it up, then this simulator will likely appeal to you. You're given forgotten video game cartridges that have seen better days, all the tools you need to restore them to pristine condition, and a workbench where you can enjoy the process. See on Steam Washington Prime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESrucCxlZYE&pp=ygUYV2FzaGluZ3RvbiBQcmltZSB0cmFpbGVy Nothing I write about Washington Prime--a first-person shooter that looks like it came straight out of the '90s bargain bin--will ever match the game's official synopsis. So here it is: "There will be shooting into highly realistic-looking people, there might be a cigarette around, and bottles of booze in some places. So much cussing." See on Steam Sprawl Zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju0rQ_aA-aQ&pp=ygUTU3ByYXdsIFplcm8gdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D If Washington Prime doesn't have enough laser guns--and possibly too much cussing--then check out the Sprawl Zero demo next. It has a chunky early-2000s aesthetic set in a cyberpunk world, enemies that explode into giblets, and grounded combat that requires you to think fast. See on Steam Tanuki Pon's Summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpuGRYCRsAQ&pp=ygUbVGFudWtpIFBvbidzIFN1bW1lciB0cmFpbGVy Deliver packages, make friends, and get the town shrine ready for a party in the demo for Tanuki Pon's Summer. An adorable open-world life-simulator, the demo shows off plenty of the game's Studio Ghibli-inspired vibes. See on Steam Star Trek: Outposts Unknown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YK_Fw4_kLk&pp=ygUjU3RhciBUcmVrOiBPdXRwb3N0cyBVbmtub3duIHRyYWlsZXLSBwkJPgsBhyohjO8%3D Set in the Strange New Worlds era of Star Trek, Outposts Unknown focuses on exploring the final frontier and setting up a base on distant worlds. There are plenty of unique environments to explore and signature Star Trek technologies to utilize in this colony-sim game. See on Steam Empulse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vqED_XbrVo&pp=ygUPRW1wdWxzZSB0cmFpbGVy We weren't expecting Splitgate developer 1047 Games to have a Titanfall spiritual successor in development, but we're glad it does! Mixing the studio's talent for Halo-influenced gunplay with giant mechs, Empulse is all about outthinking and out-maneuvering your opponents. See on Steam A Game About Breaking a Cube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_RqcOhUoR0&pp=ygUkQSBHYW1lIEFib3V0IEJyZWFraW5nIGEgQ3ViZSB0cmFpbGVy You're not going to believe this, but A Game About Breaking a Cube is a game about breaking a cube. Unlike the last game that tasked you with spending weeks to get to its crunchy center--thanks, Molyneux--this new take on the idea does expand on that concept with upgradeable tools, a sense of dread, and cans of drinkable meat for your in-game character. See on Steam SiN Reloaded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDQOhOzgYj0&pp=ygUUU2lOIFJlbG9hZGVkIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Nightdive Studios has become the developer for remasters of cult-classics, and it's turning its attention to SiN next. While it doesn't have a release date yet, this demo will give you a good idea of how Nightdive has remastered the original 1998 shooter and enhanced it with modern control schemes. See on Steam Over the Hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKZD20fRT6U&pp=ygUVT3ZlciB0aGUgSGlsbCB0cmFpbGVy Offroading is an underrated way to explore the great outdoors, and Over the Hill aims to recapture that long-lost era of 4x4 expeditions. It's the next game from the creator of Art of Rally, and it features several diverse biomes to ramble through, several vehicles to master, and objectives to chase. See on Steam Virtue and a Sledgehammer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLlbCrwmcfY&pp=ygUhVmlydHVlIGFuZCBhIFNsZWRnZWhhbW1lciB0cmFpbGVy What if childhood memories met the destruction physics of old-school Red Faction? You'd get Virtue and a Sledgehammer, a game that's all about exploring your past and then smashing it to pieces with a big ol' hammer. See on Steam Feed the Giants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2yAqRetIOU&pp=ygUXRmVlZCB0aGUgR2lhbnRzIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Did you ever read Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant book? Feed the Giant is kind of like that--until it isn't. As a local giant, you're given the choice to either guide a group of lost children through a hostile world or sacrifice them to keep your fellow titans entertained. Just remember, every decision has a consequence in this dark demo. See on Steam Milki Delivery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2NUM2wJmRs&pp=ygUWTWlsa2kgRGVsaXZlcnkgdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D We're headed back to cozy nostalgia for the next demo, Milki Delivery. Described as a short but satisfying adventure by its developers, you'll grow your startup dairy-delivery business, explore a gorgeous countryside, and help your community out in this charming adventure. See on Steam Link Cameras https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hgvBKMY5g&pp=ygUUTGluayBDYW1lcmFzIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Desktop-simulator games are on the rise, and Link Cameras is putting its own spin on this growing genre. As a moderator for a camera website, you'll be given the job of watching live feeds from different users, reviewing camera broadcasts, and uncovering the sinister secret behind each connection, all through an old-school computer interface. See on Steam About Fishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8R31HBvlVE&pp=ygUVQWJvdXQgRmlzaGluZyB0cmFpbGVy Fishing games are typically relaxing jaunts: meditative experiences where you cast your line and patiently wait to catch the fabled big one. About Fishing certainly meets that description, but it also mixes in existential dread and suspense as each line cast is also a chance to uncover something unexpected. See on Steam

Title: If You Haven’t Reserved A Steam Controller Yet, You’ll Have To Wait Until Next Year Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:38:30 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/if-you-havent-reserved-a-steam-controller-yet-youll-have-to-wait-until-next-year/ Last month, Valve launched its Steam Controller and demand has far outweighed the supply. So much so that as of today, new orders for Steam Controller won't be fulfilled by Valve until 2027 at the earliest. Valve shared the news on its site, where it noted that it has "no plans to stop making Steam Controller." But the company also stated that the response to the controller has "exceeded our expectations." In the interest of clarity, Valve will now provide customers with three estimated delivery windows for Steam Controller based on when they placed their orders: September 2026, December 2026, and a vague 2027 that came with a promise for more specific info down the line. Players who have already placed their orders can log into their Steam account to see their order window. Valve noted that the reservation queue is still in effect and it will be sending messages to players when their turn to buy a Steam Controller arrives. Once that email is sent, customers will have 72 hours to finish their order or else they will lose their place in line to someone behind them in the queue. While the Steam Controller has largely been received well by players who got their hands on it, there have been issues with rumble compatibility that's made it unusable with some games. In an amusing touch, the Steam Controller occasionally uses a famous cinematic scream when dropped or thrown. In other Valve news, the Steam Deck was recently given a massive price hike, in part due to the ongoing components and memory shortages. Valve has also indicated that Steam Machine and the VR headset Steam Frame should be released this summer, but a specific date and pricing hasn't been shared for either of them.

Title: How Ninja Theory Paved A Way For The Elden Ring Movie  Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:01:40 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-ninja-theory-paved-a-way-for-the-elden-ring-movie/ Earlier this week, it was reported that Microsoft has entered negotiations to shut down, or grant independence to, acclaimed action-game studio Ninja Theory just a mere eight days after the studio revealed its newest title, Senua, at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. While the potential dismantling of a tenured studio is always tragic, Ninja Theory leaves behind a legacy that goes beyond video games, ultimately shaping Hollywood films that perhaps would not have been made without the studio's ambition. Founded in 2000 under the name Just Add Monsters, Ninja Theory built itself upon a promise of delivering high-octane action games with unique aesthetics, such as Kung Fu Chaos and Heavenly Sword. The studio emphasized creativity and narrative as its core values and sought to deliver AAA-level experiences despite its smaller team and budgets. In 2009 after the studio delivered their first Sony exclusive with Heavenly Sword, this ambition led founder Tameem Antoniades and his team to visit numerous Hollywood studios to pitch their next project, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, as a CGI film. The project would be a retelling of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, but set 150 years after mankind has been wiped out in an apocalyptic event. However, Ninja Theory found itself unable to convince a movie studio to fund it. Ninja Theory then began pitching it as a video game and, eventually, struck a deal with Bandai Namco to publish the title. With development of the game fully underway, the studio then opted to bring on Hollywood screenwriter Alex Garland, who had just begun to make a name for himself for his work on films such as 28 Days Later and Sunshine. Eager to find a way to break into game development, Garland offered his services to help make Enslaved’s story more cinematic. He took an active role in the game’s design, stripping down the exposition in the script and allowing the gameplay and environments to convey information to the player. According to Antoniades, Garland was “intimidating” to work with, but the studio founder later praised Garland's gameplay design choices as the correct decisions in retrospect. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Upon its release, it seemed as though the general public agreed. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West released in 2010 to critical acclaim, with GameSpot’s review calling it, “A great adventure that has just enough excitement and diversity in the gameplay to keep you engaged" and a game with "striking visuals." For the studio’s next project, Ninja Theory would collaborate once again with Garland. After being impressed with the studio’s previous titles, Capcom reached out to Ninja Theory to reboot its Devil May Cry franchise. Antoniades would write the game’s script with Garland, while the latter would also serve as script and story supervisor. The reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry, marked a drastic departure from the previous, gothic-inspired games in the franchise. Instead, DmC offered a dark and gritty take on the world that was inspired by a grittiness similar to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and British punk-rock sensibilities. The game reworked the series' lore, and served as a refresh of the origin of protagonist Dante as he traversed the world between Heaven and Hell. DmC: Devil May Cry DmC released in 2013, and while praised for its gameplay mechanics, was largely reviled by fans of the series and seen as a commercial failure by Capcom. Its biggest criticisms were the disregard for series' lore and the characterization of Dante. However, Devil May Cry series producer Matt Walker praised the game, saying it had “an amazing world all its own that could only have been produced by the amazing artists and imaginations at Ninja Theory.” Alex Garland would end his relationship with Ninja Theory with DmC: Devil May Cry, opting instead to return to the world of filmmaking. The following year, Garland made his directorial debut with the indie darling Ex Machina; he would then go on to make films such as Annihilation and Civil War, both of which were critically praised.  Interestingly, though perhaps unsurprisingly, Garland's style of filmmaking features the same storytelling elements that were present in his games, and it features cinematic action sequences that feel ripped straight from a video game. Ex Machina (2014) In a full circle moment, it was announced in 2024 that Alex Garland would write and direct an adaptation of From Software’s Elden Ring for A24. The story goes that, after being impressed while playing through the game, Garland decided to write a 160-page spec script and fly all the way to Japan to directly pitch it to game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, ultimately earning the game studio’s approval. Alex Garland took what he learned working with Ninja Theory and applied it to a whole different medium of entertainment. Without the ambition and collaborative nature cultivated at Ninja Theory--ideas that challenged what it means to be a AAA action game or a narrative-focused video game--this, presumably, wouldn't have taken place. Ninja Theory helped give filmmaking one of its most ambitious directors, among many other achievements. To see them close their doors would not only be a great loss to Microsoft and Xbox, but to gaming as a whole.

Title: Fallout Season 3 Adds More Big Names To Its Cast Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:59:37 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-season-3-adds-more-big-names-to-its-cast/ Prime Video's Fallout TV show is adding more big names to its cast for the upcoming third season. Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom), and Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit) are all joining Season 3 of the video game show in recurring roles, according to Deadline. The show's official social media account confirmed the news, asking fans to welcome Mortimer, Jacinto, and McKenzie to the series. https://twitter.com/falloutonprime/status/2067671396210405856 They join Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, who was previously confirmed for Fallout Season 3. There is no word yet on who any of the newcomers for Season 3 are playing, but production is set to begin this month in Los Angeles. The stars of the first two seasons, including Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins, are coming back for Season 3 as well. There is no word yet on when Season 3 will premiere. As for the Fallout game series, Fallout 5 is in the works now, but no one should expect it to be released soon. It’s coming after The Elder Scrolls 6, and even that game remains some time off. Fallout is the biggest gaming adaptation for Prime Video so far. Other shows in the works for Prime Video include God of War starring Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Tomb Raider starring Sophie Turner as Lara Croft.

Title: Forza’s Horizon Festival Is Hell On Earth Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:58:36 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/forzas-horizon-festival-is-hell-on-earth/ When a game world doesn't make sense, you could simply dismiss it as being "just a game." Or, through the power of imagination, you could attempt to truly visualize it and then discuss at length how absolutely absurd it truly is. With that in mind, it's time I say it: Forza Horizon 6 and the previous entries in the series do not make sense, and the longer we think about it, the weirder it gets. If you're unfamiliar, each game in the Forza Horizon series is set at the Horizon Festival, a car show-meets-music-festival that spans a large portion of the country the festival is set in. There are racing events, all manner of records to break, and you're encouraged to explore every road on the map to find things like abandoned cars and collectibles, which you collect by driving through them. In many ways, it's kind of like the Olympics: Each festival is set in a different region, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, or, most recently, Japan. Space is dedicated to these races; markers are put down, new dirt roads are made, and semi-permanent structures are erected to house the thousands of incoming cars. But while countries fight for the privilege of hosting the Olympics, who would ask to host the Horizon Festival?  When the Horizon Festival descends on a region, countless drivers appear and begin to wreak havoc on the city and countryside. These drivers are destroying forests, private property, and municipal infrastructure; they slam into civilian cars at hundreds of miles per hour. They take "abandoned" cars out of old barns. Maybe someone left that car there for a reason? Surely, there should be some consequences, right? But you won't find anything resembling law enforcement appearing, no matter what you do. That sounds impossible.  There's only one answer that makes this all make sense: billionaires. Oh yeah, it's all coming together. The Horizon Festival is orchestrated by billionaires for their own entertainment. They pick a peaceful-seeming place--the locations chosen for the festival are all premium vacation spots--they've decided they want to see destroyed. The region is blanketed in the emissions of some of the least fuel-efficient vehicles on the planet, and people are afraid to leave their houses. The best way to celebrate Japan's beauty? Tearing up its countryside with fuel-guzzling vehicles, apparently. As you explore the region, you can win points doing just about anything. You're encouraged not to just win races, but also to actively engage in destruction and dangerous activities. It calls to mind the government-sponsored Transcontinental Road Race in the film Death Race 2000, in which participating drivers are encouraged to win by any means necessary and to hit pedestrians for bonus points. In that film, the government covers up activity by a resistance group because the race is so popular with the general population, making sure everything is treated as fun and exciting for the viewership. The police in the region have been paid off, too, which is why they aren't showing up to crashes or putting up roadblocks to catch drivers. Sure, you can't hit civilians at the Forza Horizon Festival, but that doesn't stop you from causing plenty of destruction. As you race around the festival region, radio DJs report on your actions, telling everyone how great it is that you just set a new speed record on a public road, or won a race through the middle of a populated city. You might think it's simply a game acknowledging your accomplishments, but it's actually propaganda to make you sound like a hero not just to viewers and listeners, but to yourself. If you started to worry about the consequences of your actions, you wouldn't want to participate in this grisly affair. Billionaire sponsorship explains another aspect, too. Even if you end up somewhere like Southern Europe, the setting for Forza Horizon 2, there's no way to explain the sudden preponderance of expensive cars. You don't see the thousands of shipping containers full of hypercars and rally cars being shipped in, alongside the monopoly the event puts on all new and used cars in the region, but they're there, out of view.  These billionaires reward the dangerous actions drivers take with "credits" instead of any kind of real currency, and these credits are also assigned to the prices of the cars themselves. The billionaires sponsoring this have already purchased all of these cars, so you can't buy them with real money. You have to engage in the events the festival sponsors want you to to advance, and it's almost inevitable that even the cleanest driver will create some damage. A race car tears past a vacated residential area. Its citizens are clearly to scared to leave their homes. As you race, though, you'll see people cheering you on and cars on the roads.The standard, inexpensive cars on the road are civilians just trying to live their lives while the "drivers" zoom around them. They stay inside when they can, but the festival goes on for months, and people have to go out for food and to go to work. The people you see cheering you on, though--these are people who attend for fun and clout. Rich people, influencers, and people like that. There are other ways we could explore this. For example, maybe it's a Westworld situation for people who really like cars, and that's why all the DJs talk directly to you and why you have two cool friends who you know nothing about. The longer I think about what's happening in Forza Horizon, the darker it gets. Yeah, I know: It's just a game and I'm way overthinking it. Framing this bright, happy game full of pop music, flashy events, and bright colors as a dark manifestation of class oppression is hilarious.

Title: Best games of 2026 so far: Pragmata, Pokopia, and more Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:21 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/best-2026-games-xbox-ps5-switch-pc/ That’s certainly held true so far in 2026. Three months in and we’ve already had so many gems, big and small, that we could put together a pretty killer year-end list today and be happy with it. Don’t worry, we’ll save that task for December. In the meantime, here are the best games of 2026 (so far), organized in reverse-chronological order.

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen season 4's first trailer shows release is closer than expected Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:38:00 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/jujutsu-kaisen-season-4-first-trailer-mappa/ Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen were not expecting much from MAPPA's 15th anniversary event, considering the third season of the anime just wrapped up a few months ago. Instead, the animation studio surprised everyone with a pretty significant teaser trailer, showing some of the most hyped moments from the upcoming season.

Title: Two Point Museum is free on Steam this weekend and Xbox too, if you have Game Pass Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:00:20 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/two-point-museum-free-weekend-steam-xbox/ Two Point Museum, one of 2025's best and a top-tier strategy game, is free to play on Steam and Xbox now until June 22. On Two Point Museum's Steam page, you can click "play the game" to start. It's also included in this weekend's Xbox Free Play Days, though that's only available to current Game Pass subscribers.

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show gets straight-to-series order from Peacock Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:38:31 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/dungeon-crawler-carl-tv-show-peacock-straight-to-series-order/ Last April, Variety reported that the LitRPG series Dungeon Crawler Carl, created by Matt Dinniman, was being picked up by Peacock for a TV show produced by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) and written by Chris Yost (Thor: Ragnarok). According to Deadline, Peacock has now given a straight-to-series order for the show, meaning that a pilot won't be shot and the series will go straight into production.

Title: World of Warcraft patch 12.1 Curse of Ula'tek is looking like a massive update Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:13:44 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/wow-world-of-warcraft-12-1-ptr-patch-notes/ Blizzard has offered the first detailed look at new content and changes coming to World of Warcraftin the first major update of the Midnight expansion cycle. Patch 12.1, titled Curse of Ula'tek, is due later this summer, but development notes for the early version of the patch headed to WoW's Public Test Realm (PTR) give a thorough rundown of what to expect. And it's a big one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Title: The Planet Crafter launches on PS5 July 21 Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/16/the-planet-crafter-launches-on-ps5-july-21/ Hello! I’m Amélie from Miju Games. We’re so excited for you to finally get to try our survival game The Planet Crafter when it launches on PS5 next month.  Play Video The Planet Crafter is unlike many of the survival games you’ve played in the past. When we were designing it, we sought to make a chill, non-violent survival experience. The Planet Crafter will still challenge you. The player has to carefully manage needs like oxygen, food, and water; especially early in the game, you can push your limits too far and discover that there’s a fatal result to that. But this isn’t a game with jump scares and monsters. There’s nothing to dread behind that boulder or in the depths of that cave. But there is wonder. We’ve made some big worlds for you to explore, and secrets to uncover. The planets and moons you will find are evolving as you start the long journey to terraform them. When you build heat pumps and drill into a planet’s core to raise the atmospheric pressure and temperature, you’ll find that the changes are more than just cosmetic. Maybe a glacier has melted, revealing a new valley you couldn’t access before. When life starts to take root in your world, perhaps you’ll notice trees growing that provide a bridge to a new location. The Planet Crafter is not a violent game, but we promise that it is full of adventure. One point of inspiration for us when creating The Planet Crafter surprises people when we tell them. We’ve always appreciated idle games, and you’ll find some of that DNA in our game. When you build terraforming machines they keep operating as long as your grid has power. You’re always making progress towards that next terraforming milestone. We think that’s a great way of encouraging you to explore. Let the machines do their thing while you go hunt for relics from a lost previous expedition, prospect for rare minerals in the shards of a fallen meteorite, or get acquainted with the new life forms that you’ve introduced into the world. In The Planet Crafter, things are always getting a little better. We can’t wait to see the bases that you and your friends create in single-player or co-op in The Planet Crafter on PlayStation 5. The worlds we’ve created for you to terraform may be stark and desolate when you first arrive. But with a little effort, we hope you will find that they’re warm and inviting places for you to hang out. Good luck out there, and we hope to see you soon in-game.

Title: Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final update features Animus-bending endgame content Domains Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:00:36 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/15/assassins-creed-shadows-final-update-features-animus-bending-endgame-content-domains/ Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch its final update on June 16, featuring a final story quest which sees Naoe and Yasuke face off against a mysterious pair of Templars and includes a few narrative connections to the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Plus, a whole new endgame feature called Domains will bring new ways for players to test their skills and builds in the ultimate arena. We sat down with Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois to dig into what Domains is and how it’s designed to break your beloved gear builds. Play Video What is Domains? Simon: Domains is a new Animus-bending activity that remixes some parts of Shadows and puts them into a very different, more fantastical context. It’s basically the final exam for Shadows players who love the RPG elements of the game. It features five maps, known as Domains, and each time you play there will be different modifiers thrown in. You’ll need to switch up your build to suit the map, the challenges, and the modifiers. What kinds of challenges can players expect? Simon: Killing the Daishos in each map will unlock the final boss arena where you will take on one of three corrupted, Animus-altered boss fights, all while dealing with the modifiers. The harder the difficulty, the more modifiers you’ll have to deal with at once, and the more negative modifiers you are likely to get. For example, in the easier challenges maybe you’ll get a health boost, but as you progress the deck becomes stacked against you. We also have Animus Exploits which you can use to nullify some of those modifiers, but if your build and skills aren’t on point, then you’re still going to have a rough time. Are builds unique to Domains? Simon: Builds carry over from the main game and anything you create in Domains will be usable there too, since it uses the same interface. The Animus Exploits can’t be used anywhere else, but equipment that you already have will be accessible in Domains and rewards you get will be accessible in the main game. Although, you might find your existing builds need some tweaking, especially as you get to the higher difficulties. Which modifier is your favorite? Simon: So, there’s one called “Like a Prayer” that creates a circle around you. That circle does damage over time, and breakable objects that end up inside the circle get destroyed: doors, barrels, everything just tearing itself to shreds as you advance through the world. It’s super cool. What rewards can players earn in Domains? Simon: There are a bunch of weapons and equipment that are completely unique to Domains, and you can’t get them any other way than completing the challenges. They’re not for purchase and they’re really a badge of honor for players who meet the challenges. And you won’t want to miss them, especially if you’re a fan of the Assassin’s Creed series. This isn’t a narrative-driven feature, but it does fit within the context of the modern-day, real-world Animus setting. In Domains, you are dealing with a human rather than the AIs you interact with in the main game. MOD is a hacker who breaches the Animus and creates Domains, and if you dig around, ask some questions, and find a few little clues, you will get more context and lore about her and what the future might hold. There’s second-degree knowledge to gain from Domains, even though it’s not a narrative-heavy feature. Is there any map that you think is more challenging than the others? Simon: Oh, they’re all very challenging in different ways. For example, if you’re anxious about limited visual distance, the Whiteout Domain is inspired by the harsh winters of Canada, and it can be somewhat tricky to find your way around. I know Quebec City like the back of my hand, but in a blizzard that all goes out the window. But as you kill more and more Daishos, the weather should react and clear up which is a nice feature I wish I had during those Quebec blizzards. Do you have any advice to help players master Domains? Simon: Don’t sleep on Yasuke – a lot of players have put a ton of time into Naoe, but not so much into Yasuke builds. Sometimes he’s the only valid answer to certain modifiers. The power fantasy of Yasuke maxed out, being able to do everything with all his weapons, is definitely a good strategy for some of those domain runs. Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final update launches completely free on June 16 on PS5. Make sure to download the latest content to dive into the final chapter of Naoe and Yasuke’s tale and challenge yourself to unlock the exclusive rewards (and associated bragging rights) from Domains.

Title: Share of the Week: Duality Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/12/share-of-the-week-duality-2/ Last week, we asked players to share Duality using reflections, opposites, or anything that comes in pairs using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s are this week’s highlights: Crimsonashtree shares two different Conor’s in Detroit: Become Human ContinuousGojo shares Cal Kestis undercover in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Mur4dQ shares Mio and Zoe escaping a city in Split Fiction Rorottino shares Sam in a climactic battle in Death Stranding Call_me_xavii shares Atsu and her mother in Ghost of Yōtei Parmindernangla shares Miles and Peter in Marvel’s Spider-Man 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: SarosSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 17, 2026  Next week, Saros takes the spotlight. With the new photo mode update share your favorite moments from exploring Carcosa using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Title: I might have hit that hospital with a high explosive shell, but Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator hit me right in the feels Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:24:55 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/i-might-have-hit-that-hospital-with-a-high-explosive-shell-but-iron-nest-heavy-turret-simulator-hit-me-right-in-the-feels When you first start Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator, you're standing in a small office annex of the walking artillery unit you call home. A board in front of you lays out the process of firing the turret's cannon. First you measure the distance and bearing to the target, calculate the necessary turret elevation, load the gun, angle and rotate the cannon, and then fire the shell. It all looks simple enough. However, seeing as the inside of the Iron Nest is the size of a small warehouse, this artillery unit surely dwarfs the 'Gustav', the train-mounted cannon Germany built to blast the French forts of the Maginot Line. And, seeing as this machine looks to be of a similar vintage, getting that gun to fire is going to be a muscularly manual process. On the office desk is a vinyl. I drop it onto the record player, crank up the volume, and head to the map table, pencil and compass in hand, military marching loudly blaring out of the Iron Nest's tannoy. Read more

Title: Baldur's Gate 3 Path to Menzoberranzan custom campaign modders offer glimpse of their long-awaited demo level's "dark, ruined dungeon" as environments near completion Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:21:33 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-path-to-menzoberranzan-custom-campaign-modders-glimpse-demo-level Late last year, the modders behind an ambitious Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign mod called Path to Menzoberranzan pencilled in plans to release a Nautiold-sized demo level during the first half of 2026. That timeline was settled on following a re-think of the project's scope last summer, and with this summer now in full swing, the group have put out a teaser of the level alongside announcing its environments are nearly finished. Read more

Title: Valve roll out a more detailed timeline for Steam Controller orders, giving you a clearer picture of when you'll hear about your reservation Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:46:01 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/valve-roll-out-a-more-detailed-timeline-for-steam-controller-orders-giving-you-a-clearer-picture-of-when-youll-hear-about-your-reservation If you've put in an order for a Steam Controller and are still awaiting its arrival, a new system Valve have rolled out can offer you an estimate of when you should hear from them about your order. While you'll only be given one of three very rough windows, it's at least something to go on if you're wondering where you're at in the queue. Read more

Title: Epic's plans for their big store revamp over the next year sound like they'll at long last meet the bare minimum Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:53:29 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/epics-plans-for-their-big-store-revamp-over-the-next-year-sound-like-theyll-at-long-last-meet-the-bare-minimum The Epic Games Store is not very good. This is not a controversial thing to say, I'm fairly certain, as the lack of features available within it feels a bit odd also eight years into the thing existing. Sure, there's some free games every now and then (like Citizen Sleeper, right now), but there's a lot of basic things missing. But it seems much of that, including simple things like patch notes, will be coming within the next 12 months. Read more

Title: God judged me for killing someone in Meaningless Random Numbers but I owe the devil some money so what else could I do? Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:28:48 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/god-judged-me-for-killing-someone-in-meaningless-random-numbers-but-i-owe-the-devil-some-money-so-what-else-could-i-do In front of me is a single die. It costs me a bit of money to roll it, but I get a four, so I get four dollars, so I'm making a profit all the same. It costs me a bit more to roll this time. I do it anyway, and I get a bit more money, and more importantly experience points. After a while, I'm able to add in another die. You know what that means: more money. And I need the money, because I owe the devil a good few hundo. This is Meaningless Random Numbers, an incremental horror game where god is watching you. Read more