Title: Nvidia CEO Doesn’t Care That Kids Are Forgetting Basic Math Because Of AI: ‘I Actually Don’t Know My Address’ Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:49:35 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/nvidia-ceo-doesnt-care-that-kids-are-forgetting-basic-math-because-of-ai-i-actually-dont-know-my-address-2000737092 Who needs to know things like your own phone number or home address or how to solve a simple equation like 3x2?

Title: Moderator Of Switch Pirates Subreddit To Pay Nintendo $4.5 Million In Piracy Lawsuit Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:15:41 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/moderator-of-switch-pirates-subreddit-to-pay-nintendo-4-5-million-in-piracy-lawsuit-2000737079 James Williams, the defendant and an alleged moderator of r/SwitchPirates, apparently never showed up to court

Title: Star Wars: Galactic Racer Looks To Continue The Best Trend In Star Wars Gaming In Years Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:00:19 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/star-wars-galactic-racer-looks-to-continue-the-best-trend-in-star-wars-gaming-in-years-2000736273 Not every Star Wars game needs to be a third-person action thing or shooter

Title: Ubisoft Was Reportedly Working On A Legend Of Zelda Spin-Off Starring Ganondorf Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:31:43 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-was-reportedly-working-on-a-legend-of-zelda-spin-off-starring-ganondorf-2000737078 Nintendo liked the concept, but reportedly passed on the project after it saw the prototype

Title: Nobody Talk To Me Until I Finish Building My Perfect Mouse House With Picross Puzzles Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:00:48 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/squeakross-home-squeak-home-marios-super-picross-animal-crossing-2000737042 Squeakross: Home Squeak Home combines Animal Crossing with Mario's Super Picross and it's so adorable it might kill me

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: How To Unlock The Doom Slayer In Call Of Duty And All Other Doom Rewards Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:11:32 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-to-unlock-the-doom-slayer-in-call-of-duty-and-all-other-doom-rewards/ Call of Duty's The Haunting brings even more Halloween fun to Black Ops 7 and Warzone this week with the start of the Doom crossover event. This limited-time event will allow players to unlock Doom operator skins, themed decals, loading screens, and a new special weapon for the season. In this guide, we'll showcase all Doom rewards in Season 6 and how you unlock them. https://youtu.be/cKExoO-Gq64?si=3xKgwMLWR4qG31V6 Doom limited-time event details Call of Duty's Doom event runs from now until October 14. This adds operator skins and cosmetics themed around the Doom franchise. This works just like the previous Nicolas Cage and RoboCop events with both free and paid event tracks. While there are plenty of free Doom rewards to earn, you’ll need to purchase the paid "premium" pass for 1,100 CoD Points ($10) if you want to unlock the iconic "Doom Guy" as an operator. This is one of Call of Duty’s XP-based events, so you’ll simply need to grind XP across multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, and Warzone. Unfortunately, the event doesn’t list how much XP you need per reward. For multiplayer, playing the objective in modes like Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, and Domination work best, while Casual Resurgence should yield more XP for Warzone. For Zombies maps, try to focus on solo runs with the Rampage Inducer active to speed up the slower early rounds. The Vandorn Farm map is a great pick, as it requires very little setup.  A double XP weekend will arrive the day after the Doom event begins, but if you miss this opportunity, you can always make use of any double XP tokens you've collected.  The Tracer Pack: Doom Demonic Essence Additionally, a Doom-themed shop bundle will arrive sometime during the event. The Tracer Pack: Doom Demonic Essence focuses on the villains of the franchise, and they are paired with a trio of weapon blueprints, a finishing move, and other cosmetic items. A price isn't given for this, but Call of Duty's IP bundles are typically around $20. All Doom event rewards Doom Guy in Call of Duty Call of Duty's Doom event has 20 rewards in total. These include 10 rewards in the free pass, and 10 more optional rewards that can be unlocked with the paid pass. The highlights of the free pass include two operator skins for existing operators, the mini Doom Guy weapon charm, the Demon Slaughter loading screen, and the new Roc 20mm special weapon. As mentioned previously, the paid pass is required to unlock the iconic "Doom Guy" as an operator as well as the Doom Slayer variant skin. Other high-tier rewards include the Evisceration finishing move, shotgun blueprints, and the “Crucible” blueprint variant of the katana melee weapon. You can acquire the following rewards in the free track at various XP milestones: “Researcher” Operator Skin for Wei Lin (JSOC) “Soul Harvest” Spray 1-Hour Double Weapon XP Token “Daisy” Sticker “Demon Slaughter” Loading Screen “Praetor Helm” Emblem “Doom 1993” Large Decal “Scientist” Operator Skin for Falkner (Guild) “Mini Slayer” Weapon Charm Roc 20mm Special Weapon In addition to the free items, the following rewards can be earned through the paid pass: “Doom Slayer” New Operator (JSOC) “Slayer’s Arrival” Animated Calling Card “Rend” AN-94 Assault Rifle Blueprint “Shieldsaw Revs” Emote “Tear” M10 Breacher Shotgun Blueprint “Evisceration” Finishing Move “BFG” Siren Special Weapon Blueprint “Crucible” Katana Melee Weapon Blueprint “Doom Count” Gun Screen  “Doom Guy” Operator Skin for Doom Slayer (JSOC) Images of all of Call of Duty’s Doom event rewards can be seen below. Make sure to check out all of the highlights for Season 6 of Black Ops 7, which include Halloween-themed game modes, more Zombies maps, and a spooky nighttime variant of Warzone’s Haven’s Hollow. This is the final season of Black Ops 7 content, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives on October 23. The Modern Warfare 4 campaign trailer has revealed Mads Mikkelsen to be playing a major antagonist in Modern Warfare 4, and the game will feature campaign early access on October 16.

Title: Gears of War: E-Day Preload Times, Install Size, And Global Launch Dates Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:45:22 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-e-day-preload-times-install-size-and-global-launch-dates/ Several years have passed since the last new Gears of War game was released, but at long last, that drought is almost over. Gears of War: E-Day will be one of the early highlights of October, and if you're looking to rev your Lancer up and turn back the Locust tide, you can start playing really soon. Like other big upcoming games, you'll also have the option to preload Gears of War: E-Day, so you can jump right into the fray on launch day. Here's a closer look at the timing for this new chapter in the series. Gears of War: E-Day install size According to the official PC requirements for Gears of War: E-Day, the game will require 115GB of storage capacity on that platform. Xbox Series X|S install sizes are typically on par with PC, so overall, you'll want to make sure you have at least 100GB of free space available on your machine. That's a pretty noticeable increase in size, as the previous game, Gears 5, required a chunky 80GB of space when it was first released back in 2019. One other thing to note is that if you're planning to play on PC, the game requires a solid-state drive to be installed on. This is a mandatory requirement for the game to run optimally. Gears of War: E-Day preloading times Preloading will kick off on September 29 at the following times: 11 AM ET 10 AM CT 9 AM MT 4 PM BST 5 PM CEST 3 PM UTC 5 PM SAST 1 AM AEST (September 30) Gears of War: E-Day early access global launch times If you purchase the Premium or Collector's Edition of Gears of War: E-Day, you'll get a five-day headstart to play the game, starting October 1.  Early access will kick off at these times across the globe: 11 AM ET 10 AM CT 9 AM MT 4 PM BST 5 PM CEST 3 PM UTC 5 PM SAST 1 AM AEST (October 2)

Title: GTA 6’s Jason And Lucia’s Relationship Is Deeper Than You Think Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:42:10 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-6-romance-relationships/ Grand Theft Auto 6's Jason and Lucia may not have to be in a romantic relationship. Throughout the GTA 6 extended look, we noticed several things that hint toward a far deeper relationship system than we first expected. When changing characters, there's a heart symbol in the bottom corner between the two. This represents that Jason and Lucia are, in fact, in a romantic relationship, but there's a lot of nuance to the system. This relationship is entirely optional--you do not need to be romantically involved. However, it's impossible to separate the two in terms of the storyline. As you progress through the game, the two will continue to be important parts of one another's lives. Whether or not you want to pursue a romantic relationship is up to you. The way Rockstar has been describing it is a lot more "dynamic." It's not as rigid as other games. Normally, when a game has a relationship mechanic, it feels very binary. Occasionally, characters will be created solely to serve as potential romantic partners. Throw a few gifts their way, have some good conversations, and consider yourself partnered off. By and large, the story remains the same. Jason and Lucia's relationship is more like a spectrum, and it can be strengthened via various activities. While it wasn't present in GTA 5, going on dates with people was present in other GTA titles. It doesn't seem like there are set missions for going on dates in GTA 6. Instead, moments that occur while you're on dates or completing activities could strengthen your relationship--holding hands or sharing a meal, for example. The relationship is not tracked by a bar or meter, but it has different states. The two most obvious ones are that you're either in a relationship or not, but there may be other states in between. As you engage with different activities, it will move up to different relationship states. While pursuing a romantic relationship is optional, there are no gameplay penalties if you choose not to. If you're worried that you have to be in a relationship to benefit from stat perks, that doesn't appear to be a factor. There could be other benefits that we're unaware of, but they're more likely to be related to dialogue or different scenes. It's also important to note that Jason and Lucia can't break up in the traditional sense. Generally, if you choose not to date, you can't split up entirely and lead different lives. However, if you had decided to pursue a romantic relationship and then change your mind, there are ways to get out of that relationship. However, you will always be partners in crime, and your shared story will continue. If you end up pursuing a relationship, it doesn't require a lot of maintenance. If things come up and you don't want to spend time with the other person, it won't hinder their relationship. You'll have to actively decide not to be in a romantic relationship. This makes GTA 6 almost unique in terms of how romantic relationships play out. You'll have to actively decide which type of relationship you'd like to pursue, and there's no "preferred" experience in terms of the story. Each character has agency in the relationship, but it remains to be seen how you're supposed to control both characters when they're talking to one another.

Title: The Best PS5 Games In 2026 Date: Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:13:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-ps5-games/2900-3832/ These are the very best PS5 games. The PlayStation 5 library is large and growing, so we've rounded up a selection of our absolute favorites, ranging from new PS5 games to modern classics, big-budget AAA releases to indie gems, and everything in between. As a new year begins, it's a good time to catch up on games you may have missed, and this list should serve as a starting point. Every game on this list gets our mark of approval as the very best the platform has to offer. This list includes recent favorites like The 2024 Game Awards winner Astro Bot and one of GameSpot's Games of the Year, Metaphor ReFantazio, as well as more recent games like Nioh 3. Plus, there's no shortage of other first- and third-party hits, like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Diablo 4, and Street Fighter 6. The PlayStation 5 is leading the market at more than 92 million units sold. The console has also gotten a facelift with the PS5 Slim model, the beefy PS5 Pro refresh, and a portable peripheral (of sorts) in the form of the streaming PlayStation Portal. For even more recommendations to get the most out of your PS5, be sure to check out our best PS5 controllers and best PS5 headsets. While you're at it, check out some of our selections for the best games on other platforms, best Xbox Series X games, best Xbox One games, and best Nintendo Switch games. 007 First Light 007 First Light proves that James Bond doesn't need to be a relic of a bygone era, as Hitman developer IO Interactive puts its signature spin on Britain's favorite secret agent. The studio charts a new origin for the world-famous character, establishing a new foundation that has everything a Bond fan could ask for: gadgets, guns, and one-liners. Every stage in this globe-trotting adventure is a playground of possibility, anchored by exceptional performances from the cast and a story that shows just how Bond earns his 00 status. It's arguably the best Bond adventure in decades, as IO Interactive makes excellent use of its license to thrill. Read our 007 First Light review. Advertisement Alan Wake 2 The long-awaited sequel to the psychological thriller Alan Wake was worth the wait. The game follows Alan Wake as he seeks to escape from the Dark Place, while a concurrent campaign follows FBI agent Saga Anderson. The twisting (and very meta) story lets both characters inform and illuminate one another, delivering a visually striking and eerie experience full of moments like you've never seen in a game. Read our Alan Wake 2 review. Advertisement Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced might not hit the peaks that its source material, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, hit 13 years ago, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad game. Divorced from the high bar that its predecessor set, this remake of the classic high-seas adventure is a faithful modernization, one that offers gorgeous visuals and polished gameplay while also sanding away the rougher edges. It might not have any real surprises to offer players, but on its own, the Black Flag remake is still a seaworthy entry in the franchise that's worth checking out, especially if you never played the original. Advertisement Astro Bot PlayStation mascot Astro had already debuted on PlayStation 5 with Astro's Playroom, a pre-installed tech demo that showed off the capabilities of the DualSense controller. In Astro Bot, the adorable little Sony mascot comes into its own with a full-fledged sequel that is also, as of now, the best-reviewed game of the year. Not only does Astro Bot squeeze technical wonder out of the PS5 capabilities, but it's also just a constantly surprising and impeccably well-crafted platformer that earns a place next to the very best the genre has to offer. It's a can't-miss on PS5, especially if you enjoyed the little taste from Astro's Playroom. See our Astro Bot review. Advertisement Baldur's Gate 3 Larian's masterpiece RPG is an incredible display of player agency and choice. The game replicates the Dungeons & Dragons experience like no other, giving you the freedom to approach scenarios in almost any way you can imagine, truly crafting your own tale as you engage with a multitude of memorable characters. It's mechanically complex but approachable, often beautiful to watch, and always gripping. Read our Baldur's Gate 3 review. Advertisement Big Walk Big Walk is easily one of the most wholesome games on PS5 right now, thanks to its endearing art direction and a focus on camaraderie in this multiplayer adventure. It's a stress-free social experience, one that's highly gratifying and full of moments that'll stick with you once you've solved the final puzzles. At its core, Big Walk is a game that's all about making memories, and once you reach the end, the greatest moments from this game will be living rent-free in your head for years to come. Read our Big Walk review. Advertisement The Blood of Dawnwalker With a strong pedigree of veteran developers behind it, Rebel Wolves' debut game is pure dark fantasy bliss. The grounded atmosphere, high stakes, and the pressure of a looming deadline make for a fresh action-RPG, one that never feels bloated with meaningless side quests or checklist activities. A compelling cast of villains and the Dawnwalker gameplay system also add depth to the game, while the 30-day resource system is a cleverly implemented countdown that forces you to think more carefully about each choice you make. Read our The Blood of Dawnwalker review. Advertisement Blue Prince What if you inherited an old manor house, but it changed radically every time you entered it? That's the core premise of Blue Prince, one of this year's best-reviewed games. The first-person puzzle game has you exploring the Mount Holly house, with its ever-shifting layout that you help to draft as you goal. The primary goal is to reach the final room and earn your inheritance, but the house holds many mysteries that unfold beautifully as you make your way through. Read our Blue Prince review. Advertisement Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Easily one of the biggest surprises of the year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a harmonious fusion of turn-based JRPG gameplay and souls-like combat. The end result is a riveting gameplay experience full of fist-pumping moments of joy when you nail the timing on parries and dodges. The game also features a story that pulls no punches, thanks to an all-star cast flexing their dramatic muscles as they breathe life into a cast of lovable heroes and believable villains. Read our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review. Advertisement Control: Ultimate Edition While Control was a great game when it launched in 2019, it had some issues with performance on PS4, especially on base models. With the power of the PS5, Control runs amazingly well. The particle physics really pop in 4K, and the performance is silky smooth. The Ultimate edition comes with both of Control’s expansions, which expand on a story that’s full of surprises and gripping performances. In Control, you play as Jesse Faden, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive agency that investigates supernatural events. Control’s combat is thrilling, with a great mix of standard third-person gunplay and abilities that ooze with style. The story is thought-provoking and, at times, mind-bending. It’s also elevated by a foreboding atmosphere and beautiful art style. If you missed out on Control the first time around, you can now play it in its ideal form on PS5. See our Control review. Advertisement Control Resonant Nobody does weird like Remedy Entertainment, and Control Resonant is another example of just how bizarre the studio can be with its themes, visuals, and storytelling. It's also a blast to play, as the fast-paced action remains consistently fun and encourages experimentation. It's a brilliant expansion of the world of Control, showing just how talented the Finnish developer is at thinking outside the box and taking a big swing at a new genre. The end result? A delightfully absurd and visually imaginative action game that keeps you hooked with its well-polished gameplay. Read our Control Resonant review. Advertisement Crimson Desert You can tell that Pearl Abyss spent years crafting Crimson Desert because the game has an astonishing amount of content. A grand fantasy adventure, Crimson Desert offers an unparalleled amount of freedom within its sandbox. Whether you want to continue along the story's golden path or get up to hijinks of the wacky variety, Crimson Desert will give you all the tools to make your journey across Pywel feel special. It's also one of the best-looking games of the year, so don't be too surprised to sink dozens of hours into this massive open-world experience. Read our Crimson Desert review. Advertisement Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Years in the making, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is legendary developer Hideo Kojima at his best. It's a wonderfully weird and masterfully crafted post-apocalyptic adventure that's stuffed with small details to savor and substantially improved gameplay. Death Stranding 2 is also a surprisingly sincere experience, one full of moments of subtle reflection from a developer at the top of his game. Read our Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review. Advertisement Deathloop Deathloop is set on Blackreef island, a strange place where the party never stops and everyone wants to kill our protagonist, Colt. The island is stuck in a time loop, and the only way to break it is by hunting down and killing a list of targets. Colt retains his memories from each loop but so do all of his targets. They know he's coming. Deathloop is an absolutely enthralling shooter that deftly weaves into systems into the loop in a coherent manner that gradually builds over time. It also tells a gripping tale and features some incredible acting. It earned a rare 10/10 in our review. See our Deathloop review. Advertisement Denshattack The mark of a great game is one that locks you into its world, making you scooch forward on your seat and devoting 110% of your thought process to perfecting it. Denshattack is one such game, a masterclass in entering a flow state as you grind railway lines, perform sick tricks, and spit in the face of authority with an impossibly agile train. Backed up by a killer soundtrack, sharp visuals, and some of the best level design of the year, it's pure high-speed bliss with a fresh attitude that we can't get enough of. Advertisement Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Diablo 4 was already a fantastic game when it launched, with Vessel of Hatred further polishing its grimdark gameplay systems. Lord of Hatred builds on that momentum, combining fantastic quality-of-life improvements with two new classes and a narrative that pulls no punches. The new Warlock and Paladin classes are a blast of fun that make you feel like a powerhouse in Sanctuary, endgame content is more approachable, and the much-needed update to skill trees is well-designed. Like Lord of Destruction and Reaper of Souls before it, Lord of Hatred elevates Diablo 4 and is a must-play part of Blizzard's dark fantasy series. Read our Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred review. Advertisement Dispatch We're far removed from the glory days of Telltale Games, but Dispatch shows just how good a tightly constructed narrative adventure can still be. A workplace drama set in the world of capes and tights, developer AdHoc Studio's ambitious game merges episodic storytelling with a refreshingly novel take on superhero drama. Polished writing gets you emotionally invested in each character, while the actual art of successfully dispatching heroes to combat threats to society makes for an engaging challenge. Read our Dispatch review. Advertisement Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring was the runaway hit of 2022 and our Game of the Year. We've been patiently awaiting the promised Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and this year From Soft delivered in a big way. The DLC provides a massive new area to explore, dense with secrets to uncover and new challenges to overcome. The smart balancing system lets you experience the feeling of progression even with your most overpowered build, and it deepens and expands upon the beloved Elden Ring lore in rich, sometimes shocking ways. Read our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree review. Advertisement Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Final Fantasy VII Remake impressed us with how it rethought the very structure of what a classic game remake could be. The second in the planned trilogy, Rebirth, expands its scope outside the steampunk city of Midgar and into a lush open world, giving you no shortage of activities and minigames to occupy your time as you pursue the deadly Sephiroth. While this middle chapter loses some of the focus of its predecessor, it makes up for it by further polishing the already tightly designed combat, introducing a wide cast of new and familiar faces, and deepening the mysteries at the heart of the remake trilogy. Plus, we just can't get enough Queen's Blood, the new card game that's so good it could stand on its own as a separate release. See our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review. Advertisement Ghost of Tsushima / Ghost of Yotei Ghost of Tsushima was the last major exclusive to release on PS4 and made the most of the hardware since it already looked incredible and ran extremely well. The free PS5 upgrade makes the details of Tsushima’s lush open world even more rich and expressive. If you missed out on Ghost of Tsushima at the end of the PS4’s lifecycle, the upgrade, which supports gameplay at 60fps and 4K resolution, makes it look and feel like a native PS5 game. You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai who barely staves off a violent death and sets off on an adventure to thwart the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Ghost of Tsushima has great, fluid combat and well-integrated stealth mechanics. The open-world quest structure does feel fairly familiar, but all of the other aspects make it worth the occasional repetition. Outside of the campaign, there’s a surprisingly awesome co-op multiplayer mode dubbed Legends that adds numerous new layers to an already-great game. You can also opt for the Director's Cut, which includes a brand-new story expansion that adds to the overall narrative. See our Ghost of Tsushima review. Its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, sticks very closely to the template set by Ghost of Tsushima, making for a comfortably familiar game. It might offer few surprises in the gameplay department, but Ghost of Yotei still excels as a tentpole PS5 release: it's gorgeous, you can sink dozens of hours into its romanticized slice of feudal Japan, and its gripping tale of revenge is full of surprises along the way. Read our Ghost of Yotei review. Advertisement God of War / God of War Ragnarok God of War is one of the most stunning PS4 games, and it is even prettier on PS5. The PS5 update adds a performance mode with 4K resolution that runs at 60fps. God of War is one of the best PlayStation exclusives in a long time already, so it’s definitely worth revisiting or playing for the first time on PS5 if you haven't yet. Its sequel, God of War Ragnarok, is a massive expansion of the concept and a continuation of the story. It's just as visually outstanding, while refining the already stellar combat and giving you new tools and RPG-like features to help you make the combat your own. It also continues, and possibly concludes, the apocalyptic story that the first game began, making these two a perfect duology to experience on your PS5. See our God of War Ragnarok review. Advertisement Hades 2 The original Hades was a sublime roguelite, but its sequel takes everything that made the first game great and transforms it into an exceptional follow-up. A good roguelite is all about working toward that one perfect run, an idea that Hades 2 excels at with its polished gameplay, varied arsenal, and powerful boons from the gods. At its core lies a captivating narrative, a story that'll keep you coming back for more, and as a sum of its parts, Hades 2 is a sublime sequel. Read our Hades 2 review. Advertisement Hitman: World of Assassination IO Interactive’s Hitman reboot trilogy has proven to be one of the most inventive and interesting stealth-action series ever made. Hitman 3 caps off the World of Assassination trilogy on an all-time high note for the franchise as a whole. The hallmark of the trilogy has been player choice in intricate sandbox-style levels, and that is readily on display in Hitman 3, giving players a dizzying number of ways to tackle objectives as Agent 47. Brilliant level design is complemented by lively characters who draw you into this mesmerizing and often absurd world. Hitman 3 also places a greater emphasis on its story, which trickles down to the atmosphere to create a campaign that feels more consequential. With the "World of Assassination" update, you can play through all three games of content along with the engaging roguelike Freelancer mode. See our Hitman 3 review. Advertisement Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 The historical epic RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance was a surprise hit in 2018, and now its sequel has come to expand upon the world. This is a role-playing game with an emphasis on actually playing a role, as both the combat and conversation systems are rich with layers to explore and craft your own path through the world. The combat has been streamlined and feels more fluid, but not at the expense of its predecessor's depth. And the quests are well-written and draw you deeper into the world. Read our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review. Advertisement Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Capcom has had a string of wins with its established franchises, recently releasing a steady stream of well-received new games like Street Fighter 6 alongside remakes like Resident Evil 4. Kunitsu-Gami shows the publisher hasn't lost its step for new franchises, producing an inventive blend of demon-slaying action and tower defense strategy that each feel intense and satisfying in their own ways, and especially combined together. Inspired by Japanese folklore, you need to constantly balance purging the demons, rescuing villagers, and building traps. It's a lot to manage, but spinning these plates simultaneously creates a compelling gameplay loop that's hard to put down. Read our Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess review. Advertisement Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight We've gone years without a solo Batman game, but fortunately, TT Games has arrived to save the day with its new Lego Batman adventure. While the core premise of exploring familiar worlds, bashing everything in sight so that you can build obstacle-clearing gadgets, and collecting all the things that remain in place, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight enhances that formula and makes it feel better than ever. Clever puzzles, a focused roster of characters, and meaty combat on their own feel terrific, but the game also serves as a brilliant celebration of all things Batman. Read our Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight review. Advertisement Lumines Arise A synesthesia-fueled sequel. Lumines Arise successfully transitions the cult-classic puzzle game series to the Tetris Effect field. Each puzzle is as engrossing as ever, Journey Mode is complemented by several other modes, and the game is a must-have for PlayStation VR2 owners. It might have a high skill ceiling, but once you find your flow, Lumines Arise quickly becomes an experience that effortlessly evokes emotions with its beautiful level design. Read our Lumines Arise review. Advertisement Marathon Bungie's return to its Marathon roots is a fresh spin on the classic IP, one that's full of fist-pumping highs thanks to its extraction shooter setup and painful lows when things don't go according to plan. It's that constant sense of risk and reward that makes Marathon stand out, while clever ideas like the Contracts system to keep the story flowing alongside a customization system that incentivizes experimentation all add up to create a memorable trip to the abandoned ruins of Tau Ceti IV. Read our Marathon review. Advertisement Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Following the blockbuster success of the first Spider-Man game from Insomniac and its interstitial sequel Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 lets the two Spider-Men join forces in a sprawling and gorgeously rendered New York City. The two are come face to face with Kraven the Hunter, who has come to New York targeting Spidey's rogues gallery. The dual protagonists lets you play with two sets of powers, while the cinematic story is a treat for long-time web-heads. Read our Spider-Man 2 review. Advertisement Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls With jaw-dropping visuals and hard-hitting action, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls scratches the itch for a Marvel fighting game that hasn't been felt in many years. A brawler that puts its own spin on the classic comic book tradition of thrilling team-ups, Marvel Tokon raises the bar for tag-fighters. In a year full of great fighting games, it's an instant classic in this genre. Read our Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls review. Advertisement Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 While everyone has come for Metal Gear Solid 4, you won't want to sleep on the handheld classics included in this compilation of classic Solid Snake games. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 does an amazing job of rescuing Metal Gear Solid 4 from PS3 purgatory, while Peace Walker and Ghost Babel complement Snake's greatest adventure with their retro charm. Advertisement Metaphor: ReFantazio Persona series director Katsura Hashino has returned with his first new game since 2016, and it's a fantastic one. Metaphor: ReFantazio is similar structurally to the Persona series, but it features a new original storyline set in a fantasy world, and a wide array of characters to find and classes to unlock. The turn-based RPG combat unfolds beautifully into deep layers of strategy, and the story is an affecting meditation on the power of storytelling. Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the few games in our history to earn a 10/10 review. Read our Metaphor: ReFantazio review. Advertisement Mina the Hollower A love letter to classic top-down Legend of Zelda games, Mina the Hollower is a nostalgic treat. Not only does it feel like an adventure game from yesteryear, but developer Yacht Club Games has also packed in Bloodborne-inspired combat that feels organic and perfectly meshes with the design principles, creating a perfect link between two distinct worlds. Read our Mina the Hollower review. Advertisement MLB The Show 25 The annual baseball season means a new MLB game, and this year's MLB The Show 25 is the best it's been in years. A revised progression system makes Road to the Show better than it's been in years, and this iteration makes significant tweaks to the defensive and free agent systems. The Storylines mode remains a standout, delivering another season of the Negro Leagues story, albeit without a new individual story to set it apart. All in all there's a reason The Show has gained a reputation as a premiere annual sports franchise and this year's doesn't disappoint. Read our MLB The Show 25 review. Advertisement Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Who would have thought that one of the best Monster Hunter games in the entire franchise would be its spin-off, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection? That's what makes this threequel such a pleasant surprise, as it takes the key elements of the Monster Hunter IP and freshens them up with thrilling turn-based combat and a story that keeps you on your toes. Read our Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection review. Advertisement Nioh 3 Nioh 3 doesn't stray too far from the playbook that it wrote in its previous outings, as this Team Ninja-developed game requires 110% of your attention at any given time when facing off against deadly adversaries. A solid jumping-on point for newcomers, Nioh 3 features a refined sense of gameplay that enhances its core systems, making it easily the best entry in the series to date. It asks a lot of a player with a combat style that emphasizes careful planning and quick reactions, but in return, it provides a satisfying experience to savor. Read our Nioh 3 review. See at Amazon Advertisement No Man's Sky No game had a better comeback story last generation than No Man’s Sky, the ambitious space-exploration sim from Hello Games that originally launched to mixed reception in 2016. In the years since, Hello Games has changed the narrative from unfulfilled promises to exceeding expectations. From adding a bevy of new features like base-building and space fleet management to introducing entirely new ways to play thanks to multiplayer, No Man’s Sky has become a wonderful experience. On PS5, No Man’s Sky runs in 4K at 60fps, has more detailed planets, and features better lighting and shadows. For a game that focuses on exploration and discovery, No Man’s Sky’s visual and technical improvements make it an even worthier voyage across space. See our No Man's Sky Next review. Advertisement Onimusha: Way of the Sword Capcom's revival of the classic Onimusha series is yet another win for the company in 2026, as this action-RPG shows that not every game has to crib from the soulslike handbook--but it sure doesn't hurt to borrow a few ideas from it! A thrilling clash of steel, Onimusha: Way of the Sword captures the excitement of close-quarters battle with its polished gameplay, as you take on all manner of nightmarish foes in an adventure that blends a beautiful art direction with grotesque monsters. Read our Onimusha: Way of the Sword review. Advertisement Pragmata It feels like Capcom can't stop winning in 2026, as after the release of Resident Evil Requiem and Monster Hunter Stories 3, the company's next game is a sci-fi adventure full of heart and interesting gameplay systems. An excellent shooter built around the idea of hacking your opponents to weaken them before you deliver a killing blow, Pragmata balances that strategic depth with a heartfelt story. With millions of units already sold and a sequel looking likely, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this new breakout hit from Capcom. Read our Pragmata review. See at Amazon Advertisement Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart A PS5 exclusive, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a thrilling adventure in the action-platforming series, and it looks and feels incredible on next-gen hardware. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart introduces a lovable new character, Rivet, who teams up with the iconic duo after they're thrust into an alternate dimension. With gorgeous visuals, immersive DualSense functionality, and new traversal tools that refine platforming and combat, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first games that felt truly "next-gen" and is a must-play for any PS5 owners. See our Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart review. See at Amazon Advertisement Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 is one of the most revered third-person action games of all time, and one that helped set the standard for years to come. Capcom's decision to remake the classic couldn't have come lightly, but the studio pulled off the feat with aplomb and met the understandably high expectations. The remake of Resident Evil 4 is not just a significant visual improvement over the original. It's a thoughtful reimagining of the best parts of RE4, and a reinvention of the pieces that were less successful. The result is a game that is both recognizable and fresh, paying homage to a fantastic game and making it feel utterly modern in the process. See our Resident Evil 4 review. See at Amazon Advertisement Resident Evil Requiem Resident Evil Requiem is the best of the franchise's two distinct eras, as it expertly juggles the sweat-inducing terror of its survival-horror past with the tight power fantasy of the later survival-action games. Grotesquely gorgeous to look at and full of moments that put a new spin on the bioterror of the franchise, Requiem is both a love letter to Resident Evil and an exciting glimpse of what its future could be. Read our Resident Evil Requiem review. See at Best Buy Advertisement Returnal Returnal is not a game for everyone--it's extremely difficult and its roguelite structure can feel overwhelming at first--but those who keep playing will be rewarded with one of Housemarque's best games. Essentially a AAA-level third-person shooter with arcade sensibilities, it retains the essence of Housemarque's older, smaller games like Nex Machina and Resogun, with dodging through enemy projectiles and memorizing their attacks playing a huge role. But on top of this is a surprisingly deep story focused on an astronaut named Selene and a planet that she just can't seem to escape, even in death. Shortcuts and a little bit of luck can make the run between the game's six different biomes much less daunting, and little tidbits of exposition and world-building make even your failed runs feel worthwhile. And that's good, because you're likely going to have a lot of them before you see the ending. See our Returnal review. Advertisement Saros Saros might look like Returnal 1.5 on the surface, but you don't have to dig too deep to see how Housemarque has improved on its predecessor's formula of roguelike third-person action. Featuring exhilarating moment-to-moment action and gorgeous visuals on PS5, Saros is also a roguelike for the masses with smart options that keep you in the fight for longer. Various gameplay systems also guarantee a sense of progression and satisfaction with each run, while an unlockable toolkit of intelligently designed gameplay modifiers gives you a fighting chance when you explore the hostile alien landscape of Carcosa. Read our Saros review. Advertisement Silent Hill F Swapping the misty streets of the US for Japan, Silent Hill F is a strong reminder as to why the survival-horror series has been a cult-classic for so many years. More than just an intense and surreal journey that unfolds across labyrinthine streets, Silent Hill F is both gorgeous and grotesque. The game also tackles heavy themes throughout its narrative, and combined with masterfully crafted gameplay and replayability, it cements its status as the definitive Silent Hill experience. Read our Silent Hill F review. Advertisement Silent Hill: Townfall Fans of survival-horror have been spoiled for choice lately, thanks to the return and rise of the Silent Hill franchise. Silent Hill: Townfall marks a big shift for the series, as it ditches the safety of a third-person design for a first-person experience that amplifies the scares. Developer Screen Burn has come out swinging with this spin-off, continuing the successful comeback tour of Silent Hill with a terrifying dive into uniquely Scottish horror that fans will be dissecting for decades to come. Read our Silent Hill Townfall review. Advertisement Split Fiction Hazelight has made a name for itself as the premiere cooperative game studio, and Split Fiction is just the latest display why it's earned the title. The platform action game follows the story of two aspiring writers--one sci-fi author and one fantasy author--whose worlds are smashed together by a high-tech firm. What makes Split Fiction stand out is Hazelight's characteristic inventiveness, consistently surprising the players with new challenges that test their cooperative prowess. Read our Split Fiction review. Advertisement Street Fighter 6 Street Fighter 5 was a divisive part of the long-running fighting franchise, and clearly Capcom intended Street Fighter 6 to be a reset. It appears to be mission accomplished, as the latest game is getting praise across the board for being an excellent entry for fighting game veterans as well as a great entry point for those who have had trouble penetrating the scene. A newly refined combo system also helps novices learn not just how to pull off complicated moves, but also the strategy behind when and why to do it. Perhaps the wildest revision is a new World Tour mode, which has you create a custom fighter with their own blend of moves that you learn from several masters--famous Street Fighter characters like Ken and Chun-Li. And the fighters themselves are a diverse set of strange and inventive new characters alongside classic faces like Blanka and Dhalsim. It all comes together to be the best Street Fighter package in years. See our Street Fighter 6 review. Advertisement The Talos Principle 2 The philosophical first-person puzzler The Talos Principle demanded a sequel as ambitious and heady as it was, and the second game delivers. Talos Principle 2 is once again a contemplative experience that raises big questions even as you stay occupied with a series of clever puzzles. You'll explore deep existential questions and unravel the nature of the world. The first game was an unexpected treat but The Talos Principle 2 shows that developer Croteam can still create a delightful puzzle box even when we think we know what to expect. Read our The Talos Principle 2 review. Advertisement Trails in the Sky: 2nd Chapter Last year's remake of the first Trails game laid a foundation for future returns to classic entries in the longrunning RPG series. Trails in the Sky: 2nd Chapter takes full advantage of that solid platform, further refining the gameplay and hitting the ground running with a powerful narrative that has a satisfying payoff. Expanding heavily on the cryptic, political machinations of the shadowy organization Ouroboros, 2nd Chapter's great story is enhanced with modernized gameplay, brand-new content, and options to cleverly streamline the gameplay. Advertisement

Title: The Best News For Saw: Genesis Is We Have To Wait Longer To Play It Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:43:43 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-best-news-for-saw-genesis-is-we-have-to-wait-longer-to-play-it/ Saw: Genesis was set to be the next asymmetrical multiplayer horror game to debut, but its 2026 early-access launch has been pushed to 2027, developer Bloober Team announced.  The horror-focused studio said it needs more time to get Saw: Genesis to a place the team is satisfied with. It's an interesting admission, since some teams use Steam Early Access for exactly that purpose: to get the game in good shape. But in the increasingly competitive and crowded space of licensed multiplayer horror games, a bad first impression may be more damaging than a reverse bear trap strapped to your face. We've seen a lot of games like this since Dead by Daylight kicked off a wave of them in 2016, but my appetite remains insatiable because no two are really quite alike. It's exciting to see how studios transpose different horror movies' signature elements into interactive experiences, but when I checked out Saw: Genesis at Summer Game Fest, I came away underwhelmed.  The 3v1 gameplay loop wasn't easy to follow in my hands-off demo. It's set about a century before the movies, with one person playing as a Jigsaw-like "Judge" who runs three others through his maze of torture devices and traps, trying to kill them all before any of them can escape the end of his trials.  The team of three may have brief windows of opportunity to attack the Judge, though a really skilled Judge may never even give them a chance, lurking in corridors the victims can't access, slinking out to activate his next hellish device. Things like complex puzzles for the victims and best practices for the Judge were really hard to follow. Some understanding would come with more experience, no doubt, but the first impression was rough enough to make me think it'll scare off players for being so unintuitive right away. Animations and visuals were lacking, too. I figured those issues could and likely would be polished over time, but if the core experience is unclear or convoluted, Saw: Genesis may struggle to compete for players' time, especially since its closest comparison is Red Barrels' already successful Outlast Trials. The delay feels warranted. I've been rewatching the Saw series lately, and it's reminded me that these movies aren't very good. Many of the 10 of them are plainly bad. Even the first one, which I'd long remembered as a milestone in low-budget horror, now feels like it has too many plot contrivances and nu-metal music-video editing choices for my liking.  And yet, I'm totally on board with Saw: Genesis if it works as a game. I don't have any reverence for the '80s B-movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space, but I had a blast with Illfonic's adaptation. I'm looking forward to seeing how Saw: Genesis changes shape between now and the next time we hear about it. Even though it's horror season and a Saw: Genesis launch would've made sense on the calendar--"If it's Halloween, it must be Saw," I was always told--I like the idea of Bloober Team pushing it out a few months to try to clean it up. This is a studio that told me it's done making "shitty games," and while that's not a guarantee, Bloober Team surely hopes to follow through. 

Title: Hytale's Next Major Update Promises Dungeons and Other Huge Changes Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:06:39 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/hytale-chapter-one-dungeons-goblins-abilities-trailer/ The Minecraft-like sandbox game Hytale has been off to a strong start. After Riot canceled the game in June 2025, its original creator, Hypixel Studios, bought back the rights and launched it in Early Access this January. Hytale has apparently exceeded the studio's own expectations, which is impressive given its lead designer, Simon Collins-Laflamme, said he expected the game to hit over 1 million players on release day.

Title: Ace Combat 8 Is a Triumphant Return for One of Gaming’s Best Series Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:15 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/ It’s easy to lose sight of those questions throughout the always-thrilling Wings of Theve. For the series’ first game in seven years, the newly formed development team at Bandai Namco Aces goes all-out for a spectacular war game filled with a diversity of aerial operations that test your flying skills every which way it can. Bombing runs against megatanks and speedy jet chases through the clouds often tempt you to stop asking what you, a pilot for the Federation of Central Usea (FCU), are fighting for.

Title: The Original Castlevania Is Free Right Now, but There’s a Catch Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:58:41 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/castlevania-40-anniversary-free-mobile-download-limited-time/ This year marks the 40th anniversary of Konami's Castlevania series. Since its debut, there have been countless games, spin-offs, and adaptations telling the story of the Belmont family's ongoing fight against Dracula and the forces of evil. But it all started in 1986 with the first game's release on the Famicom in Japan. Konami is making the original game available for free as part of the anniversary celebrations, but you only have a limited time to claim it.

Title: 6 New October Games That Should Be on Your Steam Wishlist Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:15 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/wishlister-september-25/ Wishlister is a weekly newsletter bringing you a curated list of upcoming Steam games worth adding to your wishlist, sent on Tuesdays and published on the site on Fridays. You can subscribe here.

Title: New Magic Leak Confirms Fully-Foil Spider-Man Commander Deck Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:32:20 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/magic-mtg-spider-man-commander-deck-christmas/ Marvel's Spider-Man is a Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond set that came out in September 2025. Notably, the set lacked preconstructed Commander decks, a popular product for fans of Magic's multiplayer variant. Magic's head designer Mark Rosewater explained that Marvel's Spider-Man began its design cycle as a very small set, but then Wizards of the Coast decided to expand it. However, there wasn't a lot of time for the pivot, so Commander decks were left on the cutting-room floor. Still, Rosewater also added that the product could appear in the future, a claim that seemed confirmed this past June by a leak, and now sees further support from new, unofficial information.

Title: Cute Critters Come to the Cloud: ‘Aniimo’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:55 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-aniimo/ A new creature-catching adventure is ready to stream from the cloud this week. Pawprint Studio’s Aniimo arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, inviting gamers to explore the vibrant continent of Idyll across supported devices. Also this week, 007 First Light receives a path-tracing update on GeForce NOW, alongside a smashing limited-time Deluxe Edition sale on Steam and Epic Games Store. Gaijin Network’s fractured-multiverse action game Active Matter and Annapurna Interactive’s acclaimed space mystery Outer Wilds are also among 11 new titles joining the cloud this week. Explore Idyll With the Cutest Companions The path to Idyll begins now. Aniimo is a free-to-play, open-world creature-catching role-playing game where every creature encountered can become a companion. Catch Aniimo with Aniipods, then Twine with them to take on their form and use unique skills to solve puzzles, win battles and overcome challenges. Glide, dive and burrow across Idyll, then return to a personal RV to build a warm, interactive Homeland alongside Aniimo companions. Stream Aniimo on a Steam Deck, in the newly supported Firefox browser and across any other supported devices — without waiting through its 45GB download or making room in local storage. There’s always room in the Homeland for one more Aniimo. Choose Your Path Licensed to render. In the critically acclaimed, multimillion-selling 007 First Light, follow James Bond as a young, resourceful and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover a reimagined origin story of the world’s most famous spy. Incorporating IO Interactive’s signature stealth gameplay with world-class Bond action, players can embark on missions in breathtaking locations around the globe, drive iconic vehicles and dive into a cinematic adventure in pursuit of a rogue agent who’s always one step ahead. Path tracing has now been added to 007 First Light, introducing extra-detailed lighting, shadows and reflections, making its levels and set pieces even more cinematic, immersive and realistic. And NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction ensures the fidelity, clarity and accuracy of these additions are at their absolute best. Ultimate members can stream with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance, with up to 5K high dynamic range and cinematic-quality streaming. DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and Dynamic Frame Generation accelerate frame rates and enhance image quality. A limited-time opportunity awaits: the 007 First Light Deluxe Edition is on sale on Steam from Sept. 15-29 and on Epic Games Store from Sept. 3-18. The mission is on sale. The getaway car is in the cloud. Matter of Time Gaijin’s Active Matter, a realistic military shooter set in a fractured multiverse, has launched on GeForce NOW. As an operative stuck in a time loop, join dangerous raids for loot or intense player vs. player battles. Fight against rivals from other timelines, survive physics-breaking anomalies and try to stay alive. Harvest active matter, gather loot and extract to a safe place before the whole zone ceases to exist. Ultimate members can take on each raid with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, delivering high frame rates, advanced graphics features and low latency across supported devices. The zone won’t wait — and neither does the next loop. Let’s Get Loopy Every loop holds another secret. Outer Wilds joins the GeForce NOW library this week. As the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, search for answers across a strange, ever-changing solar system trapped in an endless time loop. Gamers can trace mysterious signals, decipher alien writing and discover hidden locations before an underground city is swallowed by sand or a planet crumbles beneath their feet. There’s even more to stream this week: Active Matter (New release on Steam and Gaijin, Sept. 15) Aniimo (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) RuneScape: Dragonwilds (New release on Xbox, Sept. 15, available on Game Pass) Train Sim World 7 (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 (New release on Steam, Sept. 17) The Blood of Dawnwalker (GOG.com) Mixtape (Steam) Neon White (Steam) Outer Wilds (Steam) Stray (Steam) What Remains of Edith Finch (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. Ready to take this week’s new games for a spin? Start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Even better, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to level up with GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Boots on the Ground: ‘WARDOGS’ Goes All Out on GeForce NOW at Early-Access Launch Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:18 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-wardogs/ Gear up: The latest PC games and major updates are ready to play on GeForce NOW this week. WARDOGS drops onto the cloud at early-access launch, alongside the Valheim 1.0 Deep North update and Bus Simulator 27 — part of nine new titles joining the cloud. The newest PC releases can demand serious hardware, storage space and upgrade budgets. GeForce NOW puts GeForce RTX-powered performance in the cloud, so members can jump into the newest titles across supported devices without needing expensive PC upgrades to keep up. From a 100-player tactical firefight to a frozen Viking frontier and a growing bus empire, every adventure is ready when members are — no downloads or storage management required. Who Let the ‘WARDOGS’ Out?   Take on the Control Zone: WARDOGS launches on GeForce NOW today, bringing BULKHEAD’s large-scale tactical first-person shooter to the cloud at early-access launch. Up to 100 players across three teams battle to control randomized zones in a large-scale military sandbox, where tactical gunplay, combined-arms combat, building and destruction can change the course of a match. There’s no single route to victory. Outfit a loadout, coordinate a squad, fortify a strategic position or take the fight to the enemy in vehicles. Every team play action earns cash, giving players more ways to invest in gear and vehicles that can turn the tide. Ultimate members can stream the fight with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud for a tactical advantage. Pick up the battle across supported devices without waiting on a huge game install or clearing local storage first. Ice, Ice in the Deep North, Baby Sharpen the axes and raise the shields – Valheim has left early access with its 1.0 update, letting members stream the final biome in Iron Gate’s Viking survival saga through Steam and Xbox Store.  Set sail for the Deep North, a frozen frontier filled with new enemies to face, weapons to craft and strongholds to build before the cold closes in. The 1.0 launch also arrives alongside new platform versions with full crossplay support, making it easier to rally the clan. Whether returning to a long-running world on a PC or Mac or beginning a fresh voyage on a Steam Deck or Amazon Fire TV Stick, members can head to the Deep North across supported devices without waiting for downloads. The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round in the Cloud The route to the top starts here. Hop into the driver’s seat. Bus Simulator 27 is now streaming from GeForce NOW.  Drive a fleet of more than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 manufacturers through Felicia Bay, a sunny region with two cities, 20 districts and a full day-and-night cycle. Build routes, manage timetables and grow a successful bus company in Story, Career or Sandbox mode. And there’s even more to stream from the GeForce NOW library this week: Bus Simulator 27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Halloween: The Game (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Honeycomb: The World Beyond (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Wanderburg (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Shroom and Gloom (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Train Sim World 7 – Advanced Access (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) WARDOGS (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Welcome to Elderfield (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Epic Games Store) 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. One GFN community member recently returned after six years, saying NVIDIA DLSS 5 technology renewed their interest in GeForce NOW cloud gaming. Ready to try it out, too? Start with a day pass to test premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. For those who decide to keep playing, the cost can be applied toward their first monthly membership. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: ‘NBA 2K27’ With NVIDIA DLSS 5 Leads 28 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:35 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-september-2026-games-list/ September is here with 28 more games streaming on GeForce NOW this month, led by a slam dunk: NBA 2K27 with the NVIDIA DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering feature. Through NVIDIA’s close collaboration with Visual Concepts and 2K, DLSS 5 brings a new level of lifelike lighting and material detail to the court — tuned by developers to support the game’s authentic broadcast-style presentation. Members can also walk the line between human and vampire in Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of Dawnwalker and step into genma-haunted Kyoto in Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword — part of the 10 games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Take the Court With DLSS 5 Showcase your moves. NVIDIA, Visual Concepts and 2K have brought DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering to NBA 2K27, delivering a new level of sports realism for players streaming from the cloud at launch.  DLSS 5 enhances and tunes lighting and materials to make the action feel even more lifelike — from how light catches hair and skin to the detail preserved in the facial geometry of real-world athletes — achieving new levels of authenticity.  GeForce NOW Ultimate members in NVIDIA-operated regions can stream NBA 2K27 across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more. DLSS 5 is available when streaming from a GeForce RTX 5080-powered rig in the cloud. Tip off without waiting for downloads or managing storage, and experience NBA 2K27 from the cloud with the visual fidelity of DLSS 5. Walk the Line Between Day and Night Human by day. Vampire by night. Rebel Wolves’ newly launched The Blood of Dawnwalker is streaming from GeForce NOW. The open-world, dark-fantasy action role-playing game transports players to 14th-century Europe, where war, plague and rising vampire powers have reshaped history. Play as Coen, a young Dawnwalker fighting to save his family while caught between his humanity and cursed vampiric strength. His abilities — and the choices available to him — change between day and night, shaping how players explore, fight and uncover the secrets of the world around them. Sink teeth into the fresh adventure from nearly any supported device, with Ultimate members tapping into GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud. Skip the installs and let GeForce NOW handle the heavy lifting, leaving more time to take a bite out of everything Coen’s new world has to offer. Skip the Downloads and Sharpen the Sword Pick up the Oni Gauntlet. Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, giving members a way to jump straight into the series’ return instantly from the cloud. Fight across a twisted vision of Edo-period Kyoto as a lone samurai wielding the mystical Oni Gauntlet. Master precise swordplay, unleash powerful abilities and absorb the souls of fallen enemies while battling relentless Genma beneath mysterious clouds of Malice. Ultimate members can stream every clash with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs, the newly supported Firefox browser and more. Cut to the chase by skipping any downloads and storage management and step into battle. In addition, members can look for the following titles streaming this week: Breathedge 2 (New release on Steam, Aug. 31) Serious Sam: Shatterverse (New release on Steam, Aug. 31) Crimson Moon (New release on Steam, Sept. 1) The Blood of Dawnwalker (New release on Steam, Sept. 2) NBA 2K27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 3) SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, Sept. 3) Onimusha: Way of the Sword (New release on Steam, Sept. 4) How to Fish (Steam) Shelves and Sorcery: Tidy Up the Enchanted Shop (Steam) VHOLUME (Steam) And look forward to the games coming throughout the month: Bus Simulator 27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Halloween: The Game (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Honeycomb: The World Beyond (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Wanderburg (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Shroom and Gloom (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) WARDOGS (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Welcome to Elderfield (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Active Matter (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) Aniimo (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) Train Sim World 7 (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 (New release on Steam, Sept. 17) CONTROL Resonant (New release on Steam, Sept. 24) Nivalis Nights (New release on Steam, Sept. 29) Mixtape (Steam)  Neon White (Steam)  Outer Wilds (Steam)  Stray (Steam) What Remains of Edith Finch (Steam) All the Extras From August In addition to the 26 games announced last month, 18 more joined the GeForce NOW library.  Cat Mail Co. (Steam) Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo (Steam) Stars Reach (Steam) DIVE or DIE – Children of Rain (Steam) Escape the Backroom (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Hell Is Us (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Parcel Simulator (Steam) The Thaumaturge (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered (Epic Games Store) STAR WARS Zero Company (EA app and Steam) Baldur’s Gate 3 (GOG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (GOG) Cold Fear (GOG) IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator (Steam) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (GOG) Mount & Blade: Bannerlord II (GOG) No Man’s Sky (GOG) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (GOG) 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. New to GeForce NOW? 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 are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: GeForce NOW Gives Gamers More Ways to Play at Gamescom 2026 Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:33 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gamescom-2026/ NVIDIA’s Gamescom announcements are revealing what’s next for GeForce NOW, with new ways to play, more supported devices and platforms, and even more big PC games headed to the cloud. New NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 technology controls give members more ways to fine-tune gameplay, while expanded support for new Steam devices, GOG single sign-on, Firefox browser support and more Amazon Fire TV devices continue broadening where and how GeForce RTX-powered PC gaming can be enjoyed. Gamescom is also bringing a blockbuster lineup of PC games to GeForce NOW. CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker and STAR WARS Zero Company are all coming to the cloud at launch.  For a limited time, members can also get CONTROL Resonant with the purchase of a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership. The Gamescom extras don’t stop there. To celebrate, GeForce NOW is giving away more than 40 prizes in our Community Giveaway — including gaming hardware and GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships. There’s even more fun to come. Check out the list of 13 games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Next-Level Cloud Gaming More ways to choose how to play. This fall, GeForce NOW is introducing new NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls in the cloud, giving Ultimate members more choice over how supported games look and perform, even without the latest hardware. Powered by NVIDIA RTX graphics, each control offers something different: DLSS Super Resolution sharpens image quality, while Dynamic Frame Generation delivers lower latency and stutter for smoother streaming, and Ray Reconstruction enhances ray-traced visuals. Together, these technologies make it easier to tune supported games for image quality, responsiveness or a preferred balance between the two.  Stay tuned to GFN Thursdays for details about best practices for enabling DLSS 4.5 overrides and how Dynamic Frame Generation can help Ultimate members enable more graphic settings while still getting smooth streaming. Stream full steam ahead with the Steam ecosystem. GeForce NOW is also adding community-requested support for Steam Machine with Steam Controller later this fall, and later for Windows and macOS, delivering more ways to play and making it even easier for longtime Steam players to jump into the cloud using familiar hardware. The additions build on existing Steam Deck support and expand compatibility across the Steam ecosystem. Get your GOG on with one click into the library. Launching GOG games just got even easier. With GOG single sign-on now available on GeForce NOW, members can securely link their account once, automatically sync supported games and launch them without having to sign in to GOG again — all with a single click. With fewer steps between opening the app, skipping any downloads and jumping into gameplay, it’s another way GeForce NOW continues streamlining access to PC gaming libraries, making it easier to play the GOG library of games on TV platforms since gamers are automatically logged into their GOG accounts. Find popular titles, like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, in the app in the dedicated GOG row. Or search and filter for GOG games, then jump into supported titles from almost anywhere — all streamed from the cloud. Check back on GFN Thursdays for the latest games joining the GeForce NOW library, including newly supported games streaming from GOG. Outfox nearly any device with GeForce RTX gaming. Plus, GeForce NOW is now officially supported on Firefox, expanding browser access across all major Windows browsers. Members can jump into supported PC games directly from Firefox without downloading a dedicated app. Ultimate members can enjoy GeForce RTX-powered gaming at up to 1440p and 120 frames per second. Simply download the latest version of Firefox and visit play.geforcenow.com to get started. The cloud handles downloads, installs and updates, keeping local storage free while games stay ready to play in the cloud.  Bring the fire to living rooms with GeForce NOW. GeForce NOW is expanding support to additional Amazon Fire TV devices. GeForce NOW first launched on Fire TV devices earlier this year, and will soon expand to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, a 4K streaming stick that’s ready to game right out of the box. Streaming from the cloud means supported PC games are ready to play using a compatible controller, making it easy to enjoy GeForce NOW on the biggest screen in the house with even more options to play from the comfort of the couch.  And that’s not all the awesomeness from Amazon. Later this year, Fire TV users will be able to purchase GeForce NOW memberships directly through Amazon, creating a more seamless path from device setup to gameplay. These new features will arrive alongside some of the biggest games coming to the cloud throughout the year. Get Ready for Launch Five newly announced and highly anticipated games are coming to GeForce NOW at launch: CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker and STAR WARS Zero Company.  Better yet, members can lock in one of them early: For a limited time, purchase a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership and receive CONTROL Resonant at launch at no additional cost, and be first to experience Faden’s next chapter. The offer is available Tuesday, Aug. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27. Ultimate members can stream the full lineup 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.  Whether diving into new worlds or returning to iconic franchises, GeForce NOW lets members skip expensive hardware upgrades, massive installs and storage management so they can jump straight into the action the moment each game launches. Here’s a closer look at what’s coming: Contain the chaos. Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in Remedy’s CONTROL Resonant. Harness Dylan Faden’s 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. Emergence begins. Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day in the Coalition’s Gears of War: E-Day. Fourteen years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival. Rally squads and fight on in multiplayer with a reimagination of Gears’ iconic PvE mode, Horde Siege, or go head to head with a refined versus PvP. Pick up the Oni Gauntlet. Fight across a twisted vision of Edo-period Kyoto in Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Wield the mystical Oni Gauntlet, master intense swordplay and battle relentless demonic Genma beneath mysterious clouds of Malice. Walk the line between day and night. Step into 14th-century Europe in Bandai Namco’s The Blood of Dawnwalker, where war, plague and rising vampire powers have reshaped history. Play as Coen, a young Dawnwalker torn between humanity and cursed strength, and shape his path while fighting to save his family. Command the galaxy’s finest. Lead an elite squad behind enemy lines in STAR WARS Zero Company, a single-player turn-based game set during the twilight of the Clone Wars. Command former Republic officer Hawks and Zero Company through tactical battles and high-stakes missions where strategy, squad composition and player choices shape the fate of the galaxy. More Ways to Win Gaming gear and Ultimate memberships are up for grabs. GeForce NOW is marking Gamescom with a community giveaway featuring more than 40 prizes. Gamers will have a chance to score a MacBook Neo, Steam Deck or Chromebook — each paired with a one-year GeForce NOW Ultimate membership — along with Amazon Fire TV Sticks and GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships ranging from one month to one year. Head over to the GeForce NOW community on Reddit for all the giveaway details and how to enter. The Hunt Is On Squad up and fight for survival in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, streaming on GeForce NOW this week at launch. Assemble a four-player fireteam of Colonial Marines and battle through swarms of Xenomorphs, deadly new threats and increasingly desperate encounters. With deeper squad mechanics, new and improved classes, smarter enemies and expanded customization, every mission puts teamwork — and nerves — to the test. Members can also look for the following games joining the cloud this week: Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 (New release on Steam, Aug. 25) Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (New release on Steam and Xbox, Aug. 27, available on Game Pass) STAR WARS Zero Company (New release on EA app and Steam, Aug. 27) Baldur’s Gate 3 (GOG) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – Open Beta Weekend (Battle.net, Steam and Xbox available from Aug. 28 10am PDT  to Sep. 1 at 10am PDT. For more information please visit the Call of Duty website). Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (GOG) Cold Fear (GOG) IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator (Steam) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (GOG) Mount & Blade: Bannerlord II (GOG) No Man’s Sky (GOG) Paradise Killer (Steam) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (GOG) 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. To experience GeForce NOW, gamers can start with a GeForce NOW day pass and try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first membership purchase, making it even easier to level up when ready. Check back every GFN Thursday for new games, new features and even more ways to play on GeForce NOW. Which Gamescom announcement has you most excited? Let us know on X or in the comments below.  The future of PC gaming is on display with GeForce NOW. DLSS 4.5 controlsExpanded device support Upcoming AAA games More ways to play Community giveaway Firefox browser support… and more! #gamescom Details https://t.co/Rz6RnX0Pt4 pic.twitter.com/sShKRhzrD3 — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) August 25, 2026

Title: Leading Publishers Bring Blockbuster PC Games and Technology to NVIDIA RTX Spark Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:30:48 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/gamescom-rtx-spark-pc-games-technology/ NVIDIA is bringing the next wave of RTX gaming to the Gamescom conference running this week in Cologne, Germany, with support for new games, anti-cheat technologies and increased visual quality.  Electronic Arts, Embark and Ubisoft are among the latest game publishers and developers bringing their blockbuster titles to NVIDIA RTX Spark ahead of its launch this fall. They join the publishers that announced RTX Spark support at COMPUTEX in May, including KRAFTON, NetEase, Riot Games and XBOX.  NVIDIA is working closely with game developers and ecosystem partners to ensure today’s top PC games — including EA’s EA SPORTS F1 25 and Apex Legends, Ubisoft’s Anno 117: Pax Romana and Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders and THE FINALS — run seamlessly on RTX Spark devices. “We’re excited to bring Anno 117: Pax Romana to a new generation of RTX-powered PCs,” said Stéphane Jankowski, Ubisoft executive producer of Anno 117 : Pax Romana. “Our teams build the game to be seen wide: full districts, long sightlines, thousands of details at once. Seeing RTX Spark hold that level of fidelity from a single chip is genuinely impressive.” RTX Spark reinvents personal computing, bringing personal AI agents, advanced content creation and high-performance gaming together in a platform engineered from the ground up for the next wave of Windows PCs. For gamers, RTX Spark combines Windows devices with NVIDIA RTX technologies, including DLSS and Reflex.  Bringing Anti-Cheat to RTX Spark Supporting modern PC gaming goes beyond running the game itself. Many of today’s biggest online games rely on sophisticated anti-cheat technologies, to enable fair play across the multiple platforms these games run on.   NVIDIA has been working with EA to bring native EA Javelin Anticheat support to RTX Spark, including for EA’s biggest multiplayer games, such as EA SPORTS F1 25. RTX Spark launches this fall.  RTX Delivers Next-Generation Gaming RTX Spark is just one part of NVIDIA’s lineup of gaming announcements at Gamescom, including: DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is available now, featuring NVIDIA’s latest second-generation transformer model to deliver even higher image quality in ray- and path-traced content. It replaces traditional denoisers with an NVIDIA supercomputer-trained AI network to reconstruct higher-quality pixels in the parts of a ray-traced frame where rays were not sampled. Path tracing comes to CONTROL Resonant and 007 First Light to deliver new levels of visual fidelity.  NVIDIA ACE technologies are coming to Aniimo in early 2027, letting players naturally interact with their creatures. Gears of War: E-Day includes RTX Mega Geometry integration, advancing image quality on GeForce RTX GPUs, alongside ray tracing and DLSS 4.5. RTX Remix keeps remastering PC classics, with a major Painkiller RTX mod update available now and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind RTX coming soon. GeForce NOW gives members more ways to play with new DLSS 4.5 controls, expanded support for Steam Machine and other devices and platforms, plus blockbuster PC games including CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day and more coming to the cloud at launch. Find more on NVIDIA’s announcements at Gamescom in this GeForce article. 

Title: How Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve uses first-person to tell a more personal story Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:34 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/25/how-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-uses-first-person-to-tell-a-more-personal-story/ The world of Strangereal, setting of the Ace Combat games, has developed a deep and storied history over the course of the series. But with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, developer Project Aces has changed its approach to storytelling to create a more intimate and emotional tale than it has in the past. That approach brings you a lot closer to the desperate attempts of the Federation of Central Usea’s battered navy to fight off the invading Sotoans, and the many characters fighting that war. Play Video The biggest change is that, in Ace Combat 8, you play a fighter pilot silent protagonist who is, nevertheless, a major character throughout the story. The game opens with a cutscene in which you’re found floating in a life raft after a battle by the Endurance, one of the FCU’s last remaining aircraft carriers.  After you’re aboard, you’re sent up as navigator for fighter pilot Jan “Rex” Cope, whose job isn’t to engage in battles, but to serve as a propaganda tool. He’s known as the Wings of Theve, a legendary fight pilot ace named for the FCU’s capital, but you quickly find out that Cope isn’t the incredible ace he’s portrayed to be on social media. Instead, his instructions are to run from every fight, but when the two of you are shot down, Cope is killed in action.  But the Wings of Theve is too important to the struggling FCU to go out that way, so you inherit Cope’s call sign and secretly replace him. As the new Wings of Theve, you have a central role in the war effort, and your skills help bolster the propaganda — for better or worse. First-person cutscenes put you in the story Previous Ace Combat games have told their stories through detailed cutscenes, but in Ace Combat 8, those cutscenes are mostly presented from a first-person perspective, putting you in a room or on the deck with other characters. The story unfolds as if you’re living it both in and out of the cockpit, rather than having it narrated to you, and haptic feedback in the DualSense controller helps make those moments feel realistic and intense, especially in the heat of battle. While your character Rex, as in past games, is silent, you occasionally get the chance to answer yes-or-no questions by pressing left or right on the DualSense’s D-Pad, and to interact during cutscenes by looking around with the right analog stick or responding to prompts at key moments by hitting Triangle or Square. Through those minor interactions, you can do a bit to shape Rex as a person, and the other members of Joker Flight, your squadron, will respond to how you choose to lead them with your decisions. Becoming part of the squadron Ace Combat 8 puts a big emphasis on all its characters, especially the members of Joker Flight. You spend almost the whole game with them, whether it’s hanging out during cutscenes between missions that expand on the plot, sitting through briefings where they’ll chime in with comments or information, or listening to them over the radio while you’re taking down enemy aircraft.  That focus on characters makes the story of the FCU’s battle to repel Sotoa feel immediate, personal, and harrowing. You’re not just running a series of disjointed missions, you know the stories of the pilots who are being asked to risk their lives to complete them, and you know what’s at stake if you fail. You also get a lot of chances to make small decisions that give the sense that you’re influencing your squadron’s perception of you. In one early mission, you encounter an allied group of pilots who are also a famous rock band — and a member of your squadron, Coster, is a big fan. When he asks if he can briefly leave your formation to help them, the choice is up to you, but Coster appreciates it if you let him lend his guns and missiles to protect his heroes. Little moments like this help create a bond between you and the rest of Joker Flight. Those extra character moments also get you invested in your squad’s well-being. You can issue orders to them with the D-Pad, sending them out to engage targets on their own, calling them back in formation to attack your target, or asking them to cover you. Since your squad feels like a group of able pilots who you know personally, it helps push you to put their skills to use and to rely on them during the story, as well as to help them out when they get into trouble in the skies. A war effort full of individuals The radio is a huge part of Ace Combat 8’s storytelling. Throughout missions, you’ll communicate with your commanders and your squadmates via radio as they give you key information and comment about what’s happening. But the radio, and the sound design that accompanies it, also do a great job of selling what it feels like to take part in missions. When a mission to retake FCU territory turns into an ambush by Sotoan forces, you hear the struggle and fear of your ground forces as they all yell into their radios at once, reporting their situations or begging for help from the Wings of Theve. The radio also gives you chances to do a little to shape your story. If troops on the ground call for your aid and you respond, they acknowledge it — and often, those same characters might show up on later missions. The legend of the Wings of Theve affects more than just the number of likes on social media, and while the story doesn’t change based on your decisions, those small character moments with the people who fight alongside you make it feel like your contributions to the war effort are important ones. Through its approach to its Story Mode, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve pulls you into the struggle of the FCU in a way that’s deeply personal and often intense and emotional. You can fly the skies of Strangereal yourself when Ace Combat 8 takes off on October 2 on PlayStation 5.

Title: Luma Island is coming to PS5 Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:40 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/24/luma-island-is-coming-to-ps5/ We’re Feel Free Games, the team behind Luma Island, and we’re very excited to share that Luma Island is coming to PlayStation 5! Luma Island launched on PC in November 2024, and since then more than 800,000 players have joined us on the island. Now we’re getting ready to welcome PlayStation players too. Play Video Luma Island is designed to bring different kinds of players together, whether you’re an experienced gamer or new to games. Different difficulty modes and plenty of ways to play mean everyone can explore the island at their own pace. In Luma Island, players start out with an old caravan and a rundown farm. From there, what you do is really up to you. You can build and decorate your farm, grow crops, raise animals, choose from eight professions, meet townsfolk and hatch Lumas, magical companions that join you on your journey. But there’s a lot more to discover away from the farm. Explorable environments on Luma Island include forests, mountains and thick jungles, along with caves full of resources, ancient temples with puzzles and traps, hidden treasure and plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. You can also make your way to Pirate Cove, with its own areas to explore and pirate-themed minigames and challenges. Gameplay variety is an important part of the Luma Island experience. You can spend an evening working on your farm or fishing, then head out the next day to explore the island or venture into its many mysterious temples. There’s always something else to discover, and exploring one part of the island can lead you towards your next adventure. You can do all of this by yourself, or play together with up to 4 players online. Build together, share resources, explore the island, or head out looking for your next challenge. Luma Island will also support cross-platform play across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, so you can explore the island together, even when your friends are playing on another platform. Players get to decide how relaxed or challenging they want their adventure to be. Luma Island has three difficulty modes: Cozy, Adventure and Hero. In Cozy Mode, there’s no combat unless you choose it, while Adventure and Hero add more challenge. There are no stamina bars or inventory limits either, so you’re free to spend your time on whatever you feel like doing. If you want a relaxed evening tending your farm, decorating or fishing, you can do that. And when you’re ready for something more adventurous, you can grab your tools and see what else the island has waiting for you. We’re really excited to finally bring Luma Island to PS5, and we hope PlayStation players will feel right at home on the island. Luma Island is coming to PS5. You can wishlist it on PlayStation Store starting today.

Title: Fading Echo makes a splash on PlayStation 5 today Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:00:40 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/22/fading-echo-makes-a-splash-on-playstation-5-today/ Hi PlayStation players! This is Sylvain from Emeteria, a New Tales studio, the team behind Fading Echo, and we’re excited to share that our fast-paced elemental action-adventure RPG is launching today on PlayStation 5. In Fading Echo, you play as One, a young Legend fighting to save Corel, a fractured world being consumed by a mysterious force known as the Paradox. To survive, you’ll experiment with One’s powers, manipulate the elements around you, and shift between realities to find new ways through combat, exploration, and puzzles. So, let’s dive in! Become water – then weaponize it Water – or Æther, as it’s known in the world of Fading Echo – is at the heart of One’s abilities. She can manipulate it, use it against enemies, and even transform herself into a living blob of it. One of our goals with Æther form was to make movement itself part of your toolbox. As a blob, you can build momentum, surf through pipes, squeeze through narrow cracks, and launch yourself across the environment. This can help you reach new areas and solve environmental puzzles, but it can be just as useful in combat. Get above an enemy, for example, and you can water-bomb them on the way down, making quite a splash. It’s as effective as it is fun. And movement is only the first ripple. One can also unleash waves of Æther and powerful charged blasts, drenching enemies and changing the state of the battlefield. But drenching an enemy is just the beginning: Æther reacts with elements such as lava, toxic waste, and even Paradox corruption, opening up all kinds of possibilities. Drench an enemy before conducting energy through them. Solidify elements to change the battlefield. Or look to your surroundings and set off a chain reaction that turns the situation in your favor. Play Video We designed these systems to reward experimentation rather than push you toward a single sequence of attacks. When you enter an encounter, we want you to look at the enemies, the environment, and the elements at your disposal and ask yourself: What happens if I try this? Sometimes everything will flow according to plan. Sometimes you’ll find a solution we didn’t see coming. There’s rarely just One answer. Bend reality to find another way Corel is no longer one stable world. The Paradox has fractured it into alternate realities, and One can shift between different versions of the same space – and even different versions of herself. Reality shifting is another system we wanted players to use across exploration, puzzles, and combat rather than for one specific purpose. A path blocked in one reality might be accessible in another. An element you need to solve a puzzle could exist on the other side of a shift. Sometimes, instead of looking for another route through the space in front of you, you’ll need to think about what that same space looks like in another reality. Combat follows the same principle. Shifting can change the resources, hazards, and elements available around you, so the same encounter can play out differently depending on where you choose to fight. For us, Æther, movement, elemental reactions, puzzles, and reality shifting are all parts of the same toolbox. We want you to learn how each system works, then start combining them and finding your own solutions. Explore a world consumed by the Paradox Of course, One has bigger problems than finding increasingly creative ways to deal with enemies. Paradox Corruption is spreading across Corel, twisting reality and consuming what remains of the world. At its center is Maddock, the ruthless leader of the Paradox on Corel, who stands in the way of One’s attempt to save it.Your journey will take you across floating islands and fractured realities as you search for a way to stop the corruption before there’s nothing left to save. And while Fading Echo is a single-player adventure, One won’t make that journey entirely alone. Across Corel, you’ll meet a small group of unlikely allies. Some stand beside One out of loyalty, others out of guilt, and some because they have nowhere else left to go. Each has their own relationship with this decaying world, and with One herself. But One’s journey isn’t only about saving Corel. It’s also about discovering who she is, uncovering the mysteries of her past, and finding the answers she’ll need to save her future. We’ve built Fading Echo around experimentation and giving you the freedom to find your own way through its world. If you’d like to get a first taste before jumping into the full adventure, a demo is also available today on PlayStation 5.  Now it’s time to dive in, PlayStation 5 players! Fading Echo is yours, and we can’t wait to see how you make your way through Corel.

Title: (For Southeast Asia) Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 01:03:04 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/21/20260922-lisa/ Last year, we teamed up with Lisa for the first time on our global PS5 campaign. Today, we’re taking our collaboration a step further with an all-new DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition designed with Lisa herself. Play Video Lisa’s journey has taken her from her roots in Thailand to Korea and beyond, as she’s become a defining figure in global pop culture – from her dynamic stage presence to her bold approach to fashion. Hear from her directly on the collaboration: “Gaming is something I do whenever I have time to relax, so getting to create this collection with PlayStation was very exciting. I had a lot of fun adding in little details that I knew my fans would notice, and I wanted the fans to have something they can connect with. I’ve always loved expressing myself through music and fashion, so this collaboration gave me a new way to be creative and show a different side of myself. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.” – Lisa Fans won’t have to look far to find Lisa in the details. From the very start, we worked closely together to incorporate elements that held personal meaning for her. Her iconic bangs and eyes take center stage on the DualSense wireless controller touch pad, joined by her signature stars and bold “LL” lettering, all set against a Chroma Pearl colorway – Lisa’s personal favorite. In Southeast Asia, the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition will be available in highly limited quantities at participating retailers beginning on October 30 for a recommended retail price of SGD 115 / MYR 419 / IDR 1,549,000 / THB 2,890 / PHP 5,411 / VND 2,399,000. Pre-orders will begin on October 2, while supplies last.  Alongside the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition, fans can also look forward to the release of her new EP, Press Play, on October 23. Come and Press Play! 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

Title: Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and all-new merchandise Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:00:58 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/21/lisa-x-playstation-arrives-this-october-first-look-at-the-dualsense-wireless-controller-lisa-limited-edition-and-all-new-merchandise/ Last year, we teamed up with Lisa for the first time on our global PS5 campaign. Today, we’re taking our collaboration a step further with an all-new DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and a new merchandise collection designed with Lisa herself. Play Video Lisa’s journey has taken her from her roots in Thailand to Korea and beyond, as she’s become a defining figure in global pop culture – from her dynamic stage presence to her bold approach to fashion. Hear from her directly on the collaboration: “Gaming is something I do whenever I have time to relax, so getting to create this collection with PlayStation was very exciting. I had a lot of fun adding in little details that I knew my fans would notice, and I wanted the fans to have something they can connect with. I’ve always loved expressing myself through music and fashion, so this collaboration gave me a new way to be creative and show a different side of myself. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.” – Lisa Fans won’t have to look far to find Lisa in the details. From the very start, we worked closely together to incorporate elements that held personal meaning for her. Her iconic bangs and eyes take center stage on the DualSense wireless controller touch pad, joined by her signature stars and bold “LL” lettering, all set against a Chroma Pearl colorway – Lisa’s personal favorite. The DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition will be available in highly limited quantities directly from PlayStation and at participating retailers globally beginning on October 30 for a recommended retail price of $84.99 USD / ¥12,480 (including tax) / €84.99 / £74.99. Pre-orders will begin on October 2 at 10am local time, while supplies last.  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 Lisa x PlayStation merchandise pictured above available on Lisa’s official Amazon store beginning October 23.  Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection Launching this October in the U.S., the Lisa x PlayStation collaboration goes beyond gaming with a collection of PlayStation merchandise featuring Lisa’s designs, including apparel, hats, tote bags, keychains, stickers, a DualSense controller carrying case, and more. The collection gives fans new ways to bring their love for PlayStation and Lisa into their everyday lifestyle. The Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection will include two unique assortments available in limited quantities in the U.S. Select merchandise will be available to pre-order directly from PlayStation on October 2 at 10am ET, and launch on October 30. Additional items will launch on October 23 on Lisa’s official Amazon store at amazon.com/lisa and in the Amazon Music app.    Alongside the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and Lisa X PlayStation collection launching this October, fans can also look forward to the release of her new EP, Press Play, on October 23. We can’t wait to see how fans make the Lisa x PlayStation look their own when it launches.  Come and Press Play! 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 Buy direct from PlayStation purchase information Starting at 10:00am ET on October 2, players in the US will be able to pre-order the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection direct from PlayStation through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities, while supplies last. Starting at 10:00am local time on October 2, players in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition direct from PlayStation through playstation.com/store/hardware in limited quantities, while supplies last.

Title: Microsoft's failure to find a home for Ninja Theory voids the one, very tenuous upside to Senua's SGF reveal Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:04:10 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/microsofts-failure-to-find-a-home-for-ninja-theory-voids-the-one-very-tenuous-upside-to-senuas-sgf-reveal There’s plenty to dislike about this latest round of corporate-mandated Xbox misery. The hundreds more human beings losing their livelihoods. The embracing of risk-averse factory line development. The fact that nobody, still, knows what on earth is happening with Arkane. Read more

Title: Hytale's Chapter 1 update is all about them goblins, adding its first proper boss and "handcrafted" dungeon in October Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/hytales-chapter-1-update-is-all-about-them-goblins-adding-its-first-proper-boss-and-handcrafted-dungeon-in-october After months of smaller patches, Hytale’s early access phase is getting its inaugural Chapter update, confirmed release date and all. Chapter 1 is out on October 12th, and it’s a bundle of (mostly goblin-related) firsts: chiefly the game’s first "handcrafted" dungeon, a gruesome underground lair, and Hytale’s first bonefide boss fight, against a flamethrowing gob-king. Read more

Title: I got whomped by an Ork horde in Total War: Warhammer 40,000, definitely on purpose, to teach you a lesson about positioning Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:05:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/i-got-whomped-by-an-ork-horde-in-total-war-warhammer-40000-definitely-on-purpose-to-teach-you-a-lesson-about-positioning Demo sessions are often terrible ways to see a game, doubly so at conferences. You want to sink into a game at your own pace (and with unbroken access to fresh cups of tea), not get dropped into the middle of the action, hoisted up again 20 minutes later and plonked into another section of a game. However, that's the nature of these things sometimes and it suits some games more than others. Total War: Warhammer absolutely does not suit it. Grand strategy games are built for armchair generals. Not just any armchair, either, a wingback one where the leather on the arms is nearly worn through where said general has rested their elbows in deep contemplation. They're not games made to be played in short bursts. As such, I can't really speak to Total War: Warhammer 40,000's end quality from its Gamescom demo, but perhaps it says something that after an hour where I played 20 minutes of the battle tutorial, 20 minutes of the campaign tutorial, and 20 minutes in a scenario where my Space Marine army faced an overwhelming assault from an ork horde, I still came away keen as the baked beans found in an Astra Militarium ration pack to play the full game. Read more

Title: Colourful JRPG Armed Fantasia has been cancelled, four years after a successful Kickstarter campaign descended into delays and lawsuits Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:12:53 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/colourful-jrpg-armed-fantasia-has-been-cancelled-four-years-after-a-successful-kickstarter-campaign-descended-into-delays-and-lawsuits Armed Fantasia, a JRPG pitched as a spiritual successor the PS2-era roleplaying series Wild Arms – and led by former Wild Arms producer Akifumi Kaneko – has been cancelled. Digital Bros, the parent company of Armed Fantasia publishers 505 Games, announced in a financial statement that it was one of several games for which "The Group decided to discontinue development," the others being a sequel to F2P strategy game Battle Islands and action RPG Directorate Novitiate, which had already revealed its own demise in May. Read more

Title: Arc Raiders is testing a PvE mode because "a large and growing group" refuse to hunt each other Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:01:56 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/arc-raiders-is-testing-a-pve-mode-because-a-large-and-growing-group-refuse-to-hunt-each-other Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios is bowing to the pacifists and trialing a PvE mode in their extraction shooter. If you play between October 13th and 20th, you'll be able to flick a toggle that means you load either into the traditional world of Arc Raiders, where human players vie for the valuable scraps left behind in a ruined world watched over by killer robots, or a slightly safer version where the machines are still deadly but the humans can't hurt you. "We’re seeing a large and growing group of Raiders who come to the Rust Belt for the co-op and the ARC, not fighting with other Raiders," Embark say in the post announcing the trial. "That group has become a core part of our community, so it’s important we learn how to support them properly rather than leave them working around the game." Read more