Title: Everything We Know About World Of Warcraft‘s Rumored Classic+ Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:00:47 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/everything-we-know-about-world-of-warcrafts-rumored-classic-2000711801 A Classic for all seasons

Title: Please Come Back, 24-Hour Official Livestream Of Moomin On YouTube Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:58:15 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/please-come-back-24-hour-official-livestream-moomin-youtube-2000711840 Take me up to Moomin land

Title: OG Baldur’s Gate Lead Designer Turned Down Opportunity To Make Baldur’s Gate 4: ‘I Wouldn’t Want To Compete Against That’ Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:30:23 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/baldurs-gate-3-4-1-2-remake-original-larian-swen-vincke-james-ohlen-archetype-exodus-2000711714 On the plus side, apparently a remake of Baldur's Gate 2 is on the way

Title: Xbox Is Cutting A Bunch Of Stuff Loose, But Not Hideo Kojima’s New Horror Game OD Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:52:46 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/xbox-is-cutting-a-bunch-of-stuff-loose-but-not-hideo-kojimas-new-horror-game-od-2000711811 The project remains mysterious but still backed by Microsoft

Title: In A Land Of Boring Consoles, The Steam Machine Is Fun And Quirky Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:30:18 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/in-a-land-of-boring-consoles-the-steam-machine-is-fun-and-quirky-2000711813 Remember when game hardware had personality and was cool?

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: Love And Deepspace Cancels Its New Love Interest After Fan Backlash Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:09:20 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/love-and-deepspace-cancels-its-new-love-interest-after-fan-backlash/ Shortly after developer Papergames announced the addition of Valko--a new love interest in the mobile action dating sim Love and Deepspace--the backlash from fans has spilled into the real world. Now, Papergames is reversing course by canceling Valko's debut and pledging to focus on the five other love interests who are already in the game. "We recognize that we moved forward with the introduction of Valko before we were truly ready," reads the statement posted to Love and Deepspace's Instagram account. "In doing so, we let down the players who have supported us from the start, and we also fell short of delivering the experience that players anticipating Valko deserved. After extensive internal discussions ... we have decided to cancel both the launch and any further development of the new love interest. We also commit that no additional love interests will be introduced in future content plans." According Gaming on Phone, angry players made their displeasure about Valko's arrival known by targeting Papergames' headquarters in China with cow dung that was delivered to the company's lockers. White and yellow chrysanthemums--which represent funerals and mourning in Chinese culture--were also delivered. As a further insult, glutinous rice, and pomelo leaves--both of which are used in cleansing rituals--were delivered as well. The outlet also notes that Love and Deepspace lost approximately 1 million followers on Chinese social media since the unveiling of Valko. One of the primary complaints was that Papergames wasn't delivering new story content or developing the characters of the five male love interests who were already in the game. In addition, many fans voiced complaints that the game, at times, felt like it catered too heavily toward whales, and said that they wanted improvements to how you're able to farm in-game resources. In gacha games--like Love and Deepspace--or any type of live service game, a "whale" is a term used to describe a person who drops such a large amount of money on microtransactions, that they effectively keep the game afloat. The average user has been worried that the Love and Deepsace team caters too heavily toward these big spenders, and in an attempt to incentivize whales to drop even more money, the game is making everything too pricy for everyone else. Despite the online (and offline) vitriol for him, there are apparently plenty of players who are now disappointed by Valko's cancellation. Replies left on Instagram have called for Valko to be released on Love and Deepspace.

Title: Pokemon Go July 2026 Events: Raids, Spotlight Hours, Go Fest, And More Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:47:44 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-july-2026-events-raids-spotlight-hours-go-fest-and-more/ July is officially upon us, and it's shaping up to be a particularly big month for Pokemon Go. The mobile game is commemorating its tenth anniversary this month with a variety of events, including a Pikachu celebration and a new Timed Research questline for Professor Willow's birthday. July also marks the second month of the game's Forever Forward season, with new Raid bosses and Spotlight Pokemon lined up over the next few weeks. Most significantly, the game is also holding its global Go Fest event this month, which will give players around the world their first chance to get Mewtwo's Mega-Evolved forms. That's just the tip of the Bergmite. You can read more about all of July's biggest Pokemon Go events below. In This Article July Raid ScheduleJuly Spotlight HoursSobble Community DayBonuses10th Anniversary PartyFeatured PokemonBonusesRoad Of LegendsFeatured PokemonBonusesGo Fest 2026 GlobalSpecial Anniversary Pikachu CelebrationFeatured PokemonBonusesRaichu Super Mega Raid DayBonusesWillow's Birthday ResearchOzone Ascent July Raid Schedule A host of legendary and Mega Pokemon are returning to Raid Battles in July. The legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres will appear in five-star Raids during the first half of the month, with Kyogre, Solgaleo, and Kyurem all slated to follow afterward. Mega Raids, meanwhile, will feature a handful of fan-favorites like Mega Lucario, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Salamence, and Shadow Palkia will appear throughout the month as a Shadow Raid boss. You can see July's full Raid schedule below: Five-Star Raids Articuno (July 1-5; July 13-14) Zapdos (July 1-5; July 13-14) Moltres (July 1-5; July 13-14) Kyogre (July 15-21) Solgaleo (July 22-28) Kyurem (July 29-August 4) Mega Raids Mega Lucario (July 1-5; July 13-14) Mega Sceptile (July 15-21) Mega Salamence (July 22-28) Mega Aggron (July 29-August 4) Shadow Raids Shadow Palkia (July 1-August 4) Max Battles Dynamax Chansey (July 6-12) Dynamax Deino (July 13-19) Dynamax Trubbish (July 20-26) Dynamax Feebas (July 27-August 2) July Spotlight Hours Pokemon Go's Spotlight Hour events make their return in July. This time, the events will run on Thursdays from 6-7 PM local time, but they'll otherwise work the same as before.  During the event hour, one particular species of Pokemon will appear in the wild more frequently, making this a good opportunity to fill out your Pokedex and stock up on candy. On top of that, you'll earn an extra bonus for completing certain tasks, such as double XP for catching or evolving Pokemon. You can see July's full Spotlight Hour schedule below: July 2 Featured Pokemon: Pidgey Bonus: 2x XP for evolving Pokemon July 16 Featured Pokemon: Zubat Bonus: 2x XP for catching Pokemon July 23 Featured Pokemon: Eevee Bonus: 2x candy for catching Pokemon July 30 Featured Pokemon: Bidoof Bonus: 2x candy for transferring Pokemon Sobble Community Day The water-type lizard Sobble is taking center stage for July's Community Day, which runs on Saturday, July 4. From 2-5 PM local time, Sobble will appear in the wild more frequently than usual, giving you plenty of opportunities to earn Sobble candy. On top of that, you'll have increased odds of encountering shiny Sobble or one that has a special background. In addition to the increased spawns, Sobble's final form will be able to learn an exclusive move. Every Drizzile that you evolve into Inteleon before 9 PM local time will know the water-type Charged Attack Hydro Cannon. From July 4 onward, Inteleon will also be able to learn the Charged Attack Snipe Shot. Finally, a variety of bonuses will be available during the event. Eggs that you place in Incubators will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require, and you'll earn double the usual amount of candy for catching Pokemon. Incense and Lure Modules will also last longer than usual, and trading Pokemon will require half as much Stardust. Bonuses 1/4 egg hatch distance 2x candy for catching Pokemon 2x chance to get candy XL from catching Pokemon (players level 31 and up) Incense will last for three hours (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) Lure Modules will last for one hour and attract the featured Pokemon Players can make one additional Special Trade Trades will cost 50 percent less Stardust 10th Anniversary Party Pokemon Go is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a special event from July 4-6. As part of the festivities, a special Gimmighoul holding a tenth anniversary coin will make its debut in the game. You'll have a chance to encounter the Pokemon when you use Golden Lure Modules or a Coin Bag during the event. Alongside the special Gimmighoul, party hat-wearing variants of Pikachu, Eevee, Wurmple, and other Pokemon will appear in the wild. Event-themed Research tasks will also be available, as will a host of bonuses, including quadruple XP and Stardust for catching Pokemon. Featured Pokemon Wild Encounters Pikachu wearing a cake hat Eevee wearing a party hat Wurmple wearing a party hat Golden Lure Module Encounters Gimmighoul holding a 10th anniversary coin Bonuses 4x XP for catching Pokemon 4x Stardust for catching Pokemon Event-themed Pokemon appearing in the wild are more likely to be shiny Gimmighoul with a 10th anniversary coin may have a special background Chance to encounter shiny Gimmighoul when you use a Coin Bag Road Of Legends In the lead up to this month's Pokemon Go Fest global celebration, the mobile game is holding a Road of Legends event from July 6-10.  As part of the event, nearly every legendary Pokemon to ever appear in Pokemon Go thus far will return to Raids. You'll encounter a different selection of them each day of the event, and rare Pokemon will be more likely to hatch from eggs. A few bonuses will also be available throughout the event. Pokemon Go is temporarily uncapping how many Remote Raid Passes you can hold, making it easier to join battles remotely. Premiere Balls will also be more effective at catching Raid bosses, and Party Power will charge up faster in the midst of a Raid. Featured Pokemon Eggs 2 km Weedle Pidgey Abra Gastly Pinsir Aerodactyl Mareep Larvitar Treecko Torchic Mudkip Ralts Bagon Beldum Gible Riolu Snover Audino Larvesta 5 km Bulbasaur wearing a Pikachu visor Charmander wearing a Pikachu visor Squirtle wearing a Pikachu visor Heracross Mime Jr. Larvesta 10 km Tropius Axew Bouffalant Larvesta Goomy Jangmo-o Toxel Frigibax Raids July 6 Five-Star Raids Articuno Zapdos Moltres Raikou Entei Suicune Lugia Ho-Oh Regirock Regice Registeel Latias Latios Kyogre Groudon Rayquaza Attack Forme Deoxys Defense Forme Deoxys Normal Forme Deoxys Speed Forme Deoxys Uxie (Asia-Pacific region) Mesprit (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India) Azelf (Americas and Greenland) Dialga Origin Forme Dialga Palkia Origin Forme Palkia Heatran Regigigas Altered Forme Giratina Origin Forme Giratina Cresselia Darkrai Cobalion Terrakion Virizion Incarnate Forme Tornadus Therian Forme Tornadus Incarnate Forme Thundurus Therian Forme Thundurus Incarnate Forme Landorus Therian Forme Landorus Reshiram Zekrom Kyurem Genesect Burn Drive Genesect Chill Drive Genesect Douse Drive Genesect Shock Drive Genesect Xerneas Yveltal Tapu Koko Tapu Lele Tapu Bulu Tapu Fini Solgaleo Lunala Nihilego Buzzwole (Americas and Greenland) Pheromosa (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India) Xurkitree (Asia-Pacific region) Celesteela (Southern Hemisphere) Kartana (Northern Hemisphere) Guzzlord Necrozma Stakataka (Eastern Hemisphere) Blacephalon (Western Hemisphere) Zacian Zamazenta Regieleki Regidrago Incarnate Forme Enamorus Therian Forme Enamorus Mega Raids Mega Salamence July 7 Five-Star Raids White Kyurem Zekrom Dawn Wings Necrozma Mega Raids Mega Tyranitar July 8 Five-Star Raids Black Kyurem Reshiram Dusk Mane Necrozma Mega Raids Mega Gardevoir July 9 Five-Star Raids Crowned Sword Zacian Crowned Shield Zamazenta Mega Raids Mega Gengar July 10 Five-Star Raids Origin Forme Dialga Origin Forme Palkia Primal Raids Primal Kyogre Primal Groudon Bonuses No Remote Raid Pass limit from July 6-12 Players level 31 and above are guaranteed to get candy XL for trading Pokemon Receive special stickers from PokeStops and gifts Premiere Balls will be more effective at catching Pokemon after Raids Party Power charges faster in Raids Receive up to two free Raid Passes from spinning the Photo Disc at Gyms Go Fest 2026 Global The global Go Fest celebration takes place July 11-12. Special Anniversary Pikachu Celebration The anniversary festivities continue with a special Pikachu Celebration from July 13-20. The event will be divided into three separate "celebrations," each of which will feature different costumed Pikachu. The celebration schedule is as follows: Celebration 1: July 13-15 Celebration 2: July 15-18 Celebration 3: July 18-20 In addition to wild spawns and Field Research encounters, different forms of Pikachu will appear in one-star Raids throughout the event, and a few bonuses will unlock as you level up your Go Pass. Featured Pokemon Wild Encounters Pikachu wearing a Tricks and Treats costume Pikachu wearing a Winter Carnival outfit Pikachu with summer flair One-Star Raids Dapper Pikachu with red accents Dapper Pikachu with yellow accents Dapper Pikachu with blue accents Pikachu wearing a safari hat Pikachu wearing a varsity jacket Pikachu wearing an amethyst crown World Championships 2022 Pikachu World Championships 2023 Pikachu World Championships 2024 Pikachu Bonuses Pikachu will appear more frequently in the wild and be easier to catch Go Pass Milestone Bonuses Tier 1 - Rank 10 2x candy for transferring Pokemon Increased chance to receive candy XL for transferring Pokemon (players level 31 and up) Go Pass Deluxe: 3x candy for transferring Pokemon Go Pass Deluxe: Even greater chance to receive candy XL for transferring Pokemon (players level 31 and up) Tier 2 - Rank 20 2x Stardust for catching Pokemon Go Pass Deluxe: 3x Stardust for catching Pokemon Raichu Super Mega Raid Day Two more Mega-Evolved Pokemon are making their debut during Pokemon Go's next Super Mega Raid Day, which takes place July 18. Both Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y will appear in Gyms as Super Mega Raid bosses from 2-5 PM local time. Coinciding with the Raids, an event-themed Timed Research quest will also be available, which will distribute various rewards including a chance to catch Steelix–helpful against the new Mega Raid bosses. Finally, a few bonuses will be active throughout the event. The number of Remote Raid Passes you can hold is being bumped up to 20, and you'll be able to receive up to six free standard Raid Passes when you spin the Photo Disc at Gyms. You'll also have an increased chance of encountering a shiny Raichu after you defeat a Raid boss. Bonuses Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 20 (July 17-18) Get up to six free Raid Passes by spinning the Photo Disc at Gyms Raichu caught from Super Mega Raids will have Mega Level 1 unlocked Increased chance to encounter shiny Raichu from Super Mega Raids Willow's Birthday Research Pokemon Go's resident professor is also holding a birthday celebration from July 21-27. Log in to the game at the beginning of the event to receive a free Timed Research quest that will lead to an encounter with a special Pikachu wearing Professor Willow's outfit. This Pikachu will also be available through Field Research tasks and in Raids, giving you plenty of chances to catch one. The Timed Research expires July 27, so you must complete all of the tasks before then to receive the rewards. Ozone Ascent Pokemon Go is closing out the month with another Timed Research event from July 25-26. Log in to the game during that time to receive a free Timed Research quest centering around Rayquaza. As you complete the tasks, you'll unlock various rewards, including an encounter with the legendary dragon Pokemon and a Meteorite, which is required to teach Rayquaza Dragon Ascent and enable it to Mega Evolve. Much like Willow's Birthday Celebration, this Timed Research will only be available until July 26, giving you only a brief window of time to complete the tasks and unlock all the rewards.

Title: Unlock The Potential Of Your Steam Deck/Machine With Decky Loader Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:46:58 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/unlock-the-potential-of-your-steam-deck-machine-with-decky-loader/ What makes SteamOS so great is the fact that it is a console-like experience for a PC, which means you can turn it on and everything is instantly available to you from the comfort of your couch. However, it's still a PC, which means for those of you interested in going further, you can customize it with pretty much anything you can imagine that runs on Linux, which unlocks the potential of it far more than any other console will allow. Because the Steam Deck has been out for several years now, people have been tinkering with SteamOS for a while, and there are a lot of options available to you. Even though this stuff was designed around the Steam Deck, most of it just works on any other SteamOS device. This means if you're one of the lucky few who got a Steam Machine, you have all this additional customization available to you right out of the box. There are a lot of ways you can customize SteamOS, which is made unique from other Linux distros by the inclusion of game mode. Within game mode, Valve doesn't provide you with a ton of options for customization, which is where an incredibly useful third-party tool comes in: Decky Loader. It's an open-source project that allows for the side-loading of plugins into SteamOS. it's essentially SteamOS’s version of homebrew. The whole appeal of Decky Loader is that everything you do with it works within the game mode, which means that once it's all set up, you can just activate everything from a controller, essentially improving that console-like experience. Setting Up Decky Loader Installation is super easy. From game mode, press the “Steam” button and go all the way down to “Power." You’ll then want to scroll down and click on “switch to desktop mode.” From the desktop, go to your web browser of choice. If this is your first time in desktop mode, you’ll need to download one. An icon for Firefox is set up on the task bar. Click that to download it. Visit https://decky.xyz/. Click the download button on the top right of the page to download the installer. Open Dolphin (your file manager), head to your downloads folder, and double click the install file. You’ll be asked what to do with the file. Click “Launch.” You might get a warning. Click “Continue.” The Konsole will open and begin the installation. If you haven’t set an admin password on steamOS, a prompt will appear asking for Decky to temporarily set one up. Click “yes.” You’ll be asked to select a branch to install. You’ll want to stick with the default “release” branch if you are running a stable version of SteamOS. Once the installation is complete, press “ok” to close the Konsole. You can go ahead and delete the installer from your downloads folder. Return to Game Mode by pressing the shortcut on the top left of your desktop. Back in game mode, press the Quick Access button, and now you have a little plugin section at the bottom. From here, you can load up the store, and now you have access to tons of free plugins that you can install to customize your SteamOS experience. It's easy to access your plugins right from the quick access menu It is worth mentioning that Decky Loader is a third-party open-source software, which means it is prone to breaking occasionally, especially whenever Steam puts out a new update. Decky Loader is pretty good about fixing it with an update, but it can happen. I did once have an experience where it broke so badly that going to the plugin page caused a full-screen error that I could not get away from and the only way to fix it was to hard reset the Steam Deck. This turned out to be an easier fix than I thought, though. I went back to desktop mode, reinstalled Decky, and then everything worked fine. I didn't even need to reinstall my plugins; it just worked. But it's a good reminder that while Decky is designed to be a smooth experience, you're still entering the realm of open-source customization, so hiccups will happen. But what can you actually download on this thing? A lot. We have alarm clocks, animation changers, side-loading custom sound effects, battery trackers, and keyboard changers. There's a lot you can go through. I'm not going to touch on everything, but I do want to highlight a few plugins that I use all the time and think are worth checking out as a good way to get you acquainted with what Decky Loader is capable of, and then you can go from there and see what interests you. SteamGridDB Change game artwork with a few simple clicks The Decky plugin I use by far the most is called SteamGridDB. For those of you not aware, SteamGridDB is this excellent resource that gathers alternative cover and key art for all your Steam games. Sometimes you just don't like the way a cover looks, or there isn't a cover on Steam and it makes your library look ugly. The way you would normally handle this is you would go into desktop mode, load up SteamGridDB on a browser, download the assets you want, and then in Steam you click on the game, go to the customization page, and manually update all of your images. It's a huge pain. SteamGridDB on Decky Loader allows you to do all of this with a touch of a button from game mode. You go over to a game, click the options button, and now there is a new option called Change Artwork. This provides you with a wealth of options to change the cover (which they call capsules), wide capsule, hero art, logo, and icon of any game you choose. This is incredibly useful, especially if you're somebody who likes to side-load a lot of non-Steam applications like me. Now it's really easy to quickly change the artwork on a game. Something you might not know is that Steam actually allows for the support of animated images. There are all these really cool animated covers and even logos that you can get for some of your games. The one thing to keep in mind is that animated images do take a second to load in, and if you have too many in your library at once, the interface starts to chug, especially on the Steam Deck. So don't go hog wild and make every cover animated. Just stick to a couple for fun. Tab Master Create your own tabs to customize your library experience Another great way to customize your Steam library is with Tab Master. This lets you customize the different tabs in game mode, though it's kind of wild that you can't just do that by default. You can create brand-new tabs, which you can set up using all sorts of different filters and customization to get it exactly how you want it. I often have a collection for “backlog”, “actively playing” or games from third-party storefronts and all of these make for great tabs. You can also reorganize your tabs. You can even hide tabs that you're not very interested in. I always like to hide the soundtrack tab, because when am I going to listen to a soundtrack on my Steam Deck? The answer is I’m not and I would rather just remove the tab and have a much cleaner-looking setup. ProtonDB Badges ProtonDB crowdsources game compatibility When it comes to compatibility on SteamOS, there is Steam's verification system, which offers a basic glimpse at playability on Steam Deck. But it's pretty limited when it comes to actually giving you any sort of specifics, and sometimes it's just straight-up wrong; the new Steam Machine version will have a separate verification check, but still suffers from the same issues. For years, Steam has claimed that Skyrim is “unsupported” on the Steam Deck, which I guess in some sense is technically true, but you can run the game just fine. If you're looking for more in-depth compatibility information, this is where ProtonDB Badges come in. ProtonDB is an open-source verification system for games running on Proton, the compatibility layer needed to run Windows games on SteamOS. The Badges plugin applies a handy link for a game’s ProtonDB page directly onto the game’s Steam page. So even though Valve claims that Skyrim is unsupported, on ProtonDB it gets a nice little gold badge which says, "Hey, this thing works pretty well on the Steam Deck." And because users can leave comments, a lot of them will actually dive into specifics about what worked about it, what didn't work about it, and tweaks to help you out if you need to adjust anything to make the game run. Right now Proton DB badges are tested for the Steam Deck, not the Steam Machine. Because they run on the same OS, proton compatibility should be the same. But since the Steam Machine is far more powerful, there will be more games it can support. Once the Steam Machine comes out and more people get their hands on it, I expect ProtonDB to get a tab for the Steam Machine. Deck Settings See what settings others have tested to get your games running at their best Even if a game runs on SteamOS, you often have to tweak the settings to get it just right. Sometimes, that's made easy by developers: For example, Cyberpunk 2077 has a Steam Deck graphics preset. But a lot of games don't go this extra mile, and it's up to users to make tweaks like you would on a PC. This is where Deck Settings comes in. Deck Settings pulls from DeckVerified.Games, an online resource where users can upload their specs for how to get a game running as best you can. They'll detail what compatibility tool you need, what performance settings on the Steam Deck you need to set up, as well as settings in the game itself. Sometimes they'll even mention if there's a mod you should install. Deck Settings is a great resource, but it is dependent on its users uploading the settings for you. And sometimes you click on a game and there just isn't anything. But for less tech-savvy players, it can make this process much smoother. Like with ProtonDB badges, Deck Settings right now don't offer anything for Steam Machine. But again, hopefully that will change soon. I'd also point out that a limitation of Deck Settings is that it only works for games that are on Steam itself. If you're playing a game launched through another third-party application, like, say, Alan Wake 2 on the Epic Games Store, you can't find anything for that on Deck Settings, so you're going to have to look elsewhere for guidance. Junk Store Install games from third party stores inside game mode Speaking of third-party storefronts, if you're looking to play any games that aren't in your Steam library, typically you have to go to the desktop mode and install third-party launchers like Ubisoft Connect or the Epic Games Store. It's not as complicated as it seems, and there are actually some really great resources. Heroic Game Launcher is an excellent native application that lets you access Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon Games all from one launcher. It's super convenient and easy, but you still have to do it through the desktop. If you want to access some of these shops through game mode, there is Junk Store. Junk Store aims to offer a multi-store solution. You access Junk Store from the plugins menu, set up your Epic Games account, and then you have access to all your games ready to install from game mode. However, there are some limitations to Junk Store on Decky Loader. The Decky Loader version only comes with support for Epic Games. If you want GOG, you have to pay an additional $6. There is a Junk Store Pro version that has access to all sorts of additional storefronts. This version comes with a seven-day free trial, but if you want the full thing, you have to pay $40. I imagine that sticker shock might be a little surprising for people who expect plugins like this to just be free, but this is a small project made by two people, and I don't think it's unreasonable for them to expect to be paid for the amount of work that goes into making something like this. If you just care about Epic Games Store, then don't worry, as the Decky version is free, and if you really are bothered by the price, you can still always just go to the desktop and use something like Heroic Game Launcher for free.

Title: Fortnite’s Player Count Is Way Up In Chapter 7 Season 3, And Here’s Why Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:38:19 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnites-player-count-is-way-up-in-chapter-7-season-3-and-heres-why/ After a slow start to Chapter 7 in December, Fortnite has had a significant bump in its player count since the start of Season 3 in early June. The average number of concurrent players in Battle Royale nearly doubled month over month, going from 228,000 in May to over 433,000 in June, according to public data that was collected and aggregated by fortnite.gg. It appears as though Battle Royale's new brainrot-inspired sprite-collection gameplay is working about as well as Epic could have hoped, because that's pretty similar to the bump we saw for Fortnite's Simpsons-themed season last November, when the average player count jumped from 225,000 to 480,000. While a bit smaller, the bump in Season 3 is arguably more impressive than the one brought by the month-long Simpsons season, because this one didn't come with the help of any sort of collaboration with an ultra-famous IP. The player count boost in Season 3 is almost certainly thanks to the addition of the collection-and-extraction mechanic with the sprite creatures, which have proven to be quite a hook for sweats and casuals alike. And the weekend Power Hours, which have offered players extra chances to find rare sprite variants, have inspired peaks in the player count that are usually reserved for live events--June 27's "gummy hour" saw nearly 1.6 million players in Battle Royale at once. While the jump in the player count for Season 3 has been nice, it's also a warning. The increased player count for Simpsons season didn't last--in fact, the player count went down when Chapter 7 started, indicating that Fortnite wasn't able to keep the new folks it had drawn in. Epic faces a similar situation with the upcoming transition from Season 3 to Season 4, which will launch in late August. Can Epic figure out how to keep this influx of players when the next season starts with, presumably, its own new gimmick? It's not an easy question to answer, because it can be feast-or-famine with Fortnite's seasonal gimmicks. One of the reasons that last year's Simpsons season was able to boost the player count so significantly was because the season before, Chapter 6 Season 4 with its bug invasion gimmick, brought Battle Royale's player count to its lowest recorded average ever in September 2025 (though we should note that Fortnite only began offering this data publicly in 2023). And then, two months after Simpsons season ended, Battle Royale's player numbers fell back down to the same sorts of lows we'd seen just prior to the Simpsons takeover. Epic has a tall task ahead of it if it wants to prevent history from repeating itself.

Title: Minecraft, Call Of Duty Community Servers Are “Illegal,” Claims ESA Rep Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:26:08 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-call-of-duty-community-servers-are-illegal-claims-esa-rep/ The Protect Our Games Act--a piece of legislation endorsed by the Stop Killing Games movement--has been voted down at the California State Senate. However, one of the most noteworthy incidents from this legislative battle was a comment made by an Entertainment Software Association lobbyist who claimed that Minecraft and Call of Duty private community servers are "illegal." Jennifer Gibbons, the ESA's vice president of state government affairs, told lawmakers that community servers for Minecraft and Call of Duty games are both breaking the law. "They’re illegal," said Gibbons. "They are not in any way affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft, for Minecraft, has gotten a lot of criticism because of those community servers not employing the same safety standards that Microsoft does on their Minecraft servers ... In fact, we consider it piracy. We have ... two pending lawsuits against private servers right now, and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in their Notorious Markets Reports on counterfeiting and piracy has named some of these big private servers as a notorious market." As PC Gamer and Video Games Chronicle have noted, Gibbons has apparently conflated community-run servers with the ones actually targeted by the USTR for allowing players to circumvent subscription fees. Neither Minecraft nor classic Call of Duty games fall under those parameters and they don't require a subscription to play. There are even links to Minecraft community servers on the game's official site. On Reddit, an advocate for Stop Killing Games accused Gibbons and the ESA of making claims that were "designed to scare a busy legislator who does not have time to fact-check a well-dressed lobbyist in real time." In response, the advocate vowed to continue the fight in future legislation. "We are not stopping. Not even close," reads the statement. "We are not limiting this to California. We intend to introduce versions of this in other state legislatures, and we are seriously looking at the federal level. The ESA is about to learn what it is like to fight on many fronts at once. They have to win every single time to keep things the way they are. We only have to win once to change them. That math does not favor them." In a statement to Video Games Chronicle, the ESA doubled down on its claims about private servers. "Private servers infringe on the intellectual property (IP) rights of game publishers," reads the statement. "Publishers reserve the right to exercise their rights against them. The provision in CA AB 1921 that proposed these servers as a legitimate alternative to keep games running raises concerns about a publisher’s ability to enforce their IP rights. In addition, private servers operate with no oversight from the publisher and do not uphold the same trust and safety standards. This could create an unsafe environment for players and be counter to the industry's commitment to fostering safe and fun game play for all players." The Stop Killing Games movement initially came together when Ubisoft decided to shut down The Crew. Since then, activists for the group have argued in Europe and North America that gaming companies have an obligation to keep older games alive that have already been sold to players. Video game publishers have in turn argued that following the demands of these players "would curtail developer choice by making these video games prohibitively expensive to create." 

Title: Everything new in Diablo 4 Season 14 update Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:49:38 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/diablo-4-d4-season-14-rupture-mythic-unique-update-solo-self-mode/ At the center of Diablo 4Season 14 are the Pandemonium Ruptures, portals that have started appearing across Sanctuary as the division between it and Pandemonium grows thinner. This new update brings a long list of activities and changes, some of which significantly change the way you play the game. Among these are a revamped mythic system and a new mode to experience Diablo 4's campaign and endgame.

Title: Xbox upheaval news: Rumors, changes, and cancelled games in 2026 Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:34:13 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/xbox-layoffs-cancellations-studio-closures/ The last several months have been a roller coaster for Xbox. Microsoft's gaming division saw a major leadership turnover back in February, with CEO Phil Spencer abruptly leaving the company along with his heir apparent Sarah Bond. Incoming CEO Asha Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty moved quickly to reestablish trust in the flagging brand. They ditched the unpopular and confusing "This is an Xbox" advertising campaign. They cut prices on Xbox Game Pass after a 50% price hike sparked an exodus from the service. They reaffirmed that new high-end hardware was in the works, in the form of Project Helix. They boldly declared that their organization would no longer be called "Microsoft Gaming" (nerdish, uncool) and instead adopt an all-caps XBOX (shouty, uncool in a different way). Xbox hosted a barnstorming summer showcase on June 7, and gave away hundreds of translucent green Series X consoles to fans who attended live.

Title: Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for major Pokémon card heist Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:18:25 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-card-robbery-north-carolina-prison-sentence/ Pokémon-related crime is on the rise, but as of June 29, so is pocket monster justice. A 36-year-old man from Wilmington, North Carolina, was sentenced this week to more than 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a $21,000 Pokémon card heist from January.

Title: New Star Wars book reveals 4 massive secrets from the galaxy's most important planet Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:00:20 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/star-wars-the-art-of-andor-coruscant/ No matter who you ask, every Star Wars fan has heard of Coruscant. Considered the Jewel of the Core Worlds, Coruscant is where many of the galaxy-changing events of the prequels occurred, such as Anakin Skywalker's descent into becoming the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader, and Queen Padmé Amidala's motion of no confidence in the senate that would set the stage for Palpatine's rise to power.

Title: Xbox pulls out of partnership with Hitman developer IO Interactive Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:49:55 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/io-interactive-potential-layoffs-xbox/ 007 First Light and Hitman 3 developer IO Interactive announced an unexpected project in 2023, an online fantasy RPG. Unlike its last two games, IO Interactive wasn't planning to self-publish the currently named Project Fantasy, but instead work with a third-party to fund and publish it. Turns out that third-party was Xbox, and now Xbox is pulling out of its deal with IO Interactive.

Title: The Ultimate Summer Sale Pairing: Steam Sale Meets GeForce NOW Discounts Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:34 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-steam-summer-sale-2026/ Summer savings are heating up. From the Steam Summer Sale to GeForce NOW membership discounts, this week’s GFN Thursday delivers double the deals and more ways to get the most value from cloud gaming. Plus, Dark Scrolls joins the growing Devolver lineup, alongside Square Enix’s The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. They lead the charge for six new games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Steam Dreams Are Made of These Add to cart, not to storage. The Steam Summer Sale is here, bringing discounts across thousands of PC games as one of the year’s biggest opportunities to grow a gaming library. Supported Steam games can be streamed across devices with GeForce NOW, making it easy to buy a game once, keep progress synced and pick up where the gameplay left off on PCs, Macs, handheld devices, phones, TVs and more. In other words, the Steam Summer Sale brings the deals; GeForce NOW adds the flexibility.  As new titles expand collections, storage demands and hardware requirements expand with them. GeForce NOW helps remove those barriers by streaming supported games from powerful GeForce RTX servers in the cloud, allowing members to enjoy today’s biggest games on devices they already own. Since downloads and installs are handled in the cloud, games can be added to the cart without being added to storage. Check out the “Sales & Special Offers” row in the GeForce NOW app to discover the discounts today. The Ultimate Upgrade to Level Up for Less The upgrade every game deserves. The deals don’t stop there. Pair GeForce NOW’s summer sale with the Steam Summer Sale to spend less time waiting on downloads, managing storage or needing pricey hardware upgrades — and more time gaming. Get $70 off a 12-month Ultimate membership or $35 off a 12-month Performance membership and experience GeForce RTX-powered gaming in the cloud across devices. The Ultimate membership unlocks GeForce RTX 4080- and 5080-class performance in the cloud with up to 4K resolution, up to 120 frames per second (fps) and advanced technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex. Dig Into Devolver Written in chaos. Dark Scrolls, the kinetic action roguelite from Devolver Digital, arrives on GeForce NOW with its blend of fast combat, evolving builds and unapologetic chaos. Set in a warped fantasy world that doesn’t take itself too seriously, players battle through shifting arenas packed with enemies, hazards and power-ups that can turn a run from fragile to unstoppable in seconds. Stack abilities, experiment with wild combinations and adapt on the fly as the game constantly raises the stakes — rewarding bold play as much as careful movement. On GeForce NOW, Dark Scrolls is ready the moment players are, streaming across devices with no downloads or setup required. It joins a growing lineup of Devolver Digital titles on the service — Cult of the Lamb, Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Inscryption, Enter the Gungeon and Ball x Pit — each delivering that distinct mix of style, surprise and controlled chaos, and just a click away with GeForce NOW. A Storybook Across Centuries The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales arrives on GeForce NOW, delivering a charming, narrative-driven adventure filled with mystery and discovery. With a hand-crafted world and a focus on exploration, it blends classic adventure gameplay with modern, character-driven storytelling. Follow Elliot — a curious traveler bound to a mysterious Millennium Core — as he’s pulled across eras in a journey that spans neon skylines, forgotten ruins and quiet villages on the edge of legend. Each era has its own rules and rhythms, with Elliot’s reactions and scribbled journal notes giving the story a warm, personal touch. Stream the cinematic-quality visuals and responsive gameplay with GeForce RTX power in the cloud for Ultimate members. Experience Elliot’s time-twisting journey in sharp detail across supported devices — no high-end rig, patches or paradox prep required. Just jump in and pick up from wherever the last chapter left off. In addition, members can look for the following: Dark Scrolls (New release on Steam, available June 22) SAND: Raiders of Sophie (New release on Steam, available June 22) Deer & Boy (New release on Steam, available June 23) EMPULSE (New release on Steam, available June 24) The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (Steam) FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (Steam) Leaving the last word to the Community Corner, one GeForce NOW member recently shared being “so impressed” by GeForce NOW. They gave the service a spin because of affordable pricing and took a lower-end PC from 20-30 fps on low settings to 60+ fps with settings maxed out — really putting the WoW in their World of Warcraft.  What are you planning to play this weekend? Maybe even more importantly, what device are you planning to play on? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

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: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: PS5 Pro enhancements detailed Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:00:27 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/29/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-ps5-pro-enhancements-detailed/ Released first on the PlayStation 3 and as a launch title for the PlayStation 4, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has remained a defining entry in the series for more than a decade. When we first explored the idea of bringing Edward Kenway’s journey to modern hardware, it quickly became clear that a traditional remaster wouldn’t be enough to do it justice. Play Video Instead, we rebuilt the game from the ground up on the latest version of the Anvil engine, modernizing nearly every system while preserving the spirit and identity of the original game. The result is an experience tailored for modern PlayStation hardware, with 60 FPS options, HDR support, Dolby Atmos, DualSense haptic feedback, and plenty of other improvements. You can find the list of graphics modes available at launch for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro below. With all these new features and graphics options, we’ve been able to take full advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware and deliver the best experience possible for players when the game launches on July 9. In this article, we’d like to take a closer look at some of the technologies that bring this new version of the Caribbean to life. A more reactive Caribbean with ray tracing In Resynced, our goal was to make the world feel more alive, more dynamic, and more responsive to the player’s journey. A major part of that comes from our updated lighting system, now fully dynamic and powered by hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Instead of relying on precomputed lighting, the world reacts in real time to changes in time of day, weather, and environment. Interiors respond more accurately to outdoor light sources, and weather conditions dramatically reshape the mood of the world. Ray-traced diffuse lighting allows light to bounce across surfaces, creating natural color bleeding and more consistent shading throughout environments. Meanwhile, Ray-Traced Specular Reflections enhance surfaces like wet wood, metal, and ocean spray, helping the Caribbean feel more physically grounded and reactive. To ensure a consistent experience, Ray-Traced Global Illumination is enabled in all graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. Ray-Traced Specular Reflections are available in Balanced and Fidelity modes on PS5, and across all graphics modes on PS5 Pro. Play Video Continuous detail with micropolygon geometry One of the key visual improvements in Black Flag Resynced comes from how we handle geometry at scale. Traditional rendering pipelines rely on discrete levels of detail, switching between simplified models as the player moves through the world. While effective, this approach can sometimes introduce noticeable visual popping. With our Micropolygon geometry pipeline, we take a different approach. Instead of switching between fixed models, geometry is continuously refined based on distance, visibility, and camera perspective. This continuous level of detail is enabled by the PlayStation 5’s ultra-high-speed SSD, which allows Anvil to instantly stream, virtualize, and render tiny geometric clusters. This lets environments and assets scale smoothly from close-up detail to distant silhouettes without noticeable transitions. Play Video PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements The PlayStation 5 Pro includes all the features of the base PlayStation 5 but adds significantly more GPU power and enhanced ray‑tracing performance, giving additional headroom for higher fidelity and more stable performance. Across all graphics modes, players on PS5 Pro benefit from extended ray tracing support, including both Ray-Traced Global Illumination and Ray-Traced Specular Reflections. This enables richer lighting and reflection quality while maintaining higher performance targets across Performance, Balanced, and Fidelity modes. We’ve also expanded our strand-based hair on PS5 Pro. Rather than relying solely on traditional hair cards, the engine can simulate and render individual strands for more natural motion and response to wind. All of this allows us to get a very realistic hair render for our characters. On PS5 Pro, strand-based hair is available for Edward in all modes. In Fidelity mode, nearby crowd characters also benefit from strand simulation during gameplay, while cinematics use strand-based hair for all characters regardless of mode. In addition, Black Flag Resynced supports the latest version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), helping deliver better image quality and improved reconstruction, reducing the visual gap between performance and fidelity modes. A living world driven by Anvil’s Atmos Black Flag Resynced simulates weather in real time through Atmos, the systemic weather simulation framework in our Anvil engine. Rather than treating weather as a set of isolated effects, Atmos continuously simulates variables such as temperature, humidity, wind, and vapor density. These systems evolve over time and influence one another, producing more coherent and dynamic weather. This same simulation extends into gameplay and environmental interaction. Wind affects not only cloud movement and storms at sea, but also vegetation, cloth, particles, sails, and character hair. The result is a world that doesn’t just look alive but feels physically connected as well. A richer ocean The ocean has always been at the heart of Black Flag, and modernizing its rendering was a key focus for this project. Black Flag Resynced introduces a fully modernized water system, based on a physically based rendering pipeline. New tessellation technique, volumetric foam generation, and dynamic bubble systems add more details to the water surface. These updates allow the sea to respond more naturally to wind conditions, weather, and ship movement. The sea now plays an even greater role in shaping both the mood and moment-to-moment experience of navigation and combat. Prepare for a more immersive experience When rebuilding Assassin’s Creed Black Flag on the latest version of Anvil, our goal wasn’t only to modernize technology. We wanted to strengthen the sense of immersion, adventure, and discovery that made Edward Kenway’s journey so memorable in the first place. PlayStation 5 hardware has given us the opportunity to push that experience further than ever before, from the way the world looks and sounds, to how it feels. Whether you’re returning to relive a favorite adventure, or setting sail with Edward for the first time, we’re excited to welcome you to the Caribbean when Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.

Title: Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Spirit Wilds stage revealed Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:01:12 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/29/avatar-legends-the-fighting-game-spirit-wilds-stage-revealed/ Yip yip. Pre-orders for Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game are now live on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 5. The wait is almost over. To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at pre-orders, incentive previews, plus a sneak peek at a brand-new stage. Enter the Spirit Wilds We’re excited to reveal Spirit Wilds, a brand-new stage coming to Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. One of the most mysterious corners of the Avatar universe, Spirit Wilds provides a visually striking battleground for elemental clashes. Launch opponents skyward with airbending or control space with earthbending in this new arena with a beautiful backdrop for every fight. Peep the exclusive Spirit Wilds video reveal and match video below. Play Video Play Video At launch, players will have access to 12 playable characters, a roster of support characters, eight unique stages, and multiple ways to play. Whether you’re looking to jump online, sharpen your skills in Training Mode, or experience the game’s original story, there are no shortages of ways to begin your journey. Pre-order details Players who pre-order either the Standard Edition or Deluxe Edition will receive a collection of exclusive bonuses: Gold color variants for Aang, Korra, Zuko, Katara, Toph, and Sokka Samurai Appa Support Character Skin Voting rights for a Year 1 Pass character Access to the Closed Beta running July 2-5 The Samurai Appa skin gives Aang’s faithful flying companion a tough new look when selected as a support character. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Pre-ordering also unlocks exclusive gold variants for Aang, Korra, Toph, Zuko, Katara and Sokka, giving players striking golden outfits that ensure they look their sharpest while bending. Perhaps most exciting of all, pre-ordering grants players the opportunity to help shape the future of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. Players will be able to vote on one of the characters joining the Year 1 Pass roster. Choose your edition Standard edition vs Deluxe edition Year 1 Pass Join us in the Closed Beta Players who pre-order either edition of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will receive access to the Closed Beta from July 2 through July 5. The Beta will feature Aang, Korra, Katara, Toph, Zuko, Sokka, and Azula, giving players an early opportunity to experience the game’s fast-paced combat and support character system. Pre-orders are available now on the PlayStation Store, and we’re excited to continue sharing additional updates and surprises as we get closer to launch. Thanks for all your support, and we’re stoked to see you in the Beta.

Title: Blade, Loki, Deadpool announced for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 01:38:56 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/28/blade-loki-deadpool-announced-for-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls/ Hello everyone! I’m Takeshi Yamanaka, producer of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Did you get a chance to check out the final team trailer revealed today, Sunday, June 28 at EVO 2026 —the “Samurai Outriders”? If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to watch it below. Play Video Fifth and final team revealed: Samurai Outriders View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Ghost Rider (voiced by Giancarlo Sabogal), who had already been revealed, is now joined by Blade (voiced by Imari Williams), Loki (voiced by Jason Spisak), and Deadpool (voiced by Nolan North) to form a new team. Not the Midnight Sons—but the Samurai Outriders. Were you expecting this lineup? The Samurai Outriders are a group of dark heroes. As you might expect, they don’t start out as a cohesive unit… in fact, they’re quite the opposite. As they face threats to the world, how each of them—and the team as a whole—grows and evolves is something you can look forward to experiencing in Episode Mode. New Stage: Asgard View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image We’re also excited to reveal a new stage: Asgard. Asgard is known in the Marvel Universe as the “Realm of the Gods,” said to sit at the pinnacle of the Nine Realms. It is a land that combines advanced magic with science and technology, ruled by King Odin, and home to Thor Odinson and Loki. In this title, Asgard appears as a battle stage composed of five areas: the Observatory, Bifrost Bridge, Throne Room, Treasure Vault, and Yggdrasil, the World Tree. New playable characters Blade View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Blade, whose real name is Eric Brooks, was born as a human-vampire hybrid after his mother was attacked by a vampire during pregnancy. Seeking revenge against the monsters who killed his mother, he became a vampire hunter, fighting against evil blood-sucking creatures. In this title, Blade has completed his training in Japan, gaining even greater physical and mental strength. He wields the demon-slaying sword Muramasa, a weapon capable of slicing through gods. Muramasa is normally kept sealed with its power restrained, but when Blade releases that power, the blade turns red and reveals its true potential. He specializes in an aggressive combat style, skillfully handling a variety of deadly tools including Muramasa, machine guns, and glaives. One of his unique abilities, Heartstopper, throws a stake that pins the opponent in place and allows Blade to close the distance at incredible speed. When it hits, Muramasa glows red, enhancing the performance of his sword-based skills. Closing in instantly and delivering powerful slashes, Blade truly lives up to the name of a hunter. Loki View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Loki Laufeyson, the adoptive brother of Thor, is known as the “God of Mischief” and the “God of Lies.” Though raised in Asgard by Odin, he is actually the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants. Originally a villain, Loki is attempting to turn over a new leaf and become a hero in this title. As part of the Samurai Outriders, he makes full use of his powers of deception. His combat style excels at trickery, with many skills incorporating feints and counters using illusions. He also uses projectiles based on ice and magic, combined with clever use of erratic movements to constantly confuse opponents. True to his mischievous nature, he can dish out frustrating and deceptive attacks—but if his tricks are exposed, he may be punished heavily. Loki is a uniquely unpredictable character who takes advantage of his opponent’s bad habits. Deadpool View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Wade Wilson, a Canadian mercenary, grew up in a troubled household and eventually left home. After receiving extensive military training, he served in special forces but was later diagnosed with cancer. As part of the Weapon X Program, he was injected with a healing serum derived from Wolverine’s blood. While it saved his life and granted him superhuman regeneration, it also left his body severely scarred and his mind unstable. Deadpool’s combat style reflects his reckless nature, enabled by his powerful healing factor. He uses guns, grenades, and swords, along with high-risk techniques that involve taking damage himself. In this title, Deadpool has somehow obtained a game strategy guide from beyond the fourth wall, granting him access to a variety of unique attacks from fighting games of legend. Filled with a love for hype and excitement, he enters the arena with an outrageous arsenal of crowd-pleasing moves. Character Guide trailers Leading up to launch, we will be releasing deep dive trailers for all playable characters. These trailers take a closer look at each character’s battle mechanics, including default color options, normal move animations, skills, super moves, ultimate abilities, and assist types. If you want to learn how a character plays—or just want to see their moves in action—these videos are a great place to start. We recommend checking them out when you find a character you’d like to try. More trailers will be released soon, so stay tuned! Upcoming events With launch fast approaching, the development team is entering the final stretch! We will be holding a global Open Beta* on PS5 and PC from July 24-26 (PT). In this beta, Blade will be available as a playable character. We will be sharing more details soon, so please stay tuned. *Account for PlayStation required to participate in the Open Beta.

Title: Share of the Week: Saros – Arjun Devraj Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/26/share-of-the-week-saros-arjun-devraj/ Last week, we tasked you with capturing portraits of Arjun Devraj in Saros’ newly released Photo Mode using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: l2.focus shares Arjun’s profile against a moody red background MdeavorVP shares Arjun aiming his weapon Santisbae shares Arjun’s head haloed by the eclipse  thwippip shares a close up portrait of Arjun rruiz_86 shares Arjun exploring a chamber on Carcosa Couch_Gamer2k23 shares Arjun facing a source of light 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: SparksSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on July 1, 2026  Next week, share sparks, fireworks, and twinkling lights from the game of your choice. Use #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Title: Highlights from Capcom Spotlight 2026 – Dragon’s Dogma, Onimusha, Monster Hunter, and more Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:52:30 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/06/25/highlights-from-capcom-spotlight-2026-dragons-dogma-onimusha-monster-hunter-and-more/ We’re back with another Capcom Spotlight presentation, this time focused on new content for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, a deeper dive into the newly revealed Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, and a new look at Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Here’s a roundup of what you need to know. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection New content for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection launches today, with the arrival of the paid DLC, Additional Side Story: Rudy, as well as a free update that adds powerful endgame challenges. Fans of Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will recognize the return of Navirou, who once journeyed alongside the protagonists of each respective game, and is an ancestor of the Royal Felyne, Rudy. Additional Side Story: Rudy digs deeper in Navirou’s fate in the past 200 years, bringing ancestor and descendant face-to-face in an unexpected twist. Nergigante, the iconic flagship monster from Monster Hunter: World, returns as a formidable threat in this DLC. This destructive Elder Dragon is a bit too rowdy to tame as a Monstie, but you can expect a memorable challenge as you take on this spiky predator in a climactic battle. How will Rudy, Navirou, and crew overcome the power of the extinction dragon? Additional Side Story: Rudy is available as a standalone DLC as well as part of the Deluxe Edition and Premium Deluxe editions. Check PlayStation Store and see what awaits you in this new adventure. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection also receives a free update adding powerful endgame challenges called Royal Monsters. Riders can load their completed save file and take on an even harder version of the final boss. Defeat this version of the final boss, and the existing world will be populated with powerful Royal Monsters. You can also test your limits even further by taking on Royal Monster versions of invasive monsters and Calamitous Elder Dragons. New details on Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Two years after the original launch of Dragon’s Dogma 2, the grand fantasy adventure has returned as Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen. Enhanced with major updates and the Dark Arisen Expansion, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen arrives both as a bundle package for new players, and as a standalone expansion on October 9.  During Capcom Spotlight, Director Kento Kinoshita – who also directed the original Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – shared the team’s desire to deliver on requests from fans to continue exploring the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 even further. With that in mind, the team invites players to a mysterious new frigid northern area called Norgan. You’ll uncover the story behind a Fallen Dragon, bearing an eerie form with a missing heart, along with its pursuer, a mysterious woman named Eir. In the Norgan area, the addictive gameplay loop first established in Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, makes a return as the Relic Expedition Cycle. Battle through formidable foes and gather relics, then bring them back for appraisal into stronger weapons and armor. Powerful treasure awaits with every adventure during your pursuits in Norgan. Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen also introduces 12 new unique dungeons called Lost Rites. Rare equipment once held by past Arisen awaits you in these dungeon challenges, which take place in the existing world of Dragon’s Dogma 2. Additional hairstyles and tattoo options are coming with the expansion as well, bringing even greater variety to the versatile character creation options. The base Dragon’s Dogma 2 game was recently updated with a variety of quality-of-life features, too. Ahead of the launch of the expansion, we’ll be releasing a second free update in late August which adds further gameplay improvements highly requested by players, such as additional save slots, an increase of weapon skill slots from four to six, and performance improvements. Pre-orders begin today on PS5 in most regions and will roll out to all countries in early July. Those who pre-order will receive the Norgan Fashion Set – Northern Attire, which can be obtained whether you pre-order the bundle or standalone expansion. Those who pre-order the bundle will immediately receive access to the base Dragon’s Dogma 2 game. Whether you’re a new Arisen or are returning to make the adventure into Norgan, we can’t wait for you to experience what awaits in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen when it arrives on PS5, October 9. New enemy revealed in Onimusha: Way of the Sword The latest swordplay action game in Capcom’s acclaimed series is nearly here with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The iconic samurai swordplay series which first began on PlayStation 2 is back with an all-new entry for the first time in 20 years, bringing its signature mix of satisfying samurai action and dark fantasy. Take up the katana of protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, slain by twisted creatures called Genma, and suddenly revived with mysterious Oni powers. Now bearing an Oni Gauntlet, Musashi searches for his reason to fight amidst hordes of powerful Genma in a twisted, dark fantasy version of Edo-period Kyoto. During Capcom Spotlight, Director Satoru Nihei revealed a look at a powerful new Genma enemy: Dohatsu-ten. Have a look at this fearsome new foe for yourself. Dohatsu-ten is a powerful boss enemy with both strength and speed on his side, relentlessly attacking our protagonist Miyamoto Musashi with swift and devastating movements. Unique to this Genma is the bloodthirsty nature of its sword, which becomes increasingly powerful when stained with Musashi’s blood. Beware its surging power as it absorbs souls and becomes even more dangerous. Onimusha: Way of the Sword slashes onto PS5 this September. Get a taste of early action in the game with the free demo on PlayStation Store!

Title: Green Suits is a surreal platformer stroke JRPG filled with Escher architecture and paranormal investigators Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:03:20 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/green-suits-is-a-surreal-platformer-stroke-jrpg-filled-with-escher-architecture-and-paranormal-investigators Sometimes I feel that my taste in media is a bit hard to pin down, given that I like shows like Twin Peaks and manga like Chainsaw Man, two series where their similarities mostly stop and start at featuring governmental figures. Enter Green Suits, a game whose dev describes it as those two things fused together, throwing in JRPGs, platforming, and a "drama-based combat system," to make a concoction that feels catered to me personally. Read more

Title: Microsoft reportedly add Arkane and their Blade game to the potential shuttering pile Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:24:34 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/microsoft-reportedly-add-arkane-and-their-blade-game-to-the-potential-shuttering-pile There's a lot of whispers about studios shutting down around Microsoft and Xbox at the moment. They've been primarily fluttering between Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion, but this week has now seen State of Decay developer Undead Labs added to the list of "companies Xbox bought to build up Game Pass but are ultimately shuttering because they've done a bad job at making line go up." And now yet more reports have emerged, with what remains of Arkane potentially being put up on the chopping block alongside the cancellation of Blade. Read more

Title: Disassembling the Steam Machine suggests Valve are protecting its precious RAM by burying it under a dozen other parts Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:02:19 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/disassembling-the-steam-machine-suggests-valve-are-protecting-its-precious-ram-by-burying-it-under-a-dozen-other-parts I, uh, completely took apart a Steam Machine by accident. What began as merely wanting a closer look at its RAM setup ended up as a more-or-less full teardown, the heavily layered, almost Russian Doll-like structure of Valve’s teeny-tiny PC demanding a component be removed for a component to be removed for a component to be removed. Before I’d even noticed my screwdrivin’ arm getting tired, the Machine’s guts lay strewn across my desk – not too gorily to put back together, but in far, far more individual pieces than I’d naively intended, or had dared to attempt in my main review. Still, this did provide the opportunity for a much closer assessment of the Steam Machine’s upgrade potential and repairability, as well as how easily it will reveal its secrets. After all, for all the inspiration it takes from simplified, lounge-dwelling consoles, it is ostensibly a PC, and the thing about PCs is that there’s always someone out there who’ll want to rejig and rebuild their own. Just, y’know, on purpose. Read more

Title: IO Interactive look set for layoffs as their external partner for Project Fantasy pulls out Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:51:44 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/io-interactive-look-set-for-layoffs-as-their-external-partner-for-project-fantasy-pulls-out Sigh. It's another one of those days, as layoffs are essentially imminent yet again, this time at 007 First Light and Hitman developer IO Interactive. The studio shared a post earlier today regarding their as-of-yet not formally revealed Project Fantasy, in which they shared that their "relationship with an external partner… has come to and end." Read more

Title: Guns of Eschaton is a wild west soulslike FPS and posthumous release from the art director of Half-Life 2 Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:07:09 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/guns-of-eschaton-is-a-wild-west-soulslike-fps-and-posthumous-release-from-the-art-director-of-half-life-2 Last year, the art director behind titans of visual design like Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, Viktor Antonov, died at the age of 53. Prior to his death, in 2022 he co-founded Eschatology Entertainment with Dmytro Kostiukevych, Fuad Kuliev and Boris Nikolaev, who were yet to announce their first game formally. But today it's been revealed and it's called Guns of Eschaton, the "world’s first soulslike FPS." Read more