Title: Eric Bauza, The Voice Of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, And Many More Has Died At 46 Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 03:54:20 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/eric-bauza-looney-tunes-death-dies-announcement-2000749416 The actor’s family said he passed ‘suddenly’

Title: Google’s Finnish Data Centers Were Already In Trouble Over Deforestation, Then The Wolves Came Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 22:59:26 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/googles-finnish-data-centers-were-already-in-trouble-over-deforestation-then-the-wolves-came-2000749401 Wildlife have slowly relocated into towns and cities due to environmental collapse, but a controversial data center in Finland suggests this phenomenon can now occur overnight with help from AI

Title: Following Cancelled Concert, Umamusume Fans Give Knott’s Berry Farm Blacksmith Busiest Day Of His Life Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:26:29 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/following-cancelled-concert-umamusume-fans-give-knotts-berry-farm-blacksmith-busiest-day-of-his-life-2000749394 While stricter visa policies scrapped the American concert stop, Pretty Derby die-hards weren’t deterred, hitting the old west and getting horseshoes engraved with their favorite characters

Title: 13 Short And Sweet Scary Games To Treat Yourself To Before Halloween Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 20:09:55 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/13-short-and-sweet-scary-games-to-treat-yourself-to-before-halloween-2000749391 If you're lagging behind on your annual intake of ghouls and goblins, enjoy this selection of brief creeps, from retro classics to odd indie frights

Title: Reddit’s Largest Open Source Community Dumbfounded By AI Ban: ‘I Guess Linux Is No Longer Allowed Here?’ Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 19:00:21 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/reddits-largest-open-source-community-dumbfounded-by-ai-ban-i-guess-linux-is-no-longer-allowed-here-2000749384 Moderators of r/opensource have banned projects under a year old, anything 'made by AI,' and, bizarrely, all non-English speakers

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: Phantom Blade Zero’s Combat Is So Good, You Won’t Care The Story Makes No Sense | Review Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/phantom-blade-zeros-combat-is-so-good-you-wont-care-the-story-makes-no-sense-review/ S-Game's Wuxia-inspired combat puts you in the middle of a Chinese action movie.

Title: Phantom Blade Zero’s Combat Is So Good, You Won’t Care The Story Makes No Sense Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-blade-zeros-combat-is-so-good-you-wont-care-the-story-makes-no-sense/ S-Game, the Chinese studio behind Phantom Blade Zero, clearly understands the core tenets of character-action games. If your melee combat isn't tight, responsive, and oozing cool, then what's the point? Some games might have better combat, but few can match Phantom Blade Zero's style.  Every moment feels like you're in the middle of a Chinese martial-arts movie, pulling off moves that shouldn't be feasible--moves that go against what we expect from third-person action games--yet are baked into the mechanics. The game is not without issues, and they do hold it back from reaching the genre's upper echelons, but the highs are stratospheric. Character-action games aren't typically known for telling riveting stories, and Phantom Blade Zero is no different. You play as Soul, a stoic assassin who dies in the game's opening moments when a sword tears through his heart. Soon after, a mysterious figure gives him a chance to come back from the dead, forcing him to choose between two artificial hearts. One will allow him to live but strip away all of his emotions, while the other will let him retain those emotions but only give him 66 days left on this mortal coil. Soul chooses the latter, setting up a 66-day quest to find a cure, unravel a conspiracy, and prove that he was framed for his master's murder. It's a fairly ridiculous opening, but one that doesn't reflect the rest of the game. Much of Phantom Blade Zero's narrative unfolds through background machinations: in clandestine conversations, hidden notes, and secondhand information. Multiple organizations, people, and malicious schemes are in play, but it doesn't do a particularly good job of filling you in, so I found it tough to keep track of who's who and what's what. Some aspects eventually come into sharper focus toward the end of the game, but this feels like too little, too late. You're essentially dropped into an established world where even the protagonist knows more than you do, referencing past events and showing familiarity with characters new to you. All you can do is attempt to piece together some kind of understanding through the notes and loading-screen tooltips, but even then you'll still be in the dark for a good chunk of the game's dialogue.  There are some cool storytelling moments here and there, such as the way it uses hand-drawn watercolor animation whenever it flashes back to Soul's childhood. One sequence also features traditional Chinese shadow puppets (or Piyingxi) to explore a character's backstory. Repeating or explaining plot points during loading screens feels like a concession to its failures elsewhere, though, and ultimately, I found it difficult to latch onto anything that would make me care about the story.  Unsurprisingly, combat is Phantom Blade Zero's bread and butter. It's also unlike anything else I've played, essentially translating the choreographed action of films like Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to a playable medium. Both movies are known as Wuxia, a Chinese genre of fiction and low fantasy that blends martial arts with fantastical elements. Wuxia fight scenes are known to be incredibly fluid and dynamic: half combat, half choreographed dance, with both sides attacking and defending at the same time, creating a calculated but frenetic spectacle of clashing steel.  Phantom Blade Zero The choreography isn't something you can replicate in video games without resorting to quick-time events, but Phantom Blade Zero still makes it look and feel like you're engaged in a cinematic, free-flowing dance to the death. You have light and heavy attacks at your disposal, with combos alternating between the two. The key is that these attacks require no commitment.  There's never a point where an attack begins and locks you into an animation until it ends. Switching to defense--either to block or parry--is instantaneous, even if you're mid-combo. Some attacks will even deflect incoming strikes automatically, recreating the back-and-forth, simultaneous attack-and-defend action Wuxia is known for. The whole thing is antithetical to the call-and-response philosophy of so many other action games, but it works when enemies test your abilities. Sometimes, particularly during boss battles, you still need to focus strictly on offense or defense--maybe because you've created an opening to counterattack or need to lock in and parry multiple strikes in quick succession--but the delineation isn't as common as it is elsewhere. Most combat encounters achieve this satisfying flow through speed, aggression, and how combos and parries gracefully intersect. Sure, you could sit back and wait for your opponent to attack, or you could rush in and deal damage while still watching for their attack cues. Every action you take is fast and responsive, and even the biggest, heaviest weapons are swung at a rapid pace. Much of this fluidity comes from the game's excellent motion capture, which showcases each movement with the smoothness and intent you'd expect from seasoned martial artists. It's also complemented by an eclectic soundtrack that infuses the action with everything from Chinese rap, metal, and pop to somber piano pieces and electronic beats. There's mechanical depth beyond the surface panache, too. These mechanics are more par for the course, but familiarity is important when trying something new. Sha-Chi, for instance, is Phantom Blade Zero's stamina system. The meter drains when you hold down the block button or perform heavy attacks, but successful parries will severely deplete your opponent's Sha-Chi instead, gradually breaking their guard and leaving them vulnerable to a flurry of offense. Blue and red flash attacks also denote special, telegraphed moves you need to either parry or dodge, with both tightening up the window for you to react. Failing to do so will eat into your health bar, but depleting your Sha-Chi meter also takes you out of action for a few seconds. To counteract this, switching weapons quickly replenishes your Sha-Chi, letting you maintain the initiative with a different armament. You can equip two primary weapons to alternate between, which not only helps you manage your Sha-Chi, but also gives you more combat options when you consider how varied Phantom Blade Zero's plethora of swords, axes, and spears are. Each one feels unique when executing your standard light and heavy attacks, and they all have various intricacies that unlock as you level them up. For a good chunk of the game, I used a sword called the Outlaw Warblade. With this two-handed weapon, heavy attacks deal increased damage by eating into your health, which switching to standard attacks then restores. It can be a risky but effective weapon to use, but one I wasn't afraid to equip knowing I could quickly switch to another weapon. Whether it's a broken blade that transforms into a ranged weapon after drinking--while also making you move like Jackie Chan in Drunken Master--or a pair of swords that summon the power of both wind and thunder, the weapons on offer are incredibly fun to use. They're flexible, too, with an upgrade system that lets you refund and recover the materials you've spent, so you never feel locked into using a particular weapon just because you've spent time upgrading it. You're free to experiment and jump from one completely different arsenal to the next, which is a more than welcome choice.   Each weapon also has a secondary attack that breaks the non-committal rule. Landing heavy attacks builds Sha-Chi Essence, which you can then spend on weapon-specific techniques called Power Surges. While some of these might enhance your offense for a short time, others unleash devastating combos that you can't cancel out of, forcing you to consider when the opportune time to utilize them is.  Phantom Blade Zero The same is true of Phantom Edges: secondary weapons you can use a limited number of times before needing to replenish their stock. These range from heavy axes that can break through shields and armor to ranged weapons, chained sickles, flying guillotines, and a magical bell that can summon puppets to fight by your side. Both Power Surges and Phantom Edges add another layer to Phantom Blade Zero's flashy combat, upping the ante in desperate situations or providing that extra oomph you need to finish off a boss. Boss battles are where the game's combat truly sings: where spectacle and cinematic action are pushed to the forefront, with free-flowing and thrilling mechanics to back it all up. Whether it's a Lion Dancer that breathes fire and hops between wooden plinths, or a three-faced puppet summoning giant paper snakes from the earth, the bosses are distinct and built on spectacle. It's no surprise that these conflicts represent Phantom Blade Zero at its most challenging. It might not be a soulslike, but From Software's influence is felt here and elsewhere.  The world, which blends a traditional kung-fu aesthetic with steampunk machinery and body modification, is all S-Game. The studio calls this style "kungfupunk," and it's an accurate descriptor, melding pagodas with industrial iron and billowing smoke.  There's variety within this conceit, too. At one point, you traverse a once-verdant forest that's now crimson, stained red after a brutal battle, "as though the forest itself were weeping blood." Another area sees you using a steam-powered boat to navigate a vast lake dotted with islands, while you'll also venture into a town whose denizens have been transformed into wooden puppets, and a winding valley with waterfalls and cliffs overlooking its crystal-clear streams.  It's a strongly realized world, but the level design is distinctly soulslike, with circuitous areas full of branching paths and looping shortcuts. It's one of the strongest examples of this type of level design, making each locale a treat to explore, though it doesn't always feel entirely necessary.  Soulslike checkpoints let you replenish health and upgrade weapons and items, but crucially, they don't respawn enemies as you would expect. It's an odd choice, especially since enemies stay dead even after you die. This changes the dynamic of enemy encounters, essentially letting you whittle down a group of enemies even if they get the better of you. This speaks to Phantom Blade Zero's overall leniency, though. Many of its boss battles contain multiple phases, but if you reach the second phase and die, you don't have to repeat the first. I'm a fan of this decision, because if I've already demonstrated I can beat the first phase, forcing me to do so again can be frustrating.  There are also three difficulty levels to choose from. You can swap between them at any time, which is something I took advantage of to make some of the regular enemy encounters more interesting. This is Phantom Blade Zero's biggest flaw, as even on the hardest difficulty, it's too easy to simply button-mash your way to victory against most enemy types. Groups still gave me trouble on occasion, especially since switching lock-on targets in these instances is overly cumbersome, but as I mentioned earlier, taking out a few enemies is beneficial even if you die.  As someone who plays these kinds of games a lot, this might not be the same experience for everyone. Yet the bosses still posed enough of a challenge that I had to bump the difficulty back down to medium, so it feels more like a wildly unbalanced swing than anything else. It's disappointing because, under the right circumstances, Phantom Blade Zero's combat is spectacular. Its Wuxia-inspired action nails the free-flowing, back-and-forth nature of its kinetic influences with aplomb. Being able to cleave through dozens of enemies who barely put up a fight isn't a fatal flaw, but tedium, and the fact you know how thrilling combat can be makes it a more glaring issue. It's this misstep that holds Phantom Blade Zero back, but it's still a fantastic game that any action aficionado should lap up.

Title: Putting Control Resonant Under A Microscope Is Rewarding In An Unexpected Way Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/putting-control-resonant-under-a-microscope-is-rewarding-in-an-unexpected-way/ Over many years, I've written tens of thousands of words covering the Remedy Connected Universe, the Finnish studio's world tying the Alan Wake and Control series together. This is a team that loves rewarding players who notice the smaller details and go off the golden path in search of morsels of understanding. Connecting dots is often much of the fun in a Remedy game.  To my surprise, that side of the developer wasn't on display much in Control Resonant. There are definitely a few nods, and one chain of side quests in particular seems to have greater implications for the studio's future connected-universe games, but overall, I was taken aback by how disinterested Resonant was in tying itself to Remedy's bigger picture. However, it was by looking for those hidden details that I discovered something else I ended up loving about the sequel in a different way. Even before I played Control Resonant, I was up to my old habits of streaming its trailers in 4K, freeze-framing, rewinding, and dissecting every scrap of detail I could pull out. What's its significance? Where have I seen this name before? What might this logo reference? Time after time, I couldn't find anything relevant to the lingering plot threads we were left with from 2024's Alan Wake 2 and 2019's Control.  In retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Control takes place in the Oldest House, a bureaucratic yet mystical space that is one part House of Representatives, and one part House of Leaves. The place was understandably littered with clues about the grander story being told in Remedyland.  But Control Resonant breaks down those walls and sets protagonist Dylan Faden out into the borough of Manhattan. Sure, like the Oldest House, the city is under siege from its own paranatural threats, but prior to that, it was just a city. So why should every inch of it be hiding more details about what Alan Wake or Saga Anderson are up to?"It was important for us that our version of Manhattan has a character of its own," Remedy concept artist Mikko Kinnunen told me. "We were aiming for a timeless feel that plays with archetypal New York elements from movies such as Taxi Driver, avoiding direct comparisons to modern-day reality. [...] It was important for the city to feel like a character that has a life and history of its own, and we did not lean heavily into fourth-wall-breaking elements for this reason." Remedy said some signs around the city are purposely mundane... It was only when I stopped searching for things like hints of what Wake's agent, Barry Wheeler, is up to--like Alan Wake 2 provided--that I could appreciate what Resonant's finer details did offer. In place of puzzle pieces, I found a wide-ranging voice in the city's billboards, posters, flyers, and more.  Even better, none of it seemed to be done with generative AI, which Kinnunen confirmed, adding that there's "a feeling of cohesion you get when everything is authored by artists with a shared creative intent. It’s not just what the artwork looks like, but why is it there in the first place?" Of the 60+ hours I've seen put into Resonant, I've several hours closely examining the city's signage. I've come to appreciate how many of them use photos of the developers, which Kinnunen said were the result of an "internal lighthearted casting round" in which Remedy developers had their likenesses photographed, then used in scenarios that fit their vibe, such as gym staff and restaurant employees.  In another game, signs and billboards using real-life photos of people might be jarring, but Remedy has been mixing media forms as long as it's been around, so I didn't think anything of it other than, "who are these people?" and "it's so cool that they did all this instead of taking an AI shortcut." Similarly, he told me the animals featured on the game's signs are the companion animals of Remedy's staff, as you might have guessed.  ...while others are there for a specific purpose. I noted the wide-ranging styles of the various billboards. Resonant's version of Manhattan wisely does not maintain one consistent voice. Instead, some posters are funny-looking, like an enraged man who was "fired over nothing" advertising a law firm, or a plethora of signs that cleverly use the word "control" as a minor wink at the player.  It reminded me of when the studio disguised the @ControlRemedy Twitter account as a brand of medicine until it was ready to flip the switch and announce the game at E3 2018. Remedy has always loved using names for irony, juxtaposition, or signs of nominative determinism. Just ask Max Payne. Speaking of juxtaposition, I also love how the Federal Bureau of Control's messaging changes slightly when the shadowy organization finds itself public-facing. Kinnunen explained the intention behind that."If you look closely, the FBC has a different tone of voice towards the public than what they do internally. The internal, retro-style posters from the first game have made a return, yet we also have expanded upon them. Some PSAs aimed towards the civilians try to play it straight, yet the FBC still manages to make them creepy and funny by being slightly out of touch with modernity." Does anyone else love fake movie posters in media? I sure do. In every corner of the virtual city, I found intentionality, even as the point was sometimes merely to be plain, as was the case with the names of some businesses, the artist revealed. I could've saved a lot of time early on had I stopped trying to connect non-existent dots between Armistone building company and the Blessed Organization, a mysterious group in Control lore that I was sure would turn up more in Resonant--until it didn't. "We wanted to mix a grounded feel of authentic-sounding names with more bespoke, authored ones. For example, [the in-game art studio] 'Könstig' has a few meanings in the Swedish language. Konst means art, and Konstig means strange (among other translations). 'Taikoo House' [sushi bar] is a favorite of mine," he teased, noting that he didn't want to spoil why.Mirroring my colleague Tauriq Moosa's recent feature on the theme of contrast in Control Resonant, Kinnunen told me how many of the signs players see around the city have a purposeful counterpiece somewhere else, such as the politics-tinged billboards that, in one case, boast that there's "nothing more American" than oil with one that, in another case, demand climate action. "There are multiple themes going on in various Zones that feature similar contrasts as these 'satirical jabs' mentioned. The key is to evoke a feeling or atmosphere without pushing any specific agenda. Growth versus sustainability is just one of many topics in the advertisements," he said, adding that "the themes are there to complement the setting of each Zone. The wealthy financial district of the Evacuation Zone feels different from the more blue-collar Central, for example. Everything is there to make the world feel a certain way, rather than trying to tell the audience what to think." The billboards urging climate action purposely play off of the others that celebrate America's dependence on oil. From theater marquees and coffeehouse chalkboards to sales flyers and calls for political action, the game is loaded with easily missed details, clever nods, and thematic relevance. It's all there, inviting players to inspect it, only with far different results than I assumed when I first began studying Resonant's trailers like the Zapruder Film months ago.  Remedy games have trained me to take a closer look for 16 years now, so my methodology didn't change when I first jumped into Control Resonant. But as clues to my favorite puzzlebox all but dried up completely, the purposeful, human-made details that were there instead became symbols of a new appreciation for one of video games' most creative studios.

Title: Sims Competitor InZoi Deletes “Uncomfortable” Post After Fan Pushback Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 21:17:52 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sims-competitor-inzoi-deletes-uncomfortable-post-after-fan-pushback/ The ambitious life-simulation game InZoi was once heralded as a potential "Sims-killer"--a promising new title that fans of the genre could turn to following EA's relentless pursuit to monetize every aspect of The Sims 4. However, a lackluster early-access period and concerns over the game's liberal use of AI made for a rocky start. Over the past year and a half, developer Krafton has addressed some of the complaints leveled at the game, but now, it finds itself in hot water for a different reason. Earlier today, the official InZoi X account shared a post depicting a balding man in a leather coat watching children play on a playground alongside the caption, "Just a peaceful day at the playground. Nothing unusual here... just ignore the bald guy" alongside an eyes emoji. Though the post is still up on the game's official Discord server, it was removed on X a few hours after it was initially posted due to users calling the post disturbing and pointing out that it seemed to allude to pedophilia. After removing the post, the account issued the following statement: https://twitter.com/PlayinZOI/status/2113658775584608309?s=20 The account initially shared the post to showcase improvements being made to InZoi's playgrounds as well as promote the game's upcoming Celebrity DLC, which is slated to arrive this December. However, its easy to understand why fans had a negative reaction to the post--especially in light of recent events. InZoi isn't the only life simulation game in the news for less-than-ideal reasons. After a brutal round of layoffs and announcing the closure of Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare, EA revealed that one of Maxis' ongoing Sims projects is being paused.

Title: Phantom Blade Zero – Everything To Know Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 21:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/phantom-blade-zero-everything-to-know/ From its wuxia roots to its unique difficulty options, here is everything to know about Phantom Blade Zero.

Title: D&D's Japanese Rival Sword World Crowdfunding Raises Over $2 million in a Day Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:59:38 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/sword-world-rpg-crowdfunding-backerkit-success/ Japan's most popular fantasy tabletop role-playing game, Sword World RPG, is finally live on BackerKit with its first official English localization. Courtesy of Mugen Gaming, a company that specializes in localizing Japanese tabletop games, the Sword World RPG campaign is already off to a great start, raising over $2 million in one day.

Title: Beloved Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Voice Eric Bauza Passes Away at 46 Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:28:40 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/bugs-bunny-daffy-duck-actor-eric-bauza-death/ On the evening of Oct. 25, it was announced that prolific, Emmy-winning voice actor Eric Bauza suddenly passed away at age 46 from hypertensive heart disease. A notice was posted to his Instagram reading:

Title: 10 Best 'Star Trek: Original Series' Episodes of All Time, Ranked Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:00:18 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/best-star-trek-original-series-episodes-ranked/ Ask 10 Star Trek fans to name the best episodes from The Original Series , and you're likely to get 10 completely different lists. Some will prioritize the writing, others the performances or the science-fiction concepts. And inevitably, somebody will argue that "The City on the Edge of Forever" belongs at No. 1. They might even be right.

Title: The 10 Best SNES Games to Play on Nintendo Switch Online Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 02:44:34 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/best-snes-games-nintendo-switch-online-classics/ The Super Nintendo Entertainment System has one of the finest game catalogs of any console ever released, and there's a strong selection of 77 games available on Nintendo Classics as part of Nintendo Switch Online. Sadly, most of the console's great third-party games aren't represented; you won't find Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, or Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the service.

Title: Phantom Blade Zero Reviews Just Beat Every Soulslike In 2026 Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:56:40 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/phantom-blade-zero-review-roundup-score/ 2026 officially has a new highest-rated game of the year. Reviews are in for Phantom Blade Zero, the Wuxia-inspired action game from S-Game, and they've solidified it as one of the best-reviewed games of 2026 — a feat that could help its chances at scoring a nomination for the 2026 Game Awards in December.

Title: Cloud Deployment Incoming: ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’ Arrives on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:20 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4/ Lock in and load out this GFN Thursday. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, bringing a new campaign, multiplayer action and DMZ, high-stakes extraction mode to supported devices. The campaign also gets an enhanced look: GeForce RTX 5080-class performance arrives for Ultimate members, bringing support for ray-tracing features in the cloud. There’s a new way to join the cloud, too: Existing supported Fire TV Stick users can now purchase one-month Performance or Ultimate memberships directly through Amazon, making it easier to sign up and start streaming on the big screen. Plus, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE brings cinematic pixel art and strategic battles to the cloud, and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Echoes of Skyrim Season adds the entire Greymoor Chapter free for all ESO Standard Edition owners. It’s all part of six games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Deployment Without the Downloads Squad up and answer the call on the cloud. Activision and Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches today on GeForce NOW. Members can drop into the trenches in Korea, close-quarter combat in New York, high-octane chases through Paris, night raids in Mumbai and city-wide engagements to reclaim occupied territory. Fight as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier facing live combat for the first time alongside his squad as a routine patrol turns into a desperate fight for survival. Beyond the front lines, operator-turned-outlaw Captain Price is operating outside the system he once served, pursuing revenge through covert missions as the conflict spreads. Multiplayer pairs precise combat with fluid movement, a dozen core 6v6 maps from around the world and battlegrounds that are shaped by the campaign’s global conflict. The DMZ extraction mode sends players into contested territory to recover valuable technology, weigh objectives and decide when to get out. Loot, fight, negotiate, betray and extract — it’s all fair in the cloud and battleground. Ultimate members can now experience the campaign with ray tracing, powered by newly added GeForce RTX 5080-class performance across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, browsers, supported TVs and more. With game downloads and installs handled by GeForce NOW, members can spend less time preparing a local rig and more time preparing the next loadout. A New Way to Play A new way to join GeForce NOW on Fire TV. GeForce NOW in-app purchase is rolling out to existing supported Fire TV Stick users, making it possible to purchase a membership directly through Amazon using an existing account. Transactions are processed through Amazon’s billing system, creating a more seamless path from setup to gameplay. GeForce NOW transforms Fire TV into a powerful PC gaming rig in the cloud. Members can stream supported PC games they already own or purchase new titles from digital stores including Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, Xbox PC Game Pass, GOG and EA. The library includes thousands of ready-to-play games, including many of the world’s most-played titles and more than 100 free-to-play games. No downloads, installs, patches or updates stand between a new game and playtime. An Amazon Fire TV Stick, the GeForce NOW app and an Ultimate membership are all it takes to level up the living room with GeForce RTX 5080-powered gaming. A Pixel-Perfect Fantasy Classic roots. A new adventure. Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE launches today on GeForce NOW, bringing the series’ classic roots into a cinematic pixel-art world. Travel with companions bound by fate and uncover the truth behind a force threatening to bring everything to ruin. Strengthen the party with Visions of beloved FINAL FANTASY characters, each bringing unique skills and abilities to battle. Dynamic camera angles and pixelized 3D models give familiar fantasy a fresh perspective. Exploit enemy weaknesses to stagger foes, break their defenses and seize extra turns before finishing the bonus phase with powerful Resonance attacks. Airships, crystals, espers and moogles bring familiar series favorites to a world filled with secrets to discover. GeForce NOW handles the game’s downloads and storage in the cloud, leaving more space on supported devices for everyday essentials. Save the inventory management for potions and Phoenix Downs. Step Into a New Season in Tamriel Familiar lands. Fresh reasons to return. The Elder Scrolls Online’s second season, Echoes of Skyrim, launched Wednesday, Oct. 21, free for all ESO players and ready to stream through GeForce NOW. Season Two gives everyone who owns ESO Standard Edition access to its Skyrim content and the Antiquities treasure-hunting system. The Markarth downloadable content follows Monday, Nov. 9, rounding out the additions with two classic zones to explore.  The Season also introduces Solo Dungeons, reimagining challenges previously designed for groups. Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices have been redesigned and rebalanced for players ready to tackle their dangers alone. Earn new rewards and take on new challenges at your own pace without needing to find a group. A new Tamriel Tome also launched Oct. 21, offering both free and premium battle pass reward tracks.  In addition, members can look for the following titles joining the GeForce NOW library this week: We Were Here Tomorrow (New release on Steam, Oct. 20) FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE (New release on Steam, Oct. 22) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (New release on Oct 23, available in the Call of Duty app) CONTROL Resonant (Epic Game Store) Crimson Desert (Epic Games Store) Planet Zoo 2 (Xbox app, supports XBOX Play Anywhere) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after release and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the mission board this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Dial Up the Cloud: NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Controls Arrive on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:00:59 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-enshrouded-update/ Dial in the next gaming session this GFN Thursday. New NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls give GeForce NOW members more choice over how supported games look and perform in the cloud, even without the latest hardware. Then, step into the Shroud as Keen Games’ Enshrouded leaves early access with its 1.0 release, or let the bolts fly in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2. Both are streaming on GeForce NOW at launch. With 10 new games joining the cloud this week, members can put the new controls to work in supported titles and keep playing across supported devices without downloads, installs or expensive hardware upgrades. Fine-Tune the Cloud With DLSS 4.5 Controls More control, more cloud power. NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls are now available on GeForce NOW, giving members more choice over how supported games look and perform in the cloud, even without the latest hardware. DLSS Super Resolution sharpens image quality, while Dynamic Multi Frame Generation delivers lower latency and reduces stutter for smoother streaming, and Ray Reconstruction enhances ray-traced visuals. In addition, Ultimate members streaming on GeForce RTX 5080-powered cloud rigs benefit from the maximum available options, including Dynamic Multi Frame Generation up to 4X.   From James Bond’s globe-trotting missions in 007 First Light — now with path tracing support — to CONTROL Resonant’s reality-bending Manhattan and the shadowy scares of Resident Evil Requiem, the controls help fine-tune supported games for image quality, responsiveness or a preferred balance between the two. These new settings are available in the GeForce NOW app under settings, for Windows, macOS, Chrome OS and Steam OS platforms. Members can read here for more details on using the feature with their membership tier, and more information on how to get the smoothest cloud game streaming for some games on GeForce NOW. Rise, Flameborn Enshrouded 1.0 brings the co-op survival action role-playing game out of early access and into its full release. Rise as a Flameborn, the last ember of hope of a dying race, and venture into a vast world of survival, action and role-playing, where a corrupting fog has consumed a once-beautiful kingdom. The title brings improvements to existing systems, alongside expansions in combat with nine new spells, new mage and archer skills, reworked wands and upgradeable Eternal spells and arrows. New enemy variants keep encounters fresh, while a new biome raises the player level cap to 50 and equipment cap to 55.  GeForce NOW offers Enshrouded 1.0 ready to play in the cloud at launch across supported devices. Skip the 60GB local install to save precious storage space, then step into the Shroud without waiting for downloads or needing to make room for the update. Let the Bolts Fly Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is now streaming on GeForce NOW. The brutal, fast-paced sequel to the retro first-person shooter brings more enemies, more weapons and new ways to purge. Picking up directly after the original game, a branching single-player campaign sends the fight to grimdark new worlds. Choose between the formidable Sternguard Veteran Malum Caedo and the swift Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath, each with distinct abilities, weapons and play styles. From towering hive cities to jungle mangrove swamps, new enemy types await in every biome. GeForce NOW keeps the campaign ready in the cloud. No local rig upgrades or game installs stand between members and the fight — the Emperor’s work waits for no loading bar. In addition, members can look for the following joining the GeForce NOW library: Deep Dish Dungeon (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Planet Zoo 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Valor Mortis (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Among the Trolls (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) over the hill (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Beyond These Stars (New release on Steam and Xbox, Oct. 15), available on Game Pass Tenebris Somnia (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered (Xbox), available on Microsoft Store Also this week, the performance of DLSS 5’s 3D-Guided Neural Rendering model is improving by 2X, enabling even more gamers to enjoy DLSS 5’s transformative uplift in lighting and materials at high frame rates and settings. The new, more performant DLSS 5 model will debut in NBA 2K27 on Oct. 16 on GeForce NOW, GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and RTX Spark laptops. Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they’re released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates to announced titles. Gamers who want to test out the new 4.5 controls and high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Rally Up: ‘Gears of War: E-Day’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:00:46 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gears-of-war-e-day/ Gears of War: E-Day leads the charge on GeForce NOW this week, bringing Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago’s first fight against the Locust Horde to the cloud with GeForce RTX-powered performance. A new way to join the action is also coming: Fire TV users will soon be able to purchase GeForce NOW memberships directly through Amazon, creating a more seamless path from device setup to gameplay. Keep an eye out for availability in the coming weeks. There’s more in store this GFN Thursday, with the cloud serving up 10 games, including seven new releases. Emergence Day Is Here Gears of War: E-Day is now streaming on GeForce NOW following its global release on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Set 14 years before the original Gears of War, the prequel follows Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they confront the terrifying arrival of the Locust Horde on Emergence Day. The series’ brutal combat, desperate survival and larger-than-life action return with a new origin story for the legendary partnership. Ultimate members can take on the Horde with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, plus technologies including NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex. From campaign missions to cooperative and competitive modes, GeForce NOW keeps the fight ready across low-power laptops, Macs, mobile devices, handhelds, Firefox and other browsers, and more — no massive downloads or expensive gaming rig required. New on the Cloud Menu Members can look forward to the following games joining the GeForce NOW library this week: Gears of War: E-Day (New release on Steam and Xbox, Oct. 6), available on Game Pass STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Forever Ago (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Order of the Sinking Star (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Silver Pines (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Permafrost (New release on Steam, Oct. 9) Graveyard Keeper 2 (Steam) Solasta II (Steam) Tyr (Steam) The Xbox version of Dune: Awakening didn’t join GeForce NOW in September as previously shared. Stay tuned to GFN Thursday for updates on game availability. Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they are released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the play list this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Fall Into 25 New Games on GeForce NOW This October Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:00:54 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-october-2026-games-list/ Spooky season is streaming in. Alongside falling leaves, pumpkin spice and everything nice, 25 new games are joining GeForce NOW throughout October, including six ready to play this week. From a new CONTROL Resonant reward for Performance and Ultimate members to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered joining the cloud, this GFN Thursday is packed with fresh reasons to play. Claim Rewards A new reward from a world gone sideways. CONTROL Resonant is streaming from the cloud for GeForce NOW Performance and Ultimate members. Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation as Dylan Faden harnesses extraordinary powers to battle the Hiss, the Mold and other reality-bending threats while searching for his sister, Federal Bureau of CONTROL Director Jesse Faden. Performance and Ultimate members can claim the Third Ice Baseball Cap reward for CONTROL Resonant. After claiming the reward code, launch the Steam or Epic Games Store version of CONTROL Resonant, select “Options” from the main menu, navigate to “Gameplay” and choose “Enter Redeem Code.” The reward can be equipped after completing Act 1. Cap it off: Claim the reward from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 1, at 11:59 p.m. PT, before it slips into another dimension. The White Wolf Rides Again The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered launched Tuesday, Sept. 29, and is now streaming for Performance and Ultimate members. Follow the iconic tale of Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire, as he tracks down the Child of Prophecy in a war-torn, monster-infested open world. The remastered adventure brings Geralt’s beloved world back at refreshed specs across nearly any device. GeForce NOW handles the rendering, downloads and storage in the cloud, so there’s no expensive hardware upgrade or lengthy install standing between the trail and the next contract. Ultimate members can take the Continent further with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud — high-end horsepower worthy of the White Wolf, with no local hardware upgrade required. In addition, members can look for the following titles streaming this week: Minecraft Dungeons II (New release on Xbox, Sept. 29), available on Game Pass Nivalis Nights (New release on Steam, Sept. 29) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered (New release on Battle.net and Xbox Play Anywhere, Sept. 29), available on Microsoft Store Bookshop Simulator (Steam) Megastore: Tidy Up Together (Steam) Planet Coaster 2 (Xbox), available on Game Pass And look forward to the games coming throughout October: Gears of War: E-Day (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (New release on Steam, Oct. 6) Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Order of the Sinking Star (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Silver Pines (New release on Steam, Oct. 8) Permafrost (New release on Steam, Oct. 9) Deep Dish Dungeon (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Planet Zoo 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Valor Mortis (New release on Steam, Oct. 13) Among the Trolls (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) over the hill (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (New release on Steam, Oct. 14) Beyond These Stars (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) Tenebris Somnia (New release on Steam, Oct. 16) Dimraeth (Steam) Graveyard Keeper 2 (Steam) Solasta II (Steam) Tyr (Steam) More from September In addition to the games announced last month, 11 more joined the GeForce NOW library. The Blood of Dawnwalker (GOG.com) Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Epic Games Store) DragonSword: Awakening (Steam) Dune: Awakening (Xbox) Everything Is Crab (Steam) LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Steam) Over the Top: WWI (Steam) Roadside Research (Steam) RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Xbox) Stick It to the Stickman (Steam) Wild West Pioneers (Steam) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they are released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. Gamers who want to test out high-performance GeForce NOW cloud gaming can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Contain the Chaos: ‘CONTROL Resonant’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:36 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-control-resonant/ A warped Manhattan is waiting in the cloud this week. Remedy Entertainment’s CONTROL Resonant brings Dylan Faden’s extraordinary abilities and a paranatural crisis to GeForce NOW at launch. With the release comes the final days of the CONTROL Resonant Ultimate Membership Bundle. Purchase a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership through Sunday, Sept. 27, and receive CONTROL Resonant at no additional cost. GeForce NOW support is coming soon to Googlebooks, a new category of laptops bringing together the best of ChromeOS and Android. To top it off, DragonSword: Awakening leads nine new games this week, bringing an anime-style open world to supported devices. Take Control on the Cloud Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in Remedy Entertainment’s CONTROL Resonant. Harness Dylan Faden’s extraordinary abilities to battle the Hiss, the Mold and other reality-bending threats while searching for his sister, Federal Bureau of CONTROL Director Jesse Faden. Dylan must master his new powers and the ever-changing forms of the Aberrant, his paranatural melee weapon, to face a cosmic threat that has escaped the Oldest House and swept through the city. Ultimate members can stream the next chapter of the CONTROL franchise with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, including NVIDIA DLSS 4, ray tracing, NVIDIA Reflex and Cinematic Quality Streaming technologies, with up to 5K high dynamic range on supported devices. Skip the 100GB local install and expensive PC upgrades, and step into the chaos the moment the mission begins. The clock is ticking: the CONTROL Resonant Ultimate Membership Bundle ends Sunday, Sept. 27. Cloud Gaming Meets Googlebooks GeForce NOW support is coming soon to Googlebooks — Google’s new category of laptops, and the first designed for Gemini Intelligence. Googlebook is crafted with premium materials for powerful performance. Secure by design, its Titan C chip and multigrade protection keep viruses out and hackers away. It also lets users jump from phone to laptop without skipping a beat, and access files and apps from phones directly on the laptop. As Googlebooks begin rolling out this fall, GeForce NOW support will bring the cloud gaming library to the new laptop category, making it possible to stream the latest PC games with GeForce RTX-powered performance — and without local installs. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW social channels for more availability details later this year. Awaken the Dragon Sword A dragon has awakened after 60 years, and the legacy of six heroes waits to be uncovered. Hound13’s DragonSword: Awakening transports players to the radiant, anime-style continent of Orbis, where Lute’s journey to become the hero known as the Dragon Sword begins. Explore meadows, secret cellars, deep seas, caves and dungeons alongside trusted allies and collectible Familiars. Build a team from 19 heroes, stack Status Ailments with Active Skills and chain Signal Skills into spectacular tag-team combos. Each character carries a story of their own to uncover along the way. The journey travels across supported devices, including Steam Decks, Firefox browsers and Amazon Fire TV devices, making players ready for the next adventure in Orbis. The Dragon Sword awaits. In addition, members can look for the following games joining the cloud this week: Dune: Awakening (New release on Xbox, Sept. 22, available on Game Pass) Stick It to the Stickman (New release on Steam, Sept. 23) CONTROL Resonant (New release on Steam, Sept. 24) Wild West Pioneers (New release on Steam, Sept. 25) DragonSword: Awakening (Steam) Everything Is Crab (Steam) LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Steam) Over the Top: WWI (Steam) Roadside Research (Steam) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they’re released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates to announced titles. Those new to GeForce NOW can start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to level up with GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming. Which cloud-bound adventure is calling this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Celebrate Helldivers 2 Liberty Day 2026 with in-game gifts today Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:00:05 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/26/celebrate-helldivers-2-liberty-day-2026-with-in-game-gifts-today/ We at Arrowhead Studios are excited to mark Liberty Day, the Helldivers 2 in-universe celebration, that’s now in its third year. As with previous celebrations, we’re marking the anniversary with a range of in-game gifts for active Helldivers, decorating your ship lobby to mark the occasion, and much more. The history of Liberty Day Long ago, before the formation of the Democratic Council, humanity lived in utter undemocratic chaos. Citizens of Super Earth had no reliable sources of truth. People believed anything, everything, with erratic voting records influenced by information, misinformation, and disinformation. Society was crumbling, descending into total democratic anarchy. We needed leadership and action to unite our beliefs, our votes, and our views. We are so fortunate that the Democratic Council came together at this pivotal moment to give us the first and final draft of the tenets of Managed Democracy, which guide us on our true path to liberation. Now, every October 26, we come together to celebrate all the wonderful things Managed Democracy has given us. From fair elections and strong family values to the Helldivers themselves as our galactic peacekeepers. How we celebrate For Liberty Day 2186, we have some new celebration items especially for our Helldivers: aboard your Super Destroyers this year, we have drafted new regulations regarding holiday ship adornments for October 26. Now, for 24 hours on our special day, you will see banners, rugs, party supplies, and other fun decorations aboard your ship. We are also continuing our custom of a Liberty Day gift for our active duty Helldivers: The AR-23L Liberator Legacy1. This classic modeled after weapons used in the First Galactic War will bring a retro flair to modern loadouts. The AR-23L Liberator Legacy will be rewarded at the conclusion of the Liberty Day celebrations. Be sure to log in and participate in the celebrations to claim your gift. Finally, we are bringing back some community minigames for Liberty Day, including Minidivers*. Work together in the chat to send emoji stratagem codes and stop the waves of enemies. Adopt-a-SEAF. Receive your very own blueberry to care for and send on missions. Meet your new friend on the frontlines. Oath of Enlistment*. Do your part and receive a copy of your oath to keep. Raise the Flag*. Salute in the chat and raise the flag together. *Only available to members of our official Discord server. Officially recognized Liberty Day parties Many citizens choose to throw parties for Liberty Day. This year, the Party Planning Protocol was enacted by High Command to help citizens plan their regulation Liberty Day celebrations, which includes the creation of the Liberty Day Party Pack. This pack contains everything a citizen needs to get started, from games and decorations to recipes and printable Helldiver helmets. Instructions for downloading the pack can be found via the link here. Other popular Liberty Day activities: The Liberty Day Pyre. Families gather around the pyre at home and reflect on patriotism while children open their Liberty Day gifts. Liberty Day Parades. Check with your local colony or city to find out your parade routes. Did You Know: You don’t have to miss the parade because you’re stationed on your Destroyer. The Liberty Day Parade in Prosperity City will be broadcast to your ships no matter where you are in the galaxy. The Mandatory Salute. Helldivers and citizens alike throughout the entire galaxy are required to salute in unison as a show of our democratic unification. Helldiver Enlistment. There’s no better time to take the oath and do your part. Orbital Bombardment of the Moon. Send a message to the enemies of Liberty using over 15,000 megatons of ordnance. Fireworks. Light the spark of civic duty in every citizen with a patriotic fireworks display. No matter what, the most important thing to do on Liberty Day is to be free. Enjoying the freedom afforded to us by Managed Democracy is what unites Super Earth’s citizens under one common cause–no matter where in the galaxy they might be. Super Merch Store Celebrate what Managed Democracy means to you with Super Merch. Complete select in-game achievements before February 28, 2027 to unlock special items for purchase on the Helldivers 2 Super Merch store. Reach Level 100 and earn the ‘Hell Commander’ title to unlock the Hell Commander Pin. Complete 75 missions and secure some cuddly backup with the Private Teddy Snuggles Plush.2 Plus, celebrate Liberty Day with all-new rewards. Visit the Super Merch Store today (October 26) to discover the latest additions. Helldivers 2 on PlayStation Plus Game Catalog3 Thinking of enlisting? Candidates eager to spread Managed Democracy across the cosmos can join up right now with a PlayStation Plus Extra membership, with Helldivers 2 available as part of Game Catalog, or alternatively you can drop some credits to sign up for the galactic frontline by purchasing the game at PlayStation Store. Gear up for Liberty Day with new officially licensed merchandise Bring the action of Helldivers 2 to your collection with all-new merchandise available now for Liberty Day and coming soon. Available now at Displate, the Helldivers 2 Display Shards collection features a limited edition set of six metal collectibles, each featuring artwork inspired by the game. You can also show your allegiance to Super Earth with a collection of metal posters from Displate that brings Liberty Day to your walls. Available for pre-order starting on November 20 from FiGGYZ, celebrate the heroes and enemies of Helldivers 2 with this limited edition, individually numbered FiGGYZ collector’s box set. Each set includes four pixel-art magnetic figures – Helldiver (Quick Draw), Helldiver (Flagbearer), Hulk, and Devastator. Visit PlayStation.com for more information on these products and where to purchase. Happy Liberty Day 2186, Helldivers – Stay free. Full-day celebration privileges apply only to Class A citizens or higher. Class B citizens receive a one hour mandatory celebration period during which they may step away from their labor duties to attend their local parade and participate in the Mandatory Salute. 1 Rifles are distributed at the end of Liberty Day, 23:59 CET on October 26, 2026. Available to all players who have played since September 26, 2026, 00:00 CET.2Criteria must be met by February 28 2027 at 9:59am PT. Eligible players must order the product between August 12 2026 and March 31 2027 at 11:59pm PT. Limit one per player, unavailable to ship where prohibited by US regulations. Private Teddy Snuggles Plush is unable to ship to Japan at this time.3Gameplay requires internet access and paid-for PlayStation Plus membership (sold separately) on PS5. PlayStation Plus membership subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms.

Title: Share of the Week: 007 First Light Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:00:57 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/23/share-of-the-week-007-first-light/ Last week, we asked you explore the new Photo Mode in 007 First Light using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. Here are this week’s highlights: call_me_xavii shared Bond blasting at enemies with his Aston Martin WildJogurt shared a turtleneck-wearing Bond receiving mission orders lucaslu_ckli shared a stylist look at James’ Aston Martin m1rko_vp shared a black and white portrait of James looking dashing in the field Milz_VP shares James checking out his outfit in the mirror wern_r shares James posing next to Jack the bulldog  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: CostumeSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 28, 2026 Next week, share your favorite in-game costumes or outfits from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Title: Saros: creating the epic Overlords of Carcosa Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:59:40 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/23/saros-creating-the-epic-overlords-of-carcosa/ Housemarque and Nixxes developed Saros in close collaboration; one area was developing the set-piece bosses. Housemarque brought the creative vision, world, combat language, visual concepts, and signature bullet-hell DNA. Nixxes brought the bosses to life through encounter design, animation, environments, lighting, and technical implementation. The result was a set of encounters designed to challenge players, surprise them, and deliver the kind of spectacle PlayStation players expect from a Housemarque action experience. Spoilers for the bosses of Saros ahead, so read at your own risk. Play Video Collaboration with Housemarque Boss fights in Saros are fully staged encounters, not just enemies with larger health bars, so that required close collaboration from the start. Housemarque handled boss concepts, visual direction, and VFX identity. Nixxes focused on animation, environments, technical design, boss behaviour, and attack implementation, with Housemarque’s final review and collaboration. The road to developing a boss started with a briefing that outlined the vision, gameplay goals, and visual direction for the encounter. From there, Nixxes pitched its take, built early prototypes and first-playable versions, refining each encounter through iteration, playtesting, and polish until shipping. Play Video What makes a Saros boss? When designing bosses for Saros, we followed a few guiding principles, starting with three distinct phases for every boss encounter, each with its own identity, changing how the encounter looks, feels, and plays. A typical boss battle in Saros lasts about three to eight minutes (Saros: Zenith has a tighter arcade experience), with the challenge coming mainly from boss behaviour, arena transformation, environmental hazards, bullets, beams, and physical attacks. These were also designed to encourage players to use their shield, jumping, parrying, and dashing abilities, knowing that a good boss attack should make players move with intent, not in panic. Most importantly, when players were defeated by a boss, we asked: do they understand why they lost, do they know what to do differently next time, did it feel like their own mistake rather than something unfair, and do they want to try again? Play Video The Bosses Prophet — the wall boss The Prophet was our introductory boss and a first major test for players. Because the Prophet appears early in the game, we wanted it to teach players what a Saros boss could be without becoming a major progression blocker. With the Prophet, we wanted a fight that felt dramatic and threatening while still welcoming players to the structure and expectations of boss combat. Architect — the flying boss The Architect is one of the game’s most dramatic encounters, fought atop a massive tower after earlier foreshadowing. The boss comes at you with everything it has, destroying the environment as the fight unfolds, and it doesn’t quit until the very end. The entire encounter centres on the collapsing arena, making the grapple hook a fundamental part of the battle. You are not just fighting the boss; you are fighting to survive the arena. Shepherd — the massive boss The Shepherd is the game’s largest boss and biggest visual spectacle, set on a ship on a stormy sea. It has an intimidating scale and culminates in a terrifying transformation by the end of the encounter. This boss is all about tentacles, which you must dodge and jump over throughout the fight. The tentacles also shrink the arena and spawn attacks from unexpected directions. In a dramatic conclusion, you face the boss on a sloped arena. Priestess — the magic boss The Priestess uses illusion and transformation, making for a less grounded, more surreal encounter with a strong phase identity. We wanted players to feel the Priestess could be the final boss, even if the journey was not over yet. The encounter evolves from illusion-based clone combat into a large-scale, floating arena, encouraging players to combine combat, puzzle-solving, and platforming to survive. King — the final boss As the final boss, we wanted the King encounter to feel direct, intense, and skill-focused. It is also a major narrative moment, and the encounter needed to reflect its importance. The boss battle escalates in personality as much as in challenge. It starts controlled and relentless, then becomes more brutal, and finally something feral and unpredictable. As a result, the King doesn’t rely on a complicated gimmick. Instead, the fight tests everything the player has learned, where mastery matters most. Looking back and looking ahead to Saros: Zenith Working on bosses for Saros was an amazing opportunity for the Nixxes content team. We aimed to make each one feel fair, thrilling, and worth trying again. And each encounter challenged us to think about how we could create the most memorable moments for the player. More importantly, it let us collaborate closely with Housemarque on the fast, responsive, high-intensity action that defines the game. With Saros: Zenith, players can return to these battles in Housemarque’s new Overlord Rush mode and experience them in a fresh, faster, and more replayable way. We are excited to see how players take on the challenge and fight to reach the top of the Leaderboard. Play Video

Title: Marvel’s Wolverine: Photo Mode guide Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:00:31 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/22/marvels-wolverine-photo-mode-guide/ Photo Modes are a rewarding way to get to grips with some essential elements of photography, while letting you more closely examine and appreciate a game’s art design and increasingly photorealistic visuals. Feature-rich Photo Modes put an entire suite of virtual lighting rigs at your fingertips, subtracting concerns about space requirements, or the patience of your models as you get your composition just right.   Insomniac in particular continues to bring a superheroic heft to its photographic options, first established through its Marvel’s Spider-Man games, with Marvel’s Wolverine. The game’s out for just over a month, and we continue to be dazzled by the Photo Mode skills players have displayed since launch. We’ve equally had questions from budding shutterbugs asking for guidance on how to better their shots. Here, we unpack some of the options the studio offers up in Photo Mode and some examples to get you thinking.  Warning: some of the photos here are spoilers for the game’s outfits and mid-game content Set up tips  Chapter select: Once you’ve rolled credits, loading your save file will pop you back in Logan’s cabin. Head to the bed to access a chapter select menu, letting you leap into any location or moment from the story. From Canada’s snowy wilderness, neon-soaked Shinjuku arcades, to the compact districts of Madripoor and more, you got plenty of backdrops, blockbuster moments and quieter character moments to work with.  Photo Mode UI repositioning: Insomniac has packed in a multitude of options in its Photo Mode to cater to every need you’d have. That includes up to 5 independent lighting rigs (plus customisable natural light options!), character poses, miniature mode, filters and more. Extensive options means a chunky, multi-tab Photo Mode UI. Remember: if you find the UI is blocking your shot, you can tap a button to alternate it between the left and right of your screen.  D-Pad Shortcuts: As default you access Photo Mode from the Pause menu, but jump into Settings, and you can map a shortcut to Photo Mode to the DualSense’s D-Pad. And while you’re there, assign another D-Pad button to adjust the game speed, letting you reduce game speed by 30, 50 or 70%. Useful when you want to capture the perfect action moment.   Landscape, portrait or between: You can use the Tilt option to angle the camera from a straight landscape shot, to a dramatic dutch angle, or a 9×16 portrait image. You’ll need to tilt your own head to better compose the shot with that last option (or, if you’re playing on a PlayStation Portal, just turn the handheld device on its side).  I see five lights  A headline feature of Marvel’s Wolverine Photo mode is five independent lights, each offering separate colour spectrums, intensity options, adjustable distances and such. You can choose each light to be Sphere (casting a wider glow from their centre) or Spotlights (a stronger directional beam).  One to two lights: That can seem daunting, but you don’t have to use them all! In fact, for individual portrait shots, just one or two will do. In photography terms, two lights cover your key light, and your rim light. The former is the main light, illuminating your subject from the front. Play about with having this light to the side, above or below your subject to change the mood of the shot. The latter usually is positioned behind your subject at a lower intensity and at a slight angle, casting a soft fall of light onto your model’s side, shoulders or hair, which separates them from the background.  But those guidelines aren’t rigid: play with lighting, shifting from traditional portraiture to something more startling, as I’ve done with the above. (Which positions Logan’s character model within the radius of a gun’s muzzle flash during a fight scene.)  And once you’ve comfortable with one subject, extend it to two models, then group shots. So, 5 lights. There’s a few examples of location-based uses that could help wrap your head around how to operate them.  Try this: Take the arcade early on in the “In the Shadows” chapter. It’s a barrage of colour, glowing cabinet screens and neon ceiling lights battling for dominance. Switch to Photo Mode and use each light to mimic the glow of a different arcade cabinet screen, or infer ones that aren’t even in shot. Tinker with the intensity and light type of each. You’re just trying to best replicate the mood and look of an arcade bar. I applied the same trick to the casino scene below, but with two lights only. One was positioned just in front of the fruit machine to give off that notable glow, which bathed Jean Grey’s left side in purple light. Logan on the other hand was the focus of an off-white light off-camera, mimicking the glow from the wider casino floor. Three lights: The below photo ups the set to three lights, this time coloured to replicate the flow from the two lanterns to the rear of the shot, and the candles on the floor in the foreground. I upped the intensity of the front light to cast a strong shadow on the floor. A similar trick I applied to an alternate version on the arcade scene: notice the shadow of the grabber claw cast on the back wall? Move him as you need him  In all the shots thus far, my focus was ever on the position and body language of NPCs, rather than Logan himself. That’s because with the Character Pose option, you’re able to cycle through a set of different locked poses, and then,  with movement options, you’re free to move Wolverine to anywhere within a generous radius (up, down, left, right, back and forward). You can rotate him, cycle through a variety of facial expressions and switch between any suits or claws you’ve currently unlocked. You can also hide him entirely, or any enemy NPC thanks to a toggle option in the menus.  A good rule of thumb with any photo: once snapped, cycle through the different suits before exiting. Some might fit the mood of a shot better, and the various materials on each react differently to light sources.  Note: Logan’s original position when entering Photo Mode will be taken as the centre point to which the 5 independent lights will circle around, not where he is moved to. So you’ll need to adjust lights accordingly if you want him lit a certain way.  Ready, set, action (figure)  A fun feature making a welcome leap from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Action Figure mode. Found in the Character Pose sub-menu, one click turns Logan miniature. Ripe for some creative executions. For myself, I envisioned Wolverine sitting in Jean’s outstretched palm. In trying to capture that moment during a combat moment, I stumbled onto something unexpected: the world’s smallest Fastball Special.  Worth noting: despite his (more than usual) diminutive size, mini-Logan’s model has the same movement radius (up, down, left right, forward or back) as his normal-sized version.   The above had a comic book cover-like look I liked, which led me to the rabbit hole of using miniature work, and the ability to switch backgrounds to a specific colour palette to mimic something you’d see on the front of a graphic novel. The above was possible due to another feature worth flagging: Logan has an entirely separate set of poses when he’s airborne, as exampled below. Merging Figures The Wolverine character model isn’t blocked by other character models or environmental objects when moving him,  giving you the flexibility to get characters side by side for some dramatic shots. Don’t worry about any clipping or overlaps between models! The right camera angle will hide that imperfection (such as the shots below: in the first Jean’s right arm is actually clipping through Logan’s jacket, the second, Logan’s knee is clipping through Jean’s back). That said, don’t be afraid to get creative with the clipping. Example below: having Jean and Logan’s heads blend together, a nod to sci-fi movie-style posters and referencing how the game’s story delves into his mind and memories.  Composed and captured your shot? Now pan around  Captured a great shot? Great. But before you back out of Photo Mode, train yourself to do one last pan around. There may be an alternative angle to your setup, a hidden detail just out of view. Heck, there could be a completely different photo worth capturing in the frozen moment. For me, an early example was the below. Originally this was a neon-lit picture of Wolverine in a completely different pose. But I widened the lens and spotted Jean’s hand in the foreground, which made for a fun framing device and also gave a different vibe to the photo.  Now go grab some great photos  The above isn’t intended to be an exhaustive run down of the game’s many Photo Mode options, but a few primers to get you thinking and start on capturing great shots of your own. If you need more inspiration, find a few more galleries below!  Street Photography Gallery Remember to look beyond your immediate view. Every location in the game is rich with cool environments or background characters going about their lives.  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 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 View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Action Gallery  You can increase the amount of blood or damage on Logan’s character model via a specific menu option in Photo Mode.  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 View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Verify your age to view this content. 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Title: PlayStation Store: September 2026’s top downloads Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:25 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/22/playstation-store-september-2026s-top-downloads/ It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. In September, Marvel’s Wolverine led the PS5 charts in the US, followed by EA Sports FC 27, while in the EU, EA Sports FC 27 led the PS5 charts, followed by Marvel’s Wolverine. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games US/CanadaEUMarvel’s WolverineEA Sports FC 27EA Sports FC 27Marvel’s WolverineNBA 2K27The Blood of DawnwalkerHalloweenHalloweenThe Blood of DawnwalkerGrand Theft Auto VMadden NFL 27MinecraftOnimusha: Way of the SwordOnimusha: Way of the SwordControl ResonantNBA 2K27NHL 27Forza Horizon 5College Football 27Control ResonantCall of Duty: Black Ops IICall of Duty: Black Ops IIMinecraftValheimValheimThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntGrand Theft Auto VSilent Hill: TownfallSilent Hill: TownfallResident Evil 4Minecraft Dungeons IIMinecraft Dungeons IIForza Horizon 5NHL 27Call of Duty: Black OpsDune: AwakeningDune: Awakening007 First LightResident Evil 4It Takes Two *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/CanadaEURed Dead Redemption 2EA Sports FC 27Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIRed Dead Redemption 2Batman: Arkham KnightBatman: Arkham KnightGang BeastsA Way OutCall of Duty: WWIICall of Duty: WWIIResident Evil 5Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIResident Evil 6Gang BeastsMinecraftNeed for Speed HeatNeed for Speed HeatLEGO Marvel Super HeroesLEGO Marvel Super HeroesCall of Duty: Modern WarfaretheHunter: Call of the WildCrash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyCall of Duty: Modern WarfareMinecraftA Way OutUnravel TwoGod of WarThe ForestStar Wars Battlefront IIMafia TrilogyMortal Kombat XResident Evil 6Crash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyResident Evil 5EA Sports FC 27God of WarThe ForesttheHunter: Call of the WildInjustice 2LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 *Naming of products may differ between regions  PS VR2 Games* US/CanadaEUI Am Cat I Am Cat Horizon Call of the MountainBeat SaberBeat SaberPavlovPavlovHorizon Call of the MountainJob SimulatorJob SimulatorCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningArizona Sunshine VR 2Arizona Sunshine VR 2Bootstrap IslandCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningVampire: The Masquerade – JusticeHard BulletSwordsman VR *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) US/CanadaEUCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoOnce HumanFortniteFortniteCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoRobloxRobloxOnce HumanMarvel RivalsRocket LeagueRocket LeagueeFootballApex LegendsAsphalt LegendsAsphalt LegendsMarvel RivalsFall GuysFall Guys

Title: The Sunday Papers Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-sunday-papers-833 Sundays are, again, for running taxi duty for relatives visiting from overseas. If I had a nickel for every time I had an early morning Gatwick run in tandem with a Sunday Papers post, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird than I’m being paid in USD when I live in the United Kingdom. In that international spirit, here are some fine writings from around the globe. Read more

Title: Abelina is a strange, platforming romp through a natural afterlife from a former League of Legends animator and the composer of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 21:52:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/abelina-is-a-strange-platforming-romp-through-a-natural-afterlife-from-a-former-league-of-legends-animator-and-the-composer-of-zach-creggers-resident-evil I have no particular thoughts on what the afterlife may look like, namely because if there is one, and I'm allowed to hang out in it, I don't want to be disappointed. What if I have the expectation that it's a hedonistic paradise and am met with only having a guy named Gary who only eats cheese sandwiches for company? How embarrassing! No, I'll leave the imagining to others on this particular front. Doing so bears some ripe fruit for me occasionally, too, as is the case today with Abelina, a surreal platformer about a man who died and finds himself tending to gardens and carving masks and trying "not to think about what this place might really be." Read more

Title: "System Shock and Deus Ex, they were RPGs. People called them RPGs": Gloomwood's publisher isn't too keen on using the term immersive sim despite it being one Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:29:27 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/system-shock-and-deus-ex-they-were-rpgs-people-called-them-rpgs-gloomwoods-publisher-isnt-too-keen-on-using-the-term-immersive-sim-despite-it-being-one You know, I think at this point in my life there is a non-zero chance I will die before anyone is able to settle comfortably on what defines an immersive sim. I'm not going to even try to! The idea is too annoying and I'm sure someone will disagree with some aspect of it. And if you ask New Blood boss Dave Oshry, when it comes to trying to flog an immersive sim, it's probably best to not even refer to it as one. Read more

Title: HELENA : Cloud District is a megastructure photography game laser targeted at my interests, and it's out next week Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 18:58:26 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/helena-cloud-district-is-a-megastructure-photography-game-laser-targeted-at-my-interests-and-its-out-next-week Yes, I'm doing it, I'm writing about a megastructure game for the second time this week because come on, HELENA : Cloud District just looks stunning, don't it? Admittedly there's a chance you've not heard of it, that be the way of things in this algorithmically dominated world, but allow me to tell you about its big, scary world and the strange camera you're equipped with to capture all the sights it holds. Read more

Title: Paralives' first major update slips to next year, but when it comes you can expect some pretty meaty improvements for all of its main features Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:03:55 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/paralives-first-major-update-slips-to-next-year-but-when-it-comes-you-can-expect-some-pretty-meaty-improvements-for-all-of-its-main-features Since launch back in May of this year, life sim Paralives appears to have been trucking along nicely, with the dev team offering up fairly regular updates with all sorts of tweaks big and small. Certainly confidence-inspiring for an early access game, especially one as systems-driven as it is. And now, the Paralives team have outlined their plans for the game's first major update, which seem very catered to improving the core experience. Read more