Developer House House and publisher Panic announced today that their co-op multiplayer puzzle/exploration/goof-around game Big Walk has achieved huge sales success in just under a week. In a post on Bluesky, Panic announced that Big Walk has already passed over one million units in sales.

For small development teams and publishers, one million is a tremendous milestone--one that plenty of big commercial releases from major publishers often fail to reach. But we've seen a fair few massive indie hits in 2026 so far. Today the official X account of Ball X Pit posted that they've just crossed 2 million in sales while also teasing future content updates. Bizarre raising sim/RPG hybrid Mewgenics also crossed the million mark, reportedly earning back its development cost in a matter of mere hours.

https://twitter.com/BALLxPIT/status/2086869077469872285

Other indie darlings, such as ReStory and Mina the Hollower, have also trumpeted their sales figures--and while they hadn't hit the magic millions at the time of the posts, six-figure sales are certainly nothing to sneeze at for indie titles. And, of course, there are tremendous breakout hits like Meccha Chameleon, which has sold over 15 million copies--absolutely eclipsing the expectations of anyone, most of all its small development team in Japan.

These indie success stories are certainly feel-good moments in a sea of what seems like unrelenting bad industry news. However, it's easy to forget that indie development--and success--rarely comes easily. For every massive indie hit, there are hundreds of quality indie games yearning for success and recognition that go largely unnoticed, whose developers are praying for a hit so they can finally quit their day job. If there's a small game you love, be sure to spread the word--your voices are what can help turn a small passion project into a life-changing success.

Overwatch is making big changes to its battle pass as part of Season 4, with a new multi-track system that even gives players an option to swap out and replace a skin they don't want.

As explained in a new "Director's Take" blog post by Overwatch product director Chris McCabe, Blizzard said it recognizes that due to Overwatch's ever-expanding roster of 50+ heroes, not every battle pass will have rewards for the heroes a particular player is most excited about.

The solution Blizzard is introducing is to not only break the battle pass into smaller chunks so players can more quickly pursue the rewards that interest them the most, but also offer an option to change some of the rewards entirely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiIquLrEqC4

Starting in Season 4, players will be able to, once per premium battle pass purchase, "hack" a legendary skin at the end of a reward track and replace it with a "curated list of past Overwatch shop and loot box skins," McCabe said.

"So, if you're a Tank player who's not interested in the Damage and Support skins in your battle pass, you can use your Tier Hack to swap that Cassidy skin with one you'll appreciate more," McCabe said. "Perhaps a Legendary Reinhardt skin with more crayon and duct tape than chrome? Up to you."

The pool of skins that can be used to replace one from the battle pass will change every season, and will always include skins for heroes across all three of the game's roles. Season 4 will feature 12 legendary skins as part of the Tier Hack pool to choose from. 

This new Tier Hack system will go hand-in-hand with Overwatch's new "track"-based battle pass. Instead of one, linear, 80-tier list of rewards players need to unlock in order, the battle pass will be divided into six chunks. Players will need to complete a shorter introductory track for each season but can then choose to make progress towards any of the other five reward tracks. What track is active can be changed at any time. After all six tracks are complete, players will progress towards prestige titles and rewards as usual.

A look at Overwatch's new battle pass interface.

Blizzard's free-to-play hero shooter is hardly the first to employ this type of battle pass system. It's also been done in other live-service games like Call of Duty, Battlefield 6, and Blizzard's own Diablo 4, just to name a few, something Blizzard is more than aware of. McCabe said Blizzard isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, but give players more choice over what rewards to go for first. 

Despite the new track system and a UI/UX makeover, Blizzard made clear the number of rewards in the battle pass, and the amount of work required to make progress, isn't changing.

"Instead, our goal is to give you more control over what rewards you unlock, and in what order," McCabe said.

Overwatch Season 4 launches August 11, and alongside its battle pass changes, will introduce a new MEKA Tank hero, D.Mon, to the roster. In other Overwatch news, Blizzard announced last season that the game's newest core game mode, Stadium, would not receive new content going forward. Despite that news, Overwatch seems to be riding high of late overall, with a recent report attributing the shooter's recent success as a key reason for why Blizzard is now Xbox's top studio.

The removal of Rush from Battlefield 6 isn't going over well within the game's community, as developer Battlefield Studios confirms it's exploring ways to bring it back.

Playlists for the mode, along with several others like King of the Hill and Team Deathmatch, were removed with no real warning or fanfare from Battlefield 6 following its minor patch 1.4.1.5 update on August 4. The modes were also removed from custom searches, relegating the modes to Battlefield 6's Portal custom games.

According to the official Battlefield Comms social media account several days after the fact, developer Battlefield Studios said this was to "improve matchmaking quality by focusing players into the playlists seeing the most activity, creating more consistent matches that fill, and getting our players into the action faster."

https://x.com/BattlefieldComm/status/2085773140324761604?s=20

Rush has been a Battlefield staple for years, even if its implementation and smaller player-count matches in Battlefield 6 left something to be desired. But its removal entirely from official playlists has not been a popular decision, with players on the game's forums and Reddit reacting to the mode's removal with disbelief. One Steam player with close to 500 hours even allegedly went as far to request (and receive) a Battlefield 6 refund on Steam.

"Battlefield Studios, you don't get to remove the game modes I play and still keep my money," ExplorEverythingOnce said.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1vi90wa/steam_just_fully_rfunded_me_for_battlefield_6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=post_embed&utm_term=1&utm_content=1

Battlefield Studios, for its part, stated it recognizes that some of the removed modes are "community favorites, regardless of how often they're played," and is looking at ways to bring them back into matchmaking. 

"We're closely monitoring the impact of these playlist changes and will continue making adjustments where they're needed," Battlefield Studios said.

Battlefield 6's naval-combat themed Season 4 is currently in full swing, with the return of Wake Island and a Top Gun crossover scheduled to arrive August 18.

Out of all of Xbox's studios (of which there are admittedly fewer now following mass layoffs and studio divestitures), Blizzard is reportedly the "top performing."

That's according to a new report from Windows Central based on emails sent by Blizzard president Johanna Faries to staff last week. In the emails, Faries celebrated the studio's performance ahead of BlizzCon in September, an event she hopes will "serve as a powerful springboard into a new era of momentum and excitement."

Faries went on to state Blizzard ended the 2026 fiscal year as the "top-performing studio in Xbox's studios division, and this past year has marked our third highest fiscal for top line revenue in Blizzard's history." Faries doesn't elaborate on what exactly "top performing" means, but Blizzard saw its first consecutive years of growth since fiscal year 2017. Faries attributed the growth to two games specifically.

"Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch drove exceptional performance in particular, with Overwatch delivering its strongest quarter since 2022," Faries said.

Both Diablo 4 and Overwatch have certainly had big years, as did World of Warcraft, which also released a new expansion earlier this year. Diablo 4's latest expansion was well-received, even if its latest season seemed to take two steps back. Even Diablo 2: Resurrected, a remaster of a 26-year-old game, received new content in the form of the Reign of the Warlock DLC. Overwatch, meanwhile, underwent a transformation of its own earlier this year, when it dropped the "2" from its name and introduced five new heroes at once.

News that Blizzard is Xbox's top-performing studio of the last year isn't exactly a shock, especially considering the poor performance of last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. But it's a little surprising Blizzard hasn't been Xbox's top performer ever since Microsoft's acquisition of the studio back in 2023.

Not many studios are capable of operating multiple popular live-service games at once, and Blizzard has three big ones. Though WoW wasn't cited as a reason for growth, it alone has millions of players paying a monthly subscription fee, and both Overwatch and Diablo seem more popular (and more monetized) than ever. While one of Blizzard's games individually might not be able to compete toe-to-toe with juggernauts like Call of Duty or Minecraft, it's clear Blizzard's entire output combined is a powerful source of engagement and revenue for Microsoft.

As for what's next for Blizzard, BlizzCon is right around the corner on September 12-13, where there will no doubt be plenty of reveals about the future of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. Persistent rumors also point towards a new StarCraft game being revealed. Faries said last year 2026 will be Blizzard's "biggest year yet" and that she wants Blizzard to be the "best gaming and entertainment company in the world." This year's BlizzCon will "reflect that ambition in a bigger way," she said.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls launched last week, and its first patch is taking aim at the many technical teething issues on PC. Poor optimization appears to be one of the major issues, as many users online have reported it being demanding on their systems despite having moderate PC requirements.

"We've been working on a number of fixes and improvements aimed at reducing performance issues, improving stability, and addressing some specific problems," Arc System Works wrote in an update. According to the patch notes, Arc has several fixes to help reduce overall CPU usage, improve frame rates, and address several bugs in the fighting game. Addressing the performance drops specifically, Arc noted that unnecessary checks could be the culprit, and one of the issues it identified was one where the game would unnecessarily check for available audio inputs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBw6b8VGPxk&pp=0gcJCckLAYcqIYzv

Once the new patch has been installed, make yourself a fresh cup of your beverage of choice, as it'll be recommended for you to go through the lengthy shader compilation process. Here's the full list of patch notes:

PC Fixes

• Reduced CPU Usage
• Multiple fixes have been implemented to reduce overall CPU usage, including:
• An issue where the CPU ran high throughout the start-up process.
• An issue where additional load on the system was being created due to periodic audio processing during matches.

Sudden Performance Drops

• We identified an issue where the game was regularly checking for available audio inputs.
• These unnecessary checks could cause sudden frame drops and performance drops. This has now been addressed.

Frame Rate Drops

• Fixed an issue where the frame rate would drop when certain resolutions were selected.

Bug Fixes

Battle Settings

• Fixed an issue where restarting the game with certain customization items or colors enabled would cause the settings to revert to default.

Online Lobby

• Fixed an issue where changing how attack buttons were displayed to action icons resulted in some buttons becoming unresponsive during the open lobby mini games.

PC

Warm Up Those Shaders

• With the game being updated to the latest version, the PC version will prompt you to warm up the shaders. Do so now for a smoother experience.

Auto Graphics Quality Setting

• Improved auto spec detection to select a graphics profile that better fits your system.

While Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has a high review aggregate of 88 on GameSpot's sister site Metacritic, user scores on Steam have been much lower. Many people have complained about the launch weekend issues hampering play, ranging from temperamental online lobbies to the mandatory PlayStation Network profile required for the PlayStation-published game.

If you're still planning to jump into the Marvel brawler--where performance on PS5 appears to be much smoother--you can check out GameSpot's guides, like our Marvel Tokon character tier list and how long it takes to beat the single-player campaign,

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Roster – Every Character Revealed (So Far) View Images

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen might be ready to pull the plug on his ambitious plan to purchase eBay for $56 billion, a new report claims. Cohen--who came up with the plan while seated on his porcelain throne--had been pursuing the deal ever since it was announced, but eBay rejected the offer, saying it was “neither credible nor attractive.”

According to Bloomberg, Cohen is now considering a different strategy that would revolve around a partnership between eBay and GameStop to sell more collectible items like trading cards. GameStop has roughly 1,600 physical stores across the US, and Cohen has also spoken about creating a marketplace for digital gaming items through eBay. While eBay specializes in selling physical items like art and trading cards, Cohen added that video game in-game items were "massive," and eBay would be the perfect platform to sell them.

This is just one of several options available to GameStop, according to people familiar with the matter, but it has declined to comment about its future plans. While GameStop hasn't succeeded yet in acquiring eBay, it does have a 9.8% stake in the ecommerce platform. The original offer made to eBay's shareholders was to purchase each share for $125--50% in cash and 50% in GameStop stock--but where GameStop would get the money to finance this remains a mystery.

https://youtu.be/PeNclyAl9N4?si=cKAyYAHy66y1fOKw

GameStop has a market cap of around $12 billion, while eBay is currently valued at almost $54 billion. Cohen said that he could secure $20 billion in debt financing from TD Bank, while GameStop had $9 billion in cash that could be used toward the acquisition. The rest of the cash would come from outside sources, with Middle East sovereign wealth funds reportedly being one of the sources. Cohen originally stood to receive a pay package worth approximately $35 billion if the deal went through, but he canceled this plan.

"It's ultimately either going to be genius or totally, totally foolish," Cohen said earlier this year. “There are a lot of diamonds in the rough … that have sleepy management teams. I didn’t fix GameStop to stop there.”

If he succeeded in purchasing eBay, Cohen said in previous comments that he'd follow his GameStop business playbook by cutting costs and expanding into live commerce further. This is something that eBay does offer through eBay Live, livestreams hosted on the site where sellers promote their products to potential consumers--similar to an old-school after-hours live infomercial.

The Nintendo Switch version of Aliens: Fireteam Elite is now completely removed from sale and impossible to play for people who bought it.

Developer Cold Iron Studios announced earlier this year that Fireteam Elite, a game that runs in the cloud and not locally, would be shut down on August 5, and now that day has come. The game was delisted on the Switch's eShop earlier this year, along with other digital platforms.

However, the game remains playable on other platforms in an offline state. Because the Switch version is streamed over the cloud, it's now totally unplayable.

Fireteam Elite originally launched in August 2021 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, before coming to Switch in April 2013 via the cloud. A sequel, Fireteam Elite 2, is coming this August on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, with the Switch 2 edition arriving later in the year.

These kinds of issues, along with physical media going away, has prompted anger and frustration from fans, along with concerns about game preservation.

Cloud gaming has been around for years, in various stages, and Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick recently said he expects adoption to continue to grow. During an earnings call recently, Zelnick said he believes the industry will be in "commercial streaming mode" within three years. He and others have theorized that expanded access to cloud gaming could help bring in more revenue by way of reaching more people.

With console prices continuing to go up, people might see cloud gaming as an increasingly attractive opportunity to play the latest games without needing to own expensive hardware. For this to work, though, there needs to be low latency, Zelnick said. People would also need steady and reliable connections, along with internet plans with generous data caps, or no caps at all.

The road to cloud gaming has been paved with plenty of issues. Google's Stadia service previously shut down and the cloud versions of Kingdom Hearts games, like Fireteam Elite for Switch, will be shut down in the future. These are issues that could engender mistrust with the entire concept of cloud gaming.

In 2019, Zelnick said clouding gaming was not going to revolutionize the gaming industry, nor did he buy into the theory that cloud streaming would open up a whole new market of people who previously didn't play games.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day just cleared $1.6 billion at the box office, and that has also led to a surge in sales of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. According to new data estimates by Alinea Analytics, another 316,000 copies of the 2023 game have been sold on PS5 and PC via Steam since Spider-Man: Brand New Day swung into theaters, generating $11 million in sales.

As Alinea's head of market analysis Rhys Elliot noted online, 20% of the copies sold since the film launched were physical, and another 274,000 players jumped into the game via its availability through PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium tiers. In terms of pure numbers, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 now sits at 18.2 million units sold--92% of which were on PS5--and has made over $1.2 billion since launch.

"While some smart discounts had an impact, hype around the movie did most of the work here, as shown by the pricing data in our platform," Elliot wrote. To put this into perspective, AA's data estimates that the game has sold 15,000 [copies] a day on PS5 at the current price of $29.39, a massive uptick when compared to the February promotion that saw Sony sell around 6,300 units per day. On Steam, sales also increased, with the game priced at $40 on PC.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/htx531h5YTY?feature=share

Could this effect be repeated with the dozens of other video game movie adaptations in development right now, like Nintendo's Legend of Zelda film? Elliot added that "these lifts happen mostly by accident," and considering how unpredictable movie and video game development cycles are, syncing up two massive productions to release within one another like this would be a "logistical" nightmare to pull off. "But for the handful of publishers making movies AND games in the same IP, surely one of these has to line up. I'd kill to see that impact," Elliot concluded.

To coincide with the launch of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 developer Insomniac Games added a PSSR update for PS5 Pro owners and the new "Fresh Start" costume from the movie. The film also took inspiration from the game, with star Tom Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton talking about how some of the stylish finishers were incorporated into several action scenes. Spider-Man: Brand New Day made another $145 million at US theaters during the August 7-9 weekend, and it looks like it could clear $2 billion globally by the time its run ends, raising the bar for Avengers: Doomsday when it arrives on December 18.

All Spider-Man 2 Suits And How To Get Them View Images

For big games like GTA 6, discs "don't really make sense for the consumer," but it's something Take-Two would hasn't totally ruled out for the upcoming game, the company's CEO recently said.

Speaking to IGN, Strauss Zelnick said more than 90% of Take-Two's sales currently are digital, going on to say people "need to be connected" to play most games today.

“So everyone's connected. So it's just a matter of the most efficient way to get the title into people's hands," he said.

No discs for GTA 6.

GTA 6 is not shipping on a disc, though it will be available at retailers via a code in a box. Asked if Take-Two might ever release GTA 6 on a disc, Zelnick said, "I wouldn't rule out anything at this stage of the game."

"What we've announced so far is what we're doing at the moment, but we are always open minded," he said.

The executive went on to say that he does not foresee any kind of negative impact financially by releasing GTA 6 as a digital-only game. On the contrary, releasing only on digital will likely help Take-Two make even more money.

Zelnick added that he expects gaming to get closer and closer to near-universal adoption of digital over discs, but he believes there will continue to be a small, niche market for physical games like there is for vinyl in the music world.

He also said making GTA 6 a digital-only game was "what was right" for the game, and was not influenced by Sony's own announcement that it was ending support for physical game discs in January 2028.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game costs $80, and Take-Two believes that's a fair price for what's being offered.

Anyone looking to portray Sony's beefiest protagonist, Kratos, in a live-action God of War series would need to be suitably jacked for the role, and actor Ryan Hurst certainly looks like he spent most of the day at the gym. Following a devastating bicep tear injury that forced him to vacate the role, Hurst has posted an image online of just how massive he got to play the stoic god-killer, and that simple selfie looks leagues better than the official God of War TV series promotional image that preceded it.

While the image briefly appeared on Hurst's Instagram Stories--quick-fire content that is only up for 24 hours--it was preserved by The Gamerverse. The original image didn't feature any text, but Hurst did use Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" song for it. While there's no clue as to when the photo was taken, it does show Hurst in a much better light as Kratos, complete with the signature markings of the character.

https://twitter.com/TheGameVerse/status/2085951791783637233

Several fans have responded to the image online, remarking that Amazon might have moved a little too quickly to replace Hurst and that the first promotional image for God of War didn't do him any favors.

The original God of War promotional image for the Prime Video series.

Facing months of downtime and rehabilitation, the best-case scenario would have seen Hurst return to resume filming on God of War in early 2027, but Prime Video's production schedule likely necessitated that a replacement be found as soon as possible.

While a new actor to fill the role hasn't been announced yet, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista is reportedly being considered to take over. While he has slimmed down, he'd likely be able to bulk up relatively quickly given his history of preparing for physically demanding roles.

Beyond the upcoming TV series, God of War fans can also look forward to God of War Laufey when it launches on February 18, 2027, for PS5. It'll be followed by another Kratos-led adventure in the future, as well as the remake of the original God of War trilogy.

50 Video Game Movies In The Works: How Many Of Them Will Actually Come Out? View Images

Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick recently said GTA 6's preorder numbers are unprecedented in the gaming industry, and that's part of the reason why the company is not revealing actual numbers. Zelnick said in an interview with Bloomberg that GTA 6 preorders "vastly" surpassed internal expectations, but he's unsure "whether they mean anything."

"The massive demand for preorders we’ve seen to date could reflect a pull forward of sales that otherwise would materialize in the fullness of time," he said.

Zelnick said sharing real, raw data for GTA 6 preorders could mislead investors, so Take-Two is not going to do so.

"I’ve reminded people that we simply don’t know the demand curve because it’s just never happened before,” Zelnick said. “Given that, we think the raw numbers could potentially be misleading in a direction we wouldn’t feel good about.”

Speaking during Take-Two's recent earnings call, Zelnick said of GTA 6's preorder numbers, "No one’s ever seen anything like this before at Take-Two, or in the industry." He added: “To be clear, we haven’t sold one unit yet. You can cancel a preorder.”

GTA 6 releases this November on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Also during the earnings briefing, Take-Two reiterated that
GTA 6 is not delayed further. Management also defended GTA 6's $80 price point, saying the game offers “phenomenal value.”

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's expected to be 2026's biggest game, and it could get another jolt when the next evolution of GTA Online launches.

GTA Online for GTA 5 has been, and continues to be, a gigantic success for Rockstar and Take-Two. So why hasn't Rockstar divulged any information about how GTA 6 will work with respect to multiplayer and online? We don't know, and a new report claims Rockstar isn't going to reveal anything anytime soon.

"Right now, Take-Two is only talking about GTA 6 in terms of the single-player portion, which will not presumably have recurring revenue. I don't think they are putting microtransactions in the single-player game," Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported. "They have not talked at all, and they are not planning to talk anytime soon, about what the new GTA Online will look like and what that recurring spend will look like."

GTA 6 launches in November.

When Rockstar announced the preorder details for GTA 6, the developer described GTA 6 as being a "single-player experience." There was no mention whatsoever of any kind of online support.

That baffled some people, as GTA Online has been monumentally successful and Rockstar, along wth parent company Take-Two, no doubt want to keep the money flowing when GTA 6 comes out with some kind of new and improved version. Unconfirmed reports have claimed that GTA Online, even now, some 13 years after its release, brings in more than $500 million per year.

GameSpot's Mark Delaney argues that there is no easy way for Rockstar to transition from the current GTA Online to what comes next. Whatever decision Rockstar makes is sure to anger some fans, he said.

The next big showcase for GTA 6 will come on August 27. That's when a new "extended look" at the game will air on Netflix, starting that day at 3 PM ET. People have expressed anger and frustration at Rockstar putting the new GTA 6 trailer effectively behind a paywall, but it's a sign of the times.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Since the Not-E3 blitz of summer gaming showcases, things have been relatively quiet since then. Amidst that break, THQ Nordic dropped a new showcase full of trailers to show what the publisher has on the way from its various studios. While it wasn't focused on big-name games like the ones you'd find in dedicated Xbox and PlayStation showcases, THQ Nordic instead has titles in very specific niche genres and IP.

https://youtu.be/ToLh5Ruefxk

Several of them are already available via early access or are already out and have post-launch plans in place, so if you're a fan of games that scratch a very specific itch for interactive entertainment, then you'll want to check out the list below of all the announcements.

Let's Sing 2027 and Let’s Sing ABBA

Revealed in the preshow, Let's Sing 2027 is shaping up to conquer the karaoke video game space. This year's installment features 35 songs from artists such as Ariana Grande and Chappell Roan, and you can join in on singing radio-friendly love songs with or without the original vocals. On top of that, an ABBA pack is also coming to the game on November 3, just in time for the 50th anniversary of Dancing Queen. It includes 32 tracks that your great-grandparents will appreciate, from Waterloo to Mamma Mia. Don't be surprised if they tell you to "gimme gimme gimme" the microphone, Fernando.

Pinball FX

Another preshow video, Zen Studios showed off its collection of Pinball FX tables that it has assembled over the years. The studio has locked down an impressive number of IP for the game, ranging from Peanuts to Star Wars, and if you're looking for some pinball fun, you can find the game on just about every PC and console.

Reanimal: The Prisoner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M05D1Ynuxfg

New DLC is on the way for Reanimal in the form of The Prisoner. While it sadly isn't a crossover with the groovy counter-culture '60s TV show that starred Patrick McGoohan, fans of the Little Nightmares-inspired game can look forward to new environmental puzzles and challenges set within a battle-scarred landscape. You can grab it right now.

Expeditions: Samurai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ophpG_hgKns

Developer Campfire Cabal dropped a new trailer for Expeditions: Samurai, its upcoming tactical turn-based-combat game set in feudal Japan. Now out in early access on PC, the developer says that the game will receive three major updates while it works on fine-tuning the experience for players, and it'll be focusing on polishing gameplay balance, exploration, stealth, combat, and more.

Titan Quest 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pred8p-zN_Q&pp=0gcJCcQLAYcqIYzv

Now that The Odyssey is the hot new thing in cinemas, it might be the perfect time to check out how the Greek-inspired ARPG Titan Quest 2 is shaping up. Still in early access, today's trailer for the game showed off gameplay for the new Spirit Mastery skills that players can wield in combat. Built around mastering the powers of the Underworld, these powers will allow you to manipulate the forces of life and death to summon spirits and cast spells.

Call to Arms: Panzer Elite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYzv5ll7GUE

World of Tanks doesn't have a monopoly on armored fighting vehicles, as Call to Arms: Panzer Elite also offers a pretty good spin on the lumbering war machines. A new update is now out for the game on PC, adding two new missions and two new tanks in the form of the M18 Hellcat and the M24 Chaffee. 

Way of the Hunter 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0hkJ6naYQ4

Oh deer, local wildlife has no idea what's in store for it when Way of the Hunter 2 launches on September 29 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The Eternal Life of Goldman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz6dr8xrU5Y

The Eternal Life of Goldman continues to look impressive with every new trailer, and this latest look at the game went behind the scenes of its beautiful handcrafted art, boss fights, and level design. It still doesn't have a release date, but The Eternal Life of Goldman is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The Guild: Europa 1410 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0nBzCb2zeg

Do you think that you have what it takes to keep the local peasants under control and establish a mighty kingdom during medieval times? Then you'll want to check out The Guild: Europa 1410 and see just how long your dynasty will last while you juggle your responsibilities as a noble in this feudal management game. You can choose to make your fortune through legitimate means or through some less-than-legal methods, and the game will be hitting early access in September.

Wreckfest 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rALY2BE-eI

Wreckfest 2 has grown throughout its early-access journey, and this new trailer was essentially a sizzle reel for the destruction derby racing game.

Gothic 1 Remake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFQ8EMaV_M4&pp=0gcJCcQLAYcqIYzv

Gothic 1 Remake launched earlier this year, and developer Alkimia Interactive outlined its post-launch plans for the game. This will include various updates and new features like photo mode, mod support, alternative progression, and more.

Gothic Classic Trilogy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqnfudVwoHI

In case that's not enough Gothic for you, then you can look forward to playing through the original trilogy of games on console soon. Gothic Classic is now available, Gothic 2: Complete Classic launches on September 29, and Gothic 3 Classic will launch on November 24.  

Gothic: A Shadow's Quest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEb5i_lZj7w

Rounding out the Gothic announcements was the reveal of Gothic: A Shadow's Quest, which will launch through the tabletop crowdfunding platform Gamefound on September 30.

Upcoming Games on Nintendo Switch compilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZi-I_5TWFA

Finishing up the livestream was a quick reminder that several THQ Nordic games like Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Sacred 2 Remaster, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, and the Destroy All Humans 2 Remakes are available for--or coming to--Switch consoles.

During the latest investment call for Grand Theft Auto 6's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, CEO Strauss Zelnick weighed in on the future of AI in game development. While Zelnick acknowledges that even his company will utilize AI, he reiterated his belief that the emerging technology won't replace anyone.

"Those [AI] tools are not going to replace anyone," said Zelnick. He also expanded on the company's approach, which he characterized as focusing on creating entertainment rather leading with technology.

"The first of our core pillars is creativity," noted Zelnick. "And we have 13,000 colleagues around the world, the vast majority of whom are people who are creative every day. We believe the technology can enhance their creativity, but we do not believe it can or should replace their creativity."

Zelnick added that he doesn't believe that using AI will significantly lower the price of development, but he argued that it could "meaningfully increase the quality" of the games. The CEO has made similar remarks in the past. During a 2025 investor call, Zelnick said that Take-Two won't use AI as an excuse to lay off its employees.

In addition to his latest AI missives, Zelnick assured Take-Two investors that GTA 6 hasn't been delayed from its launch for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, Unsurprisingly, Zelnick is predicting that GTA 6 will carry the company through a very profitable fiscal year. He also claimed that GTA 6 preorders are "unprecedented," and it may be the most in-demand game that the industry has ever seen.

Tarik Skubal has been one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball over the last few years, winning two consecutive Cy Young Awards as a member of the Detroit Tigers. But the Tigers have been having a rough season, and the team dealt Skubal to the Dodgers at the trade deadline this past weekend. Now, MLB The Show 26 is celebrating Skubal's move to Los Angeles with a special Diamond Dynasty card, so everyone can play as the biggest villain in baseball.

Coming later today around noon PT / 3 PM ET, the New Threads Trade Deadline program contains a 99-rated Tarik Skubal. The other players and their ratings are as follows:

• Jo Adell (98)
• Taylor Ward (98)
• Arjun Nimmala (98)
• Ryan Zeferjahn (97)
• Luke Weaver (97)
• Luis Castillo (97)
• Liam Hicks (97)
• Daulton Varsho (97)
• AJ Minter (97)

Yes, Skubal is the only 99-rated card of the bunch (though the extra booster packs contain a few more), and his real-life counterpart joins a team that already had the absolute best starting rotation in all of baseball. It makes the Dodgers even more of a ridiculously stacked team, and Skubal said he has no sympathy for people who blame the Dodgers for buying the best team every year. That being said, the Dodgers have been on a very rough stretch since the trade, so perhaps some form of karma is rebalancing the scales.

Skubal better enjoy the next few months of playing in his Dodgers uniform, because there's a pretty good chance he's not going to get to do it again until 2028. The CBA between the players and the league is set to expire, and a proposed salary cap is the biggest sticking point.

Take-Two Interactive's quarterly earnings call had plenty of new information about GTA 6, including why the game won't have an early access perk. Speaking to investors, CEO Strauss Zelnick was also asked why Take-Two Interactive is selling fewer special versions of GTA 6--so far only the $80 standard and $100 ultimate editions are available to preorder--and why early access wasn't offered as an additional perk, when it is available for its line of 2K sports games like NBA, WWE, and PGA Tour.

 Zelnick explained that the pricing decisions ultimately belong to Rockstar Games, and while it could have charged more for features like paid early access, the studio was once again aiming to provide value to its consumers. "Given the hype around this title, I mean, I think we could have made any number of other pricing choices," Zelnick explained. "But as I said earlier, our focus is on delivering way more value than what we charge for something."

Essentially, Zelnick explained that both GTA 6 editions are already value-packed products in the eyes of the company, and while preorders are exceptionally high, he did note that these could always be canceled before the game launches on November 19. That has led to Take-Two Interactive being cautiously optimistic, but the company is still expecting GTA 6 to help increase its revenue by 20% in its current financial year.

Early access has become more commonplace for new games over the last couple of years, and in addition to Take-Two, companies like Microsoft make extensive use of it to give players extra incentive to buy a premium edition of a game--which obviously costs more than the regular version. Forza Horizon 6 offered a headstart when it launched earlier this year, and Gears of War: E-Day will also have an early access period for owners of the game's special edition.

Meanwhile, GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and you can check out an "extended" preview of the game first on Netflix on August 27--if you're a Netflix subscriber.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

You can now check if you were picked for the closed network test for The Duskbloods, but you won't get an email invitation as you might expect.

To see if you can take part in the playtest of From Software's Switch 2 multiplayer title, you'll have to go to the website for the network test. From there, click on the three-line menu on the top right of the page and select "Account" to go to your personal page.

Once there, you'll see your selection results--the page will tell you either way. Unfortunately, if you see blue "You were not selected to participate" text, you didn't make it in, which stings harder than reading "YOU DIED" in Dark Souls.

Here's what the selection results look like for the lucky players chosen.

Those selected for the network test can find their download code on the website starting Tuesday, August 18, at 6 AM PT/9 AM ET. The network test will run at the following times:

• Friday, August 21: 3 AM to 7 AM PT / 6 AM to 10 AM ET
• Friday, August 21: 7 PM to 11 PM PT / 10 PM to 2 AM ET
• Saturday, August 22: 11 AM to 3 PM PT / 2 PM to 6 PM ET
• Sunday, August 23: 3 AM to 7 AM PT / 6 AM to 10 AM ET
• Sunday, August 23: 7 PM to 11 PM PT/ 10 PM to 2 AM ET

There still haven't been too many details about The Duskbloods since its initial reveal over a year ago, so participants will be able to learn much more about the game firsthand through this playtest. From Software has yet to announce a release date, but The Duskbloods is apparently hitting the Switch 2 this year.

Nintendo’s Top-Selling Switch 2 Games Of All Time View Images

A base PS5 or Xbox Series X|S console costs far more today than it did almost six years ago, but despite that, GTA 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive doesn't believe that the more-expensive gaming hardware will slow down its business or sales of the upcoming game. Speaking to investors as part of a briefing on its recent financial quarter, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick did mention that lower-priced gaming hardware would still be preferable, but the current state of the technology could have a surprise silver lining.

"The rising cost of hardware is not a good thing. I don't think it will slow us down any because, you know, we're delivering, we believe we're delivering experiences that people want," Zelnick said. "However, a lower price point for hardware would be a good thing because there'd be more hardware in people's hands. Probably the most relevant thing is the world continues to move to open systems, and that will continue."

Zelnick added that PC used to make up a fraction of sales 20 years ago--around 2%--but in the years since then, the platform accounts for up to 50% of sales. The CEO believes the gap will only continue to grow, and cloud-streaming could also play a big role in bringing more games to more people--and that future isn't too far away, Zelnick believes.

"If you believe in streaming, and to be clear, we really do, and I'm happy to put a timeline on it. I think we'll be in commercial streaming mode within three years, and by commercial, I mean low latency. That can 10x the effective installed base. Now, it doesn't mean we're going to 10x our revenue--and we wouldn't project that we would--but because obviously your avid consumers already had access to video game machines. But I do think it creates great opportunity for titles that are broadly desirable, even outside of core markets."

While the idea of cloud-streaming games isn't new--RIP, Google Stadia--the technology behind it has continued to improve over the years, with Microsoft making big strides in this space. As for consoles, if you haven't bought one yet for highly anticipated games like GTA 6, you might not want to delay that decision for too much longer. Prices look set to increase again next year, while PC gamers are facing another tough year as the biggest manufacturers of RAM chips have reportedly sold out all their production for 2027.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

Following the launch of GTA 6 preorders in late June, it immediately became apparent that there was, unsurprisingly, huge demand for the game. Now, in a Take-Two earnings call, the publishing company's CEO said the number of preorders is "unprecedented" across the industry.

Strauss Zelnick said, "No one's ever seen anything like this before at Take-Two, or in the industry." He went on to add that exceptional preorders don't always equal exceptional sales, though. "To be clear, we haven't sold one unit yet. You can cancel a preorder."

While Zelnick declined to comment on sales expectations, he said, "The news is great so far, we're incredibly excited. We couldn't be more excited than we are, and yet we are realistic and, at best, cautiously optimistic. We're going to leave it at that until the thing occurs." He continued, "The level of preorders is unprecedented and astonishing, and we're grateful for that."

The claims came after Take-Two affirmed that GTA 6 is not delayed further, and will still be releasing on November 19. The company also believes that its $80 price tag is "phenomenal value."

While most of Take-Two Interactive's games are priced at $70--which became a much more common MSRP for new releases from 2020 onwards--GTA 6 is one of a handful of titles that will retail for $80--a price that the publisher believes is "phenomenal value" for the open-world game.

Speaking to investors following the release of Take-Two's quarterly earnings, CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed a query about how the publisher had landed on an $80 price point for GTA 6. Zelnick echoed previous statements made regarding the value proposition of GTA 6, and how the publisher is aiming to "overdeliver" on the value attached to that title.

"Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them," Zelnick said. The truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago. Pricing has not kept pace with inflation, and our goal is to continue to overdeliver for our consumers, because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you paid for it. We expect that GTA 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go, [this] is a gross understatement because Rockstar Games is known for overdelivering. Our goal is not to maximize price."

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and unsurprisingly, Take-Two is expecting the game to boost its revenue significantly during its current financial year.

GTA 6 — All The Potential Gameplay Activities From Trailers And Screenshots View Images